Read: Daniel 9:1-23
For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name. (vv. 18-19)
Throughout Scripture, the hands of God often moved when his people implored him to act for the sake of his own name and reputation—the name carried by his people. As I realized this, my own prayers changed, becoming bolder. No more was I asking for something based on human wisdom, or even on the truth that I was in right standing with God because of what Jesus had done for me. Suddenly, I found myself pleading on behalf of the great name and reputation of God, particularly when the chips were down and the stakes highest. Daniel was concerned primarily that the glory of God was not ridiculed or diminished.
Such were also the thoughts of David as he faced Goliath. God’s great name and reputation were at stake, and he wasn’t going to sit idly by while another nation made fun of God! It wasn’t as much about being brave as it was about defending the glory of God, “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand” (1 Sam. 17:46-47). —Amy Clemens
As you pray, call on God to act mercifully to preserve his great name and reputation.
About the Author
With a bachelors in journalism from Texas Tech University and a masters from Western Theological Seminary, Amy Clemens enjoys all things writing, particularly about the life of faith. She is blessed with a family that includes husband Fred, five children, and five grandchildren.
Amy has just published her first book, "Walking When You'd Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall," which weaves her journey from childhood abuse toward healing and spiritual growth with a practical theology for the big story of God. You can find out more about the book and author at walkingwhenyoudratherfly.com.
