DWDP: Daniel's Cry for Mercy – The Power of Prayer, Repentance, and National Renewal

Discover the transformative power of prayer and repentance as we journey alongside Daniel, whose story is not just of interpreting dreams but of seeking God's mercy with a contrite heart. Unpack the pivotal moment found in Daniel 9:1-4, where the prophet's earnest prayers and fasting echo through the ages, teaching us the richness of humility before God. Experience the profound insights from his devotion, as we delve into the necessity of understanding Scriptural prophecy and its relevance to our times. This episode promises to leave you with a deeper comprehension of the blessings tied to obedience and the grace that flows from a sincere confession of faithfulness, as rooted in Deuteronomy 28.

Feel the call of Isaiah 55 and Acts 3 as we explore the essence of true repentance, not just as an individual act but as a collective return to righteousness for nations. Our conversation extends beyond the biblical texts to include the impact of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, emphasizing the transformation available to each of us through His atoning work. We confront the critical need for national repentance, inspired by 2 Chronicles 7:14, and consider how humbling ourselves and praying earnestly can lead to the healing of our land. This episode is an invitation to apply these timeless truths to our lives, fostering not just individual change but the potential for widespread renewal.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr Robert Jackson.

Speaker 2: 0:16

Papa, can you tell me a story? Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr Papa.

Speaker 2: 0:32

Grab your Bibles gather around and let's look into the written word, which reveals to us the living word which is our Lord Jesus Christ. This week we're in Daniel, chapter 9, and Daniel takes a break this week from his visions and dreams which have been revealing to us the future. This week, daniel stops and he offers up a prayer for his people. So let's start by reading in chapter 9, verse 1 and 2, and it says that in the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign, I, daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, the prophet for the completion of the desolation of Now.

Speaker 2: 1:33

I want to point out that Daniel himself was a prophet of God, but Daniel was also a student of Bible prophecy. He was a student of God's Word. He was a firm believer in studying prophecy. And who did he study? Well, he studied the prophets who went before him, one of whom was Jeremiah. And if you understand the scripture, you will understand that in Jeremiah, chapter 25, verse 11 and 12, that Jeremiah said this whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years, 70 years. Well, being a student of prophecy, daniel understood that their time in Babylon was about to come to an end. He went on to say, talking about Jeremiah Then it will be, when 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon. Who is I? Well, that's the Lord, god, the sovereign God of all the nations. Who is I? Well, that's the Lord, god, the sovereign God of all the nations. I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation declares the Lord for their iniquity and the land of the Chaldeans, and I will make it an everlasting desolation. And, of course, historically, we know that Babylon was overcome by the Medes and the Persians, and that's why Darius, who was a Mede and Persian, was now king over Babylon and Daniel was one of his vice regents. So we understand from these verses that Daniel was a student of the Word. He was a student of prophecy. He knew what Jeremiah had predicted and he knew that their 70 years in Babylon was coming to an end. He knew that it was about time for them to go home. And in the same way, brothers and sisters, when you and I studied the characteristics of the end of the age, we cannot help but realize it's about time for you and me to go home. It's about time for us to go home.

Speaker 2: 3:58

Now let's look at verse 3. Daniel says Now. Verse 3,. Daniel says so.

Speaker 2: 4:02

I gave my attention to the Lord, god, to seek him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. Now let's stop there a moment. When was the last time, brothers and sisters, that you gave your attention to the Lord God to seek him In the same way that Daniel did? Now the prayer and the supplications would apply to you and me. So would the fasting. I'm not so sure that you and I need to put on sackcloth and ashes, but it would behoove all of us, just like Daniel, to give our attention to the Lord, god Almighty, to seek Him with prayer and supplications and with fasting for an extended period of time. Just you and God, with fasting and prayer, and it would be a huge benefit to your spiritual life to do so.

Speaker 2: 5:03

Now, it's been my observation that most Christian folks cannot pray all alone for an extended period of time. You have to learn how to do that, and I would suggest that you start with small increments of time and you build up your spiritual muscles. My suggestion is Saturday mornings you take and set aside 30 minutes to an hour on a Saturday morning, just you, your Bible and the Lord, god Almighty. No television, no radio, no cell phones, no interruptions, and just get in a quiet place and you talk to the Lord and let the Lord talk to you with your Bible, and you make a habit of doing it. Don't do it once a year, you do it every Saturday and you spend an extended time you seeking the Lord. Give the Lord your undivided attention and I believe that you will accrue to yourself spiritual benefits that you could never have imagined.

Speaker 2: 6:03

But that's what Daniel did. He gave his attention to the Lord. Then, in verse four, he begins with confessing God's faithfulness. Now listen, I prayed to the Lord, my God, and confessed and said alas, o Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and loving kindness to by making statements about God's faithfulness. For you see, god is faithful even when you and I are unfaithful. Now, why is that? Because he cannot deny himself. In his essential being God is faithful and he is a promise keeping God. He always keeps his covenant and more than that, if we love and obey him, he extends loving, kindness and blessings.

Speaker 2: 7:09

If you go back all the way to the book of Deuteronomy, the Bible tells us in Deuteronomy, chapter 28, that God had made promises to the children of Israel. And in Deuteronomy 28, there are blessings and cursings that are listed there. And God explicitly tells the children of Israel that if they will obey him, that he will bless them and prosper them, that their flocks will prosper, their fields will prosper, their children will prosper, that the entire nation will prosper. But he also said in Deuteronomy 28, verse 36, listen to what he says. The Lord will bring you and your king, whom you set over you, to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone. This is a promise that God makes that if they do not obey him, that they will end up in another nation where they don't belong. And in fact now they're in the nation of Babylon, where God has kept his promise. In that same chapter he says your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and yearn for them. And also in that same passage, he says this obey the Lord, your God, by keeping his commandments and his statutes, which he commanded you. You see, god is a promise-keeping God. He made this covenant with the children of Israel that if they obeyed, he would bless them. If they did not obey his commandments, that he would bring curses upon them. And that's exactly the reason why they were in the land of Babylon.

Speaker 2: 9:14

In verse 5 in Daniel, chapter 9, daniel goes on with his confession. He says we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from your commandments and ordinances. You see, the nation of Israel, he admitted that we have sinned and we are in captivity because of the things that he's confessing in verse five. And then in verse six, he goes on to say moreover, we have not listened to your servants, the prophets who spoke in your name, to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land. But then, in verse 7 and 8, he goes on to say Daniel, in his prayer, goes on to say that righteousness belongs to God, but open shame belongs to us because we have sinned. Let me read those verses to you Righteousness belongs to you, o Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day, to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away, and all the countries to which you have driven them because of their unfaithful deeds there's that word unfaithful which they have committed against you. Open shame belongs to us, o Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against you.

Speaker 2: 10:46

Then move on to verse 11 in chapter 9. And he says Indeed, all Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, not obeying your voice. So the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, for we have sinned against him. So again he refers to the oath of Moses, the covenant that God made with Moses in regards to the whole nation of Israel. The curse is poured out on us and we ask again the reason why? Because we have sinned against God. In verse 12, he goes on to say that God has confirmed his words and God has kept his promise to bring calamity. All the way back in Deuteronomy, god promised them that he would one day bring calamity if they didn't obey. And in fact calamity came upon them. The whole city of Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple was destroyed, the walls of the city were razed and all the people were carried off into captivity, mostly to Babylon, but some to other countries besides Babylon. And then, in verse 15, again, he says we have sinned and we have been wicked.

Speaker 2: 12:06

And you see, daniel is one of a few biblical figures who have an impeccable character. And the Bible doesn't tell us anything about Daniel that disparages his character. And you know, the Bible is one of those rare books that tells us the character flaws of the greatest personalities in Scripture, like David, like Moses, like Peter, some of the greatest people in the Bible. The Bible tells us the most awful things about some of these characters and the things that they said and did. That reflects very poorly on our great biblical heroes. And yet Daniel is one of the folks in the Old Testament. The Bible tells us nothing about him. That reflects poorly on his character.

Speaker 2: 12:58

Now we know he's not a sinless man. His feet are made of clay, just like you and me. But yet the Bible doesn't reveal anything, any kind of character flaw about him. And yet, when he confesses the sin of the nation, he says we, we have sinned. He includes himself in this confession of sin because Daniel knows that he has a sin nature just like all the rest, has a sin nature just like all the rest, and that he is part and parcel of all the sin that brought them to the land of Babylon, to the land of captivity.

Speaker 2: 13:38

And then, in verses 16 through 19, as he continues his prayer, there are certain things that come out. He says, lord, hear us Now. He says, lord, hear us. He says, lord, we have no merit of our own, and he's pleading to God on the basis of God's compassion rather than on any merit that they as a people might have, and he's asking for God to answer the prayer for his own name's sake. So let's listen to those verses, and you listen for those themes.

Speaker 2: 14:10

As I read these verses to you, oh Lord, in accordance with all your righteousness, let now your anger and your wrath turn away from your city, jerusalem, your holy mountain, for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all those around us. So now, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his supplication and, for your sake, o Lord, let your face shine on your desolate sanctuary. O, my God, incline your ear and hear, open your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by your name, for we are not presenting our supplications before you on account of any merits of our own, but on account of your great compassion, o Lord. Hear, o Lord, forgive, O Lord, forgive. Oh Lord, listen and take action. For your own sake, oh, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people are called by your name.

Speaker 2: 15:18

Now there's some wonderful lessons for you and me. There are applications, dear listener, for you and me, as we ponder this prayer together, of Daniels, first of all, individually. You know, in Isaiah 55, verse six and seven, the Bible talks about how you and I should seek the Lord, and we should seek the Lord while he is near. And let me, let me find that passage because I want to read it to you Exactly Isaiah 55, verse six and seven. It says to us Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way that's repentance and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and God will have compassion on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. You see, the scripture talks to you and me about seeking the Lord. That's what Daniel did, isn't that right? He turned his attention to seeking the Lord, and there's a lesson for you and me there that we, as individuals, must seek the Lord.

Speaker 2: 16:28

And then in Acts, chapter three, in verse 19, there's a scripture that talks about how you and I should turn away from sin and repent and that when we do so, the Bible promises that times of refreshing will come from the hand of the Lord. Let me read that scripture to you. This is Peter, he's preaching. He says therefore, repent and return so that your sins may be wiped away in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. You see, repentance is a part of confession. When we confess our sins, repentance is a part. Repentance is an attitude of the heart where we turn away from sin, we turn away from our former way of life and we turn toward God. We appeal to the mercy of God when we repent.

Speaker 2: 17:19

You remember the publican and the Pharisee that went to the temple to pray, and the Pharisee was so proud and he thanked God that he was not like other men. And he pointed to the publican and said and I'm especially thankful that I'm not like this publican. You see, a publican was one who didn't abide by all the rules and the regulations, and so this publican, the Bible says, would not even lift up his eyes unto heaven, but he cried and said Lord, be merciful unto me, a sinner. That word merciful literally means Lord, lord be propitiated toward me. What does that word propitiate mean? The word literally means to be appeased, to be satisfied.

Speaker 2: 18:04

Now, what did this publican have with which he could appease the Lord, god Almighty? Well, he probably had something small, like a dove, some kind of sacrifice that he could offer. Now, if he had a little bit of money, he could have brought a lamb. But let me ask you can the blood of an animal take away the sin of man? Of course not. Only the blood of the perfect lamb of God can take away the sin of man. Only the blood of the perfect lamb of God can appease the wrath of God towards man. You see, to propitiate means to satisfy the offended righteousness of God and to satisfy the violated justice of God. And trust me, dear friend, only the blood of Jesus can do that for you and me. The publican looked down, smote on his chest, and said Lord, be propitiated towards me, lord be appeased toward me.

Speaker 2: 19:03

Brothers and sisters, thank Jesus every day that in his blood you and I have been propitiated toward God. We have an advocate with the Father, jesus Christ, the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sin, and not only for our sin but for the sin of the whole world. Thank God every day. Thank God for that truth, but repent, seek the Lord Repent. Turn away from sin and then confess your individual sin. Repent, turn away from sin and then confess your individual sin.

Speaker 2: 19:38

1 John 1, 9 says, if we confess our sin, that God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You see, the blood of Jesus allows God to be justified in forgiving us and he cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Not only does he cleanse us, but he gives us the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That's why you and I can stand before God in his holy presence. It's not any merit of our own, it's the merit of Jesus Christ. He imputes to us the righteousness of Jesus Christ. So, individually, we seek the Lord. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near, and then repent that times of refreshing may come from the hand of the Lord. And then, brothers and sisters, confess your and my individual sins. That's the lesson that I derive from this prayer of Daniel.

Speaker 2: 20:29

But then, nationally, oh my goodness, look at the nation, look at the pornography, look at the adultery, look at the drug abuse, look at the sex crimes. Oh my goodness, brothers and sisters, I look at my nation and I'm just so hurt and offended and brokenhearted. And I know that God looks not just at your and my sin, but he looks at the sin of our entire nation. And he's probably offended and brokenhearted at the sin of our nation. And, like Daniel, we as a nation must repent and we as a nation must seek the Lord and confess our national sins. And that's when I think of 2 Chronicles 7, 14, which tells us that we as a people must confess our sins.

Speaker 2: 21:20

Y'all know 2 Chronicles 7, 14, don't you If my people, which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray? 2 Chronicles 7, 14. Are you with me? In your Bibles, he says, and my people who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. Then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Speaker 2: 21:50

So what are the requirements? To humble ourselves and to pray and to seek his face and then to turn from their wicked ways. We as individuals must do that. We must pray that our nation as a whole will begin to do these things. That means a national revival. Trust me, I pray for spiritual awakening in our country. I pray for national revival in our country, and I have other men that I pray with and we pray together for spiritual awakening and national revival.

Speaker 2: 22:21

We pray for our churches to be awakened and for our spiritual leadership to humble themselves and pray, to seek God's face and to turn away from our wicked ways, so that God would be willing to hear us from heaven and to forgive our sins, we as Christian people, first, and then that he would bring a spiritual awakening to our nations and that he would then heal our land. You see, that's going to be a supernatural event. That's not going to be something that we organize ourselves for and make it happen politically. It's not something that's going to happen because we elect the right people, either locally or nationally. No, this is going to be a supernatural event that God causes to happen.

Speaker 2: 23:08

Because we humble ourselves and we pray and we seek his face, we turn away from our wicked ways. That means repent. So, my brothers and sisters, here's my concluding challenge let's make Jesus the true king in America. Let's make him the true king in our hearts individually, and then let's pray that His kingdom will come soon. You're listening to Devotions with Dr Papa. I thank you for tuning in and I pray that you will come back and listen again next week, and I pray that the Lord will bless you real good.

Speaker 1: 23:52

Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry, dr Jackson's books, or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, instagram or their webpage at jacksonfamilyministrycom. This podcast is produced by Bob Sloan Audio Production at bobsloancom.