Daniel (Greek) 9:17-27: a reflection

17“Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. 18My God, turn your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by your name; for we don’t present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies’ sake. 19Lord, hear. Lord, forgive. Lord, listen and do. Don’t defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” 20While I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God— 21yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering. 22He instructed me and talked with me, and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding. 23At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision. 24“Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, to put an end to sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. 25“Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again with street and moat, even in troubled times. 26After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the prince who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined. 27He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate. Even to the full end that is decreed, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.”

As Daniel pours out a prayer of confession and pleading for his people, something remarkable happens. While I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin, he says, the angel Gabriel came to him with an answer; and Gabriel tells him: At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. The answer had gone out at the very beginning of Daniel's prayer, from the first words of his pleading. God had heard from the start, and set the answer in motion at once.

Notice when God heard and answered Daniel: at the very beginning of his prayer. The answer did not wait until Daniel had prayed long enough, or pleaded well enough; at the beginning of his petitions, the word went out. God was attentive from the first words, hearing Daniel's prayer from its very start and responding at once. Daniel did not have to earn a hearing by the length or eloquence of his prayer; God heard from the beginning, because Daniel was greatly beloved. The response was set in motion from the first.

That is a great encouragement, for we can imagine God hears our prayers only reluctantly, or after we have prayed long and hard enough. We can feel that we must earn God's attention by the length or fervency of our prayers, that he hears only after much pleading; but God heard Daniel from the very beginning of his prayer, and set the answer in motion at once. God hears you from the first words of your prayer; you do not have to earn his attention by praying long or well enough. Do not imagine God hears reluctantly, or only after much pleading; he was attentive to Daniel from the beginning, and is attentive to you from the first words you speak to him. Pray with the confidence that God hears you from the very start, as he heard Daniel from the beginning of his petitions, because you, like Daniel, are beloved; the God who hears from the first word is attentive to your prayer from its very beginning.

Lord, as Daniel poured out a prayer of confession and pleading for his people, something remarkable happened. While I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin, he says, the angel Gabriel came with an answer; and Gabriel told him: at the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. The answer had gone out at the very beginning of Daniel's prayer. You had heard from the start, and set the answer in motion at once. Show me when you heard and answered Daniel: at the very beginning of his prayer. The answer did not wait until Daniel had prayed long enough, or pleaded well enough; at the beginning of his petitions, the word went out. You were attentive from the first words. Daniel did not have to earn a hearing by the length or eloquence of his prayer; you heard from the beginning, because he was greatly beloved. That is a great encouragement, for I can imagine you hear my prayers only reluctantly, or after I have prayed long and hard enough. I can feel that I must earn your attention by the length or fervency of my prayers; but you heard Daniel from the very beginning, and set the answer in motion at once. You hear me from the first words of my prayer; I do not have to earn your attention. Keep me from imagining you hear reluctantly, or only after much pleading; you were attentive to Daniel from the beginning, and are attentive to me from the first words I speak. Help me pray with the confidence that you hear me from the very start, Lord, because I, like Daniel, am beloved.