DANIEL TAUGHT US TO PRAY. Linked with Bible prophecy. Daniel 9
Daniel’s prayer followed serious study of Jeremiah’s prophecy. Link the two. Prayerlessness of our present church age is the absence of prophetic preaching, especially that God had judged Israel, and she be deported to Babylon for 70 years for denying God-given right over 490 years.
‘It will come to pass when seventy years are completed. I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldean for their iniquity, says the Lord, and I will make it a perpetual desolation. Jeremiah 25;12 The somber atmosphere changed in 29:10, ‘Thus says the Lord, After seventy years I will visit you and perform any good work towards you, and cause you to return to this place.’ How Daniel’s heart leapt! Then follows one of the precious Scriptures on heavenly guidance. ‘I know the thoughts that I think towards you,, says the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope ‘ v11. Daniel’s raging furnace roared. ‘Then you will call upon Me , and go to pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you shall search for Me with all your heart.’v13 Prophetic truth fires the soul for prayer!
Jeremiah `told of God’s unsearchableness, stirring heavenly zeal in Daniel, ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.’ Daniel exhibited a love for prophetic truth, batheing himself in its eternal nature before launching into prayer. We’re in too much of a hurry to prepare for a season of prayer. Learn from Daniel.
Daniel’s jaw was set, determined to major in prayer. Surely as Prime Minister of the greatest nation on earth, he had more urgent matters to engage his attention. Nothing is more pressing than heart-felt prayer. Nothing! His request included prayer, supplication, demanding fasting, sackcloth and ashes. V3 Sackcloth originated with the thick, coarse, rough black goat skin; while praying demanded ashes, referring to the ashes of the red heifer, (Leviticus 19) a type of the sacrifice of our beloved Lord.
With adequate food, fasting is not favored. How long since you heard such a message? Daniel spend three weeks denying food and delights of life. ‘ In these days I Daniel,( my signature ) was mourning these full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. 10:3 On the 24th day of the month, the vision came. Fasting was part of Daniel’s communing life.
Esther learned that fasting was vitally important, when Mordecai told her that the entire Jewish community would be wiped out.: liquidated; obliterated. Another Auschwich. ‘Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law‘; and ( a noteworthy plea), ’If I perish, I perish.’
Joel is trenchant, ‘Now therefore, says the Lord, ‘Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.. While easy to tear garments, a broken and contrite heart is the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, preparing for a season of prayer. Scathing, he writes, ‘So rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and he relents from doing harm. Who knows if HE will turn and relent and leave a blessing behind HIM 2:12. God yearned not as a kill-joy, rather the Lord longed for a humble and contrite spirit.
South Korea taught us many lessons especially of prayer. They all prayed simultaneously, each culture in its own language. Every church filled at 4,30 am each morning for teaching and prayer. Safest time out on Seoul’s streets. In the mountains were prayer rooms, where many retired for one holy purpose. One Singaporean engineer told of outpoured blessing of 40 days’ fasting and waiting on his God. Impractical? Unrealistic? South Korea has greatest missionary force in South East Asia. A direct link with fasting and overcoming prayer!
Jeremiah was prayer mentor to the mighty Daniel. Who is your’s? Listen to the great prophet, ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. ‘ Jeremiah recognized the creative wonder of his God as a prelude to prayer. That is essential,. For often we pray the Lord to create from nothing ( ex nihilo ) Then he admitted this startling claim, ‘There is nothing too hard for You.’ He extolled his Lord, ‘You show loving-kindness ( checed , mercy, ) to thousands and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them- the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel, and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways , and according to the fruit of his doings. ‘ Jeremiah 32:17
Dwelling on these prophetic truths, Daniel though hundreds of miles away, was shaping for a prayer tussle. Even arranged prayer occasions may be too engineered without the heart preparation that Daniel showed.
A spiritual battle raged in sending a message, prayer and bible reading to US for the wedding of a special grandson and his beloved. It did not arrive; despite prayer: my anti- virus protection accepting responsibility. This was disabled temporarily, enabling the message to go through. A torrent of joy flowed when finally received. I learned lessons in prayer. Several dear friends encouraged me electronically; other family members urged me to pursue.
Nahum continued his estimate of his Lord, ‘God is jealous and the Lord avenges, The Lord avenge, and is furious, The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and he reserves wrath for his enemies, the Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. +++++ possibly vv 2-7
The Lord chose different criteria, seeking believing treasures rather than passing affluence. ‘Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love Him. James 2:5
The wisest man ever, Solomon, expected their awakening in the land of captivity, and owning up to this grievous abandonment of their God ; and their crying out to you for restoration and reconciliation while in Babylon. He wrote in 1Kings 8:47 ‘ When they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive ( what shame) and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness.’ ‘And when they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them captive, and pray to you towards their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for your Name: then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication ( notice how they are linked ) and maintain their cause . We have retained our land ( despite our government ceding of northern Australia to our enemy during the Coral Sea battle; but have lost ground spiritually. Solomon’s words apply to the Christian church in our nation - and certainly beyond.
Solomon was optimistic for them even during captivity that God would invest their prayer of broken-heartedness ad bring them home, Listen to his prayer in 2 chronicles 6 when he repeats what is given in 1 Kings.
Nehemiah spoke fervently concerning intermarriage with pagans and the distressing result upon the Lord’s people as the Holy Spirit showed their depravity. and that the remedy was in the sacrifice of the dear Son of God ’O My God, I am too ashamed and humiliated ( b lush )to lift my face to you, My God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. ’ Christ is the Sin-bearer and Justifier.
The Old Testament saints had a deep conviction of the holiness of God and that all sin was repugnant to Him. Nehemiah is the governor of the broken down city of Jerusalem ( yes, the city of the King ), yet the crumbled walls distressed him, ’Please let your ear be attentive and Your eyes open that You may hear the prayer of your servant which I pray before You now, day and night for the children of Israel your servants and con fess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Both my Father’s house and I have sinned.
We have acted very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which you commanded your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded your servant Moses saying, if you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations. Nehemiah 1:7.
He touched me’ show that te lord intended this personal approach to Daniel, for in verse 21, ‘while I was speaking in prayer . The man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me ( touched ) about the time of the evening sacrifice. In the 10 th chapter, this intimate contact is maintained. ‘One having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips’. We need teachers whose lips have been sealed by the living God. For example Jonathan Edwards‘ sermon ,holding a sinner over the fires of hell won many to confession of godlessness, turning them to our Saviour. Daniel commented, ‘No strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me. This is repeated in the 18 th verse, ‘One having the likeness of a man, touched me and strengthened me.’ How any times have we felt the gentle touch of the Spirit or from a saint of God, so easing our distress.
Luke in the Acts 2 repeats this truth, for Peter was sleeping bound with two chains between two solders,; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison,’ and he struck Peter on the side ( probably nudged ) and raised him up, saying ’Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands.
A heavenly touch aroused Peter and freed him from the multiple chains. Hebrews 1:14 adds: ‘Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.’
The heavenly courier explained how prevailing prayer allows God to freely grant heavenly understanding: ’O Daniel, I am now come forth to give you skill to understand.’ The following striking truths amplify the promise of Gabriel, this servant from the throne of the Lord. How often would our hopelessness in the scriptures b e changed to lively perception, when earnest prayer is wont to be made.
This truth will encourage mother/father, brother/sister in Christ who delight to pray. A dear friend, an Indian surgeon, was essentially a man of continuing prayer. Often he would turn from the operating table, rinsing his hands, yet, speaking to a beloved Lord. He taught me much about prayer; especially when he would call,’ I have vascular surgery for several hours, rather intricate, and need prayer. I will look to you, dear brother.‘ God loves you as a pray-er. ‘At the beginning of your supplication the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision: complicated, historic, national with Israel, yet international in scope. Daniel is still an international figure.
Please listen reverently to this answer: Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy,’ v24 Seventy weeks are seventy sevens of years; that is 490 years. It related to the people of Israel -your people. Scripture focused on one city- the city of the great King, namely Jerusalem. It would embrace the holocausts, the hatred of Jewish people( Israel phobia ). Sin would be completely atoned for by the Messiah, on Calvary’s cross- so making a judicial end of sin. His blood atonement would reconcile, such practice as sweeps the land of Rwanda, which John deeply commends. Christ’s victorious, unchallenged millennial sovereignty ( that is of 1000 years) is the reign of righteousness. Full recognition of our beloved Lord as King of kings and Lord of Lords -the reigning Monarch ) is the anointing of the most holy One. Prophetically it is intricate, precise fulfillment of the prophetic word- and heaven released it to the man of prayer. Laxity in our prayer life is inexcusable.
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty two weeks ; the street shall be built again and the wall; even in troublous times. Nehemiah was cupbearer ( personal adviser ) to King Artaxerxes, who commissioned him to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. This occupied 7 sevens of years , that is 49, establishing the accuracy of the prophecy. Then the astonishing foretelling that ‘after 62 weeks ( 434 years ) Messiah will b e cut off‘. Scripture shows it ‘Was not for Himself’, rather for our salvation. Twice Messiah’s name is included, for history revolves around Him. This was fulfilled on 9 Nisan AD 30, the day when our beloved Lord entered Jerusalem on a colt of a donkey, and they cried ‘Hosanna’, Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord’ It also means ‘Save now!’ Consider the marvellous finesse and accuracy of the word of God. Rather, we are not surprised for the same mighty God keeps the universe functioning precisely.
After the Rapture, when the saints of Christ shall be raised first, and we who are left shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air- then the remainder of this prophecy shall be fulfilled. The dark prince, the antichrist shall confirm the covenant for one week, that is 7 years , known as the tribulation period, ‘And after the sixty two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.
And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and sanctuary. The end of it all shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Antichrist, archdeceiver, will resume the daily offerings in the re-established temple in Jerusalem, having deceived the people of Israel. Half way through that seven years , ‘Then he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall cease the sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.’ The Son of God will come at His second Advent at Armageddon, and destroy the antichrist and all evil forces. And He shall reign for one thousand years in righteousness and we, His ransomed bride, will reign with HIM.
While PM Daniel understood God’s message and appreciated the heavenly vision, he mourned for three weeks. That is unfashionable in our day: it is considered uneconomic, wasteful, yet the Administrator of this empire devoted himself to such an undertaking. He mourned or lamented the situation, denying sustaining food or nourishing fluid, nor improving his appearance.
‘A message was revealed to Daniel, which was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message , and had understanding of the vision. In those days, I Daniel was mourning three whole weeks. I ate no pleasant food , no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. 10:2
Daniel fulfilled the requirements , even to the day permitting the Lord of glory to show Himself in His preincarnate form. Oh, what a reward to see the Lord of glory- and survive. His linen covering revealed His holiness; His glory reflected from the gold waist band; his spotless body shone with jeweled splendor; His royal face brilliant as lightning; His penetrating vision; His limbs glistening in virility; and His speech as though heavenly hosts chorused.
Now on the 24 th day of the first month; as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain Man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like beryl, His face like the appearance of lightning, His eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in colour, and the sound of His words like the voice of a multitude.
‘I Daniel saw the vision, for the men who were with me saw not the vision.’ Saul experienced that on His way to Damascus. A great terror fell upon them as that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. V8 Yet I heard the sound of His words, and while I heard the sound of His words, I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.’ 10:9. Daniel was humbled to the dust. Have we fought shy of such depths?
’Then suddenly a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees, and on the palms of my hands, And he said to me, O Daniel, man greatly beloved, ( what a heart=stirring greeting) understand the words which I speak to you, and stand upright (recall he had been on the ground). For I have been now sent to you, while he was speaking this this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel, ( soothing ) for the first day you set your heart to understand , and to humble yourself before God , your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.’ Heavenly confirmation of constructive praying. Then he told of warfare, spiritual clashing, ‘The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days ( time Daniel was at prayer )and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come. James reminds us. A thousand years is as a day and a day as a thousand years.
Zinzendorf maintained a continuous 100 years of fervent prayer, night and day.
In South Korea, persistent prayer that 50% of all military would be won for the Lord Jesus.
Appeals for conversion and commitment to our Saviour and Lord. Norman Grubb prayed for Latin America when a roman catholic stronghold- and there were no evangelical churches. God opened the entire Latin America, ++today an evangelical followed every address by the chaplains.
Hudson Taylor China Inland Mission. Laid the foundation in bible teaching and prayer for God’s Spirit to work among the underground churches , where leaders confidently estimate 100 million believers, meeting regularly, risking their lives, safekeeping and security, for their faith.
Billy Graham’s father a dairy farmer, whose prayer touched 100 million, who heard the precious gospel face to face. ++++
Red Indian pioneer Breynard, drunken interpreter, night of prayer, dying with tuberculosis.
John Knox, ’Give me Scotland or I die’. Mary Queen of Scots feared his prayer.
5 Auca Indian missionaries, martyred for Christ. Bathed in prayer. 10,000 went to mission fields.