Daniel Intercedes for the People (Daniel 9:4-19)

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Daniel’s Prayer Life (Daniel 9:4-19)                     

Daniel humbly comes to the Lord on behalf of Israel.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 8, 2026

Daniel’s Prayer Life (Daniel 9:4-19)                     

Daniel humbly comes to the Lord on behalf of Israel.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, March 8, 2026

A boy Scout was on a plane with a pilot, a minister, and a computer whiz. There was trouble on the plane. The plane was beginning to dive. They realized that they had to put on parachutes and jump. The only problem was there were only three parachutes and there were four people. The pilot came and said, “Well, look, I’ve got a wife and four kids, I need a parachute.” So, he took the parachute and he jumped.

The computer whiz said, “Well, I’ve got all of this knowledge that the world desperately needs for the twenty-first century, and I can’t have it die with me, so I need a parachute.” So, the computer whiz took a parachute and he jumped.

The minister looked at the little boy and said, “Well, look, I’ve lived a long, full life and you’re just a young man. You take the last parachute, and I’ll go down with the plane.”

The little boy looked at the minister and said, “Mr. Minister, don’t worry about it. The brilliant computer whiz just took my knapsack and jumped out of the plane.”

A lot of us are too smart for our britches. We think more of ourselves than we ought to. We think we’re a life whiz and every time we jump out to do right, we fall flat on our face. God has what we need in order to jump and land on our feet. All we have to do is humble ourselves and submit to Him.479,[1]

We are in a year-long focus on prayer. Today, we look at Daniel’s prayer life. Notice Daniel’s humble prayer.

My theme today:

Daniel humbly comes to the Lord on behalf of Israel.

  1. Context
    1. This is towards the latter half of Daniel.
    2. He writes about dramatic end-times visions in chapters 7 and 8.
    3. Now, Daniel is seeking the Lord in a prayer of repentance.
    4. This prayer occurred shortly after the Babylonian Empire was overthrown by the Medes and the Persians in 539 c., thus fulfilling the prophecy of the handwriting on the wall (cf. ch. 5).[2]
    5. Daniel’s prayer was prompted by reading Jeremiah, part of the OT canon that had been collected up to that point, where he found a reference to the desolations of Jerusalem lasting for seventy years.[3]
  2. Notice, Daniel seeks the Lord in humility (Daniel 9:3).
    1. Daniel 9:3 (ESV)
    2. 3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
    3. Daniel turns his face to the Lord. This means his demeanor is one of seeking the Lord.
    4. Daniel is seeking the Lord by prayer, that is how he seeks the Lord.
    5. He is seeking the Lord by pleading for mercy. Mercy would be asking God to hold back what we deserve.
    6. Daniel does this with sackcloth and ashes.
  3. Daniel reviews Israel’s sin (Daniel 9:4-11).
    1. Daniel 9:4–11 (ESV)
    2. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.
    3. Let’s walk through this prayer:
    4. Daniel writes that he prayed to the Lord, his God…
    5. It was a day in which nations would worship different deities. Daniel is praying to his God.
    6. Daniel writes that he made confession.
    7. As we look at this prayer, I notice that he is repenting for national sins.
    8. We will come back to that.
    9. Then, we see this worshipful, confessional prayer.
    10. He begins, “O Lord, the great and awesome God…”
    11. This is one of the many models for prayer. We ought to begin our prayers by acknowledging God’s awesomeness.
    12. Daniel acknowledges the Lord’s attributes.
    13. The Lord keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and obey Him.
    14. Daniel 9:5 begins confession: “We have sinned…”
    15. Daniel is repenting for national sins. He is repenting of sins committed before he was born.
    16. Daniel says they have done wrong. They have acted wickedly. They have rebelled. They have turned aside from the Lord’s commandments and rules. If we want a list, we can go to 2 Kings 17:7-18. They walked in the customs of the nations the Lord had driven out (2 Kings 17:8). They built for themselves “high places.” These would be pagan ceremonial sacrificial places (2 Kings 17:9-12). They made idols. They abandoned the Lord’s commandments (2 Kings 17:16). They burned their sons and daughters as offerings (2 Kings 17:17). That is child sacrifice.
    17. In Daniel 9:6, Daniel acknowledges that they did not listen to the prophets.
    18. We see Daniel worship the Lord in Daniel 9:7- worship the Lord. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame. Notice the humility.
    19. Amid our holy and awesome Lord, we will be humbled.
    20. In the rest of Daniel 9:7, he is sharing that all of those of Judah who have been spread out all over the lands are ashamed.
    21. In Daniel 9:8, he builds on this. In verse 7, he prayed that the people would deserve shame, but now he is bringing in the kings, princes, and fathers. This is because they have sinned against the Lord.
    22. Daniel does not gloss over anything.
    23. In Daniel 9:9-10, he talks about the Lord. They need mercy and forgiveness from the Lord. They have not obeyed the Lord. They have not walked in His ways. The Lord sent His prophets to proclaim His ways, but they have not followed them.
    24. In Deut. 28:15-68 Moses proclaimed an “if-then” covenant. If you obey, there will be blessings, but if not, there will be curses. They did not obey.
    25. Daniel makes no excuses. He repents, acknowledging that they deserve this.
    26. He is humble in a worshipful, repentant prayer.
  4. Daniel reviews Israel’s suffering (Daniel 9:12-14).
    1. Daniel 9:12–14 (ESV)
    2. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.
    3. In Daniel 9:12, he is praying that the Lord has kept His Word.
    4. Yet they did not repent. They have not turned from their iniquities, which are gross sins.
    5. They did not gain insight from the Lord’s truth.
    6. In Daniel 9:14, we see the inference. “Therefore,” the Lord kept ready the calamity… That makes it sound like the Lord knew the time was coming but was restraining it. The Lord knew this was coming, but gave them more time to repent. That would be the truth. The Lord knows all things.
    7. Daniel again appeals to the Lord’s righteousness. He is righteous in all He does.
    8. Daniel brings in more communal repentance. “We” have not obeyed His voice.
  5. Daniel makes a request (Daniel 9:15-19).
    1. Daniel 9:15–19 (ESV)
    2. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
    3. 16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”
    4. In Daniel 9:15, he continues to appeal to Israel’s history with the Lord. He identifies the Lord as “our” Lord.
    5. You brought “Your” people out of Egypt.
    6. You are the One Who brought them out of Egypt. He brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand. He is appealing to the Lord’s strength.
    7. Interesting, Daniel says that the Lord made a name for Himself. What is that about? He is saying that when He delivered the Israelites from Egypt, everyone heard about it. When the Lord led them into the promised land, their reputation preceded them.
    8. Again, Daniel says that they have sinned and acted wickedly.
    9. Now, in Daniel 9:16, he makes a request. O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.
    10. Daniel is appealing to the Lord as the righteous One. The Lord will do what is right.
    11. Daniel prayed for restoration in 3 aspects. In effect he asked God to bring back “Your city” (vv. 16, 18), “Your desolate sanctuary (v. 17), and “Your people” (v. 19). God’s answer embraced all three (v. 24).[4]
    12. He is asking that the Lord hear… The Lord hears everything, but this is about the Lord hearing in a positive, affirmative way.
    13. Daniel says that he is not appealing based on their righteousness; no, he is appealing based on God’s great mercy.
    14. He is asking the Lord to hold back the judgment that they deserve.
    15. Daniel appeals based on Who the Lord is. Daniel appeals based on the Lord’s character and great Name.
    16. It is interesting that Daniel did not tell God what to do. Instead he asked God to hear, to see, and to act.[5]
    17. If we read on, Daniel 9:20 states that he continued to confess and repent, and then Gabriel responded.
    18. They do re-enter the land in the years following this prayer. We won’t read those verses, but Gabriel responds. The response is about final judgment and restoration.
  6.  Applications:
    1. Notice Daniel’s demeanor from Daniel 9:3. How do we show the Lord that we are humbly seeking Him?
    2. Do we humbly seek the Lord?
    3. We may not put on sackcloth and ashes, but are we humble when we seek Him?
    4. This is not about being showy to other people. Sometimes, an outward demeanor tells our inner selves that this is important, and we are talking with the Lord of all creation.
    5. Daniel worships as he prays. He calls God “great and awesome,” do we worship in prayer?
    6. Do we go before the Lord in a humble and worshipful way?
    7. However, there is another aspect to this.
    8. Daniel goes before the Lord in a priestly way on behalf of the people.
    9. Around 669 years later, there will be another Man Who will intercede for the people. This will be Jesus.
    10. Daniel interceded for the people as a prophet. Jesus will intercede for the people as the great High Priest (Heb. 4:14).

Alfred Tennyson says, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of” (Fyall, Daniel: A Tale of Two Cities, 131). The Bible teaches us how true that is, especially when a man of God intercedes for the people of God. Moses, in Exodus 32 (cf. Deut 9:13–14), pleads with God not to destroy the people for their idolatry. Instead, he asks God to take his life in their place. God did not wipe them out. Here Daniel identifies himself with his people in their sin, making their sin his sin. Both anticipate the greater Moses (Deut 18:15–20) and the greater Daniel who will identify himself with those he will save and substitute himself in death, taking their place and bearing the punishment of their sin. And we should note the important role prayer played in the past but also in the present. In the past, in the garden of Gethsemane, our Lord was troubled and wept in prayer as he prepared to take on the sins of the world and to bear in his own body the judgment and wrath of God. But now, as Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25 tell us, we have an intercessor in heaven, a great high priest, who pleads our cause before “the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands” (Dan 9:4).

 

The prayer of Moses draws my admiration. The prayer of Daniel inspires my emulation. The prayers of Jesus move me to adoration. His prayers led him to experience “public shame” (v. 7) in my place. His prayers my God heard. His prayers led my God to forgive. Hearing the prayers of his own dear Son, my God paid attention and he acted, raising Jesus from the dead after which Christ ascended on high and is “able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb 7:25). I love praying men. I worship my praying God![6]

 

A man one day was on his way to catch a train. He had to get to work because he had an important meeting. He had to catch the 8:05 train. Now, it had rained the night before and the man was rushing out the door. As he opened the back door, there was his little son playing in the mud. He was busy rubbing mud on his face, mud on his arms, and just having a good old time playing in the mud. The father, intent on catching the 8:05, jumped over his son, said good-bye, and rushed out of the house to catch the 8:05, but he slipped and fell in the mud next to his son. So now the father is in the mud and the son is in the mud. But, the father had to catch the 8:05. He had a place to go. Because of where he needed to go, he did not stay in the mud and play with his son. His son was enjoying playing in the mud and wasn’t trying to go anywhere. But the father had a train to catch. He jumped up out of the mud. Best as he could, he cleaned himself off and took off running because he had a train to catch. He had to catch the 8:05 and he knew that on the 8:05 there was going to be a restroom where he could clean up the dirt that he had accumulated during the time he was in the mud.

There are two kinds of people today. There are some who are playing in the mud and are not trying to go anywhere. There are other people who are in the mud but don’t want to be.

Maybe you’ve slipped in the mud or maybe you’ve walked right into the mud, but now it has dawned on you that you’ve got a train to catch—a place to go. You’ve got a God to know, a life to live, experiences to have, and you want all that God has for you. Maybe you’ve decided to leave the mud, to repent, to turn, and to catch the train because on this train, God has got a restroom that will clean you up. He’s got the blood of Jesus Christ that will transform you and take you to the destination of God’s purpose for your life.

Sin always has consequences. But the good news is that grace is greater than sin.756,[7]

 

Prayer

 

[1] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 160.

[2] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1605.

[3] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1605.

[4] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Da 9:16.

[5] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Da 9:18.

[6] Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Daniel (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 115–116.

[7] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 247.

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