Can we ask God for anything because we deserve it?
No, we cannot ask God for anything because we deserve it. Daniel prayed not for Israel's righteousness but because of God's mercy, and the same applies today: every breath and heartbeat comes from His grace, not our merit. Everything we receive is a gift of His mercy, not a reward for our righteousness.
Les explains that Daniel, in Daniel 9:18, prayed on behalf of Israel and Jerusalem, acknowledging they did not present their supplications for their own righteousness or because they deserved it, but because of God's mercy. Les points out that the same is true for us today: we can never go before God and ask for anything because we deserve it. Everything we get—every breath we breathe and every heartbeat—is because of the grace of God. Even Daniel, under the law and without full knowledge of grace, called upon the very grace of God. Les notes that while we are under a different economy, it is the same God we pray to today. Daniel's prayer was a heartfelt cry, not empty words, and Les then transitions to Philippians 4 to show differences in commands to pray.