Anne Graham Lotz: We Should Pray Like the Prophet Daniel

The Daniel Prayer: Prayer that Moves Heaven and Changes Nations, the newest best-selling book from prominent author, teacher and speaker Anne Graham Lotz, provides a practical and biblical approach for individuals to learn to effectively pray for themselves, their families and this nation. 

The book, which released May 10 from Zondervan, has been on the Publisher’s Weekly Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller’s list for the past two weeks

Lotz—who serves as the chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force and has been called the “best preacher in the family” by her father, Reverend Billy Graham—was inspired to write the book after studying the urgent plea of the biblical prophet Daniel on behalf of his nation, Judah, which had come under God’s judgment. She has since practiced the passion and principles that went into Daniel’s plea for his people, and uses it as a framework to teach readers how to pray with urgency and commitment that perseveres over any and every obstacle.

“While I am well-aware that we can pray anytime, anywhere, about anything, the Daniel Prayer is different,” Lotz writes. “It’s a commitment. And I am convinced our commitments, or lack of them, change our lives.”

The book takes a practical approach to helping individuals apply the Daniel Prayer. It is broken into four sections, helping readers prepare, plead and prevail in prayer and providing patterns for not only a framework, but specific prayers that are centered, confident, contrite and clear—many of the attributes of Daniel’s prayer that are expounded upon in the earlier portions of the book.

Through The Daniel Prayer, Lotz points to parallels of Judah and America, showing our nation’s historical and progressive removal of God from society, and emphasizes the need for prayer as a nation given our current culture in which abortion, evolution, same-sex marriage and pornography are seen as a “norm.”

“As our nation demands that God get out, He will … but by degrees,” Lotz writes. “He backs away slowly. At any stage if our nation turns to Him in repentance of sin, we can be restored in a right relationship with Him … which is why it’s time to pray the Daniel Prayer with sincere, heartfelt confession now.”

Lotz also uses her own personal examples of leaning into the Daniel Prayer during difficult times, including the death of her husband, Danny. She helps readers further understand God’s promises and learning to “reverse the thunder” by praying God’s Word back to him.

“The Daniel Prayer is storming the gates of heaven,” writes Lotz. “It’s prayer that penetrates heaven and impacts a nation. There is nothing professional or formulaic about it. It is passionate, heartfelt, laser-focused, soul-gripping, I-won’t-let-You-go-until-You-bless-me, pleading-until-you-get-an-answer kind of prayer.”

For more information about The Daniel Prayer, visit the official site.