Calling for God to Act

In Daniel 9.19, this morning where Daniel closes his marvelous prayer of confession and supplication for God's people. It is a good example of how we can pray (but often do not). O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God! It is good and right to confess our sins. It is good and right to call for the Lord to act. It is good and right to call for the Lord to act without delay. All of this expresses dependence, and it is fundamentally dependence for which God instituted the practice of prayer. It's not that God doesn't know our thoughts or situation; it's that we express and acknowledge our dependence upon him when we pray, as David does so well here.