The Spirit of Supplication

Let us look at Daniel’s prayer: “Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications … incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations … for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of your great mercies” (Daniel 9:17-18).

The word “supplication” is never used in the Bible except to denote a cry or prayer that is vocalized; in other words, it is not private or a meditation. Supplication definitely has something to do with the voice!

The Hebrew word for “supplication” signifies “an olive branch wrapped with wool, or some kind of cloth, waved by a supplicant seeking peace or surrender.” Simply put, these were flags of surrender and they signified a cry of total, unconditional surrender.

Picture a battle-weary soldier, ragged and worn, tired and overwhelmed, stuck in a foxhole of self-will. He is all alone and has come to the end of himself, so he breaks a branch off a tree and ties his white undershirt to it. He then lifts it up and crawls out of his foxhole, crying, “I surrender! I give up!”

This is supplication! It says, “I can’t fight this battle anymore. I’m lost and in despair.”

Supplication is not just calling on God to do what you want; it is not pleading with Him to assist you in your plans. On the contrary, it is a total giving up of your will and your way.

For centuries Christians have called on God while full of self-will, crying, “God, send me here, send me there, give me this, give me that.” But in the last days the Holy Ghost is going to fall with great power and produce a sense of spiritual bankruptcy. We will wake up to the fact that even with all our money, brains, programs, ministries, and plans, we have not even touched this world. The truth is, the Church has lost ground and become weak and pitiful.

There must be surrender! Our cries must be accompanied by a willingness to give up everything in our life that is unlike Jesus Christ.