Daniel's intense posture of prayer wasn't just about turning his body towards God; it was a deliberate, unwavering commitment of his entire being. The phrase "seek by prayer and supplications" highlights not just asking, but actively pursuing God's favor with an earnestness that calls for deep humility, signified by the fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel has just realized from reading Jeremiah's prophecy that the seventy years of exile in Babylon are about to end. Instead of celebrating, he immediately turns to God in earnest prayer and deep humility, seeking mercy for his people and understanding of God's plan. This prayer is marked by fasting, wearing sackcloth, and covering himself with ashes, all outward signs of profound sorrow and repentance for the nation's sins.
Daniel wasn't just passively thinking about God; he was actively pursuing Him. Discover what 'setting his face' truly means.
The phrase 'I set my face unto the Lord God' signifies more than just a physical direction. It speaks to a deep, unwavering resolve and concentration. It's about fixing your attention and your will entirely on God, committing yourself fully to the pursuit of His presence and will. Think of it as a powerful declaration of intent – a decision to engage with God wholeheartedly, shutting out distractions.
This intense focus isn't just a suggestion; it's a posture of reverence and seriousness. It acknowledges the gravity of approaching the Almighty and the importance of the matter at hand.
Fasting, sackcloth, and ashes aren't just random acts. They were potent expressions of Daniel's heart. What was he communicating to God?
Daniel’s engagement in prayer was accompanied by rigorous acts of devotion: fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. These weren't mere rituals but profound outward expressions of deep inner realities.
Sorrow for Sin
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Earnest Seeking
These actions collectively amplified Daniel's plea. They underscored the urgency and sincerity of his desire to seek God's favor and understand His purposes. It showed he wasn't just asking for something; he was desperately seeking mercy and reconciliation in light of their current desolation.
Daniel knew God's promises, yet he prayed intensely. Why pray when God's plan is certain?
Daniel had just understood from the prophecies of Jeremiah that the seventy years of exile were drawing to a close (Daniel 9:2). Yet, instead of relaxing, he dove into fervent prayer. This highlights a crucial theological point: God's sovereign promises are not a cue to stop praying but a foundation for prayer.
God's Invitation to Engage
God doesn't just decree; He invites His people to inquire, to seek, and to partner with Him through prayer. Jeremiah himself declared that after the seventy years, God would be found by those who sought Him with their whole heart (Jeremiah 29:12-13). Daniel's prayer is a direct response to this divine invitation.
The Purpose of Prayer
Prayer, in this context, becomes an act of faith, acknowledging God’s power and faithfulness. It’s a way of aligning our hearts with His purposes, embracing His promises with earnest anticipation, and actively participating in the unfolding of His will. God's foreknowledge doesn't negate our responsibility to pray; rather, it gives us confidence that our prayers are heard and will be answered according to His perfect plan.
Understand the original words
tephillah · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, reverent address to God, often involving petition, intercession, confession, and the acknowledgment of His sovereignty.
tachanun · Hebrew Noun
An urgent, humble request for grace and compassion from God, typically when one acknowledges they have no claim on God’s favor due to their sin.
saq va'epher · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A form of mourning or deep repentance, often using sackcloth (rough goat hair) and ashes to symbolize humility, grief, and the abandonment of self-dignity before God.
vidduy · Hebrew Noun
An act of acknowledging or admitting sin before God; it is the verbal expression of repentance that aligns the heart with God’s judgment of one's actions.
berit · Hebrew Noun
A formal, binding agreement between God and His people, characterized by divine obligation and promises that God faithfully maintains.
chesed · Hebrew Noun
God’s loyal, enduring, and faithful love; it is a profound term describing God’s unfailing commitment and kindness toward His people within the covenant relationship.
chata · Hebrew Verb
Missing the mark or failing to meet God’s standard of holiness; it describes a violation of God’s law and a falling short of His glory.
marad · Hebrew Verb
A deliberate turning away from the authority of a ruler; in a biblical context, it is a willful, rebellious act against God’s sovereign rule and commandments.
Daniel's prayer is deeply rooted in the historical reality of exile and the specific prophetic word concerning its end. His earnest posture of fasting, sackcloth, and ashes reflects not just personal devotion, but a communal sorrow and a plea for God's promised faithfulness in a challenging historical moment.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation of Judeans
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Jerusalem and deports some of the royal family and nobility, including Daniel, to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, initiating the Babylonian exile for the majority of the remaining Judean population.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, marking the beginning of the Persian Empire and a shift in the geopolitical landscape for the exiles.
538 BC
Cyrus's Decree for Return
Cyrus issues a decree allowing exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the end of the 70-year exile prophesied by Jeremiah.
c. 536 BC - 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Temple
The foundation for the Second Temple is laid, but progress is slow due to opposition and neglect, taking many years to complete.
c. 458 BC - 445 BC
Reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah
Ezra and Nehemiah lead subsequent waves of returnees, focusing on religious revival and the physical rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls.
c. 539 BC - 538 BC— this verse
Daniel Interprets Jeremiah's Prophecy
Daniel, reading the prophetic books, understands that the 70 years of Babylonian exile, as foretold by Jeremiah, are nearing their end.
Ezra, like Daniel, turns to prayer and deep mourning with fasting and sackcloth to confess the sins of his people before God in a time of crisis.
Nehemiah 1:4Nehemiah's response to bad news about Jerusalem is similar: he wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed before God for his people's sin.
Jeremiah 29:12-13This passage directly links seeking God and calling upon Him with promises of being heard and restored, which Daniel understood as a condition for the return from exile.
2 Kings 19:15Hezekiah's prayer in a moment of national peril shows a similar posture of humility and earnest supplication before God, emphasizing God's sovereignty.
Joel 2:12-13The prophet Joel calls for a similar outward expression of repentance and turning to God with fasting, weeping, and mourning, underscoring the seriousness of seeking God's mercy.
ellicottDaniel 9:3: "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:"
(3) I set my face. —Comp. Daniel 6:11 . Probably he prayed, as on that occasion, with his face towards Jerusalem. The prayer of Daniel bears some resemblance to those offered by Ezra and Nehemiah, while that of Baruch resembles it much more closely. (On this see Excursus F. )
barnesDaniel 9:3: "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:"
And I set my face unto the Lord God - Probably the meaning is, that he turned his face toward Jerusalem, the place where God had dwelt; the place of his holy abode on earth. See the notes at Daniel 6:10 . The language, however, would not be inappropriate to denote prayer without such a supposition. We turn to one whom we address, and so prayer may be described by "sett…
Daniel's intense posture of prayer wasn't just about turning his body towards God; it was a deliberate, unwavering commitment of his entire being. The phrase "seek by prayer and supplications" highlights not just asking, but actively pursuing God's favor with an earnestness that calls for deep humility, signified by the fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
Daniel has just realized from reading Jeremiah's prophecy that the seventy years of exile in Babylon are about to end. Instead of celebrating, he immediately turns to God in earnest prayer and deep humility, seeking mercy for his people and understanding of God's plan. This prayer is marked by fasting, wearing sackcloth, and covering himself with ashes, all outward signs of profound sorrow and repentance for the nation's sins.
Daniel has just realized from reading Jeremiah's prophecy that the seventy years of exile in Babylon are about to end. Instead of celebrating, he immediately turns to God in earnest prayer and deep humility, seeking mercy for his people and understanding of God's plan. This prayer is marked by fasting, wearing sackcloth, and covering himself with ashes, all outward signs of profound sorrow and repentance for the nation's sins.
"Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and stea…" — Daniel's intense posture of prayer wasn't just about turning his body towards God; it was a deliberate, unwavering commitment of his entire being. The phrase "seek by prayer and supplications" highli…
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Last reviewed October 2026
