Daniel --- His Prayer Life

"He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." --- (SofS 2:4)
Travis Case, Pastor/Teacher          Northgate Baptist Church          F.E.A.S.T Ministries

Daniel 9:1-19, "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; {2} In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. {3} And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: {4} And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; {5} We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: {6} Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. ----- {13} As <it is> written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. ----- {16} O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people <are become> a reproach to all <that are> about us. {17} Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake. {18} O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. {19} O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name."

Introduction:

A. Daniel was a Man of Prayer.

1. In spite of severe testings he Remained Faithful to his Lord.

2. "Can a man be a Christian in Business ... in Politics ... in College? --- YES.

B. But, what was the Secret of Daniel's Loyalty and Devotion?

It is found in his Prayer Life:

1. He prayed for Illumination and Interpretation --- (Dan. 2 17-18)

2. He prayed in Defiance of the king's decree --- (Dan. 6:10-15)

3. His prayer of Confession and Humiliation --- (Dan. 9:1-19)

4. The Spiritual Results of his praying --- (Dan. 10)

5. His Last of his Recorded prayers --- (Dan. 12:8-13)

I. Daniel's Prayer Found It's Inspiration In His Study of The Prophetic Word.

A. True Prayer always begins with the Operation of The Holy Spirit in the heart.

1. Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

2. James 5:16, "Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

B. On the human level, the Inspiration of Prayer may come through the Recognition of Some Urgent Need.

C. What Started Daniel Praying?

1. V. 1-2, tells us that he was pouring over Jeremiah's Prophecy. (Jer. 25:12, 29:10)

2. Israel's Captivity in Babylon would last 70 years --- 68 years had already passed ----- When he discovered this he put on sackcloth and gave himself to prayer.

D. Prayer is Co-operating With God for the Fulfillment of His Will.

E. Our Prayers become the Channels through which the Lord fulfills His purpose.

II. Daniel's Prayer Reveals A True Biblical Conception of God.

A. In Daniel's prayer we have a Marvelous Revelation of What God Is Like:

1. V. 4 --- A Great and Dreadful God --- (1Chron. 29:11-13)

2. V. 4 --- A Faithful God --- (Deut. 7:9)

3. V. 7 --- A Righteous and Just God --- (Gen. 18:25)

4. V. 9 --- A Merciful and Forgiving God --- (Psa. 130:4)

5. V. 11, 14 --- A God of Judgment --- (Heb. 10:31)

6. V. 15 --- A Mighty God --- (Jer. 32:21)

7. V. 6-19 --- A God who Hears and Answers Prayer --- (Luke 11:9-13)

B. This is the Revelation of God that was given to Daniel.

III. Daniel's Prayer Betrays An Overwhelming Burden of Desire.

A. V. 3, "And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:"

1. Notice the Determination, the Preparation and the Resolution included in his prayer.

2. He moves from the petition, "O Lord ..." --- to the petition, "O Lord our God ..." --- and finally to, "O my God ..."

B. Daniel's praying should Challenge Us --- our prayers are so Cold and Halfhearted.

C. We are often so Casual In Our Praying, and our prayers Lack Any Sense of Burden.

IV. Daniel's Prayer Contains A Deep Awareness of Shame And A Confession of Sin.

A. Look at how Completely Daniel Identified Himself With His Brethren (V. 4-6, 8, 10-11, 14) --- He did not cry, "They have sinned ..." --- he said, "We have sinned ..."

B. Arthur Wallis says, "An important feature in the work of intercession is that of Identifying Oneself Not Only With The Need But Also With The Sin of those for whom intercession is made."

1. Moses did this --- (Exo. 32:31-32).

2. Nehemiah did this --- (Neh. 1:6-7).

C. Daniel described the sins of God's people. (V. 5-6, 13)

D. We need to be Sensitive To The Sins that abound in the Church and in the World --- and in Humiliation we should confess these before our God.

V. Daniel's Prayer Is Characterized By Definite Urgent Petitions.

A. There was Nothing Vague about his praying (V. 16-19).

B. How Should We Pray for the Church and for the World --- here are some Suggestions:

1. Prayer for the Church:

a. For a Deep Cleansing work of the Holy Spirit.

b. For a Return To Faith in the Authority and Inspiration of the Bible.

c. For Direct, Clear Gospel Preaching, resulting in Repentance and Renewal.

Eph. 6:18-20, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; {19} And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, {20} For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

d. For Holiness of life in church members.

2. Prayer for the World:

a. For Men To Be Raised Up To Call The Nation Back To God.

b. For those in High Places to be Converted.

c. For the rising tide of Iniquity to be Stemmed.

d. For Repentance and Faith to be given to many.

VI. Daniel's Prayer Indicates The True Motive of Prayer.

A. He asked that the Lord would bless His people and bless His Holy City --- "for the Lord's sake" (V. 17) --- "for Thine own sake" (V. 19).

B. His Motive was the Glory of God.

James 4:3, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts."

VII. Daniel's Prayer Illustrates The Results of True Prayer. --- What Happens when we Pray?

A. Immediately when we pray --- our prayer is heard.

Daniel 10:12, "Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words."

Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

B. Immediately when we pray --- we Set In Motion A Spiritual Conflict --- the forces of evil are aroused.

Daniel 10:13, "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia."

Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]."

C. Immediately when we pray --- Fear Is Banished and Strength Is Imparted.

Daniel 10:19, "And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace [be] unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me."

Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint."

D. Surely this is a chapter that will Send Us To Our Knees In Prayer.

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