The following is an excerpt from our daily devotional series Pray Like an Intercessor!

We read that Daniel and his friends were taken captive when they were young boys. Daniel doesn’t go unnoticed for long, but soon finds favor with the king’s guards. Daniel grew in favor with both God and man. When the time came to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he fasted for wisdom and interpretation. Daniel did not do this for his own sake but for the lives of the magi and wise men. In a rage, King Nebuchadnezzar was ready to kill them all because they could not interpret his dream. It was told to the king that one of the Hebrew captives had the interpretation. Daniel correctly interpreted the dream and made sure to let everyone know that his wisdom came from God.

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Daniel never took any glory for himself. He kept this humble posture before four different kings, finding favor with each one. Daniel was known for his prayer life. When King Darius was tricked into signing a new law that forbade prayer, Daniel decided to open his window that faced Jerusalem and to continue praying there three times a day, as he had always done. Even though this meant probable death for him, he continued to stand, or should I say kneel.

Later, we see Daniel praying differently, in something that is sometimes called identificational repentance: He repents personally of the corporate sins that have brought judgment upon his nation, confessing them as if he himself were personally guilty. He sought God’s forgiveness on behalf of the nation and prayed for restoration. His intercession got God’s attention. While he is fasting, confessing sins, and praying, the angel Gabriel shows up with a message from God. This message was an interpretation of what Daniel had been praying about.

What Daniel did still happens today. Identificational repentance often precedes intercession. Just like Abraham, Moses, and Esther, the intercessor stands as a proxy before God. This type of praying is a picture of Christ, the burden-bearer who bore our sins on the cross, even though it was we who were guilty, not He. This shows the mercy and the restorative nature of God.

“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 9:17–19).

Lord, have mercy on America. You said in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “ … if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. But we have not done this. Instead, we have been puffed up with pride. Forgive us — we have not prayed as we should have; at times we’ve actually been completely prayerless. Our restaurants and shopping malls are packed, and our sports arenas and concert halls are filled, but our prayer gatherings are empty. We have not sought Your face; instead, we have been self-seeking, caring only about our own gratification. You promised that those who would seek You with a whole heart would find You, but we have been halfhearted. We confess You with our lips, but we keep our hearts far from You. Our hearts have been divided between loving You, and loving the things of this world. You’ve said that we should turn from our wicked ways, but we have not. Our repentance is not a true repentance that turns us from our sins. Rather, we mumble a “sorry” and then go and indulge ourselves again. Forgive us, Lord. We have acted foolishly and have forsaken the rivers of living water for man-made cisterns — and we are unsatisfied. Hear our prayers, Lord, and have mercy once again, not because we deserve Your mercy, but because we need it; not primarily for our own sake, but for the honor and glory of Your great name. Amen. 

Read and reflect on Daniel 9. Ask God to speak to you through this prayer.

Consider fasting, praying, and asking the Lord how you can repent for yourself and for our nation.

Intercessors are sought out. Once it became known that Daniel had wisdom from God, his name was brought before several kings. It soon became understood that Daniel’s secret to interpretation and revelation was his prayer life. Though this brought him personal elevation, it also made him the target of those who envied him. But Daniel’s “secret” was in fact no secret at all: He prayed no matter what; no threat would stop his communion with God. If you, like Daniel, have a reputation as a praying person, people will search you out. You may even be placed in positions of authority, or find yourself before leaders and sharing God. If that happens, remember that Daniel gave glory only to God, and never to himself.

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IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor and listen to her podcast, Something To Share. Photo Credit: Olivia Snow on Unsplash.