Daniel 9: 19
"O Lord hear! O Lord forgive! O Lord listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your Name."
This is the end of the long prayer Daniel offered when he was reading Jeremiah and realized that the 70 years he had predicted was at its end--it had been about 70 years since that was written.
His prayer covers this chapter from verse 3 to verse 19, and in it Daniel identifies himself with Israel 32 times. He approaches God on the basis of His loyal Love, in His covenant with Israel, confesses their sins, acknowledges their deserved judgment, and askes God for mercy.
Not because of any merits on our part, but simply based on His great compassion.
And he asks God to defend His own reputation, that has been maligned all these 70 years.
God will always defend His reputation. Every prayer in Scripture that asks God to defend His own reputation has been answered abundantly and in a timely manner.
God wants us to know Him, to know the Truth about Him, not our own ideas. When His people don't live the way He wants us to, for our own good, then His enemy tells the World lies about God, and maligns His reputation, to draw people away from Him.
O my Father, I pray that You would strengthen me to closely follow You in the path You've set my feet on. Help me, Father, to understand Your ways, and to display Your character in my life. Let my attitudes and words draw people to You, not me. And may Your Name be lifted up and magnified.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
