Prayer Changes Stories #2
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Daniel’s Prayer
Daniel’s Prayer
Daniel 6:1-28 Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. 2The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 3Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.
4Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”
6So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! 7We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. 8And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” 9So King Darius signed the law.
10But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. 11Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. 12So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?”
“Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”
13Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.”
14Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament.
15In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.”
16So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”
17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. 18Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night.
19Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”
21Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
23The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.
24Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den.
25Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:
“Peace and prosperity to you!
26“I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.
For he is the living God,
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end.
27He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
Faithful and Fruitful Prayer
Faithful and Fruitful Prayer
Daniel’s Priority
Daniel’s Priority
How often do we make excuses for our lack of prayer? We point to our busyness, our distractedness, our responsibilities, and our temptations.
And yet there are abundant examples of those who have overcome their circumstances to have faithful and fruitful prayer lives.
Hopefully, you can think of a time in your life when this was the case.
Let's look at Daniel:
Read Daniel 1:1-7
Daniel certainly had some good excuses not to pray, as one situation after another could have left him feeling abandoned by God.
He had just gone through the horrors of war and had been brought as a captive to a strange land filled with enemies. Immediately, he was thrust into an educational program requiring him to learn a new language and culture – with a king looking over his shoulder!
Later in his life, he was a high governmental official with major responsibilities. Wealth and power were all around him. All of these circumstances could have been excuses for Daniel to have a lack of prayer.
And yet the Bible shows that Daniel made prayer a priority.
The book of Daniel records two of his prayers verbatim in Daniel 2:20-23 and Daniel 9:4-19.
Daniel 2:18-19 18 He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. 19 That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.
No matter what was going on in his life, his heart was to go first to his God. He did not allow his circumstances to distance or distract him from God. Rather, his circumstances drove him to his knees.
Daniel 6:10-11 10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help.
Daniel 6:20 - When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”
Daniel had a prayer schedule.
Daniel had a prayer schedule.
Read Daniel 6:1-11.
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Please don't miss the part in verse 10 where it says, "Three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before."
In God's law, given to the Israelite nation, there are many requirements, such as the offering of specific sacrifices, the observation of festivals, and instructions for holy living.
But there are no requirements to pray three times a day. There is not another clear example that any other Biblical figure prayed three times a day – not Samuel or David or Isaiah – no one.
That doesn't mean they didn't pray. It does mean that there was no law requiring prayer three times a day.
Daniel made a personal decision to pray three times a day. Perhaps he felt called by God to follow this schedule, or maybe he felt scheduled prayer was necessary to keep his focus on God.
The phrase "just as he had done before" makes it clear that this was a long-established habit for Daniel, a habit he was so open about that many people knew exactly where to find him at exactly what time.
It was such a priority that he was not about to abandon the habit even for a king's decree!
This had become a regular and necessary part of Daniel's day, and nothing and no one was going to get between him and his time with God.
Daniel was blessed by God.
Daniel was blessed by God.
It's clear that some of those blessings came directly through prayer.
Daniel took seriously the commands to "love the Lord your God, walk in all His ways, and remain faithful to Him" (Deut. 11:22).
22 For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him,
Daniel knew that he could not leave such an important priority to chance or circumstances or feelings.
He made a decision to build his schedule around his times of prayer because he knew that if he didn't, those times quite possibly wouldn't happen – and that wasn't an option for him.
17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”
48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.
29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Should it be an option for you and me?
Is it OK for our prayer times to get lost in the shuffle of our busy days, or is it time for us to make a decision like Daniel's?
Questions
Questions