Dan. 9:18 O my God, incline Your ear, and hear; open Your eyes, and see our desolations, and the city that is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You based upon any righteous doings that we have done, but based upon Your great compassion. (19) O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God; for Your city and Your people are called by Your own name.
In Jeremiah 29 God said, "That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (vv. 10-11). These words proclaimed God's intention toward the Israelites; these were things that He intended to do. But, let me ask you, brothers and sisters, how could God carry out His intention? According to God's principle, His intention must be carried out through man's prayer on earth [which was Daniel's prayer in Dan 9:18-19 above] . Without man's prayer, God's desire cannot be fulfilled. What kind of person can be used by God to pray for His intention? There is only one kind, a person who lives before God, waits before Him, and allows God to do the initiating. When you read the book of Daniel you see that Daniel was one who really did not initiate anything before God. He waited before God, caring only for God, not for himself. Thus, he touched and understood this particular intention of God and learned that God would turn again the captivity of the children of Israel after seventy years were accomplished. Since Daniel's desire matched God's intention, he fasted and poured out this desire before God in prayer. Thus God's heart's desire and intention came out from God, went into Daniel, passed through him, and eventually returned to the throne of God. Then the throne of God took immediate action concerning the situation. This action was not at all for Daniel's enjoyment or glorying but for God to gain the glory. This is a very meaningful matter. Although Daniel prayed for others that God would cause them to return, Daniel himself did not go back. He may have returned eventually, but there is no clear record of that in the Bible. It seems that he had asked for one thing and God brought it to pass, yet he himself did not participate in the result. Therefore, concerning the principles of prayer, your whole being from head to toe must be put aside. Your being does not have much place in prayer. In the beginning it is God who initiates, in the process you are but one who cooperates with God, and ultimately it is for the glory of God. This is real prayer, man being united with God and cooperating with Him on earth, allowing Him to express Himself and accomplish His purpose through man.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Lessons on Prayer by Witness Lee, pp. 32-33. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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