In Chapter 9 of the Book of Daniel, this mighty prophet of God is confessing his sins and the sins of his people, and pleading with the Lord for His mercy. In spite of all their sins, Daniel prays, "O my God, lean down and listen to me… We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of Your mercy." (Daniel 9:18 NLT) I can't count how many times I have prayed this prayer for myself, especially after I have done or said something that I knew was wrong. While one part of me says, "You should be ashamed of yourself. You deserve to be punished." Another part of me says, "Confess your sin, and ask God to give you the mercy you don't deserve." (1 John 1:9)

What happened when Daniel pleaded with the Lord for mercy, even though it wasn't deserved? God sent the angel Gabriel to tell him, "The moment you began praying, a command was given…for you are very precious to God." (Daniel 9:23 NLT) Now, before you start thinking that Daniel was some super-saint who alone deserved God's mercy, think about the fact that you and I are born-again, blood-bought children of Almighty God through our faith in Christ. Jesus Himself said, "The Father Himself loves you dearly because you love Me and believe that I came from God." (John 16:27 NLT) And if you read this passage, you can see that Jesus is talking about getting our prayers answered, simply on the basis of our relationship with Him and the Father. Hallelujah!

Let this truth sink deep down into your spirit today: You are very precious to God. So keep praying for His mercy when you don't deserve it, and watch Him bless you, and mold you into a powerful witness for Christ!

Prayer: Lord, please grant me a deep-down, life-altering revelation of how precious I am to You. Teach me how to draw close to You, so that You can draw close to Me, as You promise in Your Word. (James 4:8) When I do sin, help me to be quick to confess my sins, and to ask for Your help to live the overcoming life that You have called me to. (1 John 4:4) Thank You that You are a merciful God, and You do not treat us as our sins deserve! (Psalm 103:10)