“Then I turned to the Lord God, to seek an answer by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3 NRSV). Coarse sackcloth does not make for a comfortable suit. We don’t wear burlap cloth to go about our day. We dress in more comfortable attire. However, Daniel laid aside his nice clothes for some serious prayer, covering himself with ashes. He was seeking an answer. It was real “prayer and supplication”, down-to-business praying! There are times of urgency in our lives when conversational prayer gives way to intense prayer sessions.
