Daniel’s Prayer – A Penitential Hymn
Daniel’s Prayer – A Penitential Hymn – Musical settings of Daniel 9
Let me point you to a few musical settings of Daniel 9 (often called “Daniel’s penitential prayer”) : there are modern worship‑songs and settings by Christian musicians, which you can use for personal meditation or communal singing. Here are some examples:
A contemporary song version of Daniel’s prayer, with lyrics based on Daniel 9.
A sung reading of the Daniel 9 prayer (verses 1–19).form.
🎯 What these settings offer
- They turn the prose prayer of Daniel into song, which can help internalise its penitential, hopeful tone.
- Useful for personal devotion, group worship, or meditation — especially when you want to engage emotionally and spiritually beyond silent reading.
- Some versions aim for a “worship music” style (modern chords, contemporary hymn‑style), which may resonate differently depending on your tradition or taste.
💡 A few caveats & suggestions
- These are modern settings — there is no universally accepted ancient chant for Daniel 9 like you find for the Psalms.
- Because translations and musical styles vary, it’s useful to compare different versions (e.g. informal worship song vs. more reverent chant) to see which suits your devotional context best.
- If you prefer more “liturgical / traditional” music, you might adapt the prayer yourself using a plain‑chant, psalm‑tone or metrical hymn approach.
Let’s recreate a musical setting of Daniel’s Penitential Prayer (Daniel 9:4–19), using lyric-style formattingbased closely on the biblical text, with gentle poetic adaptation for singability—faithful to the spirit and language of scripture.
🎼 Lyrics for “Daniel’s Prayer” – based on Daniel 9:4–19 (ESV & LXX blended)
[Verse 1 – Opening Confession]
O Lord, the great and awesome God,
Who keeps Your covenant of love,
To those who keep Your ways and truth,
To those who honor You above.
But we have sinned and gone astray,
We’ve turned aside from righteousness.
We’ve not obeyed Your holy laws,
Nor listened to Your faithfulness.
[Verse 2 – National Guilt and Shame]
To You, O Lord, belongs all right,
But shame to us, both near and far,
To Judah’s tribes, to Israel’s sons,
Wherever exiled people are.
Because we broke Your holy word,
Rebelled and would not heed Your call,
You sent the prophets, yet we strayed—
We turned away and lost it all.
[Chorus – Mercy and Forgiveness]
Yet to the Lord our God belong
Mercy and forgiveness strong.
Though we have sinned, You still are near—
You hear our cry, You draw us near.
[Verse 3 – Acknowledging the Judgment]
The curse has poured upon our land,
As written in Your servant’s scroll,
For we have sinned and not repented,
Nor turned to You with all our soul.
You’ve watched, O Lord, and brought this fate,
So just and true are all You do.
We cannot say that we were right—
For righteousness belongs to You.
[Bridge – Plea for Restoration]
Now hear, O God, Your servant’s cry,
Let mercy from the heavens flow.
Shine forth Your face upon Your house,
Though ruined, still Your name we know.
Turn not away in silent wrath,
Incline Your ear and hear our plea—
We do not ask for our own sake,
But for Your name and majesty.
[Final Chorus – Appeal to Grace]
O Lord, forgive! O Lord, give ear!
O Lord, act now, and do not wait!
For Your own name, for Zion’s sake,
Have mercy, God, redeem our fate!
🔖 Notes:
- This version is metrical and arranged in 4/4 or 6/8 time to allow flexibility.
- Each verse keeps theological integrity with room for emotional and musical variation.
- The chorus and bridge can be set with more dynamic or reflective melody changes.
My choice:
A reflective, cinematic worship ballad featuring gentle piano and ambient strings creating a lush, prayerful atmosphere. Verses unfold softly with light percussion and solo vocals; choruses swell with layered harmonies, deep orchestral support, and subtle crescendos. The bridge intensifies emotionally with full string sections, then resolves in a final, hopeful chorus, perfect for contemplative worship.
