The prophet Daniel’s prayer for his people was a heartfelt plea for mercy that was intended to stir the LORD to action on behalf of the Jews who were in captivity in Babylon. Daniel’s prayer was the result of his discovery of Jeremiah’s prophecy that the Jews’ captivity would last 70 years (Daniel 9:2; Jeremiah 25:12). Daniel said, “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession” (Daniel 9:3-4). Daniel’s prayer was based on him having a personal relationship with God. Daniel was seeking God’s favor, asking him “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior” (H2603).

Daniel made confession to God, meaning that he approached God with a proper attitude, one of reverence and thanksgiving (H3034). Daniel prayed:

O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. (Daniel 9:4-11)

Daniel’s pleas for mercy were focused on the goodness of God. Daniel confessed, “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness” (Daniel 9:9). Daniel likened God’s mercy to a mother’s womb, having in mind the idea of compassion and tenderness (H7356). “God is a forgiving God (Nehemiah 9:17). He does not keep a record of sin, but with Him there is forgiveness (Psalm 130:4). Daniel also proclaimed that God is forgiving, even though the Hebrews had sinned greatly against Him (Daniel 9:9)” (H5547).

Daniel asked that God listen to his pleas for mercy for his own sake because of his great mercy. Daniel prayed, “O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city this is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake. O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name” (Daniel 9:18-19). Daniel recognized that it was God’s character that mattered when it came to changing the Jews’ circumstances. Daniel wanted God to pay attention and act because the Jews had damaged his reputation and were making him a laughingstock among the leaders of the world (Daniel 5:1-4).