Model Prayer from the Book of Daniel

Friends, please allow me to present to you a prayer by Daniel to Almighty God for all of the people of his nation and not simply for himself. Perhaps this prayer model may serve as a template for us in our prayer to Almighty God for our nations and for all of those who belong to Jesus the Christ. Confession, prayer for forgiveness for our people and mercy from Almighty God.

Daniel 9

4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and I made my confession, and said: I beseech You, O Lord God, great and terrible, who keeps the covenant, and mercy to them that love You, and keep Your commandments. 5 We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly, and have revolted: and we have gone aside from Your commandments, and Your judgments. 6 We have not hearkened to Your servants the prophets, that have spoken in Your name to our kings, to our princes, to our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 

7 To You, O Lord, justice: but to us confusion of face, as at this day to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to them that are near, and to them that are far off in all the countries where You have driven them, for their iniquities by which they have sinned against You. 8 O Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our princes, and to our fathers that have sinned. 9 But to You, the Lord our God, mercy and forgiveness, for we have departed from You: 10 And we have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his law, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 And all Israel have transgressed Your law, and have turned away from hearing Your voice, and the malediction, and the curse, which is written in the book of Moses the servant of God, is fallen upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 And he has confirmed his words which he spoke against us, and against our princes that judged us, that he would bring in upon us a great evil, such as never was under all the heaven, according to that which has been done in Jerusalem. 

13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: and we entreated not Your face, O Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and think on Your truth. 14 And the Lord has watched upon the evil, and has brought it upon us: the Lord our God is just in all his works which he has done: for we have not hearkened to his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who have brought forth Your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and have made You a name as at this day: we have sinned, we have committed iniquity, 16 O Lord, against all Your justice: let Your wrath and Your indignation be turned away, I beseech You, from Your city Jerusalem, and from Your holy mountain. For by reason of our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem, and Your people are a reproach to all that are round about us. 

17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the supplication of Your servant, and his prayers: and show Your face upon Your sanctuary which is desolate, for Your own sake. 18 Incline, O my God, Your ear, and hear: open Your eyes, and see our desolation, and the city upon which Your name is called: for it is not for our justifications that we present our prayers before Your face, but for the multitude of Your tender mercies. 19 O Lord, hear: O Lord, be appeased: hearken and do: delay not for Your own sake, O my God: because Your name is invocated upon Your city, and upon Your people.

In Christ,

+William

Monk Michael

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The Fiery Furnace

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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Shepherds of the Flock

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Why are Christians so alarmed?

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I call you brothers and sisters because of your love for our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Why are you so alarmed at the events of yesterday or throughout the world? Is this not prophesied? Children of the Lord, look around, open your eyes and ears. The church has left the Holy Spirit and no longer hears. are you angry because I say this? St. John Chrysostom said these words in the fourth century. how much farther has the church fallen during the following seventeen centuries?

The church speaks against same sex marriage and about the protection of the children and yet houses and protects homosexuals and pedophiles among it's own ranks. When I say church I am speaking of all who claim the name of Jesus. insert your own church name in it's place. I do, there is no pretense from me, the corruption of the WORD is rampant. Which group is perfectly aligned wit the Holy Spirit. None of us are. The church has become complacent in it's riches and tax exemption, the teachings are diluted and the ears of the people are tickled, many do not complain and of those who do they continue to allow and participate in the corruption. How many bishops, priests, pastors, deacons, monks, and nuns or laity worship and preach the diluted word and then go home to their unmarried partner or their same sex partner or their Friday night fling?

How many of the clergy have affairs with a member of their congregation whether adult or minor? We are all sinners and the events of this world are prophesied and inevitable. What are we to do? We must, all of us individually take a long hard look at ourselves. St. Paul the Apostle said to work your own salvation with fear and trembling. How many have done this or are doing this? We are all sinners and all are guilty. We must all point finger at our own self before looking at others. remove the log from your own eye before attempting to remove the splinter from the eye of another.

Fall before Almighty God, fall to HIS mercy, pray, repent, search your own soul and become one with our Lord, there is no other way. Pray for one another that we all may be found not wanting in the Christ Jesus. Be holy as HE is holy.

Web Page;

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Monk Michael's 'Spiritual Christianity for Today! on Kindle; http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009ZCIF4M

Monk Michael's 'Spiritual Christianity for Today! paperback; http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-author=Rev.%20Fr.%20Michael%20Valentine%20Sweet&page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ARev.%20Fr.%20Michael%20Valentine%20Sweet

In Christ,
+William
Monk Michael