As I continue my First5 study of Daniel, I am intrigued by chapter 9, Daniel’s prayer for Israel. In that prayer, Daniel acknowledges God’s holiness and covenant promises, including mercy to those who keep his commands and righteous judgment on those who do not. Daniel cries out for forgiveness on Israel’s behalf; and even though he was personally faithful through the years, he includes himself as he prays, “We do not present our supplications before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies.”
Calling out to God on behalf of others is referred to as prayer of intercession, faithfully asking the Lord to meet the needs of another person or group. Daniel is not the only biblical example—consider Abraham, who prayed on behalf of Lot’s family, and Moses, interceding for Israel when they rebelled against God’s command to enter Canaan. Jesus himself prayed for many during his time on earth: He cried out for Jerusalem, weeping over Israel’s continued rebellion, and even prayed for his enemies as he hung on the cross. John’s first epistle refers to Jesus as our Advocate before the Father. Paul tells us in Romans that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and through us when we don’t know how to pray in a situation. I personally experienced that during my dad’s last day on earth as I watched him gasp for breath. Nobody wants to pray for their dad to pass away, yet I knew he wanted to be with the Lord! I asked the Holy Spirit to pray through me in accordance with God’s will; Dad’s breathing calmed down and that night, he drifted off to sleep and into the arms of Jesus.
The early Church knew how to pray prayers of intercession. In Acts 12, the believers continued to pray earnestly for Peter’s release, even after James was killed. The church at Antioch prayed over Paul and Barnabas as they were sent on a missionary journey, and Paul’s letters frequently mention his thankfulness for the prayers of the churches.
Believers are still called to intercessory prayer—Jesus told his followers to “occupy” until his return, implying that we must work to live godly lives and obey the Great Commission, but he also told us to pray. We can pray on behalf of believers around the world persecuted for their faith. We can pray for friends and family who don’t have a relationship with God.
As election time approaches, we can pray for God’s will to be done in our nation, where our culture is calling so many bad things good and good things bad. Like Daniel, we may not be personally involved in the ungodly behaviors, but we still identify collectively as Americans who have enjoyed many freedoms. We need to intercede in
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