Pleading with God

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled Pleading with God, was written by Dave Brannon. A family's prayer time ended with a surprising announcement one morning. As soon as Dad said, Amen, five-year-old Kaitlyn proclaimed, and I prayed for Logan because he had his eyes open during prayer. I'm pretty sure praying for your 10-year-old brother's prayer protocol isn't what Scripture has in mind when it calls us to intercessory prayer, but at least Kaitlyn realized that we can pray for others. Bible teacher Oswald Chambers emphasized the importance of praying for someone else. He said that intercession is putting yourself in God's place.

It is having His mind and perspective. It is praying for others in light of what we know about God and His love for us. We find a great example of intercessory prayer in Daniel 9.

The prophet understood God's troubling promise that the Jews would have 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Realizing that those years were nearing their completion, Daniel went into prayer mode. He referenced God's commands, humbled himself, honored his character, confessed sin, and depended on his mercy as he prayed for his people. And he got an immediate answer from God. Not all prayer ends with such a dramatic response, but be encouraged that we can go to God on behalf of others with an attitude of trust and dependence on Him.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading is from the book of Daniel chapter 9 verses 1-5 and 17-19. So I turned to the Lord God and I 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. And now verses 17-19. 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. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, help us to be like Daniel who prayed for others on Your behalf. Help us know Your will so that we can better pray for one another. Thank You for the great privilege we have of bringing our cares and concerns to You and trusting that You are always at work for our good. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.