Day #17

"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." Daniel 9:18 (NASB)

The first 19 verses of Daniel chapter 9 paints a crazy accurate picture of what prayer should look like for those who are serious about getting the ear of God. Take a minute to read those verses and compare that prayer to your prayers. As I compared it to my prayers I realized that far too often I come up short in the area of confession. I'm usually quick to come to God asking for help but it's not too often that I confess my shortcomings that have caused this now great need for help. Daniel repeatedly confesses Israel's transgressions, their lack of obedience and their rebellion.

The point here isn't to regularly drag ourselves through the spiritual mud but rather to own up to our shortcomings and acknowledge those areas where God might be challenging us to step it up. God will always hear our prayers when we come to Him with a sincere heart regardless of how often we come and regardless of the reason. However Daniel's model should challenge us to take some steps towards conquering some of those old foes. Own it, confess it, give it to God and conquer it.

Be encouraged and keep moving forward.