The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 3:1-30 (day two) 

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” vs. 17-18

I have found myself here more than I care to admit. My view of our Almighty God is based more on what he can do for me than for who He is. I have been guilty of looking at the Lord as a dispensary for miracles, favors, or constant help. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego remind me that we serve a God who is worthy of our praise even if he doesn’t dispense our wants and desires. Even if he doesn’t “deliver” us from sickness, struggles, or tough times; God is worthy of our devotion. Remember what he has done for you. Christ Jesus in his atonement through the cross has done all that we could ever need. If the Lord continues to allow us to walk a tough path, we can rest assured that, even this is temporary. Christ has won the victory and is worthy of our praise even in the uncertainty of today. I am grateful for this reminder from Daniel.

Here is an excerpt from one of our favorite anthems My Eternal King which speaks to a proper focus on who we worship:

Why, then why, O Blessed Jesus Christ,

Should I not love Thee well?

Not for the hope of winning heaven,

Or of escaping hell;

Not with the hope of gaining aught,

Not seeking a reward;

But as Thyself hast loved me,

O ever-loving Lord!

E’en so I love Thee, and will love,

And in Thy praise will sing;

Solely because Thou art my God,

And my Eternal King!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 2:31-49 (day seven) 

“ And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego over the administration of the province of Babylon.” vs. 49.

Daniel’s first order of business when he gets into power is to request a promotion for his fellow Israelite companions. It may seem like a ploy for his friends to benefit off of Daniel’s success, but Daniel knows the importance of these three men. They were with him from the very beginning. They were there to stand with Daniel as he denied the king’s food. They were there to pray with Daniel when he promised the king an interpretation. They were crucial to Daniel’s success, and Daniel recognizes this.

We are stronger when we are together. We are stronger when we come alongside and encourage one another. We are stronger with community. This is what the church was designed to do.

Even on a day when it may seem like we are separated, we are still together. Our community is bigger than the walls of our building. Today we stand together to worship and pray with our families in our homes. All across this city and across this nation, we stand together to praise the King who is on the Throne. Our community is still together!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 2:31-49 (day six)

We can be present for all the wrong reasons. Most of us hum along without much thought of where we are headed. We go about our business in the present, being pulled here and there, because we have little choice. That’s not the kind of presence God intended for Daniel, nor us.

There is a way to live very much in the present fully informed and guided by the future. Even before Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel knew (although he wouldn’t personally experience it) and believed in God’s promise, that after 70 years of exile, He would restore His people. Much more, the dream painted an even broader future, the full emergence of an everlasting Kingdom. It was his confidence in the secure future of his people that led him to rise above the status quo, avoiding business as usual, by becoming fully engaged in the present.

Ours is no less secure. Jesus has secured our future; it is bright and beautiful and whole and holy. It is this promise, when held onto, that moves us to engage people in the present in the same way Daniel did, not letting moments just sweep us away because life is busy and combustible. But seizing moments, blessing people, and speaking truth. Being truly present and aware.

Your presence could reshape someone’s future. Even those you would least expect. Don’t miss it.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 2:31-49 (day five) 

“This was the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king.”

Daniel is very intentional about giving God credit and glory for the explanation and interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. By title and by character, Daniel describes the Living God to the king. Yet, it’s the plural pronoun that caught my eye this week- WE.  Daniel declares that a vibrant relationship with God and  joining Him in His work and activity is a partnership. We. Us. Ours.  There is activity and accountability for both man and God.

Applying a farming metaphor from Jerry Bridges to the life of Daniel (descriptive of this partnership), “The farmer (Daniel) cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer (Daniel) should do.  Daniel demonstrates trust, dependence, faithfulness, and humility.  And he says, “WE will interpret the dream”.  As you pray, ask God “What can/What will WE do together?”

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 2:31-49 (day four)

Nebuchadnezzar was amazed at Daniel’s God.  He had no honest expectation that anyone would be able to fulfill his command.  Besides, he liked the fact that the golden head of the statue represented him.  In his mind, Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest.  He probably missed Daniel’s statement that the God of heaven had given the kingdom to him.

Admiration does not always lead to relationship though.  Nebuchadnezzar gives no sign of yielding control of his life and kingdom to God.  No relationship of faith is stirred in this pagan king’s heart.  Maybe you have known someone like that…they see the works of God and may even be amazed at God’s divine plan, but they are not yet ready to yield their lives to Him in faith.  As much as we would like to climb inside their head and heart and shake them to recognition and faith…we cannot.  It is our responsibility to share the truth…share the gospel…it is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to change the heart!

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 2:31-49 (day three)

“The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed.”

The story of revolution is the story of the founding of nations, including our own. People who rise up against established authorities do so as a result of long-held animosities against long-perpetrated injustices. What would an unshakable kingdom look like? It would be, by definition, a good kingdom – one in which human flourishing is the way of life for all people. Despots and dictators and technocrats tout the resilience of their societies, but they know – everybody knows – that revolutionaries always lie in wait. The scriptures reveal that at long last there is coming on the earth a kingdom which revolution will never threaten. How can this be? Here’s how: Human rulers hold their people down. God in his glory will lift his people up.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 2:31-49 (day two) 

Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. vs. 48

From exiled refugee to chief prefect. There are many parallels between the life of Joseph and Daniel. Besides the obvious ability to interpret dreams, they both had incredible character and unshakeable faith. Both were also revered by their sovereigns, partly for their interpretations, but also for their trustworthiness. I doubt Daniel set out to become chief prefect, but his integrity brought him to an occasion to receive it. Working without thought of reward. We are most generally uncomfortable with that concept. To be fair, Daniel was bargaining for his life, but his trust was not in the king, it was in the Lord. Where are you? What challenge has God placed in your path? How are you facing that challenge? Don’t look for what you can get out of it, just trust the Lord to get your through it.

Re:Verse passage – Daniel 2:1-30 (day seven)  

Yahweh is making war with pagan gods. Just like He did in Egypt. Just like He did in Canaan. God had allowed the Israelites to be taken into captivity, but He was not abandoning them! On the contrary, He was using their displacement to make it known that Yahweh is the One True God. Look at what the Chaldeans said after the king asked them to tell him the dream, “there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.” Now look at Daniel’s response, “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.” Not only is He the One True God who could know this dream, but He actually reveals His knowledge to mortals. Omniscient yet intimate. Omnipotent yet personal. This is not another god. This is The God, and He is making Himself known to the world.