Learning to Pray with Daniel

Kaleb Franckeiss, Prayer for Israel Magazine July 2026

Recently, I have found myself returning to the book of Daniel because it reminds us that the Lord rules over kings and kingdoms. As a bonus Daniel also shows us how to pray when the world is chaotic, when God’s people are under pressure, and when the purposes of God seem to be unfolding in ways that are far bigger than we can comprehend.

Daniel lived under a Gentile empire that did not honour the God of Israel. He was far from Jerusalem, surrounded by rulers who often had little understanding of the Lord, but he remained faithful. He did not lose sight of the God of Israel shown to him in his youth, nor did he allow the power of Babylon to become larger in his mind than the power of God. He knew that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17). That is a truth we need to hold firmly in these days.

What has struck me most is Daniel’s understanding of God’s sovereignty and how that impacted the way he prayed. In Daniel 9, after understanding from the books the number of years spoken by Jeremiah, he turns to the Lord in prayer, fasting, confession, and supplication. Daniel had been reading God’s promise that the exile of His people would last seventy years. Seeing that those years were drawing to a close did not make him passive; rather, it drove him to prayer. He understood that God’s promises are not an excuse for inactivity, but an invitation to seek the Lord. He begins with the character of God: “O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him” (Daniel 9:4).

That is where our prayers must begin too. Before we look at the confusion of the nations, the failures of leaders, Israel, or the Church, we must first remember who God is. In much the same way, our understanding of God’s purposes for Israel should never lead us to complacency. Like Daniel, it should move us to prayer.

Daniel’s prayer also carries a seriousness that we should not miss. He does not pray as though Israel’s suffering exists in a vacuum, neither does he rush past sin in order to make his plea. He says, “To us belongeth confusion of face… because we have sinned against thee” (Daniel 9:8). Before he asks the Lord to act, Daniel comes before Him with confession. He exposes his own sin and the sin of the nation before God, with no defence, no excuse, and no attempt to appear righteous in himself. In that sense, he is laid bare before the Lord. He understands the principle later expressed in Psalm 66:18: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Daniel does not attempt to hide, excuse or minimize sin. Instead, he brings it honestly before the Lord before proceeding further in prayer.

That matters for us as we pray for Israel today. We do not pray as though Israel is a perfect nation. There is a deep

spiritual need in the land, just as there is here in the UK and across the world. Daniel confesses sin honestly, yet he still pleads with God concerning Jerusalem, the city and people called by His name. That tension is important. We can speak truthfully about sin in the land while still praying earnestly for God’s mercy, protection, and salvation. In fact, we must. The gospel remains the deepest need of Jewish and Arab people alike.

Daniel’s prayer ends with urgency: “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake” (Daniel 9:19). There is a holy boldness in those words, but it is not rooted in Daniel’s merit. It is rooted in God’s name, God’s mercy, and God’s purposes. That should shape our prayers too. We pray not because we know enough, or because we are strong enough, but because the Lord is merciful and faithful.

So as we continue to pray for Israel, let us do so with Daniel’s pattern before us. Let us begin with the character of God, confess honestly the need for mercy, pray for the gospel to go forth in the land and ask the Lord to act for His own name’s sake. Having first understood God’s promise through Jeremiah, Daniel then prayed according to it. In the same way, may our prayers be shaped by God’s Word, trusting His promises and seeking His purposes rather than our own.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you,

Kaleb Franckeiss.