When the Babylonian army destroyed Jerusalem, they hauled Daniel, along with thousands of his fellow Israelites, off to exile in Babylon. The Israelites knew they had no military or political power, and Daniel added the confession that they had blown it spiritually. There was simply no way for Israel to help themselves. But Daniel boldly asked God for help, “not because of any righteous acts of ours but because of your great compassion.”

• Too many times, we think we need to base our requests for God’s help on some level of “deserving” on our own part, based on effort or spiritual purity. Have you ever gone to God for help with no claim of deserving God’s help other than your deep need (cf. Hebrews 4:14-16, which grounds our confidence not in our own goodness, but in the qualities of Jesus, our High Priest)?
• Daniel echoed the tone of passages like Psalm 18:6, 16. He asked God to help, not based on Daniel’s effort or success, but instead based on his need. In what ways is this different from the tone our culture teaches us to take in job interviews or loan applications? How easy or hard do you find it to trust that Isaiah was right when he quoted God as saying, “My plans aren’t your plans, nor are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8)?