"God answers my prayers everywhere except on the golf-course."
Be specific
Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.’ Daniel 9:19We can learn so much from Daniel’s prayer! It is only 25 words but so full of content Who? Daniel is clear who he is addressing . “Lord” reminds us of our status in relation to God. He is Lord; we are not. “My God” reminds us of the personal nature of our relationship with God.
He’s very specific about what he wants God to do:
Listen – it is an essential part of our relationship with God in prayer that we believe he is listening.
Forgive – recognizing that we need God’s forgiveness is at the heart of our relationship with him.
Hear and act – it is not enough to know God is listening; Daniel needs God to do something.
Do not delay – expresses the urgency of the situation.
Relational – the context of the prayer is that it is part of a relationship with God (my God, your city, your people)
Sometimes we pray in such vague terms that we will never know if God has answered. Daniel’s prayer is specific and to the point. Learn from Daniel.
What situation in life do you need to pray about? Learn from Daniel and even follow the pattern of his prayer.