Daniel 9:20-23 – “Now while 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, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.”
The angel Gabriel said to Daniel in verse 23, “At the beginning of your supplications the command went out…” Heaven responded quickly to Daniel’s supplication. Daniel knew how to get God’s attention. God even confesses it to be so in Ezekiel 14:12-14 “The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 13‘Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,’ says the Lord GOD.” What is it about Daniel’s praying that moves heaven? I think we can find some insight from verses 3 and 4 of chapter 9: “Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.4And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession…” There are five ingredients in these verses that can make the difference between prayers offered and prayers answered. Here is how Daniel made his request:
1. Prayer – This means intercession. To intercede is to pray on behalf of someone else.
2. Supplications – This means earnest prayer. This is taking prayer to another level. To pray with passion, fervor, and zeal brings your prayer to a point of desire. Jesus said in John 15:7 – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
3. Fasting – Coupling prayer with fasting yields incredible results. Fasting turbo charges your prayer life.
4. Sackcloth and Ashes – This biblical practice was a means of humbling one’s self before the Lord. Humility is an indispensable part of an effective prayer life.
5. Confession – Daniel’s confession was ancestral. He confessed the sins of previous generations as well as those of the present day. He was thorough in making his request before God and understood the impact of unrepentant sin.
We need God’s blessing. Our world needs a visitation from Heaven. The church needs intercessors and prayer warriors who are skilled in getting Heaven’s attention. May God raise up some Daniel’s in our day who will incorporate the discipline of prayer to such a level that heaven has no choice but to respond and send messengers with a decree from the lips of God.