So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
What comes to mind when you hear the word plead? Is it a picture of a dignified person asking for a small request? Probably not. Maybe you have a memory of pleading for something either in a moment of desperation or as a child, asking for a parent to fulfill a request you knew you could not complete yourself. Either way, the imagery that comes with pleading is one of humility: recognizing one’s need and placing one’s self under the mercy of another. This is the picture of Daniel’s approach to God. He came pleading, hungry, in clothes for grieving and covered in ashes. With each component of his pleading, he recognized his need for God.
When we look to God in prayer, we often come asking Him to fill in the gaps. We want to handle some things and ask Him to take care of the rest. We don’t want to feel needy, and we want to feel like we have some control in our lives. It is humbling and humiliating to truly be confronted with our need for Him; whether we recognize it or not, our need is there, and it is great!
God is so gracious to us. He does not ask us to come to Him when we have gotten our life together. He wants us to come to Him in our time of need so He can restore completely what we can only fix in part. Daniel put His attention on God and approached Him in humility, knowing that He could restore what was broken. Whether you are in a time of desperation or a time of smooth sailing, the call is the same. Turn your attention to God, come to Him in humility and trust in Him for restoration today.
- How difficult do you find it to relate with Daniel in this verse?
- What would it look like to come to God in humility? Why is this often hard?
- Pray and repent of the times when you have approached God in pride. Thank Him for the opportunity that He gives us to come in desperation.
