Seek God!

The prayer

How often do we find ourselves just trying to figure out tough situations in our lives.

I am just as guilty as the next person, running off and not stopping to pray about it.

What a difference it makes though when we stop and seek God and His direction rather than trying to figure it out on our own.

Today we are looking at the second chapter in Daniel

Last week we saw that Daniel sought to please God in the way he lived.

He wouldn’t eat the King’s food and God blessed his decision by making him and his friends (shadrack, meshack, and abednigo) FAT!

Well in our chapter today we find these three faced with another problem!

King Nebuchadneezer had a dream and it disturbed his sleep. He sought the magicians and other what I will call “wise men” of the Kingdom to tell the interpretation. Not only tell him the interpretation, but in order for him to trust that they had the power to interpret, he wanted them to tell him what his dream was first!

He demanded that someone do so or he would kill all the “ wise men” and burn their homes!

Well, as we learned at the end of Daniel chapter 1, Daniel and his friends are now a part of this group of “wise men,” so this threat is for them as well!

The other wisemen and magicians told the king that what he was asking was impossible, that the power to do this was not given to men. This angered the king and he gave the decree for his threat to be carried out.

A man by the name of Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, was sent to kill Daniel and this is where I want to start our reading.

START FROM 2:16

16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream 17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 2:15–18.

One of the first things that really stands out about Daniel’s character in this chapter is his readiness to turn to God in prayer.

Prayer is not something that I do; prayer is something that I am.

Warren W. Wiersbe

Daniel knows he needs God! He is found over and over talking to God!

You cannot talk about Daniel without talking about his prayer life!

Daniel seeks out his friends and they pray all through the night! This is what is amazing about Daniel, no matter what, we find Daniel talking to God.

Daniel also has close friends who are godly and will come together and pray in times of need!

When we take a look at this, it should make us take a look at our own lives. What we do under pressure is a reaction based on what we do on a regular basis. Are we building a foundation of prayer and trust in God in our daily lives, so that in a time of intense pressure that is our immediate response?

Are we going to God in our times of need?

Are we surrounding ourselves with godly friends who will pray along side us in our times of trouble?

The Praise

God did hear Daniel’s prayer. He gave him the king’s dream and it’s interpretation. Daniel was able to go before the king and tell him all of these things that the Lord had revealed to him.

Daniel’s immediate response to this answer to prayer was not to run straight to the king, not to be proud or boastful, but to take a moment to praise God. He doesn’t even yet know the full outcome of the situation, but he knows that God is on the move.

Let’s read verses 20-24

20 Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

to whom belong wisdom and might.

21  He changes times and seasons;

he removes kings and sets up kings;

he gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those who have understanding;

22  he reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him.

23  To you, O God of my fathers,

I give thanks and praise,

for you have given me wisdom and might,

and have now made known to me what we asked of you,

for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

24 Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 2:20–24.

To praise God without praying to Him would be impossible. To pray to God without praising Him would be ungrateful.

God In Heaven, And Men On The Sea, Volume 58, Sermon #3321 - Psalm 65:5

Charles Spurgeon

This reaction is exactly how we should react when God answers our prayer!

There seems to be no hesitaion on Daniel’s behalf!

Whenever we are faced with a decision we need to be praising God No matter the outcome of the situation!

Are we stopping and praising God?

Do we stop and praise him in the morning and in the afternoon and evening?

The Profession

After Daniel reveals his insight to the King, he is in a position

28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 2:28.

Daniel could have just taken the glory to the knowledge God had given him.

He could have pounded his chest in pride and taken the credet!

He could have, but he didnt!

He humbly pointed to God for what he agreed that only God could reveiel such things to man.

yet it was not the little g gods that are able to do such things.

There is nothing which is more insulting to the holy Name of God than to profess Him with your lips and deny Him in your life.

Evangelistic Sermons, 145

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Daniel professed God and Lived a life For God

This is the God who dwelt among men.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 1:14.

this is the God who loves His creation!

This is the God who cares!!!!

Are we seeking God?

Are we praying about important thing in our lives?

Are we praising Him for the good God he is?

Are we proclaiming Him to the world?