At times, I've wondered if I'm just like a big bat sending out prayerful sonar signals that only bounce off the ceiling back upon my already burdened heart, leaving me further blinded to the Almighty's reality for me. How about you?

We desire to know that God does respond to our pleas when the words of our heart approach His throne with humility and reverence.

Long ago the prophet Daniel entered into a conversation with God about something near and dear to him. It concerned the fate of Jerusalem. The events surrounding this prayer resonate with the heavenly assurance granted to another prophet, Amos the shepherd, through whom our Maker promised, "Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

Yes, God promises that He will make His followers aware of His purpose, plans and provisions, but let's ask ourselves, "What allows our prayers to gain access above that ceiling over our heads?" Bottom line: How do we go from a dead-end monologue to a connective dialogue that ushers forth results?

Kneeling by Daniel

Let's kneel down beside Daniel and listen in as he pours his heart out to God as recorded in Daniel 9. He's been studying God's message to Jeremiah, and he has "put two and two together" and realized that the 70 years of desolation foretold for Jerusalem (Jeremiah 25:11-12) is coming to an end (Daniel 9:2).

It is at this point that Daniel sets his face toward the Lord God (Daniel 9:3). The phrase "set my face" illustrates a powerful determination on the part of this man to bore in and not let go until he gains further clarification of God's intentions regarding Jerusalem.

The words don't convey a meandering of mind or purpose, but a full frontal assault on the issue at hand. It also reminds us that in his determination, Daniel is talking to the only One who can satisfy his thirst for understanding about events on the ground that are affecting him and the ones he loves. Why is it so often we spend our time muttering to others or ourselves rather than laying it out before the only One who can offer us solutions?

At this juncture, we lean in closer so as to hear better. What Daniel doesn't say is noteworthy. He does not rant, "Look, God at what You have allowed! How could You do this to me and mine?" On the contrary, Daniel voices an astute awareness of the One before whom he kneels: "O, Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments."

We or they?

But what is truly telling as we listen in (remember we're kneeling right beside him) is his use of the pronoun, "we." Yes, "we!" Not they, not those people, not everybody else. Yes—we!

The pronouns we use about ourselves and others are always telling. Those tiny defining words tell God what we think of others, and they tell others what we think of them. Have we ever listened to the language we use to segregate ourselves from the foibles of this world? Daniel, while indeed a righteous individual, does not separate himself from his community. He laments, "We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets" (Daniel 9:5-6, emphasis added throughout).

There is something to say for the individuals who humble themselves and cast their lot not too far from their neighbor. Perhaps it is that person who does not cast himself too far from his neighbor who gains closer access to God's ear. Perhaps it is when our "pronoun personality" matches Daniel's that we begin to punch a hole in that seemingly concrete ceiling above us to lift our prayers to a God who now leans in and takes notice.

Knowing what belongs to whom

As we continue to eavesdrop on Daniel, we note his words display spiritual discernment in his appropriation of what belongs to whom when it comes to the matter of ownership as well as "owning up."

In Daniel 9:7, Daniel, without the slightest hesitation, declares, "O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face." But please notice this is not simply a momentary confessional to rack up points. He reiterates the gulf between Creator and creation again in verse 8 as he repeats, "O Lord to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we [there's that 'we' again] have sinned against You."

Daniel doesn't dwell on the sin, but rather on God's magnanimity as he proclaims, "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him" (Daniel 9:9).

“For we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies,” Daniel prayed.

It is noteworthy how quick Daniel is to remind God that he realizes for every effect there is a cause and that Judah's choices to disobey God caused it to reap the whirlwind. He knew God is true to His Word.

In Daniel 9:13 we sense the anguish in Daniel's voice that, even as disaster came his people's way, they weren't interested in praying or repenting so they might "turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth."

Daniel's analysis of ancient Judah's brazenness and refusal to alter its immoral ways could not help but remind me of America's reluctance to examine its spiritual and moral compass after 9/11. After a few days of collective sorrow and reflection, the populace went back to business as usual in its ongoing slide away from Judeo-Christian ethics and morality. The alarm clock went off, but America chose to turn it off—put it on snooze! What about you?

Please smile again

But let's get back to listening to Daniel as his prayer penetrates that ceiling above. We notice a profound pivot point of optimism appear in Daniel's plea. Even with full admission of his people's shortcomings, Daniel not only acknowledges God's privilege and need to punish His wayward people, but also now implores Him to consider a new future for Jerusalem.

He boldly reminds God that He was the One who had rescued their ancestors from Egypt (Daniel 9:15). Daniel further implies "enough, enough" as he pleads, "Let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain" (Daniel 9:16). He then invites God to cause His "face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate" (Daniel 9:17). Simply put, that means to smile once again on the Temple Mount.

It is now that Daniel ramps up his appeal in a plea that denotes a union of heart, soul and mind as he beseeches the Disposer of All Events: "O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name [C'mon, it's Your town!]; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake" (Daniel 9:18-19).

It is here that Daniel offers a powerful guideline for praying for this world around us, our own personal lives and the need for the restoration of the Kingdom of God on this earth. It is not about us! It is not about what we have achieved because of any righteous deeds. He shoves himself out of the picture for the moment. Rather, it is about a merciful God whose reputation is to be understood by the nations and upheld for who He is! It's "for His name's sake" that He needs to respond without "delay," be it for Jerusalem of old or for a world headed for destruction in our day.

Daniel was pretty selfless, wasn't he? And he didn't hesitate to be bold before God with urgent pleas like "open Your eyes," "listen," "act," "don't delay!"

The prophet in need of answers was not bargaining with God á la Abraham or Hannah, but worshipping God in prayer as he expressed in full measure God's goodness. Daniel was selfless, fairly blunt and highly effective in knocking a hole through that perceived concrete ceiling above us that can thwart our interaction with God.

"At the beginning…the command went out"

Now, what's amazing as we kneel by Daniel is to realize his lips are still moving and his heart is still churning for God to fulfill His promise toward Jerusalem when Gabriel, the angel, appears. Daniel 9:21 mentions he had been "caused to fly swiftly." Why? It was urgent for God to respond to this man with heart.

He further states in Daniel 9:23 a stunning, yet encouraging, disclosure that "at the beginning of your supplications the command went out." Yes, "at the beginning"! Here Daniel was going on and on, while God had already heard, seen the need and responded. So often we don't realize how loudly God is working behind the scenes for us even when it seems so humanly quiet.

Gabriel's express purpose was to: (1) inform Daniel of details, (2) give him skill to understand the vision and (3) comfort Daniel, reminding him "you are greatly beloved."

As the "70 weeks" prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) would unfold before him, Daniel would be encouraged with the news that God would be true to His promise and restore Jerusalem for a specific purpose. He would be given the precise measurement of time between the Jews returning to rebuild Jerusalem and the purposeful visitation of the Messiah (none other than Jesus Christ) to witness within its walls. Daniel would be granted an understanding that more had to be accomplished than this coming of the Messiah would do and that the gentile kingdoms would predominate until God's determined time of final action in the future (Daniel 9:27).

Go and be ready to meet the answer to your prayers

What have we learned from this brief time with Daniel in prayer as he pours out his heart to God? How do our prayers move beyond the ceiling above and penetrate the throne room of God? Here is what has come to our attention.

Before God will alter events, be it globally or personally, we have got to alter our hearts. It starts with us when we understand and express that it is all about God and not about us, except as we faithfully subject ourselves to His purposes. It's not about bargaining with God, but trusting God that He will answer in ways that we cannot even imagine. And yes, He will give us the details, grant the understanding and always, yes, always, seal it with the stamp of relationship, because like Daniel we who seek to obey Him are "beloved."

It is in the words of Daniel that we shine a light on the admonition of Isaiah 30:21 that states, "This is the way, walk in it." It is a way that looks up to heaven for answers rather than below. It is a confidence that our prayers can penetrate that ceiling above and not just bounce back. It is a knowing assurance that we can tell God, straight out, "O my God, incline Your ear."

And why? Because, it is "the way" that we knock on heaven's doors for answers to the very real issues at hand. A knock that sounds like this: "For we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies."

Time to get up now and go meet the answers to your prayers. Like Daniel's, they are coming your way.