August 30, 2010 - The Model Of An Answered Prayer

Meditation on Daniel 9

Daniel was a man of prayers. His prayer was answered in a powerful way in that an angel was sent to him quickly to explain to him God's program to fulfill the request of his prayer.

Let us learn how he prayed in the following:

First of all he prayed according to the promise of God. He realized from God's word to Jeremiah that the 70 years of desolation of Jerusalem has been accomplished.

Secondly, he confessed his sins and the sin of his countrymen in details and asked for God's forgiveness. (v. 4f, 20)

Thirdly, he held on to the faithfulness of God and His mercy in his prayers. (v. 4, 7, 9, 16, 18)

Fourthly, he prayed for the sake of God Himself and His name. (v. 17-19)

As a result of Daniel's prayer, we have the famous prophecy of seventy weeks from verse 24 to 27. The term means seventy “sevens” years. The first seven week may represent 49 years from the time of the decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem to the end of the Old Testament. The sixty two more sevens plus the first seven will be the time when the Messiah will appear. That means that from the time of rebuilding Jerusalem to the time when Jesus Christ began his ministry would be about 483 years. (69x7). Indeed from 457 BC, the time of Ezra's return to Jerusalem to the beginning ministry of Christ at about 27 B.C. would be a fulfilling of the 483 years that Daniel predicted. Then three years later, Messiah will be cut off as verse 26 mentioned. This is a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy. During this period, God's program "To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation of iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy." has been finished. For Messiah has accomplished our salvation. However the final week in verse 27 is still to come.

What a powerful prayer of Daniel! We need to pray like him.