Before We Get to the "Amen"

There is an amazing moment of prayer in the book of Daniel which offers insight about prayers to our Heavenly Father. In Daniel 9:2-3, we read that Daniel turned to God to intercede for Jerusalem and "pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes."

We can feel his deep emotions for Jerusalem throughout his prayer. He concludes with this plea:

"Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 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.” (vs 18-19)

Here comes the amazing part in verses 20-23:

"While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill— while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out."

While Daniel was still in prayer, Gabriel came to him and told Daniel that as soon as you began to pray, a word went out.

Isn't it amazing and encouraging to know that God is responding to our prayers before we get to the "Amen"? It is because He knows the entirety of our prayer before we even finish getting the words out. We read in Psalms 139:4, "Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether." And the Lord tells us in Isaiah 65:24 "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear."

Even though our Heavenly Father knows what we are going to pray, we still have to send up our prayer. Jesus tells us in John 16:23-24 "…Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." Jesus is teaching that we need to ask in order to receive. He tells us this again in Matthew 7:8, "For everyone who asks, receives." And James teaches in James 4:2, "you do not have because you do not ask".

Until we begin our prayer, God cannot begin to respond. Our relationship with Him requires communication just like any healthy relationship in our earthly realm requires it. So it is imperative that we do pray and pray with conviction and confidence. And we can be assured as we pray, our Heavenly Father is indeed responding before we get to the "Amen".

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