WE HAVE SINNED

“Seventy years…”

Daniel sat back and rolled up the scroll. “Let’s see, I was just a kid when we came to Babylon. Now I’m…it can’t be. Have we changed? LORD, I hope so. Please!”

He paced on the roof of his house missing the noon meal while he contemplated what needed to be done. Going downstairs he changed into sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on his head.

Getting on his knees in front of the window facing Jerusalem he prayed.

“Dear God. You are awesome and mighty to keep Your covenant with those who fear You. We have sinned and refused to listen to Your prophets. We deserve to be sent here far from Your promised land. Our fathers, kings and princes didn’t listen so here we are, just as you said would happen through Your servant, Moses. Yes, we deserve every day we’ve been here.

“We sinned and wouldn’t listen, but You are full of mercy and forgiveness. We don’t deserve to be thought of by You again, but for Your name’s sake please forgive us and return us to our home for Your reputation.

“Change our hearts so we don’t repeat our error. Help us turn from our past and understand Your truth. You brought Your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand to make a great name for Yourself. Keep us humble and obedient for Your reputation.

“LORD, I pray, for Your righteousness remove Your fury away from Jerusalem. Our sins have made this happen but Your name is holy and just. We are a stench in the nostrils of our neighbors. Lord hear our prayers. Return us home for Your name’s sake in spite of our sins.

“LORD, hear us. LORD, listen and don’t delay. For Your glory rebuild Your temple in Jerusalem, not because of us but for Your name.

Suddenly, Gabriel stood next to Daniel.

The angel smiled. “I was sent here as soon as you began to pray. Please understand what I’m about to tell you. There will be seventy blocks of seven years for your prayer to reach fruition with the anointing of the Most Holy.

“From the command to rebuild the temple to until Messiah will be seven sevens and sixty two sevens. Then Messiah will be removed. Jerusalem will again be destroyed by the one to come. He will make a promise of seven years only to break that covenant with an end of sacrifices.

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The ninth chapter of Daniel is quite interesting. Here we have this incredible man born into an unfortunate time of his nation’s history discovering he’s lived to see the end of the time of punishment of his people.

So what does he do? He prays to God to fulfill His plan and rebuild the temple and the capital city of Jerusalem, even though that was already underway.

As I read this chapter I wondered why Daniel felt the need to pray. Then I discovered the secret in verse thirteen. That’s the main theme for this whole chapter. He knew there wasn’t a request made to change people’s hearts. So he did just that.

So how does God respond? By revealing a puzzle about the future including when the Messiah would come and part of the end of human civilization on earth.

A lot of sevens appear in this chapter. Seventy years of punishment. Seventy sets of seven years broken up at specific times with no determined amounts of time in between. Why?

God doesn’t want to be predictable. If He told us when things would happen exactly when we’d only pay attention at those times and lose sight of Him when we think He isn’t looking.

When was the last time you prayed for a changed heart?

I’m not talking about just your heart, although you should be praying for God to change your heart constantly. Have you prayed for the hearts of people in your nation, or church, or neighborhood, or any other section of society?

I believe we’re getting extremely close to the end of all the sevens mentioned in this chapter. That’s why there’s so much animosity against God and His people.

So how hard have you prayed lately?

Daniel lived in a time of separation from his homeland. His people were foreigners in a strange land. His God was still sovereign over everything. He prayed even though things were already happening to rebuild Jerusalem.

Let’s follow his lead and pray for hearts to change.

God is moving in ways we can’t see. He may use any one of us to make changes according to His plans. Are we willing to be used by God?

Are you willing to be used by God?

You don’t need a big degree from some influential seminary.

You don’t have to be famous or good looking.

The amount of money you have is unimportant.

The greatest ability God is looking for is our availability.

That was just typed by a truck driver. Not somebody with a high degree but an ordinary guy.

Daniel was probably in his eighties when he prayed this prayer. God isn’t done with you until He calls you Home.

Whatever excuse you just came up with won’t work neither. Moses was the king of excuses and God used him in mighty ways.

In Ephesians 6:18-20 Paul presents the final part of the spiritual armor. He mentions prayer four times in these three verses. That’s how important prayer is.

You can pray kneeling, sitting, standing, lying flat on your back or driving an eighteen wheeler. I know because I’ve done each of those positions.

I’ve been inside a maximum security prison and seen firsthand how God changes hearts by prayer from those nowhere near us.

Prayer works.

I don’t understand how it works. I don’t understand how electricity work either but that doesn’t stop me from flipping a switch up to make a dark room light.

Pray.

When you get done pray again. Yeah, pray without ceasing.

That’s what God wants us to do.

I’ll see you later. Wade