This prayer is found in the Book of Daniel chapter 3
when the three youths were thrown into the furnace of fire. Oddly it seems that
this prayer cannot be found in a translation of scripture that is by Protestant
churches. It can only be found in the
LXX or Septuagint scriptures and not in the Hebrew.
This prayer is actually a form of liturgy in a
sense; it contains confession of sin, God’s righteous judgement, praise to
Almighty God, begging for mercy and victory over the enemies. This prayer is as much true today as it was
then.
Prayer of Azarias in the midst of the fiery
furnace.
23 But
these three men, that is, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell down bound in the
midst of the furnace of burning fire.
24 And
they walked in the midst of the flame, praising God and blessing the Lord. 25 Then
Azarias standing up prayed in this manner, and opening his mouth in the midst
of the fire, he said: 26 Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and
thy name is worthy of praise, and glorious for ever: 27 For thou art just
in all that thou hast done to us, and all thy works are true, and thy ways
right, and all thy judgments true. 28 For thou hast executed true
judgments in all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon Jerusalem
the holy city of our fathers: for according to truth and judgment, thou hast
brought all these things upon us for our sins.
29 For we have sinned, and committed iniquity, departing from thee:
and we have trespassed in all things: 30 And we have not hearkened
to thy commandments, nor have we observed nor done as thou hadst commanded us,
that it might go well with us. 31 Wherefore all that thou hast brought
upon us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true
judgment: 32 And
thou hast delivered us into the hands of our enemies that are unjust, and most
wicked, and prevaricators, and to a king unjust, and most wicked beyond all
that are upon the earth. 33 And now we cannot open our mouths: we
are become a shame and reproach to thy servants, and to them that worship thee.
34 Deliver us not up for ever, we beseech thee, for thy name's
sake, and abolish not thy covenant. 35 And take not away thy mercy
from us for the sake of Abraham thy beloved, and Isaac thy servant, and Israel
thy holy one: 36 To
whom thou hast spoken, promising that thou wouldst multiply their seed as the
stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the sea shore. 37 For
we, O Lord, are diminished more than any nation, and are brought low in all the
earth this day for our sins. 38 Neither is there at this time prince,
or leader, or prophet, or holocaust, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or
place of firstfruits before thee, 39 That we may find thy mercy:
nevertheless in a contrite heart and humble spirit let us be accepted. 40 As
in holocausts of rams, and bullocks, and as in thousands of fat lambs: so let
our sacrifice be made in thy sight this day, that it may please thee: for there
is no confusion to them that trust in thee.
41 And now we follow thee with all our heart, and we fear thee, and
seek thy face. 42 Put us not to confusion, but deal with us according
to thy meekness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies. 43 And
deliver us according to thy wonderful works, and give glory to thy name, O
Lord: 44 And
let all them be confounded that shew evils to thy servants, let them be
confounded in all thy might, and let their strength be broken. 45 And
let them know that thou art the Lord, the only God, and glorious over all the
world. 46 Now
the king's servants that had cast them in, ceased not to heat the furnace with
brimstone, and tow, and pitch, and dry sticks,
47 And the flame mounted up above the furnace nine and forty
cubits: 48 And
it broke forth, and burnt such of the Chaldeans as it found near the furnace. 49 But
the angel of the Lord went down with Azarias and his companions into the
furnace: and he drove the flame of the fire out of the furnace, 50 And
made the midst of the furnace like the blowing of a wind bringing dew, and the
fire touched them not at all, nor troubled them, nor did them any harm.
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