"I jump into a sand pit for a living"
Who is God?
The great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of love Daniel 9:4Daniel’s prayer in Daniel chapter nine is one of the great prayers of the Bible. When we come to God in prayer, it is important first of all to know who God is. For Daniel, he is great, awesome and he keeps his promises. Throughout the prayer Daniel contrasts God who is good and Israel who have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards.
The NIV refers to a “covenant of love” but the word could equally be translated mercy or loving kindness or even grace. When we come to God in prayer we need to be clear in our belief in him, who he is and that he is able and willing to hear and answer. Coming to God in prayer requires a humility which does not sit well with the approach of modern society of self-sufficient, self-made people, who like Frank Sinatra, “did it my way”.
Daniel recognizes that Israel is in trouble and that they cannot get out of it on their own. So he asks for God’s help. It is only when we recognize our inability to solve our own problems that we can truly come to God in faith and humility. Someone once said that the greatest need of the western world was to feel any need.
Hebrews 11:6 makes the same point as Daniel: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”.
Whatever is on your mind, begin by recognizing that God is there, powerful and loving, and that you need his help.