Daniel 9:2-3 NLT
I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.
James 5:16b NKJV
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Daniel read the prophecies from Jeremiah and stopped everything to fast, pray, and humble himself by wearing burlap and applying ashes on his head. That seems so extreme. That is, unless, his heart was still able to be moved by the reading of prophecy.
We are too sophisticated, and our prayers are too performance-based. Our dignity is more important to us than risking the appearance of real desperation. David Wilkerson called it the absence of anguish: a coldness that has crept in and become our spiritual norm.
This book we are reading is a prophecy about the end of the world. It’s about our day. Daniel predicts a sea of humanity experiencing the worst suffering and devastation the world has ever known. Millions of precious people could die without Jesus. He predicts conflict between the saints of God and satanic oppression beyond what any generation of believers has ever known. Why does this not have the effect on our hearts that it did on Daniel’s?
We need to pray earnestly today. I’m concerned for my heart and yours. I’m not down on anyone, but rather intensely aware in this moment that something is broken in our hearts. God wants to restore fervency. Fervent prayer can only come from a fervent heart. Let’s ask God right now to awaken our hearts, not in fear, but in anointed alertness, compassion, and anguish for the lost. Let’s pray.
Prayer
Holy Father, we desperately need Your touch on our lives. Touch us and heal all spiritual leprosy from our hearts. Align our hearts with Yours, and let us feel what You feel. Revive our spirit and refresh Your people. Take away coldness. Take away the numbness. Awaken Your compassion for this sea of humanity, in Jesus’ name!