The Daniel Prayer
The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Nations
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Many people today find that their prayers don’t “work.” And like a broken cell phone, DVD player, or TV remote, they throw prayer out as unnecessary “clutter” in their busy lives. Anne Graham Lotz has found that while prayer does work, sometimes the “pray-ers” don’t. So she has turned to the prophet Daniel for help.
The Daniel Prayer is born deep within your soul, erupts through your heart, and pours out on your lips, words created by and infused with the Spirit of God quivering with spiritual electricity. It’s really not an everyday type of prayer. It’s a prayer birthed under pressure. Heartache. Grief. Desperation. It can be triggered by a sudden revelation of hope. An answer to prayer, a promise freshly received, a miracle that lies just over the horizon…
Join Anne in a thrilling discovery of prayer that really works.
This book will help readers pray effectively for their nation, for their families, and for themselves. She will answer such questions as:
- Does God only hear the prayers of good people?
- How do I know the God to whom I pray will listen?
- How do I know God cares about my prayer?
- How do I know God will answer my prayer?
- Why should I pray?
- Does it matter where I am when I pray?
- Are words in prayer all that matter, or does my attitude affect prayer?
- What difference does my prayer make?
The book also includes some of her original prayers that demonstrate the principles taught in The Daniel Prayer.
MY REVIEW:
Because the Daniel Prayer is not an everyday type of prayer. It’s a prayer birthed under pressure, squeezing the coal of our heartache , grief, and desperation into the diamond of genuine faith that pleases God, moves Heaven , and changes nations. It can be triggered by a disappointment or a sudden revelation of hope, an unanswered prayer or a promise freshly received, the consequences of a past failure or a miracle that lies just over the horizon. It’s a plea for something you intensely long for that you know will take place, but has not taken place yet.
Prayer is a topic that can be challenging for many. I have read several books on prayer and with them different viewpoints on the purpose of prayer in general. Prayer is a topic which is both encouraging and discouraging at the same time. Many of us want to learn how to be more effective in our prayer lives, but at the same time when we begin to read about how to improve our prayer lives we sense how inadequate we actually are in our current prayer lives.
Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, has written a book based on the prayer life of the prophet Daniel, specifically framing the book around Daniel’s prayer in Daniel chapter 9. Overall the book focuses on prayer centered on national revival.
The first section of the book lays the groundwork of Lotz discovering the principles of The Daniel Prayer, and her personal journey into her discoveries and utilization of these principles. Section 2 deals with Pleading in Prayer, discussing the earnestness of prayer, and not simply to ask and then turn away to other ventures. In section 3 of the book, Lotz discusses the topic of Prevailing in Prayer, in which she discusses the timing of how and when God answers prayers.
While I strongly dislike trying to teach formulaic prayer styles or patterns, Lotz has done a nice job of presenting a prayer strategy rather than a prayer formula. She has presented principles for prayer, and developed their presentation using the Bible as a basis. For example, in section 4 she presents patterns for prayer: A Prayer that is Centered, A Prayer that is Compelled, A Prayer that is Confident, A Prayer that is Contrite, etc. With each principle, she presents a passages from the Bible, then gives an example of the type of prayer to which she is referring.
All in all, this is a good book in helping focus one’s prayer life. My views on prayer in general do differ than Lotz in some places in this book. Books that hold the premise of “claiming the promises of God” as if we have to hold God to these promises or remind Him of them, seem to fall short of recognition of His Character. Prayer is much more about acknowledging our dependency on God in all areas of our lives and aligning our will, motives, and perspectives with His as Christ’s character is formed with us in increasing measure. I do however think Lotz does well though to center prayer on trusting God. For this reason, I cannot give my highest review, but I do believe when read with a discerning heart, readers will find many beneficial pointers and principles to help them in their prayer lives.
My overall rating for this book is 3 stars which means “I liked it”; not loved it or a raving fan about it though.
While prevailing prayer doesn’t necessarily mean that you literally draw a circle or stay in a place of prayer 24/ 7, it does mean that your spirit holds a position of prayer before God until an answer is given. It means you wrap your heart and mind around whatever it is you are asking of God until He answers. On the one hand , if we keep repeating the same prayer over and over , it implies we lack the faith to believe God has heard and that He will answer. On the other hand, having prayed once, we can’t just walk away from it until it’s answered.We need to pray like Elijah—praying repeatedly until we have the assurance God has heard and will answer— then we thank Him by faith for the answer even before it comes, and rise up from our knees.
The Daniel Prayer is not a legalistic exercise where you and I prove to God we are somehow spiritual enough, worthy enough, humble enough, desperate enough, sincere enough to earn an answer. God looks on the heart of the one who is praying. He is moved by our trust in Him. Trust in Him alone. He is not an “add-on” God. As we pray we cannot have several options up our sleeve. We can’t have a Plan A, and if that doesn’t work a Plan B, then we tack prayer on as though God is our fallback plan.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes in exchange for a fair and honest review of the material contained. A positive review was not required and all thoughts on the book are my own.
The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Nations
Reflections 
Thanks for the fair review.
On the matter of “claiming God’s promises”, I have come to believe strongly in this principle – not because God needs to be reminded of his promises, but because WE need to be reminded. Abraham and David did a lot of this sort of pleading in their prayers. I have found in my own life that repeating the Scriptural promises of God back to him does me good in ways far beyond even the object of my prayer; it steeps me and grounds me in who he is and what he wants. I have to imagine that has an effect on my prayers.
Charles Spurgeon spoke of it in this way:
“…when you quote a man against himself, you foil him completely. When you bring a man’s promise to his mind, he must either confess himself to be unfaithful and changeable, or, if he holds to being the same, and being true to his word, you have him, and you have won your will of him. Oh, brethren, let us learn thus to plead the precepts, the promises, and whatever else may serve our turn; but let us always have something to plead. Do not reckon you have prayed unless you have pleaded, for pleading is the very marrow of prayer. He who pleads well knows the secret of prevailing with God, especially if he pleads the blood of Jesus, for that unlocks the treasury of heaven.”
While any approach that seems bold or audacious tends to throw a red flag for us in light of our knowledge of the need for REVERENCE before God, my (embryonic) study of the older saints has led me to believe that the HUMILITY side of God does welcome prayers in this way.
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Hi Brandon, your viewpoint I can agree with. Prayer is much more about alignment of our wills, motives, perspectives with God’s as we acknowledge our dependency on Him in every area of our lives.
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