The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 9:1-23 (day four)

When reading our passage this week, one character quality stands out for Daniel…humility.  This was not the first time Daniel sought the Lord, but when circumstances became overwhelming, he went to God for answers.  Daniel’s humility is evident as he confesses the sins of his nation…he includes himself in the intercession.

Daniel’s eyes were on the Lord.  He knew where to find truth amid the confusion.  When the voices of culture are screaming confusion and accusation, truth can be found in only one place…the Lord.  Daniel had oriented his life around his relationship with the Lord and he found understanding through prayer.  He recognized that each of us is responsible for obedience to God.

Are the circumstances around you confusing?  Are you hearing mixed messages everywhere you turn?  Whether it’s political speak, coronavirus speculation, or outright lies, the world will not give you truth.  Seek truth where Daniel found it…in humility, read His Word and pray.  You may discover how much God loves you!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 9:1-23 (day three)

“I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet.”

Daniel: fount of wisdom to kings, interpreter of dreams, faith-filled sage, courageous advisor, trustworthy friend. That’s character. How about including this descriptor: Bible reader. Daniel’s character – his seemingly unfathomable depth of benevolent goodness and quiet confidence – grew in part from how the Bible shaped his inner life and informed the way he moved in the world. He didn’t call it “the Bible.” He called it “the word of the Lord to Jeremiah,” who was a contemporary of his. But as soon as Jeremiah spoke those prophecies, they were written down. And what we have come to know as the Bible is in fact the written-down word of God. That same word which shaped Daniel’s character will shape yours.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 9:1-23 (day two)

…while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. vs. 21

It has been mentioned several times in the past few weeks, but I think it bears repeating; Daniel was a man of prayer. What I found compelling is that in this passage Daniel admits both his extreme fatigue, and his reliance on God. Following after the Lord does not guarantee a worry-free existence. You’ve been walking in faith long enough to know that. Our weariness, however, should not be an excuse to take a break from following and serving. When the Lord blesses abundantly we are to give thanks and spend time with him. When we are walking through life’s valleys we are to lean on his promises and spend time with him. Daniel is a great model of how to prioritize our walk with Jesus in the midst of an ever-changing world.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 8:1-27 (day seven) 

“then the holy place will be properly restored.” vs 14

Abandoned. Neglected. Ignored. Generation after generation of Israelites had perpetually turned their back on God. Had God finally turned His back on them? Had the mercy of God finally reached His capacity for forgiveness?They were in captivity, in a foreign land, under the control of a powerful regime and hope was fleeting.

It was a bleak time in Israel’s history, but Daniel reinstates hope.  Hope that restoration is coming. Hope that the tribulation will end. Daniel is assured in this apocalyptic vision of the sovereignty of God. God is working through all these things. He has not abandoned His people. He has not ignored nor neglected them. He is bringing restoration. He is bringing hope through the tribulation.

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint,” Romans 5:3-5.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 8:1-27 (day six) 

And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it. Daniel 8:27

The little horn became the face and hand of evil against God’s presence among his people. This ruler would defile the temple in Jerusalem, the symbol of God’s presence, His covenant, and His mercy

The wickedness of humanity is not ambivalent to God. Every kingdom of earth will by its very nature find its way to the same place, trampling the truth of God and his people. This is precisely why Jesus said, “they are in the world but not of the world.” It’s why the Apostle Peter calls us aliens, citizens of a better Kingdom.

If the little horn tells us anything it’s this, we are not of this world!

So like Daniel, be restless, be sickened, grieve wickedness’ curse, then get up and be about God’s business.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 8:1-27 (day five) 

“The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future. ”

One of the truths we are gleaning from our study of Daniel is the sovereignty of God.  Daniel certainly has a faith that is built around trusting God’s judgements, His control, His provision, and His protection.  So much so, that we have heard Daniel say, even if He chooses not to save me, it will be ok because His sovereign plans are just and right (my paraphrase).

Trusting the many facets of God’s sovereignty are not easy for human hearts. We like control. We like to be right. We press back on authority.

There’s another facet of God’s sovereignty we must also trust. His timing.  Daniel is told not to tell- to wait. Jesus does the same thing over and over  in the gospels. Why?  Because there is an eternal timing that we often ignore or miss. God’s sovereignty has an eternal perspective. We must learn to trust His timing just as much as His sovereign justice and mercy. Not easy, but a perspective that helps the human heart rest and find strength in God’s power and wisdom.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 8:1-27 (day four)

These visions deal with some very heavy events.  The impact of what is to come will affect the whole world.  Empires and nations…kings and armies…death and destruction…no portion of the earth will escape their repercussions.

One thing that stands out in these narratives is the trust that God placed in Daniel to receive these visions of the future.  Daniel had a long and intimate relationship with God.  His regular, consecrated prayer relationship with the Lord punctuated the glory he ascribed to God and his willingness to serve God, even in very trying circumstances.  Consistency and longevity in our walk with Christ will result in a deeper relationship and a greater usefulness to the kingdom of God.  When we are faithful to the little assignments God gives us, we find He will give us greater responsibility.  God will not give us a new and greater task though until we have obeyed the last thing He told us.  What is God telling you to do? …and have you obeyed?

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 8:1-27 (day three)

“Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days.”

Human beings have been designed by God to live within a framework of a sequential progression of events we call time. We can see the present, and we have experienced what is past, so we have some familiarity with both of those parts of reality. But reality isn’t merely a collection of stimuli and responses. It’s also full of meaning. Just because something is happening now or has already happened doesn’t guarantee we know what it means. Prophecy is God’s way of leading human beings to apprehend meaning by operating briefly outside their natural habitat of time. That experience interrupts a person’s perception of the flow of time, and it is disorienting, troublesome, and frightening. Revelation of the future isn’t for the faint of heart. God’s help will keep it from overwhelming us.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 8:1-27 (day two)

Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it. v. 27

What is clear in this passage is that Daniel is unsettled by the vision he has experienced. That may be an understatement as scripture records him being sick for days, but then something happens: he gets up and goes to work. Isn’t that a profound word for us right now? Here is the prophet of the Lord who has been shaken to the core; who, by his own admission, is unsure of the meaning, and his response is to get back to work to which he has been called, trained, and appointed.

We may not know this side of heaven what all of these things happening around us today mean. We may also be very heavy-hearted as we look at the state of the world. In this we are in good company. There will come a time, however, when we are to get back to the doing of our lives. To answer the call that every believer has heard. To obey. To live.