Praying God's Will

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Daniel  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  20:26
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Have you ever thought that our prayers

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If you Love the Lord

If you love the Lord your God
You probably know a number of God’s promises
that are near and dear to your heart
John 3:16 NIV
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 10:13 NIV
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
One promise that God repeats often in God word is that
He will never leave us or forsake us.
You can find it first in
Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
That promise was given to the Nation of Israel
That promise was also given to Joshua in
Joshua 1:5
Joshua 1:9 NIV
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Peter says the same sort of thing
1 Peter 5:7 NIV
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
In Hebrews it says
Hebrews 13:5 NIV
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
As I read through today's Passage, Daniel chapter 9, I saw that Daniel had a promise from God, but he didn’t just trust in it.
Daniel did all he could to persuade God to fulfill his promise.
He did that with prayer.
It really shouldn’t strike me as odd that Daniel so earnestly prayed even though he had God promise in hand, as we shall soon read,
because we often accompany our prayers with doing all we can.
A police office may pray a prayer of trust in God for his safety every day
But he also takes his equipment with him.
A student can pray for wisdom and clarity of mind when they take a class test,
but they should also study for the test
A cancer victim can pray for healing, but also follow ALL the Dr. orders
as they wait for their healing.
Daniel 9:1–2 NIV
1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
Wow, Daniel, that really really smart guy
He had devotion and studied the scriptures just like us.
It’s likely Daniel had read all the books of prophecy that had been collected already
but now in his old age, we are getting to the time when the 70 years are up
and Daniel springs into action.
Daniel 9:3 NASB95
3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
What four things did Daniel do?
Prayed
he talked to God
and as we read, we will find out,
he didn’t just ask God for stuff
Made Supplication
Someone may ask, what is the difference between prayer and supplication?
If prayer is talking to God
Supplication is getting down on your knees and talking to God or
laying out prostrate and talking to God, it’s more intense, and more reverent.
What else did he do?
fasted
He went without food,
he denied that need.
When we fast, and full disclosure, I have very seldom fasted,
We are uping our game
we are at min. we should be spending more time with God because we
are not preparing, consuming or cleaning up from our meals.
That self discipline, says that we are serious about this.
and what is the last thing he did?
He put on the clothes and dress of the desolate,
Declaring to all, how humble and bad off you feel in this circumstance
As we read his prayer, consider all he has to say, before he asks for any help.
Daniel 9:4 NASB95
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
No request yet,
Daniel is beginning his prayer with confession.
He is beginning his pray with acknowledgement of God and His Good qualities
Daniel says
God is Great and Awesome
God keeps his covenant
His Loving kingness for those who love and obey Him.
Daniel 9:5 NIV
5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
Daniel was probably the best man living is Babylon at the time
He had great knowledge and self discipline
But does he brag about how good he is?
Does Daniel, like the Pharisee in Jesus parable of the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18 talk about how much better he is than other men?
No, he is listing off his societies sins, and his ancestors sins, humbly lumping himself in with the group.
Perhaps when we have times of special thanks, we should begin with a confession of the sins of our community and thanks to God for the staying of his hand.
He goes on to confess, that we,
the Jews, have not listened to God’s prophets
Daniel 9:6 NIV
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
Prophets definitely spoke to the leaders, kings and princes, but they also spoke to ALL the people
The majority didn’t listen
To there shame they didn’t listen, and to our shame we often don’t listen either.
Daniel 9:7–8 NIV
7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.
What is the antidote for this community shame?
God’s Mercy
Daniel 9:9–11 NIV
9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you.
Did you know, punishment and trails can even be a part of God’s faithfulness
Daniel 9:12–14 NIV
12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
Loving parents of small children soon learn it is better to slap a child hand then let them touch the hot stove.
Now Daniel finishes up his praising God and confessing their community guilt,
now he is ready to bring his request to God
Daniel 9:15–16 NIV
15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
It was right for God to judge sin, he does that,
But now the time of punishment is drawing to end
and Daniel ask God to turn away from His anger.
Turning from anger is a choice we have to make some times.
I can remember, thinking I understood a situation
and getting angry about it
then finding out, I was totally wrong, had no right to be angry
and had to turn away from my anger.
because it was wrong.
When you are really sired up, that’s hard!
Isn’t it?
But God doesn’t get angry from the wrong reason.
At the right time his love and blessing will flow again to those who confess their sins
and seek His love and forgiveness.
Daniel is now seeking forgiveness for his people.
Does he start trying to say how good they have become
is that why God should help them?
Daniel 9:17 NIV
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.
Daniel wants God to help them, for His sake
Daniel 9:18 NIV
18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.
Daniel is asking for forgiveness, restoration because of His great MERCY not their good deeds
Daniel 9:19 NIV
19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
Daniel asks God
to Listen
to forgive
to hear and
to act
For His name Sake.
We never will force God to help us by telling Him how good we are.
But after confessing our faults, we can sure remind Him of His promise, His loving kindness, His choice to help all of us.
When we approach God with a humble heart, showing Him we still remember His Goodness, Kindness, and righteousness, we are in a better place to see God answer yes.
Daniels example of prayer for restoration of his people was quite humbling.
If you or I was going to begin a major prayer for restoration of our lands
Such as the Sunday before Thanksgiving
Perhaps as a church, some of us could fast
Perhaps we could write prayers of confession
Not only of our own sins
but the sins we see rampant in our community
and in our society
Abuse of drugs, alcohol, children
We could confess that we live in a state that considered joining the confederacy in favor of slaver
We could confess an indifference to sin
and a lack of love for the sinners.
We could confess that our society sees abortion as just a part of birth control.
Let’s pray.
Father, we want to see you pouring out restoration on our land and
call back the judgments we face today.
Father we confess our country country has made abortion safe for the mother
but not rare.
Father we confess that too many have allowed perversions to fester to the extent that
sex traffickers can steel kids and make a good living from their sales
We confess that we do live in a land, not build by slaves
but a land that was inhospitable to minorities for far to many years
and even now there are places not safe to be if your not white and straight.
Father we confess, we are prone
to scrapper and
to bicker and
to want our way or the highway.
Yet we ask

FOR YOUR NAME SAKE

that you pour out
your love
and
your grace
upon us
upon this church
upon this COMMUNITY AND STATE
AND UPON OUR NATION.
We humbly ask these things,
in Jesus Name. Amen!
Can I hear and Amen from the Congregation?
Amen!
Consider these word, and go with God today and always.
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