Prayerful in Babylon

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SERIES DESCRIPTION:In this series on the Book of Daniel, Pastor Shawn explores what it means to remain faithful in exile. This week’s message, Prayerful in Babylon, focuses on Daniel 9:1–23, where Daniel responds to God’s Word with a prayer of confession, recognition, and supplication. As Daniel pleads for mercy on behalf of Israel, we’re reminded that repentance, humility, and a desire for God’s glory shape how we pray in difficult seasons.
Altar Instructions: Please come up when I make the statement for point 3
Series | Not From Here

Pre-Message Welcome

Grace Place family! It’s awesome to have you here with us today, whether in person or online.
I’m Shawn, and along with my wife, we serve as the Co-Pastors of this incredible church.
At The Grace Place, our mission is clear: we are Caring People, Caring for People.
We pray that you experience God’s care in our time together and in your life.
Spanish Welcome - 2nd Service ONLY!
A nuestra familia de habla hispana .... Bienvenidos… es-pera-mos que usted… y su familia.. se-sien-tan bien a-tend-idos también.
To our Spanish speaking family... welcome, we hope you and your family feels cared for as well.
Transition: We’re in a series called…
Series | Not From Here
This is a series about the man Daniel, the faithful exile.
Daniel was taken as a slave into a foreign land - to live amoung other gods and a culture he did not agree with.
As a believer, you may look around at the people and culture around you and feel much like him.
Today we are going to be looking at Daniel 9:1-23 for our text… before we dig in… lets pray…
***Feel free to encourage people to listen to the Holy Spirit speak to them personally as the message is preached
LETS PRAY
Transition: the title of our message today is...
Sermon Title | Prayerful in Babylon
As we begin our message today I want to remind you…
Message Set up
We have moved into the back half of the book of Danile which features apocalyptic literature—revealing end-time truths through dramatic symbols, visions, and metaphors.
As we saw last week, this is how God shows His people the future.
These final chapters aren’t laid out in a clear timeline, so we’ll be jumping around a bit in the coming weeks.
Transition: the title of our message today is...
Sermon Title | Prayerful in Babylon
Time is Ticking in Babylon… and Danile can sense this.
Daniel Ch 9

In the first year of Darius

At this point It’s been a long 16 years since his dream about the beast…(the Medo-Persian Empire) it’s the reign of the 2nd beast… what do we find Danile doing… well..Lets check it out together… Daniel 9… v.1

2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived

Daniel was well-acquainted with the writings of the prophet Jeremiah and gained deep wisdom from them. As he was reading scripture, he says, “I noticed something…” — a specific number of years…. a timeframe.
He perceived, or discerned, that seventy years would pass before the desolations — or we could say the destruction and emptiness — of Jerusalem would come to an end. The city that was once full of life would remain desolate under God’s judgment.
Daniel realizes this seventy-year period marks the time when his people will return home — back to Jerusalem. This would also mark the end of Gentile rule over God’s people, as promised.
He understands hard times still lie ahead for Israel, as God’s righteous judgment unfolds. But Daniel also sees something greater: a future beyond exile. A time when God will intervene, bringing an end to human kingdoms, and ultimately rescuing Israel from the torment of the final kingdom — the fourth beast, the reign of the Antichrist.
We’ll begin unpacking this 70 year timeframe in two weeks- you wont want to miss it as God reveals the End of Time to Danile.
After realizing this… 70 year time clock… what does he do… v. 3 says…

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes…

Daniel is …
Sermon Title | Prayerful in Babylon
As he is suddenly aware of this 70 year time clock for his people… he knows he’s in it for the long haul… the rest of his life.. he knows he will NOT see the return of his people.
I can’t imagine what he is feeling now that he knows this will not happen in his life time.
He doesn’t throw the towel in and say.. well forget it God… if your not going to do it in my time… then who cares…
No.. I believe this is part of what causes him to dig in with prayer and fasting…
beginning in v. 4… let’s step into his prayer closet…. land listen to his hearts cry… it’s intense

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.

What does DANIEL do in his prayer? IN YOUR NOTES… He offers…

A prayer of CONFESSION (v.4-11, Mt 4:17)

He confesses the sins of Israel
He say’s God we are NOT all that… we have failed you time and time again… in fact over the last 350 years
We didn’t Sabbath when you asked us to sabbath
We didn’t sacrifice as you had asked us to sacrifice
Danile is very aware of all the ways Gods chosen people had rebelled….
-I want you to listen to his confessions… lets go back to v.5…

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

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.

Daniel lay’s it all out… every way they had broken Gods law and he knows God is the only one who can fix the situation.
Here is whats importnat to know about those with a repentant heart…

STATEMENT: REPENTANCE will keep you aware of your NEED for God.

Friends when you take time to Repent… and confess the ways you have missed the mark…
In attitued
In thought
In action…
It will keep you humble and aware of your NEED for God.
Mercy and forgives are in his hands and NO ONE ELSES.
You couln’t dig your self out of sin even if you tried…
So many well meaning Christians drift
They might not leave the church… they are faithful on Sundays
But the have drifted from daily repentance and forgot how bad they need God.
They begin to think that success is coming from their efforts.
Matthew 4:17 tells us that REPENTANCES is the message of Jesus…
Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””
✅ Jesus’ first public message — repentance is the gateway to the Kingdom.
A mind change a mind shift is the way to God… there is no other way…
Beleiving in Him… realizing he is the KING over all KINGDOMS..
Here is the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today… and our homework for this week…

Question: Would would it sound like for you to pray a prayer of repentance? Write it out.

Transition: the title of our message today is...
Sermon Title | Prayerful in Babylon
Daniel is praying as he does often… we notice he offers
A prayer of CONFESSION…
IN YOUR NOTES… He also offers…

A Prayer of RECOGNITION (v.7, Rm 7:24)

Danile recognizes… what is good and right comes from God vs what is evil and shameful coming from HUMANS.
We already read it.. but lets look at v 7 one more time… he said..

7 To you, O Lord, belongs

He is saying…
Lord, I recognize that righteousness belongs to You.
Your ways are always right—including the mercy You’ve shown Israel and the judgment You promised if they rebelled.
Daniel acknowledges that even Israel’s exile was it was part of of Gods righteous plan.
Everything we read in Daniel revolves around Israel and her rebellion—this is God’s prophetic clock for His people.
As Gentiles, we’re graciously included, but the focus remains on Israel.
It’s striking that TODAY - Jews still struggle for the Promised Land… they dont live there in peace—Temple Mount, Gaza, and the Western Wall remain a battleground… and True peace won’t come until Christ ends the final human kingdom.

STATEMENT: RIGHTEOUSNESS is the Lords, it will do us well to RECOGNIZE it.

Righteousness belongs to the Lord - it will due us well to recognize it..
Compared to our attempts…
It will keep us humble
Lord it is you…
We see in Rom. 7:24 that Paul knew this well - when he considered his struggle with doing the right thing… he said…
Romans 7:24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Imputed righteousness is a theological term that refers to the righteousness of Christ being credited to the believer by faith.
It will do us good to remember our righteousness comes form God alone!
I think this is why Jesus said in… Matthew 5:6 (ESV) lets look at it on the screen together…
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Jesus is saying… blessed are those who HUNGER for ME, MY WAYS…
Here is the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today…

Question: Would would it sound like for you to offer a prayer of recognition? Write it out.

If you we’re to compare your righteousness to that of Gods what would you say?
A prayer that expresses your hunger for rightiousness..
Lets continue in v.11 reading through his prayer… as he sums up his realization of the sinfulness of Israel and righteousness of God and what will happen to his people in light of this.
Daniel 9:12-16

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.

Here is what is so sad….

Despite of the intensity of the discipline, including great national disaster (

Continuing in v.13….

13 As it is written in the Law of Moses

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.

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.

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

What does DANIEL do in his prayer? IN YOUR NOTES… He offers…

A prayer of SUPPLICATION (v.17-19)

This word means request… what does he ask of GOd?
Please turn your anger from us
Daniel knows that hard times are ahead and he know God is for him and for his people… so he makes some request for his People Israel and He pleads for mercy and restoration
***God still has a plan for Israel but it wont be without hard times. According to what God revealed to Danile… it’s going to be 70 long years before the end of this suffering He know he is going to need to settle in for a difficult season…
***By the way in two weeks we’re goign to unpack the 70 years of Daniel to help us understand Gods time clock. To help us see how the end will play out for Israel and Us as a people
Let’s look at this together skipping down to v. 17…
Daniel 9:17–19
English Standard Version (Chapter 9) 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.
Remember the Temple had been destroyed
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(For who’s sake), O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”
Daniel gets a picture of Gods time clock of 70 years before the end of their sufferings..
Here is the bottom line about understanding END TIMES>..
Fathoming the time-clock of God should lead us to our knees in Prayer..
-When we fathom our days we must remember that tomorrow is not promised… every day of our life is a gift. The reality of this would change our prayer life.
Notice the heart beat of Daniels prayer….
Daniel say’s do it for the sake of your NAME
So the world will see your faithfulness to your people despite their wavering
Friends we must remember that when God acts… it’s for his GLORY - its becuase of his integrity - His promises - His word alone… he will be faithful to what he has said.. .
Isaiah 42:8 puts it like this…
Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.”
Israel worshiped golden calves, they wanted kings, and elevated people where they did not belong…
We must be careful that our prayers are glory-centered, not self-centered. It’s okay to ask for a job, a spouse, or provision—but don’t elevate those above God, or we risk repeating Israel’s mistake.
The problem is this… IN YOUR NOTES

STATEMENT: Whatever we ELEVATE, receives the GLORY.

Friends if you want to get Gods attention ELEVATE HIM…
God will not go where he is NOT LIFTED UP
He will NOT be 2nd…
He will NOT accept tied for 1st…
We’re going to skip the next scripture and go to
Matt. 6:33 says… lets look at it together…
Matthew 6:33 “But seek FIRST(Seek what?) the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
God say’s if you make my Kingdom a priority
I will add to you
God does give Jobs, spouses, friends, relief, finances…
I wonder how many of us have not been added to becuase Gods will NOT receive the Glory or the credit?
This is a real reality - you can not reap what you do not sow… you can not be blessed if your stingy
Let me also say this.. for the sake of ballance - just becuase you don’t have does NOT alwyas mean God is HOLDING back on you. We live in an imperfect world of sin…
There is evil - there is suffering - there is struggle -
I don’t know why one has a prayer answered and the other does not
But what if we all had the attitued of Danile in the midths of knowing that we will be suffering for the Long haul… Would say…
If you do anything for me… DO IT FOR YOUR GLORY - NO MATTER What
Here is the question I believe scripture is inviting us to ask ourselves today…

Question: What would prayer sound like if Gods glory was your aim? Write it out.

If you we’re to pray a prayer of repentance on behalf of Christians around the world that miss Gods standard of Righteousness, what would you say? (Include, Repentance, Recognition, and request)
God answers Daniel’s prayer with an answer from an Angel
Dan. 9:20-23 20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.
Daniel, above every answer I could give you… before I say anything I want you to know this.
v.23a I hear you
v.23b I have come to tell you- YOU ARE GREATLY LOVED.
he is the only one answer we’re have
There is only one hop we have - Lest give him Gory
Transition: As I close today….
Call to salvation
Invitation to pray..
So today… if you do NOT know Jesus as your Lord and Savior today is your day…
Salvation Altar Call
I believe Jesus is here today, and He wants to save you. Salvation simply means to deliver or to free. It’s not just about delivering you…
It’s about believing
Believing in Jesus means trusting what He say’s—about sin, and eternal punishment, thats the bad news.
The good news is this… that His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins, making us right with God.
Ephesians 2:8 reminds us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Salvation requires two things:
1. God’s Grace—His undeserved gift of forgiveness and life because of His love for you.
2. Faith—placing your trust in Him for salvation.
If you’ve never asked Jesus to save you, today is your day. If you’d like ask him… , raise your hand.
I want to invite you to Repeat a prayer after me
· There is nothing magical in this prayer.. it simply is a way of declaring to Jesus what has taken place in your heart.
Here is how I would like to end the service for everyone else….
Call to Action Altar Call
We’re going to end the service with A question as we do nearly every week.
ALL ACROSS THE ROOM – HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT spoken to you in anyway today?

Resources

Evangelical Exegetical Commentary on Daniel by J. Paul Tanner
The Preacher’s Complete Homiletic Commentary on the book of Daniel by, Rev. Thomas Robinson, D.D.
Old and New Testament Commentary and Critical Notes by Adam Clark
Book: The Coming Prince, Sir Robert Anderson

Going Deeper

What stuck out to you the in this passage? (Daniel 9:1-23)
Would would it sound like for you to pray a prayer of repentance? Write it out. (v. 4-11)
Would would it sound like for you to offer a prayer of recognition? Write it out. (v.7)
What would prayer sound like if Gods glory was your aim? (v.17-20)
What might the Holy Spirit be saying to you in light of this teaching?
How might the Holy Spirit want to transform you in light of this teaching?
What actions might the Holy Spirit want to take in light of this teaching?
Tongues & Interpretation
1. To STRENGTHEN the Church (1 Cor14:5)
For prophecy is greater than SPEAKING in TONGUES, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be STRENGTHENED.
Believers, God has operated through this gift today to strengthen you today. Let your faith be strengthened and know that God is in control and using supernatural measures to speak to us.
2. Is a SIGN for unbelievers. (1Cor. 14: 21a, 22)
1 Corinthians 14:21–22 (ESV)
In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.
22 -  So you see that speaking in tongues is a SIGN, not for believers, but for UNBELIEVERS.
The Bible explains to us God has chosen to use this gift to be a sign for you. A sign for what? It is a sign of his realness for those of you who have been doubting or questioning the existence of God. He wants you to know he is REAL and he wants to bring you spiritual life and health. If you're in here today and you don't know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior... he wants you to know he has gone to great lengths to show you his love today. (Great opportunity for a salvation altar call if it fits).
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