Prayer that is holy unto the Lord
Living Like Daniel in the Last Days: An Exilic Model of Covenant Faithfulness
Prayer is something human beings are naturally wired to engage in. We all worship. We all pray. What varies is who worship and prayer are addressed to. Fellowship with God is a fundamental part of our nature; it is an expression of the image of God in us; an innate desire to fellowship with God by way of communicating to him in supplication, or in praise or even lament. It's a natural part of human expression. Sin however distorts this expression of the image of God in us by changing the natural focus on our affections--from God to idols--which ultimately are demons. In revealing himself to us; both in history and in salvation through Jesus Christ which all believers experience--God shifts the focus of worship back to himself. Which is to say he heals us back to what our natural disposition ought to be. Some people frame worship as some sort of narcissistic attempt by God to demand attention from people. This shallow and fundamentally wrong perspective is grounded in an ironic truth–we are the narcissists.
When a child sees their parents do things they can't they naturally feel a sense of pride in their parents. They feel good to see their parent BE a parent to them. Children often boast about what their parent's vocations are, or their natural abilities. They compare one to the other and feel personal pride in their association to their parent. The glory of their parent is shared with them--"wow look at what my Dad can do...Yes that's my Mother--she's amazing." That natural praise, that natural pride, that joy that a child feels in that moment. That is what worship is when a child of God feels the same way towards their God. "Wow look at how amazing my God is. Look at how great he is." It's not narcissism–it is the truth--but personalised, felt and experienced. Not simply a cold clinical fact--but a personal experience of it. This is what God meant when he said:
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." Isaiah 29:13
God cares that we mean what we say. He cares that what we say is truth in the ontological/scientific sense e.g. the sky is blue; but he also cares that we feel that truth e.g. we feel a sense of wonder when we look at the blue sky. He made us to be emotional and in this sense he cares deeply that our affections and our thoughts are united in our speech and thoughts. This is what the Lord meant when he spoke about worship in spirit and in truth. It speaks to affection, and alignment to the truth--which is his word. When we say God is holy we must know what we are saying and feel it too. Similarly when we pray as children of God we must pray with the understanding of his purposes and our specific service to him; over and above having the understanding that ultimately he is our Father and also cares for the various nuances of our lives and their needs. Our Lord Jesus taught us how to pray and that is recorded in the Gospels so I will not rehash it here. What I want to talk about however, is the sacredness of prayer and the impact of prayer.
The life of Daniel stands as a luminous portrait of covenantal faithfulness in an age of exile, compromise, and looming judgment. In many ways, Daniel was a prototype of what it means to live in the tension between the "already" and the "not yet"—a faithful witness in Babylon while his heart remained anchored in the promises of Jerusalem. As we stand at the threshold of the end of the age, awaiting the fulfillment of the very prophecies Daniel received, his life serves as a prophetic template for how believers in Jesus Christ should live: faithfully, humbly, and expectantly.
How Daniel lived:
1. Faith in the God of the Impossible
Daniel believed that God was not only sovereign but capable of doing what man could not even imagine. Whether it was interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s forgotten dream (Daniel 2), surviving the lion’s den (Daniel 6), or receiving visions of empires yet unborn, Daniel had unwavering faith in the power and wisdom of God. For believers today, especially as we see the world spiraling toward prophetic fulfillment, this kind of faith is essential. The resurrection of the dead, the coming of the Lord, the shaking of nations—these are not myths or metaphors, but promises that require radical faith in God's power.
2. Prayerful Trust and Seeking Divine Intervention
Daniel’s faith was not passive. He trusted God, and so he prayed. In Daniel 2:18, he urges his friends to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning the mystery of the king’s dream. In Daniel 9, he falls on his face in intercessory prayer after discerning the times. True faith always moves the believer to seek God’s face. In these final hours of the age, we are not called to speculate but to intercede, trusting God to intervene and fulfill what He has spoken.
3. Awareness of Placement and Calling
Though a youth taken captive, Daniel understood that his position in Babylon was not random. God had placed him there. He served pagan kings, but he never served their gods. He used his royal training and wisdom for divine purposes without compromising his identity. Likewise, Christians are called to recognize that they are in the world, but not of it (John 17:14–16). We have been placed in our vocations, governments, schools, and communities for a divine reason—to shine like stars in the darkness (Philippians 2:15).
4. Understanding the Prophetic Times
Daniel didn’t interpret the world by the headlines, but by the scroll of Jeremiah. He understood that the exile would last 70 years (Daniel 9:2) and this awakened him to seek God. Today, the Church must do the same. Many believers are confused or fearful because they do not know the times. But if we, like Daniel, understand the prophetic calendar—the birth of Israel, the seals of Revelation, the rise of the Beast—we will not be shaken, but prepared.
5. Grounded in God’s Covenantal Purposes
Daniel’s prayers weren’t rooted in sentimentality or nationalism—they were rooted in God’s covenant with His people. “O Lord…we have sinned…yet for the sake of your name and your covenant mercy, act” (Daniel 9:4–19, paraphrased). This is how we must pray. Our hope is not in politics or comfort, but in the unshakable promises of God—fulfilled in Christ, and unfolding before our eyes.
6. Offering His Body as a Living Sacrifice
From his early days, Daniel “purposed in his heart not to defile himself” (Daniel 1:8). His body, diet, and lifestyle were consecrated to the Lord. He fasted regularly and endured persecution rather than compromise. Romans 12:1 calls us to do the same: to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. In a world of indulgence and moral decay, Daniel’s fasted life was prophetic—just as ours must be.
7. Patient Endurance and Expectation
Daniel did not receive the full answer to many of his visions, but he remained faithful nonetheless. He waited on God. Daniel 12:13 closes with God’s words to him: “Go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” Daniel believed in resurrection, even though it was far off. We, who are closer than ever, must be even more steadfast, holding onto the “blessed hope” of resurrection and the appearing of Christ (Titus 2:13).
8. Covenantal Intercession on Behalf of the People
Though not a priest, Daniel interceded with priestly passion. His confessional prayer in Daniel 9 is one of the most theologically rich and emotionally broken prayers in Scripture. He includes himself among the sinners and pleads for mercy. This is the kind of prayer the Church must now rise into—not pointing fingers but bowing low, interceding for mercy before judgment falls.
9. Recognizing Exile as Fulfilled Prophecy and God's Sovereignty
Daniel knew that the exile was not just a political event but a prophetic one—a judgment from God in fulfillment of covenant curses. Yet this realization did not make him bitter. It made him worshipful. He saw God’s hand even in judgment, and so he submitted in faith. So too must we understand that the chaos of the world today is not random—it is prophetic. The seals are being opened. The Beast system is rising. This is not a time to despair, but to recognize God's sovereignty and respond in faith.
10. Humble Reliance on Revelation, Not Assumption
Despite being wiser than all the wise men of Babylon, Daniel never relied on his intellect. In Daniel 2:30 he says, “This mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other men.” He waited for God to reveal, rather than speculating. Today, in an age of endless opinions and theological confusion, this humility is rare. We must be like Daniel—waiting on God, rooted in Scripture, and discerning only what He unveils.
EXEGISIS AND EXPOSITION:
1. He Had Faith God Would Do the Impossible Because He Is God
Daniel demonstrated unwavering confidence in God’s power to intervene supernaturally. When the decree went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel’s immediate response was not panic, but faith:
“Daniel replied with prudence and discretion... and told his companions to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery.”
— Daniel 2:14–18
Daniel knew the dream could not be discerned by human wisdom (Daniel 2:10–11), yet he believed God would make known what no man could. This echoes Hebrews 11:6:
“Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
His life becomes a beacon for believers today to trust in the power of God amid global uncertainty.
2. He Then Trusted God and Prayed for His Intervention
Daniel’s faith was not passive—it was activated in intercession. Whether seeking the interpretation of a mystery (Daniel 2), or interceding on behalf of a sinful nation (Daniel 9), Daniel understood that prayer aligns human weakness with divine will.
In Daniel 9:3, we read:
“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.”
This posture is critical for the Church today. In this late hour, God's people must not merely comment on evil, but cry out for mercy.
3. He Understood His Position and Placement
Daniel did not resent his exile; he accepted it as God’s sovereign placement. He embraced his prophetic identity as one called to serve in the courts of foreign kings—without compromising allegiance to the true King.
“But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food...”
— Daniel 1:8
Daniel’s understanding of divine placement allowed him to operate in Babylon without becoming Babylonian. Likewise, the Church must recognize we are “in the world but not of it” (John 17:14–16), sent as ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) to represent the Kingdom of God in a foreign land.
4. He Understood the Prophetic Context (Jeremiah’s Prophecies)
Daniel’s prayers in chapter 9 are driven by his reading of the scroll of Jeremiah:
“I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that... must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.”
— Daniel 9:2
He understood time prophetically, not just historically. The Church today must likewise root its discernment in the prophetic scriptures—not just to speculate, but to prepare. Jesus commanded, “When you see these things... know that He is near” (Matthew 24:33).
5. He Understood God’s Covenantal Purposes
Daniel’s prayer is saturated with covenant language:
“O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments...”
— Daniel 9:4
He understood that even judgment was within the bounds of covenant faithfulness as described in Deuteronomy. God had not rejected His people; He was refining them. Today, we must also hold fast to the New Covenant—secured by Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20), and soon to be fulfilled in its fullness at His return.
6. He Offered the Living Sacrifice of Faithfulness with His Body
Daniel exemplified Romans 12:1 long before it was written:
“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God...”
He fasted (Daniel 10:2–3), refused royal delicacies (Daniel 1:8), and prayed openly even under threat of death (Daniel 6:10). These acts of bodily discipline bore witness to his faith. In an age of indulgence, Daniel calls the Church to physical and spiritual consecration.
7. He Was Patient and Waited on God
Daniel received visions he could not fully comprehend. Yet he did not demand closure; he remained faithful even in mystery.
“I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, ‘O my lord, what shall be the outcome...?’ He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel.’”
— Daniel 12:8–9
Patience is vital for end-time endurance (Revelation 14:12). Like Daniel, we wait for the resurrection, knowing it will come at the appointed time (Daniel 12:13).
8. Though Not a Priest, He Interceded for His People
Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9 is priestly in tone—confessing the sins of his people, appealing to God’s mercy:
“We have sinned and done wrong... To us, O Lord, belongs open shame... To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness.”
— Daniel 9:5–9
He embodies the role of an intercessor, foreshadowing Christ and modeling the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). The Church is called to stand in the gap for the nations now (Ezekiel 22:30).
9. Though in Exile, He Trusted God’s Sovereignty as Prophetic Fulfillment
Daniel’s theology was not shaken by Jerusalem’s fall—it was deepened. He saw exile not as defeat, but as divine discipline.
“To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him... all this calamity has come upon us, yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God.”
— Daniel 9:9–13
This shows that judgment itself was part of the prophecy (Leviticus 26, Jeremiah 25), and thus a sign of God's sovereign hand. In the same way, today’s chaos and collapse do not prove God's absence—but His prophetic orchestration.
10. He Was Humble and Did Not Rely on His Own Understanding
Despite his wisdom, Daniel consistently deflected glory to God:
“No wise men... can show the king the mystery... but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.”
— Daniel 2:27–28
Humility is the key to revelation. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Daniel's reliance on divine revelation shows the posture every watchman and believer must carry in these final days.
What stands out when we trace Daniel’s story from this foundation is the sheer magnitude of God’s response. Daniel did not simply receive vague encouragements or internal impressions; he was visited by archangels, received cosmic visions of the future, was delivered miraculously from death, and was even addressed by the pre-incarnate Word of God Himself.
This response was not random.
The answers Daniel received were a direct result of the way he prayed: not superficially, not carnally, but in Spirit and in Truth—the kind of prayer Jesus would later affirm as true worship, and Paul would identify as the engine of prophetic clarity.
Let us now map how Daniel’s posture yielded divine responses, and what this reveals for the Church in the final hour:
1. Prayer in Spirit and in Truth: The Foundation of Divine Response
Jesus said:
“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”
— John 4:23
Daniel's prayers expressed this; he prayed with covenantal truth (Daniel 9), acknowledging the justice of God's judgment and the truth of the Word through Jeremiah. And he prayed in spiritual contrition, fasting in sackcloth and ashes—not to be seen by men, but to humble himself before God.
Daniel’s prayer was neither ritualistic nor manipulative. It was rooted in reverent awe, deep covenant understanding, and personal repentance. That is why the angel Gabriel told him:
“At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly beloved.”
— Daniel 9:23, ESV
The Hebrew phrase "חֲמוּדוֹת" (ḥămūdōṯ) translated “greatly beloved” implies "precious one" or "treasured." Daniel’s prayers were precious incense in the courts of heaven.
2. God’s Responses: Not Just Present Deliverance, but Cosmic Revelation
Daniel’s ten-fold spiritual posture—rooted in covenant, humility, intercession, and prophetic understanding—produced extraordinary answers. They weren’t just political or circumstantial. They revealed God’s entire redemptive plan:
- Deliverance from Execution (Daniel 2)
His prayer saves the lives of Babylon’s wise men and secures his own. But more than that, God gives Daniel a dream and vision that spans the entirety of Gentile world history—from Babylon to Rome to the Antichrist and the final Kingdom of God (Daniel 2:31–45). - Visitation by Gabriel (Daniel 8:16; 9:21)
Gabriel, the messenger angel of divine mysteries, appears not once but twice to Daniel, giving detailed interpretations about the Little Horn, the 2300 days, and the Seventy Weeks—prophetic time markers that guide eschatology to this day. - Vision of the Pre-Incarnate Logos (Daniel 10:5–6)
In Daniel 10, the man Daniel sees—clothed in linen, with eyes like flaming torches and a voice like the sound of a multitude—is identical in description to the glorified Jesus seen by John in Revelation 1. Daniel didn’t just get a messenger—he was visited by YHWH--the King of Kings Himself. Who was escorted there with Michael and Gabriel:
Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream,[b] “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” (Daniel 12:5-6)
- Deliverance from Death (Lion’s Den) (Daniel 6)
Even when unjustly condemned, Daniel’s integrity and prior communion with God made him untouchable. “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel 6:22). God did not merely respond to the crisis, but to Daniel’s lifetime of faithfulness. - Rescue of His Friends (Fiery Furnace) (Daniel 3)
Though Daniel is not present in this scene, his close friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego share his spirit. Their deliverance—by one “like a Son of the gods” walking in the fire—prefigures the visible presence of the Logos with those who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. - Vision of the Resurrection (Daniel 12:2–3)
Daniel’s prayers didn’t just reach Babylon—they reached the end of the age. God showed him the resurrection of the dead, the Great Tribulation, and the glorification of the wise. These are the promises we cling to today.
All these responses began with right prayer. God answered the man who truly knew His covenant and whose heart was fully His.
3. Praying in the Spirit: Paul’s Teaching and Daniel’s Practice
Paul instructed believers to pray “in the Spirit”:
“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”
— Ephesians 6:18
To “pray in the Spirit” is not merely to speak in tongues—though it includes that (1 Corinthians 14:14)—but to pray as led by the Spirit of God, in alignment with His will, under His burden, with utter dependence on Him.
This is what Daniel did in Daniel 10:2–3:
“In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth...”
He wasn’t praying for show. He was moved by divine burden. He didn’t even know why—but God did. The result? Gabriel arrives to inform him that his words had been heard from the first day—and that a cosmic war in the heavenlies had delayed the message (Daniel 10:12–14). Daniel’s prayers were pulling revelation through the veil.
Paul also writes:
“The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.”
— 1 Corinthians 14:3
Daniel’s visions accomplished this very thing: they built up the faith of exiles, comforted the remnant of Israel, and encouraged generations of saints awaiting the Kingdom. His prayers produced prophecy. So must ours.
4. Revelation: The Prayers of the Saints Are Incense Before God
Finally, in the Book of Revelation, we see the culmination of Daniel’s model of prayer:
“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer... and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God...”
— Revelation 8:3–4
The prayers of the saints are incense in heaven. And what follows? Judgment and response from the throne. God hears us, and is pleased by our prayers.
This image mirrors Daniel’s own experience. His prayers rose before God like incense. And heaven responded. Gabriel was sent. The pre-incarnate Word revealed Himself. Michael was dispatched. Scrolls were opened. The nations were judged. History was revealed.
Why?
Because one man stood in Babylon with a heart aligned to heaven. One man worshipped God in Spirit and in Truth. One man believed the covenant Word, humbled himself, and prayed not only for himself—but for the people of God and for the coming Kingdom.
Daniel, the Pattern for the End-Time Watchmen
Daniel’s life reveals what happens when a believer aligns heart, body, and spirit with God’s purposes. His prayers reached beyond the exile of Babylon to the cosmic unveiling of the resurrection. His worship was not performative, but deeply rooted in covenantal truth and spiritual consecration. His answers were not shallow comfort but epochal revelations—because his prayers were incense on the altar of heaven.
The Church now stands in the same place. We are exiles, in Babylon, nearing the end. We have seen the seals open. We wait for the resurrection. The Spirit of Daniel must be upon us now.
Let us, therefore, offer prayer in Spirit and Truth, that we too may be counted among the greatly beloved, and that our incense may rise before the throne.
The Exilic Template for the Last Generation
Daniel’s life is more than history—it is a prophetic blueprint for the Church awaiting her final redemption. Like Daniel, we are living in a Babylonian system awaiting liberation by the King of Kings. Daniel lived in anticipation of the resurrection:
“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake...”
— Daniel 12:2
This same hope anchors our endurance. Let us, therefore, walk as Daniel walked: with humility, prayer, understanding of prophecy, bodily consecration, covenant intercession, and unwavering faith in God’s sovereign timeline.
For “those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
— Daniel 12:3
We know the times, we understand the covenant keeping God we serve--we ought to know our purpose and positions that God has placed us in. We have everything Daniel had and even more--we have the Holy Spirit--the Spirit of adoption indwelling us making us Holy--temples to God himself. Let us pray with wisdom in Spirit and in Truth. Daniel didn't recite prayers--he deeply cared and affirmed the truth as he prayed. Let us offer up incense to heaven.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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