Read Daniel 9:11-19
Discover
1. What has happened as a result of Israel’s sin?
2. How has God fulfilled His promises?
3. How does Daniel appeal to God for forgiveness in verses 17-19?
Respond
Yesterday we saw the first part of Daniel’s prayer of confession. Today we see how he further accepted responsibility for his people’s sins. Daniel’s use of “we” instead of “they” reflected his maturity and godly leadership. When he could have defended, deflected, or distanced himself from Israel’s sins, he accepted responsibility and confessed on their behalf.
In our own culture of finger pointing and blame shifting, that kind of leadership is rare. Whenever we’re accused of something we’re not guilty of, our immediate response is usually to defend, deflect, or distance ourselves. But just like Daniel showed, godly leaders worth following accept responsibility for problems that aren’t always their fault.
How do you respond when you find yourself blamed for something you didn’t do, or you’re associated with a situation that wasn’t caused by you? How does Daniel’s example challenge you personally? Pray about your role as a leader, whatever context that might be in, and ask God to help you step in the gap on behalf of others, accepting responsibility before God and pleading for His mercy.
Want to go deeper? Read back through all of Daniel’s prayer in verses 4-19, and personalize it as your own prayer. Acknowledge who God is, and ask His forgiveness for anything you need to confess personally or corporately.