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Read: Daniel 9:17-19
Listen: Daniel 9

Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Daniel 9:17

When Daniel prays for God to keep his promises, he takes a step off a well-worn path. Rather than pleading for God to restore Israel’s glory so that they might be like the surrounding kingdoms, he does something different. He asks God to restore Israel for God’s own glory. Daniel’s desire is that through his answered prayer, God’s name would be praised throughout the world. After years of praying, he has come to understand something important. God’s honor and glory are more valuable than his own.

This is what it means to be an image bearer. As believers, we find our ultimate satisfaction in God’s glory. It is how we were created to respond. However, like Israel, we can easily slip into praying for our own reputation and circumstances above God’s honor and glory. To grow in prayer, we must intentionally choose God’s reputation over our own. This is only possible when God changes our desires to match his. We learn this by honoring him in our daily decisions and our words and actions. We can ask God to help us grow to choose him in how we spend our money and manage our time, talents, and relationships.

PRAYER DAY #39:  Pray for God’s honor and glory rather than your own. Ask him to reveal one area where you’ve been more concerned about your reputation than his. Then pray this: “God, may you be honored in my ___________.”

We’d love to hear how God has moved in your life during the 50 Days of Prayer. Please share any way you’ve seen him bring growth or change—whether in your spiritual life, your family, a friendship, or a specific situation HERE.