Why Pray?

Why Pray? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Why Pray?  After all, if God is Sovereign; if God is in control; if God has everything planned out ahead of time and already knows what He will do tomorrow or the next day, why should we even pray?  Or to put it another way: why do so many Christians struggle when it comes to having a vibrant prayer life?

Now, some of you may struggle simply because you lack the discipline to truly grapple with God in prayer. Something always gets in the way.  And so, you think, maybe I just need to be more committed to praying or have more self-control. And perhaps that’s true, most of us could use a little more self-discipline when it comes to praying.

Perhaps, some of you struggle because you’ve never had an adequate role model for praying. You didn’t grow up with a mother or father who prayed, and so you’ve never had a role model who showed you how to pray. I know that’s the case for many people today. You’d like to be a man or woman of prayer, but you’ve never seen what it takes.

Then there’s this thing I mentioned right up front. Some of us don’t pray simply because we don’t think it does much good.  After all, God’s going to do what He’s going to do in spite of my praying, so why pray at all? The process goes something like this:  Sometimes you pray, and things happen (and that’s great). But then sometimes you forget to pray and the thing you forgot to pray for happens anyway.  And at other times, you pray diligently, but nothing happens at all.  So, you’re left with this nagging thought, if God’s really in control why should I pray at all?

Well, to help us answer that question, we’re going to dive into one of the most remarkable prayers in the Bible recorded for us in Daniel 9:1-19 – where Daniel not only models for us a way to pray but gives us at least three reasons why praying really does matter today. So, if you feel like you could use a little encouragement in your prayer life, let’s look at why our prayers really do matter.  And that first reason it matters is this:

We pray because we believe God will do what He says He will do: In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 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.  So, I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 9:1-3  Daniel provides a historical marker for us in verse one: It was the first year of Darius the Mede (another name or title for Cyrus) The date is 538 BC, approximately twelve years after the vision recorded in chapter 8. Daniel is now more than eighty years old. He’s outlived the Babylonian Empire and now serves under the Medo-Persian rule.  And Daniel is reading the Bible, “the books according to the word of the Lord.” He is reading from the prophet Jeremiah and has learned “that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be “seventy.” This is what is recorded by Jeremiah: “This whole countrywill become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 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.” Jeremiah 25:11-12 Daniel was exiled in 605 BC. It’s now 538 BC. Daniel does the math and understands that God’s judgment on His people is coming to an end.  So, what does Daniel do? He believes God’s Word. He believes God’s promise to Israel. So, God’s promise drives Daniel to his knees in prayer.

This is an important example for us.  Daniel already believed that God was sovereign. That’s been the theme of this entire book.  But now we see that Daniel believed God would do what He said He would do. He believed in God’s promise to Israel. But what we see here is that his confidence in God’s promise didn’t leave him complacent. It did the opposite.  It motivated him to lift up his voice in prayer.

Now, one of the reasons why many people struggle to pray is that we don’t know what to pray for. Let me suggest that Daniel’s example of trusting God to do what He says He will do, is a great place to start. Think of some of God’s promises to us. For example, God has promised to complete the good work He began in you (Philippians 1:6). When you remember this promise, you can call upon God when you struggle to truly live like Jesus, when you struggle with a sin, or with pride, or anger, or whatever. When you come to God and ask Him to do what He said He would do in completing His work in you, you’re inviting God to the work in you.  God didn’t save you in Jesus, just to leave you the way you were.  No, He has the power to change you.  So, lean into Him.  He promises to complete His work in you… Here’s another promise:

God has promised to give you a peace that transcends your understanding (Philippians 4:7).  When you remember this promise, you can take your worries, your fears, your doubts to Him, and He will give you His peace – a peace that will guard your heart and mind in Christ.  When you take your worries or fears to God, He promises to give you, His peace.  What a great reason to pray.

Thirdly, God has promised to always be with you (Hebrews 13:5).  When you remember this promise, you can face any challenge knowing that God is with you, and add to that another promise from Romans 8:31, that He is always for you.  Being in God’s Word and learning God’s promises can be a catalyst for a dynamic prayer life.  If you don’t know what to pray, I’d start here.  This is where Daniel started, and he shows us how being in God’s Word can fuel your prayer life. Believing God always fulfills His word can help you become a person who prays with confidence. Not simply because YOU pray, but because God is faithful in doing what He says He will do.  It was God’s promise that moved Daniel to pray. Now, let’s move into the heart of Daniel’s prayer and discover a second reason to pray:

We pray because we believe God is great and loving to His people: I want you to take note of how Daniel describes God in his prayer: I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. 9:4-6

“Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him; we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws He gave us through His servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Daniel 9:7-11

Let me make a two observations from these verses. The first is this: Daniel knew the God to whom He prayed. In verse 4, Daniel tells us He is praying to the God of the covenant, Yahweh. Throughout Daniel’s years in exile, he has never stopped holding onto the truth that the God of the covenant who existed for the benefit of His people was his God.  Here now, in this passage he spells out four characteristics of his God:

1. He is the great and awesome God (verse 4)
2. He is the faithful God who fulfills His covenant of love with those who keep His commandments (verse 4)
3. He is the righteous God (verse 7)
4. He is the merciful and forgiving God (verse 9)

So, here Daniel calls upon the God He knows. He calls upon his great and awesome God because he believes Yahweh is able to deliver His people from exile. He calls upon his Covenant keeping God, because He believes He will be faithful to fulfill His promises to His people. He calls upon his righteous God, because he believes God has justly disciplined His people. And he calls upon his merciful God, because he believes He can forgive His people. That’s the first observation. Daniel calls upon the Covenant God of Israel because he believes He will forgive the sins of His people.

Now, Daniel reveals for us one of the main reasons so many people struggle to pray. Many people don’t pray simply because they don’t really know their God. Daniel knew God was great, because God had given him favor with King Nebuchadnezzar from the very beginning. Daniel knew God was merciful, because God helped him to save the King’s wise men from death, by giving him the interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel knew God was loved His people, for He was with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fire. And Daniel knew God was righteous, because he experienced the consequences of Israel’s sin himself by being exiled in Babylon.

So, let me ask you: Do you know your God? Do you know His great and awesome power? Has He done the impossible for you?  This is how I know He is great.  He did for me what I could not do for myself.  He saved me when I couldn’t save myself.  He had His only Son die in my place, so I could receive eternal life.  How great and awesome is His power?  He raised Jesus from the grave.  And now because Jesus lives, I know I will live. When He conquered sin and death, He made it possible for God to give me eternal life! Do you know the God who raises the dead and can give you life?

Do you know your God?  Do you know His faithful love for you?  His love for you means that once you trust in Jesus, He no longer keeps any record of your wrongs.  His love for you means He is patient with you.  When you stumble and sin, He no longer condemns you. He doesn’t ridicule you or get frustrated with you.  And He never gives up on you.  Do you know His faithful love for you?

Do you know His righteousness? Do you know how justly He treats your sin?  That’s why the moment you trusted in Jesus, He cleansed you of every sin.  But he didn’t stop there. No, at the moment He also gave you the righteousness of Jesus. He made you holy and acceptable in His eyes, so you can rest in His presence without guilt or shame forever.  Do you know this God? Do you know His righteousness?

This is the God Daniel knew. And the most amazing characteristic he knew about God, was that He was merciful. This is what drove him to his knees in prayer for God’s people.  Because of God’s mercy, he knew there was hope for God’s people. That’s why at the heart of this prayer, Daniel confessed the sins of God’s people.  Why? Because He knew a merciful God. Listen again to his prayer of confession on behalf of God’s people: “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him; we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws He gave us through His servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Daniel 9:7-11 Daniel makes no excuses.  He is honest. We’ve sinned and done wrong. We’ve been wicked and rebelled.  We’ve turned away from your commands and laws. We have sinned against you. That’s the second observation: Daniel confessed the sins of the nation to His merciful God.  He left nothing out, including himself.

This is why Daniel’s prayer is such a remarkable prayer.  Daniel wasn’t just praying for his own comfort and deliverance. His concern was to pray for God’s people and God’s Kingdom… It is right and fitting to bring our own personal concerns before the Lord, but we should not get so swept up in our own troubles that we forget the wider needs of God’s people. It is appropriate for us to pray, “give us this day our daily bread,” but we must also remember to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” That’s what Daniel did. Daniel prayed for God’s people, for God’s rule among God’s people.  Why? Because Daniel knew God had promised to love them.  Daniel knew God had promised to make them a great nation.  And because Daniel knew that in order for them to be the people God called them to be, they needed the mercy and forgiveness of God.

So, one of the best practices in prayer that we can take away from Daniel’s example today, is to stand in the gap for our brothers and sisters who struggle with sin.  However, we’re to do this not simply because Daniel modeled this for us, this is actually part of our calling as God’s people. God’s Word says this about us: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 2 Peter 2:9

And one thing a priest does is pray for God’s people who struggle with sin. This isn’t just the role of pastors. It’s something every believer is called to do. Are there struggling sinners among us? Then we need to be praying for them. Are there God’s children in our community who once walked with God, but have walked away?  Do we have a nation who has sinned against God and need to return to Him?  Then we need to be praying. God has called us to bear one another’s burdens, to pray for one another, and like Daniel, confess their sin to Him. Why? Because we believe God has the power to forgive them and restore them in His kingdom. That’s a second reason we need to keep on praying! And now the final reason:

We pray because we believe we are sinners who need God’s mercy:“Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong.  Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. Daniel 9:15-16 Here Daniel begins to petition God for His mercy. He reminds God of His mercy to Israel in the past – He was the one who brought His people out from Egypt. He was the one who made a name for Himself by delivering Israel.  Again, He confesses their sin. They were wrong.  So now Daniel appeals to the covenantal righteousness of God for His mercy.  He says to Him, “We have deserved this exile, we have deserved your righteous anger. But now turn your anger away from us.”

Daniel has left this appeal to the last, knowing that he has confessed ALL Israel’s sin and rebellion. He calls upon the Covenantal God who “delights in mercy.” As their covenant God, Yahweh is Israel’s Father. And just as a father finds delight in his child’s appeals to his honesty or generosity or faithfulness or love, Daniel is appealing to the Father heart of God. And so, he says, “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 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.”  Daniel 9:17-19

Daniel is asking God to once again shine His face upon His people. He’s asking for grace. He is not just asking God to restore Jerusalem, or to rebuild His dwelling place. He is asking God to give His people what they don’t deserve:  He’s asking God to forgive His people, because they bear His name. That’s Daniel’s prayer. He knows that neither he nor God’s people have a leg to stand on. He knows that they have no righteousness of their own to commend them to God. Their only hope is in God’s great mercy. And the same is true for us!  Apart from God’s mercy, we have no hope.  But because God is rich in mercy, we have a God who listens to our cries; we have a Father who is quick to forgive; we have a God who has made us His people; and we have a God who will do for us what we ask, not because of any righteousness of our own, but because we bear the name of His Son. That’s why Daniel prays.  And that’s why we must pray.  For our God delights to give mercy.

What I love about Daniel’s prayer today, is that you don’t have to have it all together to pray.  You just need to know that He is the God who hears; He is the God who is able to do more than we ask or imagine; and He is the God who delights in mercy.  You can come to Him and count on Him to give you what you don’t deserve – for He is the God who never fails to love those who are His. That’s why we pray!

So, the only question I have for you today is this:  Do you know this great God of faithful love and abundant mercy?  If you know Him, then call on Him to not just help you… but call on Him to rescue the perishing; confess your sins and the sins of our neighbors, confess even the sins of our nation; and then call on Him to glorify His name in your life. For when you pray this way, God will answer. For He is great and full of faithful love to those who are His.

But if you don’t know this God; this great God of faithful love and abundant mercy, but you’d like to know Him, then all you have to do is call on Him, confess your sin, and put your trust in Jesus Christ, His Son. For as the Bible tells us: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on Him.  For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13