Daniel Shined Because He Knew How To Pray Through A Problems Series

Introduction

The Bible tells us that we are to give all our problems to God. Small problems, medium size problems, and those horribly large problems we face are to be turned over to God. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. But the truth is, we think many times we can handle our problems on our own. And without giving our small and medium problems over to God then we are at a lost as to what to do when those big problems occur.

Daniel, in our story today is not having a small or medium size problem. It is a life-or-death problem. It is a horribly large problem. If Daniel is unable to tell King Nebuchadnezzar the dream that he had along with its interpretation, the king was going to have him killed. I would suggest that Daniel didn’t freak out at the size of his problem, He didn’t throw a pity party- why is this happening to me, God. He didn’t go drown his troubles with wine. Nor did he get angry at God.

I believe that none of those things happened because Daniel learned how to give smaller problems over to God. In Daniel Chapter 1, Daniel faced a dietary problem. A dietary problem might be big, but I can assure you it is not as big as a life-or-death problem. The King wanted Daniel and his friends to eat the king’s diet but to do so would break Daniel’ dietary laws as a Jew. So, he tells the chief eunuch give me ten days of my food and see what my God can do (that is where he turned it over to God). And the eunuch saw that Daniel’s God shined.

There is a lesson there. Daniel learned to give smaller problems to God which made it easier to give the larger problems to God. If you don’t practice giving your smaller and medium size problems to God, you will never be able to give Him your larger problems.

Daniel did give His larger problem to God and let’s see what we can learn from it because one day we too might be facing a large problem. And we must be able to turn that over to God.

Turn in your Bibles to Daniel 2: 17-23.

Today's ScriptureDaniel 2:17–23 (NKJV)

17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

20 Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

For wisdom and might are His.

21 And He changes the times and the seasons;

He removes kings and raises up kings;

He gives wisdom to the wise

And knowledge to those who have understanding.

22 He reveals deep and secret things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

And light dwells with Him.

23 “I thank You and praise You,

O God of my fathers;

You have given me wisdom and might,

And have now made known to me what we asked of You,

For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”

Daniel shined because He Knew that when Facing a Problem, The First Line of Offense was Prayer; and Daniel had His Prayer Team in Place.

Daniel 2:17–18 (NKJV)

17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret...

Daniel arrives back home from his audience with the king having been granted some time to be able to discern the king's dream and its interpretation. His first action is not to go looking for some self- help in any type of book discussing how to know and interpret dreams.

Instead, the Scripture says that he made known to his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah the king's decision. So, in verse 17, these three young men are referred to as his companions. But in verse 18 we discover that they are more than just his companions because it says that they went to the Lord to seek His mercies. They are more than companions; I am telling you they are his prayer team.

Daniel did not round up a prayer team after he found out that he had a problem. Nowhere do I see Daniel say: would you join me in praying on this. After telling the king's decision, they immediately went to pray. Obviously, they had done that before. They had prayed with each other; they had each other's back. They were a prayer team.