Daniel’s Interrupted Prayer: A Glimpse of God’s Plan

Bible Reading

Have you ever been interrupted in you prayer?

Kid

Waitress

Angel?

Before we open God’s Word, let’s remember where Daniel is when he prays this prayer. He’s an old man living in Babylon — a city that thought it would last forever — yet Daniel knows from Jeremiah that Babylon’s time is almost up. He has been reading God’s promises, and he believes them.

And then, in the middle of his prayer, God does something extraordinary. He sends Gabriel with a message — a message that stretches beyond Daniel’s day, beyond the rebuilding of Jerusalem, all the way to the coming of the Messiah and to events that are still ahead of us.

Read Daniel 9:20-27

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1. The 70 Year Promise / The Exile and Return

2. What do we mean by “week”?

3. Here is how the math works out.

4. A Timeline Set / 70 weeks

5. A Temple Rebuilt / 7 Weeks

6. A Substitutionary Death / 62 Weeks

7. Tribulation to Come / One Week

8. The 70 “Week” Prophecy

9.a The Final Week is Yet to Come

The “he” in Daniel 9:27 matches Paul’s “man of sin.”

The temple must be functioning again, which hasn’t happened yet.

The timing matches Daniel’s mid‑week abomination (3½ years in).

Paul treats this event as still future, confirming the 70th week hasn’t occurred.

The Church Age was a “mystery” revealed in Christ.

Ephesians 3:3–6 – Paul calls the Church a “mystery… not made known unto the sons of men,” now revealed through the apostles.

Colossians 1:26–27 – The mystery is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

The Church (Jews + Gentiles as one body) was not revealed in the Old Testament — it was God’s plan hidden until Christ.

The prophets saw the mountain peaks of Messiah and judgment but didn’t see the Church Age valley in between — this age of grace, where you and I are grafted into God’s promises. Romans 11:17

9.bThe Final Week is Yet to Come

The six goals of Daniel 9:24 aren’t done yet:

Finish the transgression – Israel hasn’t fully turned from rebellion.

Make an end of sins – Sin still dominates the world.

Make reconciliation for iniquity – The full effect of atonement hasn’t been applied to Israel.

Bring in everlasting righteousness – God’s kingdom of righteousness hasn’t arrived.

Seal up vision and prophecy – Prophecy hasn’t been completely fulfilled.

Anoint the Most Holy – The future Temple or holy place hasn’t been consecrated.

The Temple wasn’t anointed – In A.D. 70 it was destroyed, not set apart for God’s glory.

Sacrifices didn’t stop at the right time – They ended with Rome’s destruction, not mid‑week as Daniel described.

The covenant with many hasn’t happened – No seven‑year peace agreement has been made with Israel.

The covenant wasn’t broken halfway through – History shows no mid‑week betrayal like Daniel foretold.

The abomination of desolation hasn’t happened – Jesus pointed to this as a future event (Matt. 24:15).

The final judgment on the desolator hasn’t come – The one who brings destruction hasn’t faced God’s final decree.

Israel hasn’t experienced national restoration – The promised repentance and turning to Messiah (Zech. 12:10; Rom. 11:26) hasn’t occurred.

10. If we know what God has revealed about the future, what should our response be? Shouldn’t we, like Daniel, humble ourselves and pray?

11. Instructions for Exiles in Waiting

When Daniel read Jeremiah 29:10–14, he realized God had not forgotten His people. Even in exile, under foreign rule, God had promised to bring them home.

Jeremiah 29:10–14 “10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”

For Daniel, that was enough. He didn’t wait for a perfect political moment or a safe environment — he prayed. He sought God with all his heart because he believed God’s Word about the future.

Jeremiah’s instructions for waiting apply to us:

Trust God’s promises — “I will perform my good word toward you.” (v.10)

Seek God wholeheartedly — “Ye shall seek me and find me… when ye search for me with all your heart.” (v.13)

Live for His purposes — Even in exile, God’s plan for His people was bigger than their comfort; it was about His name and His glory.

Pray expectantly — “Ye shall call upon me… and I will hearken unto you.” (v.12)

What if you actually believed God’s Word about the future — how would it change your life this week?

12a. Daniel’s prayer is driven by Scripture.

Think of Daniel reading Jeremiah in Babylon — a city that thought it would last forever. God was showing Daniel that He, not Babylon, writes history.”

Daniel takes the promises he read in Jeremiah and boldly prays them back to God.

Daniel 9:2 “2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

12b. When You Read, Realize Where You Are

Romans 13:11–12 KJV

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

When you see God’s promises, you run to Him in prayer.

Daniel doesn’t get distracted by making charts. He doesn’t start a debate club. He prays.

He believes what he read.

He acts on it by confessing and seeking God’s mercy.

He prays with urgency — sackcloth, ashes, fasting.

APPLICATION: When was the last time God’s Word drove you to your knees like that? Not “God bless this meal,” but “God, I need You or I’m done.”

13a. Daniel’s prayer is humble and confessional. / Daniel fully identifies with his people and confesses their sin before the Lord.

Daniel 9:5–11 (KJV)

5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

Why the Exile Happened & Why Mercy Is Their Only Hope

Verses 12–16 give the reason for the exile and why God’s mercy is their only hope — key for understanding the depth of Daniel’s confession.

Verse 12 – Daniel admits the exile happened exactly as God warned through Moses (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28).

Verse 13 – Even under judgment, the people still didn’t repent or pray.

Verse 14 – Daniel affirms God was righteous in bringing this judgment.

Verses 15–16 – He appeals to God’s past deliverance and asks for mercy — not because they deserve it, but for His name’s sake.

13b. We Must Recognize the Sins of Our Generation

Abortion – the taking of innocent life on a massive scale.

Sexual immorality – adultery, fornication, pornography, and the redefinition of marriage.

Greed and materialism – valuing profit and possessions above people and God.

Racism and prejudice – hatred or injustice against those made in God’s image.

Injustice in leadership – corruption, abuse of power, and failure to protect the vulnerable.

Idolatry – worshiping self, success, entertainment, or comfort instead of God.

Neglect of the poor and marginalized – apathy toward the needy, widows, orphans, and strangers.

Spiritual apathy – churches compromising truth, Christians living lukewarm lives, and the nation as a whole turning from God.

13c. We Must Confess the Sins of Our Own Lives

Selfishness – The same self-centeredness that fuels abortion and neglect of the poor shows up when I value my comfort over others’ needs.

Lust – Even if I haven’t committed public acts of sexual sin, lust in my heart is of the same root (Matt. 5:28).

Pride – The same pride that leads leaders to abuse power can live in me when I insist on my way.

Idolatry – I may not bow to statues, but I still worship success, reputation, or pleasure when I give them first place in my heart.

Greed – I may not exploit others for profit, but I can love money more than God and hoard rather than give.

Indifference – The same apathy that allows injustice to thrive can be in me when I stay silent or uninvolved.

When you see God’s holiness, you own your sin.

Daniel — this righteous, faithful guy — prays like the chief of sinners.

“We have sinned… we have rebelled… we are ashamed.”

Not “they sinned.” Not “those Babylonians messed up.” WE.

Lord, break our hearts for the sins in our city, in our homes, and in our own hearts.

14. Daniel’s prayer is God-centered. Daniel’s greatest desire is for God’s name, city, and people to be restored for His glory.

Daniel 9:17–19 “17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. 18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.”

Our requests for the Lord’s return should be focused on His glory, not merely our relief.

For the Lord’s sake v.17

Thy sanctuary that is desolate v.17

Cause thy face to shine v.17

For thy great mercies v.18

For thy city and thy people are called by thy name v.19

O Lord, hear… O Lord, forgive… O Lord, hearken and do… defer not… for thine own sake v.19

15. Daniel’s prayer is intense and expectant. Daniel prays with urgency, believing that God hears and will respond.

Daniel does not pray casually or half‑heartedly; he comes before God with deep seriousness and strong hope.

He prays with urgency. Daniel 9:3 “3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:”

Daniel’s posture shows desperation — fasting, sackcloth, and ashes reflect humility and sorrow.

He is wholly focused (“set my face”) on seeking God’s mercy for His people.

He prays with expectation. Daniel prays believing God hears and will act. He knows God keeps His word (Jeremiah’s prophecy), so he prays in full confidence.

This same expectant hope drives believers in the New Testament: 2 Timothy 4:8 “8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Just as Paul lived longing for Christ’s appearing, Daniel prayed longing for God’s promised restoration.

Takeaway: When we know God has spoken, we can pray boldly and expectantly. Our prayers should not only be urgent but also filled with hope, because we serve a God who always keeps His promises.

16. Seeing the Future Should Send Us to Our Knees

Prophecy isn’t for our curiosity. It is to shape our prayers.

Our prayers should be driven by Scripture. Taking God’s promises and boldly praying them back to Him.

Our prayers should be humble and confessional. Honestly acknowledging our sin and identifying with the brokenness of God’s people.

Our prayers should be God-centered. Seeking His name, His glory, and His purposes above our own.

Our prayer should be intense and expectant. Pray with urgency, believing that God hears and will respond.