Daniel 9:18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.
Prayer: Bartering or Begging?
Do you know the difference between bartering and begging? Bartering is when I have something of value and I see something of value that someone else has and we agree to trade. When I was a kid, I didn’t have money, but I did have matchbox cars. So, oftentimes my friends and I would trade matchbox cars.
Now it’s a general maxim of negotiation that you can only negotiate from a point of strength. You cannot ask for what someone else has unless you have something of equal value with which to trade. Begging is different. Begging is when you have nothing and you need something.
The distinction between begging and bartering is brought into clear focus by the prayer of Daniel to God in Daniel 9. Notice what Daniel claimed to own and what he knew God owned. In verse 7 he says, “O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee.” It didn’t belong to Daniel, nor his people, but to God. Verse 8 says, “O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face.” Now Israel owned something, but it wasn’t righteousness. It was wickedness and confusion. Verse 9 says, “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.”
Now if you continue to read Daniel’s prayer, it’s wonderfully descriptive of the very nature of prayer. Daniel 9:18 says, “O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.” Prayer is coming to terms with what it is that belongs to us and what it is that belongs to God. Until you come to a point when you realize your own bankruptcy, your own need, and in contrast to that, God’s righteousness, mercy, and forgiveness, you’re not going to come to God in prayer.