Connecting Heart and Heaven

“Prayer is the most important thing we can ever do, and if I could do my ministry over again, I would pray more than I preached.” - Billy Graham

Big Idea: Sincere and humble prayer leads to spiritual transformation in our lives.

I. The Power of Prayer: Lessons from Daniel's Heart

Bible Passage: Daniel 9:1–19

Daniel 9:1–2 NIV

1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

Let’s hold there for a moment so I can give you some background:

Daniel is probably sitting down for his morning devotions— having a cup of coffee— the Old Babylonian Brew of course, and he’s reading scripture— “the books” That is pretty cool, since you and I basically can read the exact same text that Daniel would have been reading— Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a prophet to the Hebrew nation back when Daniel was a young boy living back in Jerusalem! Jeremiah was used by God to warn the people back then to turn back to God and stop rebelling, to repent and return to faith— OTHERWISE God was going to use foreign kingdoms to get their attention— King Neb was that king, and Babylon is that Kingdom. The Israelites are basically in a big “time-out”. They didn’t repent, and God allowed them to be captured.

So— let’s think about this for a moment. Daniel was most likely in his teen years when Neb came and captured Jerusalem— Jeremiah had written:

Jeremiah 25:11–12 NIV

11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever.

A. Daniel is reminded of the words of the prophet Jeremiah. (v.2)

Scholars believe, due to the reference to the first year of King Darius— that Daniel is most likely over 80 years old. He’s realizing seventy years are probably about up!

Everyone will get to go back— now Daniel doesn’t get to go, as far as we know— and Daniel apparently doesn’t know exactly how this is all going to happen—

As this all happens:

B. Daniel reflects and is deeply moved by the character of God. (v.3)

We believe the very passage that Daniel may have been reading is:

Jeremiah 29:10–12 NIV

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Jeremiah 29:13–14 NIV

13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

This is what Daniel is reading. And he is broken. God wishes peace on His people. Daniel begins to be convicted. He fasts.

Daniel 9:3 NIV

3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

II. Daniel grieves over his own sin, and the sin of Israel.

Daniel realizes, while looking back on his life in captivity— and while looking forward to the possibly end of the exile— all that the people of Israel have done against God. It’s a powerful and deeply heart-felt prayer.

We have an opportunity here— within this service, to reflect on this prayer and use it as a lesson to deepen our own prayer life— and hopefully to connect our heart to God’s heart. You’ll see on the handout two columns— one side, the left side, we will make some observations about Daniel’s prayer. On the right side, I want to encourage you to take a few moments within each section as I preach through it— and write your own prayers— or topics or issues that come to your mind.

A. Begin with Brokenness (v.1-6)

Daniel 9:5 NIV

5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.

I think it’s unique that Daniel uses the term “we”. He understands his own personal sin, but he also realizes the nation brought this upon itself, but not heeding the words of Jeremiah.

This whole first section of his prayer is a result of him being gripped by the reality of their wrong-doing. He is naming the sin, turning away from it, and turning toward God. That’s what repentance really means.

He’s not presenting as wounded— but instead broken. There’s a big difference:

What does it mean to be broken, instead of wounded?

When we are broken before the Lord, there is nothing in us that resists Him, nothing that demands our own way or our own will. We are fully yielded to Him, teachable, responsive, and submissive.

A broken person realizes that God is sovereign over all and that nothing can touch him without God being aware of it. The Lord is above all, even over the devil and his attacks upon us, and has the final say in our lives and circumstances!

When wounded, I focus on myself and on my inner pain.~ When broken, I focus on the cross and on Jesus, and I am not so aware of my own pain.

When wounded, I find it difficult to forgive others, God, and/or myself.~ When broken, I am aware of and accept God’s mercy toward me, and in gratitude, I extend it freely to others.

When wounded, I am too preoccupied with inner turmoil to see the needs of others.~ When broken, I am free of self so that I am easily sensitive to the needs of others (Phil. 2:3-4).

When wounded, I am self-protecting, usually unwilling to risk further pain.~ When broken, I want the best for others, and am willing to sacrificially love & serve them (1 Thes 2:8).

When wounded, my goal is a painless life, free of suffering. “I don’t want to hurt anymore!”~ When broken, my goal is Jesus at all costs (Phil. 3:7-10)…even if further pain is involved…

1. Holding on in woundedness undermines the purpose of suffering.

Daniel pours it all out in brokenness. He surrenders and admits the failure of all of Israel to honor God and follow Him. He doesn’t blame someone else— instead he owns it all, and confesses in truth.

[Slide to invite congregation to consider areas of their life where they are harboring woundedness, rather than brokenness. Writing those areas or relationships on the right margin]

How did this reading of Jeremiah bring Daniel to such a place of brokenness and confession? Why would reading scripture have this affect on him—?

I think it’s because he was overwhelmed with the mercy and love that God communicates in Jeremiah 29. He realizes how kind God actually is, patient, faithful and forgiving. Have you come to that conclusion in your life?

It moved Daniel to a place of humility and honesty with God. Lets take just a few moments to humble ourselves before God this way— just in the next few quiet moments.

Where do I need to embrace brokenness— not self-pity, not self-righteous judgment, but brokenness and humility under a good good Father.

“I need to embrace brokenness in __________”

B. Confess with Clarity

Daniel 9:7-13

When we have an encounter with God, it motivates us to draw near to him. We can realize that God is loving and forgiving.

Clarity here is found in confessing our own sin— becoming more self-aware— but it’s also in understanding our perception of God—

Think about it this way, when you’ve done something wrong and you’re ashamed of it— are you more likely to confess truthfully to someone who is angry and mean spirited, or to someone who is gracious and kind? Probably the second person, right? God is merciful and forgiving and loving.

Daniel 9:8 NIV

8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.

Daniel 9:10 NIV

10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.

1. Daniel confesses specific failures to God, who he knows is righteous and gracious. (v.8,10)

Daniel feels free to confess specifically. He moves to a place of humility and honesty with God— and he moves closer to God.

In "Your God is Too Small," J.B. Phillips argues that many people limit God by their own narrow perspectives, misconceptions, and cultural conditioning. He suggests that people often conceptualize God through small, inadequate lenses - as a distant policeman, a grand old man, or a meek and mild figure who doesn't truly engage with human reality.

"The trouble with many people today is that they have not found a God big enough for modern needs. While most admit that God is greater than we are, they do not show that they really believe it in their thinking and living."- J.B. Phillip, Your God Is Too Small

By contrast, Daniel's prayer in chapter 9 demonstrates exactly the kind of expansive view of God that Phillips advocates. Daniel sees God as:

Faithful to His promises (despite human unfaithfulness) Deeply personal (listening and responding to prayer) Fundamentally just Merciful beyond human comprehension Actively involved in human history

The full context of Phillips' quote emphasizes that our limited view of God prevents us from experiencing the full depth of relationship with Him. In Daniel's prayer, we see the opposite - a man who understands God's greatness and approaches Him with both reverence and intimacy.

Phillips suggests that when we expand our view of God, we transform our entire approach to life, prayer, and spiritual understanding. Daniel's prayer is a perfect biblical example of this principle - seeing God as monumentally greater than human limitations, yet simultaneously personal and approachable.

He is a God who has good intentions for us. Remember the Jeremiah passage! God says there that He plans to prosper His people— not harm them. Do we really believe that for ourselves and our friends and families, for our communities, our schools and workplaces? We are to be the bearers of God’s peace and wholeness in the world! We are ambassadors for Him— yet if we dread God, we will move away from him.

a. Anger intimidates, mercy motivates.

Romans 2:4 (NIV)

4 ... realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Not His wrath. This is important for us to understand. And it’s the very act of confessing our sin that removes those barriers.

Don’t settle in your walk with God. Don’t accept the status quo for your faith. We do NOT serve a cranky God.

So Daniel begins with Brokenness— He confesses with Clarity, understanding both his own sin, but also God’s goodness.

Now on the Right side of this handout— I want you to take a moment here to consider very specifically what your sin is? And also consider writing down how you may have mis understood God. It may look like this:

“I have sinned by_______”, “My wrong view of God is that He is __________”

b. Any distance that exists between you and God is your doing, not His.

C. Petition with Purpose

Daniel 9:14-19

Daniel 9:17 NIV

17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.

There is a clearing of the air that occurs when we confess and face the truth of our errors in perspective on God and ourselves.

1. Daniel reminds God of who He is. (v.18)

Daniel 9:18 (NIV)

18 ... We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.

How many times have we hesitated to ask God for something, because we didn’t deserve it?

Daniel is realizing how bad the nation of Israel has acted— yet he’s reading the “books” of Jeremiah. You know what else Jeremiah wrote? The book of Lamentations. Daniel would have had access to these writings as well.

Lamentations 3:22–23 NIV

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Daniel read the scriptures and put all this together: He probably made note of the three aspects of God’s character the Jeremiah was highlighting— take a look here:

Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV)

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Love, Compassion, and Faithfulness. And when are they renewed— EVERY morning. Love, compassion, and faithfulness. Jesus died for you, and every single morning, God’s mercy. Even this Wednesday morning— no matter what.

How about you? Why wouldn’t we want to draw near to God?

Daniel 9:19 NIV

19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

2. Daniel prays that God’s glory would increase.

Now that’s a purpose in life- He prays in brokenness, clarity, and purpose.

Let’s take a moment or two here to write out a request or two— but think deeply about how God’s glory is increased by your request. Bath your request today in God’s purpose for peace, wholeness, and goodness.

A.W. Tozer is quoted saying “It is doubtful that God can bless a person greatly until He has hurt him deeply” I truly believe anointing comes after brokenness. Until we are broken, and we face that truthfully and humbly— we will get stuck. Don’t stay stuck today. Deep, heart-searching change is painful and laborious, as well as physically and mentally exhausting. Isaiah even paralleled childbirth with seeking God, “As a woman with child is in pain and cries out in her pangs, when she draws near the time of her delivery, so have we been in Your sight, O Lord” (Isaiah 26:17). There is always travail before you prevail.

We are going to sing an older song for you here, we’ve put our arrangement of it together— one of my favorites. It’s rooted in the Romans 2 passage about God’s kindness. Sing along if you want to— or just take a couple minutes of quiet time-- Review your handout, spend some time reflecting and praying like Daniel.

Isaiah 55:7 NIV

7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.