Bible ReadingJeremiah 29:11–14 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
[03:37] “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.”
[04:10] “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
[09:07] “I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
[16:34] Daniel 9:1–23 “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.”
[28:46] “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, ‘O 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, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.’”
[31:09] “To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. O Lord, to us belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.”
[31:57] “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice.”
[33:26] “And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have 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 a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has 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 iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has 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.”
[37:36] “And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let 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, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, 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. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.’”
“While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.”
[37:36] “He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, ‘O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.’”
[38:34] James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
[42:44] Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
[43:36] Isaiah 55:6–7 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.”
[39:54] “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
[40:50] Observation questions- In Jeremiah 29:11–14, what does God say He is thinking toward His people, and what actions does He tell them to take in response?
- What words does Daniel repeatedly use to describe Israel’s condition before God? What does he say belongs to God, and what belongs to the people? [31:25]
- What practices did Daniel use when he set his face toward God, and what was he doing when Gabriel came to him? [31:09]
- In Isaiah 55:6–7 and James 4:8, what is connected with seeking or drawing near to God?
Interpretation questions- Jeremiah’s promise of a future and hope was given to people living in exile. How does that setting help believers understand that God’s good intentions do not always mean immediate escape from difficult circumstances? [16:38]
- Daniel learned about the seventy years by reading Jeremiah’s writings rather than simply accepting popular encouraging messages. Why is God’s written Word necessary for discerning whether a hopeful message is truly from Him? [30:16]
- Daniel confessed rebellion, wickedness, and refusal to obey rather than describing Israel’s actions as mere mistakes. What is the difference between minimizing sin and agreeing with God honestly about sin? [33:38]
- God’s answer to Daniel included insight and understanding, not merely a change in circumstances. Why might a believer need God to reveal the deeper or chronic issue beneath an immediate problem? [27:18]
Application questions- What challenge is most pressing in your life right now—relational, financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual? Have you brought that specific need to God with the confidence that He sees the whole situation and has the answer? [01:02]
- When hardship comes, what assumptions about God are easiest for you to believe: that He is angry, distant, unconcerned, or against you? How does Jeremiah 29:11 correct those thoughts? [04:43]
- What other voices compete for your attention when you need direction—social media, friends, fear, entertainment, news, personal feelings, or quick solutions? What would it look like this week to go and pray to God intentionally rather than treating Him as one option among many? [06:49]
- Is there an “acute problem” you want God to remove quickly? As you seek Him, what deeper heart issue might He want to expose or heal, such as fear, self-centeredness, greed, bitterness, compromise, or resistance to surrender? [14:35]
- Is there a sin, pattern, or broken relationship where you have been tempted to say only, “I made a mistake,” rather than taking full responsibility? What would humble and truthful confession sound like in that situation? [33:49]
- Jesus stands at the door and knocks. What might it mean for you personally to open the door to Him with honesty—not hiding discouragement, weakness, confusion, or even a lack of hunger for God? [43:36]
- What specific time can you set aside in the coming week to seek God with fewer distractions? What could you willingly set aside in order to listen, pray, confess, and ask God for clarity? [47:36]
