Daniel is brought before the Maccabees as a man of prayer-a man who sets his face unto the Lord God, to apply himself to prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. In his prayer he confesses the transgression of his nation, acknowledges the justice of Divine punishment, and supplicates for mercy and restoration. The prayer is composed largely of reminiscences of Deuteronomy, the prayer of Solomon, and the prayers of Jeremiah. But the most striking resemblances are with the confession and supplication of Baruch. No finer prayer could have been put into the hands of a Maccabean warrior during that momentous struggle in which all that was dear and sacred to Israel was at stake.
That Maccabean prayer may be compared with one prepared for a brilliant modern soldier-Lord Roberts-and largely used in two great wars:
“Almighty Father, I have often sinned against Thee. O wash me in the precious blood of the Lamb of God. Fill me with Thy Holy Spirit, that I may lead a new life. Spare me to see again those whom I love at home, or fit me for Thy presence in peace. Strengthen us to quit ourselves like men in our right and just cause. Keep us faithful unto death, calm in danger, patient in suffering, merciful as well as brave; true to our King, our country, and colours. If it be Thy will, enable us to win victory for Britain; but, above all, grant us a better victory over temptation and sin. Thus in life and death may we be more than conquerors through Him who loved us and laid down His life for us, Jesus our Saviour, the Captain of the Army of God. Amen.”
The prophet Daniel became a great proficient both in penitential and in intercessory prayer as the years went on. And he came to that great proficiency just as a great proficiency is come to in any other science or art: that is to say, by constant, and unremitting, and enterprising practice. Lord, teach us to pray, said a disciple on one occasion to our Lord. But not even our Lord with all His willingness, and with all His ability, can teach any of us off-hand to pray. Every man must teach himself, every day he lives, this most personal, most secret, and most experimental of all the arts. Every man must find out the best ways of prayer for himself. There is no royal road; there is no short or easy road to proficiency in prayer. It is like all the other arts that you have ever mastered; it must be early begun and assiduously practised, else you will be but a bungler at it all your days. You must also have special and extraordinary seasons of prayer, as Daniel had, over and above his daily habit of prayer. Special and extraordinary, original and unparalleled seasons of prayer, when you literally do nothing else day nor night but pray. You must pray in your very dreams. Till you will come at last to live, and move, and have your whole being in prayer.1 [Note: A. Whyte.]
