A Prayer of Confession and Plea for Mercy
"Daniel 9: 3-19: 3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: 4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 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. 12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. 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." - Daniel 9:3-19
O Great and Dreadful Lord God, the One who reigns in holiness, mercy, and truth, I set my face unto Thee in this time of lamentation and earnest supplication. As I come before Thee, I recognize the weight of my transgressions and the sins that have brought upon us confusion and desolation. Like Daniel, I seek Thee by prayer and supplications with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
O Lord, I confess that we have sinned against Thee.
We have committed iniquities and done wickedly; we have strayed from Thy precepts and turned our hearts away from Thy commandments. We acknowledge that our actions and choices have led us into shame, for we have rebelled against Thy will.
We have not listened to Thy prophets, who spoke in Thy name to our leaders and our people. We have turned a deaf ear to Thy voice, and we have allowed confusion to overtake us. Yet, O Lord, righteousness belongs to Thee, while to us belongs the confusion of our faces—too often we have felt the weight of our unworthiness.
To us, Lord, the sins of our kings and fathers have added to our disgrace. We dwell in guilt, yet we cling to Thy promise of mercy. We are conscious of our wrongdoing and the ways we have distanced ourselves from Thy presence. Forgive us, O Lord, for we have faltered and have not obeyed Thy laws, written before us by Thy faithful servants.
Lord, all of Israel, our families, and each soul has transgressed against Thy laws. Straying from the path of righteousness, we have succumbed to the curses that Thy servant Moses warned us about. Our hearts are heavy with the knowledge that the wrath we face stemmed from our rebellion, and we have overlooked the need to earnestly pray for understanding and repentance.
Yet, even so, O God, Your mercy and Your willingness to forgive know no bounds. We acknowledge the justness of Your judgments and how they are a reminder of our need for redemption. As we recognize the calamities that beset us, remind us, O Lord, to always seek Your face and to pray with sincerity.
This day, I beseech Thee, let Thy anger and fury, which are justly provoked by our actions, be turned away from Thy city, Jerusalem, and from Thy holy mountain. We have become a reproach among the nations; therefore, O Lord, remove the shame that rests upon us. Hear the cries of Your servants as we call upon You, knowing that we do not depend on our righteousness, but wholly upon Your great mercies.
O my God, immerse us in Your grace as we turn our hearts back to You. Incline Thine ear and listen to our pleas; open Thine eyes to our desolations. We beseech You, behold the state of our lands and the brokenness of Your people. We long not to show You our worth, but simply to bask in Your forgiving embrace.
O Lord, we cry out to You. Hear our prayer, for our hope rests solely upon You! Forgive us for our sins, for our hard-heartedness, and for the unprovoked havoc we have wrought upon our lives and those around us.
Therefore, do not delay, O Lord my God! Hear our supplications and bring restoration to Your city and glory to Your people, who are called by Your name. May we walk in obedience, learning from our past and shining forth the truth of Your love and righteousness. In this we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Daniel 9:3-19 Artwork
"So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 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. 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. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. 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. 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 9:3-19
Daniel 9:3-19 - "So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 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. 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. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. 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. 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 3:9 - "They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever."
Daniel 9:3 - "¶ And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:"
Daniel 2:19 - "¶ Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven."
"They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever." - Daniel 3:9
Daniel 9:19 - "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."
Daniel 3:19 - "¶ Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated."
"¶ Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven." - Daniel 2:19
Daniel 1:9 - "Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs."
"¶ And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:" - Daniel 9:3
Daniel 1:9
Daniel 12:9 - "And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end."
Daniel 1:19 - "And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king."
Daniel 7: 9-10
Daniel 7:9-10
Daniel 7:9-10
Daniel 7:9-10
Daniel 3:1
Daniel 5:3
Daniel 3:28
Daniel 3:25
Daniel 6:3-4 - "Daniel 6:3-4: Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. So the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him."
Daniel 9:22 - "And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding."
Daniel 9:9 - "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;"
Daniel 4:1-3
Daniel 6:9 - "Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree."
Daniel 6:3 - "Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm."
Daniel 6:19 - "Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions."
Daniel 9:2 - "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."