But there is no grace in his words. He prays to the great and fearful God, Who keeps His covenant and has mercy for them who love Him and keep His instructions . First he beseeches for an audience, for he feels that God would not hear his prayer which he prays day and night, for the sons of Israel, His servants . Daniel is also in full harmony with the times in which he lived. It was the seventy years of deportation from their own land which wrought repentance and prayer in the heart of Israel, as expressed by their spokesman, Daniel.
Grace is well-nigh absent.
Even confession is not enough. Hearing and blessing depends on their conduct, not on God s grace . It is a blessed truth that Christ may appear at any moment, and that the Lord may soon descend to call us away to His presence where rejoicing will fill our hearts forevermore, but that is not all. In spirit the Lord is near now . If we realize this, it will help us greatly in our relations with others, especially in their unjust dealings with us.