We don't rely on God's mercy when we're apathetic, when we don't have godly goals, when we're not pursuing. We're not pursuing the glory of God, we fall, we fail. To cry out for God's mercy when we rely on ourselves. We fail to cry out for God's mercy when we trust all the voices out there, all the negativity and don't trust God and his word. God is able. How can we respond to God in faith? I would like us to open to the book of Daniel, chapter nine. I love Daniel's prayer. Daniel was a man of faith. He lived in a generation of much apostasy, also a generation upon which. The judgment of the exile fell. They turned their backs on God for too many generations. Under a wicked king named Manasseh, things got really, really bad, and Manasseh made even his own sons pass through the fire. A couple of generations later, here's Daniel in exile. And he's crying out for God's mercy for his people, my friends, this is what we need to do, this is what our attitude needs to be. Daniel nine, verse three, then I turn my face to the Lord, seeking him by prayer and please for mercy and fasting and sackcloth and ashes. He's humbling himself here. He's. He's not pursuing God in a lackadaisical or half-hearted sort of a way. He's not just saying some prayers, is he? No, he is. He's intense in his praying, isn't he? There's an intensity here. He is crying out to God for mercy. This is steadfast, fervent prayer. And it has this outward manifestation of wearing sackcloth and putting ashes on signs of humility, self-abasement. I prayed to the Lord, my God, and made confession saying, oh, Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments. We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly. and rebelled and turned aside from your commandments and rules. One of the first steps of really seeking the mercy of God is recognizing that I don't deserve the mercy of God. And seeing how great my need is, I mean, he's recognizing we don't have a leg to stand on here before the Lord, we need God's help. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings. Our princes and our fathers to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, long righteousness, but to us open shame as at this day to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to all Israel. Those who are near and those who are far away in all the lands in which you have driven them because of the treachery that they have committed against you to us, the Lord belongs open shame to our kings, to our princes and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. So he's opening up with with confession. To the Lord, our God belong mercy and forgiveness. For we have rebelled against and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, our God, by walking in his laws, which he has set before us by his servants, the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath. that are written in the law of Moses, the servant of God has been poured out upon us because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us by bringing upon us great calamity for under the whole heaven, there is not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us Yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquity and gaining insight by your truth. Daniel lived in the midst of a hard hearted generation, didn't he, that wouldn't listen to God, even though God did all these things to them, yet still their hearts were not turned. Therefore, the Lord has kept ready the calamity and brought it upon us for the Lord. Our God is righteous in all the works that he has done and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, Lord, our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand. And I made a name for yourself, as at this day we have sinned and done wickedly. Oh, Lord, according to your righteous acts, that your anger and your wrath turn away from your city, Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now, therefore, oh, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy. And for your own sake, oh, Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. Oh, God, incline your ear in here. Open your eyes and see our desolation and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. Oh, Lord, here. Oh, Lord, forgive. Oh, Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not for your own sake. Oh, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name. My friends, this is the kind of praying that we need to do. This is the kind of praying that we need to do. My friends, we need to be crying out to God because we live in the midst of a generation very similar to the generation of Daniel, a hard hearted generation, a generation which is turning us back on God. And it doesn't just affect all those people in the world. My friends, it affects us right here. It affects us right here. If any of us are going to have success in establishing a multigenerational vision, which lasts, my friends, it's going to be because of the mercy of God. And yes, we can't talk, we can't preach to those five generations from now, but we can definitely cry out to God for his mercy upon them, can't we? We can definitely cry out to God for his mercy upon them, the one who speaks To man, for God, no, that's a great thing. But it is even a far greater thing to speak to God on the behalf of men. City in bounds. This is an interactive conference, we've had several different. Times of talking with each other about the things that we're learning, the things we're thinking about. How do we think through this multigenerational vision? I think that's very helpful. Right now, I'd like for us to have a time of talking to God about these things, seeking him and crying out to him for his mercy. Would you do that with me now? Let's spend just a couple of minutes in silent prayer before the Lord, seeking his mercy for ourselves, For our families, that God would open our eyes, that God would open the eyes of the generations of our descendants, that they would know God, that they would love God, they would follow his commands. The gospel would go forth into future generations. Give thanks to the Lord of Lords for his good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods for steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love endures forever. To him who alone does great wonders for steadfast love endures forever. Timo, by understanding, made the heavens to spread the earth. To the creator of all steadfast love endures forever. We thank you, God. The steadfast love of our savior does endure forever. And I thank you, God, that because of Jesus Christ, because the atonement that we have in him, we can come before the throne of your grace with confidence to find grace to help in time of need. No, God, we cry out to you, father, for our families, we cry out you, Lord, for our children. We ask, Lord, that you will grant them spiritual life in you, Father. Grant them that new spiritual life, that rebirth, Father, we pray. I pray, God, for us as parents here, Father, that you will open our eyes, Lord, to see one of those things that we need to most emphasize in our own lives and one of those things that we need to set aside Have mercy on us, Father, I pray. Show us those things, Lord, we ask. And lead us, Father, in walking in your truth. Lead us, Father, in loving your commands. Lead us, Father, in delighting to please you, our Father. We pray, Father, for future generations, Father. We ask, Lord, for many generations to be raised up. of people who will walk in the fear of the Lord, who will love the gospel of Jesus Christ. Generations of people, father, who will take take all of scripture and apply it to every aspect of their lives, but we pray, oh, God, we cry out to you, father, for your mercy, Lord, because outside of your mercy, Lord, our hearts will just be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Outside of your mercy, father, will be like that road in the the devil will come along and steal the word outside of your mercy. Father, we'll just be in love with the things of this world, father. And and it'll just choke us out, father, outside of your mercy, father, all the the struggles and trials of this life, father. Will overwhelm us. And we'll lose hope. Oh, God, we cry out to you, father, and ask you, God, to be merciful to us, father, and we ask where you will raise up a people. for your own names sake, who are zealous for good works. We thank you, God, that you are doing that, Father. We thank you, God, that you will build your church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.