Hear the Prayer of Your Servant - Daniel 9:17

In the book of Daniel, Daniel prayed to God and said, “O Lord, according to all your righteousness, I beseech you, let your anger and your fury be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people are become a reproach to all that are about us”, and in chapter nine and verse seventeen of his book Daniel said, “hear the prayer of your servant” where we read,

Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of your servant, and his supplications, 

and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

The verse reads, “Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of your servant, and his supplications, …” Daniel began with the words, “now therefore” or “at this time wherefore, then and on this account”, “O our God” which means “O our, Daniel and the people of Israel’s, Supreme Deity”, “hear the prayer” or “listen to, give heed to and yield to the intercession and supplication” “of your servant” which means “belonging to your, Jehovah God’s, bondman, worshiper and man of servile condition”, “and his supplications” or “and his, Jehovah God’s servant’s, earnest prayer and entreaty”. Daniel called upon his and the people of Israel’s Supreme Deity to give audience to the intercession of His minister and bondman and the earnest prayers he was giving. 

The verse goes on to say, “… and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.” Daniel continued with the words, “and cause your face” or “and make your, Jehovah God’s, front and countenance” “to shine upon your sanctuary” which means “to be illuminated and lighted upon your, Jehovah God’s, sacred and holy place or temple” “that is desolate” or “that exists as devastated, deserted and ruined”, “for the Lord’s sake” which means “on behalf of the cause of the title which is spoken in place of Yahweh in a Jewish display of reverence”. Daniel also asked Jehovah God to make His countenance bring illumination to His sacred worship place that existed in devastation and ruin. 

When we mediate upon the words in this verse, we learn through Daniel how he appealed to Jehovah God to give audience to his intercessions and to make His countenance bring light upon His sacred temple that was lying in ruin. We admire the humility of Daniel as he called upon God to “hear” him, and his appeal was for God to intercede in his life and the spiritual lives of the people of Israel. God wants to have a personal relationship with us through His Son Jesus who came into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when He raised Him from the grave after three days, He made the way through belief and trust in Him for us to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and provided with His Holy Spirit who will listen to us and guide us into all truth according to His Divine purpose and will.

Next time Daniel says, “O my God, incline your ear, and hear”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".