Ezra 9: Elements of Prayer

Ezra 9, Nehemiah 9, and Daniel 9 are chapters that include three of the great prayers of the Bible. On the time line, Daniel was first (c. 536 B.C.), Ezra was second (458 B.C.), and Nehemiah was third (445 B.C.). As part of today’s meditation, you could read all three. Ezra 9 has several elements to note carefully—understanding the sin (v. 6), grace (v. 8), mercy (v. 9), more sin (v. 10), the character of God (v. 13), and grief (v. 15). Learning to pray, and learning how to pray, are two lifelong privileges of the child of God.