Daniel may have had an attitude challenge.
He says he was reading the book of the prophets and understood that Jerusalem would lie in ruins for 70 years.
I don’t know about you but I feel a complaint coming on; “God, why 70 years? Why not 10, 20, or even 5? Why did you have to use these Godless people to haul us all away from our homes? Wasn’t there a better way? Aren’t we your ‘special people’? Where’s your forgiveness? Where’s your mercy? Where is your love?”
But Daniel did not question God but he says, “I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” Dan 9:3
He fasted, prayed, and repented! With this humility before God came a change of attitude for Daniel.
He went on to say that the people had sinned, not listened to God, and God’s judgment is just and right!
Then the most remarkable thing happened; “Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.” Dan 9:20-21
Daniel’s attitude allowed him to be used in a very special way with Gabriel coming to minister to him.
My change of attitude will allow me to hear God more clearly as it did with Daniel when Gabriel told him, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.” Dan 9:22
Please don’t think I’m saying I will have some new revelation but rather that I will have understanding of what God has already said; you will too when you mold your attitude to His.
With a change of attitude self will be out of the way for God to teach me!