The confession of sin does two things.

Number one, it brings about a forgiveness, but it also frees God to chasten without any inequity.

Now, he doesn't have any inequity, but it makes public the demonstration that the punishment is deserved.

Welcome to Grace to You featuring the Bible teaching of John MacArthur.

I'm your host, Phil Johnson.

Ever wonder why the Bible tells us to bring our requests before God and to pray at all times. I mean, God is omniscient.

That is, he knows all things. He knows exactly what you need before you even ask him. So the question is, what can our prayer requests really accomplish? Can they persuade God to do something he hasn't already decided to do? Consider those

questions as John MacArthur looks at one of the most practical examples of prayer in scripture.

The title of John's current study, Elements of True Prayer. So now with today's lesson, here is John.

Daniel chapter 9 presents to us a great insight into prayer.

First 19 verses are a prayer, prayed by Daniel to the Lord on behalf of the people he loved, the people of Israel.

Prayer has many facets, many facets. I've been trying to point out to you

that prayer is primarily communion with God. It's not really so much designed for us to get things

as it is to get in on things. That is to identify ourselves with the Lord and with his causes and

his purposes.

Prayer is entering into his presence.

Prayer is companionship with God.

Prayer is desiring to identify with God's person, God's plan, God's power, and God's purpose.

And we've been looking at this great prayer of Daniel.

He knows what the plan is.

It was revealed to him in the book of Jeremiah as he read.

He knows what God is preparing to do.

...