“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.” Daniel 9:18(NIV)

Daniel and Nehemiah held high-ranking administrative positions in the empires of Babylon and Persia during exile from the Kingdom of Judah. Their responsibilities were demanding, and their daily schedules must have been filled with weighty tasks. Yet, despite the pressures of serving in foreign palaces, their spiritual lives remained uncompromising. They did not conform to worldly standards but stayed faithful to God. 

Both men carried a deep burden for the desolation of their homeland and the remnant of their people left behind while they were in the palace. Their hearts were troubled, and they turned to God in prayer, seeking its restoration. Both of their prayers are recorded in Scripture,and we can learn many lessons from those prayers. 

I would like to share a thought from the prayer of Daniel which is recorded in Daniel Ch:9: v 18 

“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.” (NIV) 

In this chapter, Daniel prays for the forgiveness of his people’s sins, the restoration of his homeland, and the fulfilment of God’s promise to end the seventy years of exile foretold by Jeremiah. His prayer is a heartfelt confession and intercession,rooted not in human merit but in God’s mercy 

Daniel’s words remind us that our prayers are never answered because of our own righteousness. As Isaiah declares, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). We approach God solely on the basis of His mercy, sovereignty, and grace. 

This truth also calls us to live in daily, progressive sanctification. As Paul writes in Romans 6:1–2: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” We are dead to sin and alive to God, and our lives should reflect that reality.

Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)