Pray With Courage Daniel 10:1-21

One of the most gifted speakers in church history was John Chrysostom—the name comes from a Greek word meaning “golden tongued.” John was sent from Antioch to what was then Constantinople where he preached fearlessly in the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. His denunciation of the lavish extravagance of the rich and ruling class and his condemnation of excess infuriated many, including Empress Eudoxia who arranged for him to be exiled.

When he was told of his fate, Chrysostom responded: “What can I fear? Will it be death? But you know that Christ is my life, and that I shall gain by death. Will it be exile? But the earth and all its fullness is the Lord’s. Will it be the loss of wealth? But we brought nothing into the world, and can carry nothing out. Thus all the terrors of the world are contemptible in my eyes, and I smile at all its good things. Poverty I do not fear. Riches I do not sigh for. Death I do not shrink from.”

You can pray with courage during difficult days because:

I. God Hears Your Prayer vv. 1-3

In our passage this morning, the prophet Daniel finds himself in the middle of a terribly difficult season of life

He is roughly 84 years old and the vast majority of his life has been spent in exile under Babylonian and Persian authorities

The first and second waves of exiles have returned to Jerusalem to reestablish a community there, but the hoped for restoration has not taken place yet

Daniel is mourning in his waiting:

For three weeks, he has cried out to God

He has been fasting, denying himself food and wine, waiting on the Lord

It seems like nothing is happening during all of this time, but nothing could be farther from the truth:

A little later, we will see what is happening, but right now we need to remember one thing:

From the outset of Daniel’s prayer, God heard him! v. 12

You may have to wait, the circumstances may be difficult, and you may not see any movement, but you can trust that God heard your prayer and He is at work for your good

Romans 8:26–28

[26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. [27] And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (ESV)

II. God is Greater Than Your Trouble vv. 4-9

In the next section, Daniel describes a vision

An angelic messenger from the Lord arrives and offers him words of hope

The scene is overwhelming for Daniel

In the presence of God’s servant, the men with him tremble in fear, even though they cannot see what is taking place

Daniel is even more overwhelmed:

His color fades away completely

He lost all strength

He fell to the ground in a deep sleep

All of this points to the awe-inspiring presence of a servant of God

In the face of the glory of the angel, all thought of Daniel’s sorrow fades away

In comparison to the strength on display, the shadow of sorrow proves to be a passing thing

All of this is true when one of God’s angels appears; how much more in light of His power and authority

This has to be our trust in times of sorrow: God is greater!

In 1715 King Louis XIV of France died after a reign of 72 years. He had called himself "the Great," and was the monarch who made the famous statement, "I am the state!" His court was the most magnificent in Europe, and his funeral was equally spectacular. As his body lay in state in a golden coffin, orders were given that the cathedral should be very dimly lit with only a special candle set above his coffin, to dramatize his greatness. At the memorial, thousands waited in hushed silence. Then Bishop Massilon began to speak; slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle and said, "Only God is great."

III. God Loves You vv. 10-11

As the angel speaks to Daniel, he begins with a word of affirmation:

Daniel is “greatly loved”

This refrain is repeated in v. 18 and we must hold on to it.

We may wonder in times of sorrow, waiting, and suffering whether or not God cares, but we can be certain that He does; This is not simply a small mercy, but is instead a heartfelt passion for each of us

Whether or not our circumstances change, God’s posture towards His children is unchanging.

He absolutely loves us and that truth is reason enough to persist in prayer; whether we get the answer we want or not, when we want it, the love of God is sufficient reason to keep praying

A funny thing happens when you love someone: you just want to be with them as much as you can. That’s also the simple truth about people who love God: they pray. Prayer is an opportunity to enjoy the presence of God.

IV. God is Fighting For You vv. 12-14

At this point, the angel opens Daniel’s eyes to some fresh truth:

God heard Daniel’s prayers from the beginning

God immediately began to act to answer the prayer

God’s answer was delayed by spiritual opposition

What does the angel mean by this? I think we have to wrestle with a couple of things:

There are spiritual forces that are at work to oppose God’s work in the lives of His people

We do call these forces demons; they are fallen angelic beings who live in rebellion to God and who despise His people

They seek to destroy us and to disrupt us in our life with God

Seemingly, they are organized and have a measure of authority over kingdoms and nations

Just because God seems silent, it does not mean that He is idle

For 21 days, the angel battled to get to Daniel

Finally, he won through with the help of Michael and accomplished the task

Much was happening that Daniel could not see!

God always wins

In His infinite power, God could have overcome the prince of Persia; I don’t know why He allowed the delay

However, no amount of spiritual opposition can overcome the Lord who is fighting for you

Exodus 14:13–14

[13] And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. [14] The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (ESV)

V. God Will Give You Strength vv. 15-21

At the close of the passage, not much has really changed for Daniel; the circumstances are still dire in Jerusalem and there is no resolution

The angel must return to fight the Prince of Persia, and another battle lies ahead with the Prince of Greece

God’s people are under attack at all times from every side

Yet, everything changes for Daniel:

With one of God’s angels ministering to Him, Daniel is transformed

He has words to speak and strength returns to Daniel

Daniel is going to receive another vision:

It is going to be hard to see and the news will be difficult

There is going to be more opposition to God’s people

That is our reality also; we are in a war, but we have reasons for courage:

God will not only guide you and guard you, He will strengthen you

He is going to equip you to face whatever lies ahead

When I (Bruce Larson) was a small boy, I attended church every Sunday at a big Gothic Presbyterian bastion in Chicago. The preaching was powerful and the music was great. But for me, the most awesome moment in the morning service was the offertory, when twelve solemn, frock-coated ushers marched in lock-step down the main aisle to receive the brass plates for collecting the offering. These men, so serious about their business of serving the Lord in this magnificent house of worship, were the business and professional leaders of Chicago. One of the twelve ushers was a man named Frank Loesch. He was not a very imposing looking man, but in Chicago he was a living legend, for he was the man who had stood up to Al Capone. In the prohibition years, Capone's rule was absolute. The local and state police and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation were afraid to oppose him. But singlehandedly, Frank Loesch, as a Christina layman and without any government support, organized the Chicago Crime Commission, a group of citizens who were determined to take Mr. Capone to court and put him away. During the months that the Crime Commission met, Frank Loesch's life was in constant danger. There were threats on the lives of his family and friends. But he never wavered. Ultimately he won the case against Capone and was the instrument for removing this blight from the city of Chicago. Frank Loesch had risked his life to live out his faith. Each Sunday at this point of the service, my father, a Chicago businessman himself, never failed to poke me and silently point to Frank Loesch with pride. Sometime I'd catch a tear in my father's eye. For my dad and for all of us this was and is what authentic living is all about. 

Psalm 18:31–37

[31] For who is God, but the LORD?

And who is a rock, except our God?—

[32] the God who equipped me with strength

and made my way blameless.

[33] He made my feet like the feet of a deer

and set me secure on the heights.

[34] He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

[35] You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand supported me,

and your gentleness made me great.

[36] You gave a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip.

[37] I pursued my enemies and overtook them,

and did not turn back till they were consumed. (ESV)