Daniel was confessing his sin, the sin of the people and earnestly PRAYING when the angel, Gabriel, comes swiftly flying in to give Daniel the skill to understand the prophetic visions. (Dan 9:20-23)

Daniel had seen visions of what God would do, yet Daniel still prayed.

Does that not seem curious?

Sometimes, I’m tempted to think God is going to do what He is going to do, so why should I pray?

But God clearly tells us to pray without ceasing. (1Thess 5:16-18)

Daniel did. He prayed even when he was told not to do so. He continued to make requests of God even though he knew what would happen and he was surely terrifically busy as a government official.

John Calvin said, “Nothing, therefore, can be better for us, than to ask for what He has promised.”

When we pray God’s promises, it reminds us of truth and helps us hold on to truth.

Furthermore, Daniel stated his requests were not because of his or the people’s righteous deeds but because of God’s great mercy (Dan 9:18)

And this should be our heart when we pray and approach the completely holy, totally-in-control, all powerful God.

We can never approach God because of our own righteousness but because of His great mercy (as demonstrated by the blood of His Son shed for us).

This is a key truth to remember.

For there will be times, in all of our lives, when we blow it, and we may feel like we can’t pray because we’ve messed up so bad.

But, let’s always remember, our access to The Most High Holy God was never, and is never, due to our own merit but His great mercy.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. “ (Rom 5:8-10)

Yes, God will do what He says He will do! And one day, those who know Him will be free from our sin nature and with Him in eternity.

But until then, we will stumble, we will sin, but because of His great mercy, we can keep calling on Him.

Will there be consequences for our sin? Certainly. God is a just God and we live in a society governed by laws.

But even those sitting behind prison bars are free to call on the Lord.

No one, has out-sinned God’s ability to forgive! (I don’t know what sin the enemy may have reminded you of just now, but that, too, is covered by the blood of the Lamb who doesn’t just pardon, but abundantly pardons!)

“Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isa 55:6-7)

Oh, let’s pray.

Let’s pray God’s promises.
Let’s pray and remember God will do what He says He will do.
Let’s pray when we are busy.
Let’s pray when we have blown it, …because it is always and only because of God’s great mercy that we can make our requests known to Him.

May He have compassion on us and our crazy, mixed up world.

May we praise Him for He hears our prayers!

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