DANIEL 9:19 (LORD!)

Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name." Daniel 9:19

When we were praying about what we should focus on this month, nothing was coming to our minds.  It was May already, and still nothing.  We prayed that God would show us the verse He wanted to be our focus this month.  A verse that would help to define our month. 

It was May 4, National Day of Prayer.  I was driving home from work, and I was praying for the verse. I was listening to the radio, and the DJ said, “This is the verse for today, Daniel 9:19.”  As she was reading the verse, it confirmed that this is what I needed to focus on this month.  It was an answer to prayer. 

I looked up the verse in the Bible Commentary to get to know more about what the author was thinking when he wrote the verse. The commentary mentioned that there was a fervor in the author’s prayer as he was praying. “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act!” If I look at the verse again with the emotion of fervor in mind, this verse takes on a new meaning.

The definition of fervor is “intense and passionate feeling.”  Some synonyms that are included are: zeal; excitement; animation; eagerness; vigor; fire; spirit; zest.  Wow, that is awe-inspiring!  That is what I want in my prayer life.

My prayer this month is that my praying, and yours, is done with fervor.  “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act!”  I pray that my prayer is done with intense and passionate feelings.  I want to have a vigor and a zest for prayer, and when I pray I want to have a fire inside of me.

What does this verse mean for me and to me? Well, for starters, what a difference it would make in my life if I had as much fire for prayer, that I do with other things I feel passionate about.  It has the potential to continue to change me and my life. 

I don’t want to pray because I feel like I “have to.”  I want my prayer to be because I need to.  Prayer needs to be like air and water for me.  I can’t live without it.  Without air and water, we die.  That is what happens if we are without God.

It doesn’t matter if the prayer is something small or very large, God wants to hear it all.  I will breath and pray with new fervor. I know that God sent this verse to play on the radio at the time that I needed. 

I want a zest in my prayer life. I want a zest in my life for God.  How full will my life be, if I start with a zest for my prayer life?  I can only imagine that God will spill over into every area of my life, every part of me.  If I give Him all of me, then He will do what He needs to do in all.

There are three of us in a Bible study, and this week we have been texting each other early in the morning “Good morning, it is Jesus time.”  It is exciting to know that there are two other people who are praying and having Jesus time at the same time I am.  It is contagious, in a good way.

My prayer for each of you reading this is that you pray with fervor.  Don’t make prayer something that you have to do, but pray with a zest that will fill each of you.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will fill each of you and that you may know and see the wonder and power of God.

Dear Lord,

I pray to you.  Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act!  You are our Lord.  Give each of us a new zest for You.   I pray that each person reading this will start or continue this amazing journey that You have each of us on.  You are our light, and You want this personal relationship with us, an intense and passionate relationship with You.  I pray that each person will have a fervor for You.

In Jesus’ Name - Amen

~ Laura Maxson