QUESTION: Have you ever been DESPERATE FOR SOMETHING?
• Ever really wanted something so bad that it moved you emotionally, stirred you DESPERATELY?
1. It happens to me more times than I really want.
a. I’m in a hurry. I have appointment to keep, a person to meet, a place to go.
b. So I gather up my stuff, head out to the car and…
c. MY KEYS? Where are my keys? Pocket? NO. Floor? NO.
d. So I rush back in the house, with the clock ticking!
e. FRUSTRATION. Why didn’t I just put them in a place that I can remember to get them? Where are they?
f. I’m going to be late. I can’t believe this. Again!
g. But FRUSTRATION is soon joined by DESPERATION.
h. Where are those keys! I need to go! Marie?!
i. DESPERATION… Webster’s says:
“Involving or employing extreme measures in an attempt to escape defeat or frustration.”
NOTE: When I look at my life, I find there are seasons & times where I must become DESPERATE again for the things of God!
• Spiritual things have become routine.
• My life with Jesus has become too predictable!
• I so wholeheartedly agree with the Psalmist:
Psalm 51.10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
• In desperation there’s focus… Jesus gave us that. (Matt 6:33)
NOTE: Because if we don’t cry out, if we don’t long for the presence and the power of God… staleness & dryness & drought await us.
• It’s like losing our keys… they are laying around waiting.
• And we don’t know we don’t know until we need them!
CH10 opens with a DESPERATE DANIEL, mourning & upset.
• But notice, he’s not RETREATING, He’s REACHING OUT.
I. (10:1-3) DANIEL’S DESPARATION.
1. (1-3) Captivity is about over.
a. Notice that CYRUS was the King of Persia.
b. That makes Daniel around 85-90 years old.
c. It’s been some 72 years since the captivity and he’s still in Babylon while others have already begun to return.
NOTE: As CH10 opens, Daniel is obviously distressed.
V2 – Emotionally Mourning: 3 full weeks.
V3 – Physically Hungry: part fast no pleasant food, no meat, wine.
V3 – Outwardly Stinks: no anointing oil.
APP: There’s seriousness in his distress. He wants to hear from God!
• So he sets about to buffet parts of his body in preparation.
• Let’s turn to 1 Corinthians 9.24-27
• There are times when our outward man just isn’t as important as our inward man.
• Where we must take steps to remind our flesh that our Spirit is what truly matters!
SO WHAT IS FASTING?
• Fasting is the purposeful neglect of some fleshly appetite in order to be strengthened and sharpened by the Lord!
NOTE: FASTING WILL Help DO THAT! It will help you get serious.
• FASTING: The forgoing of a meal, or a day’s worth of meals, or a week’s worth of food to seek the face of God.
• Fasting is often the answer to God’s call to us…
Psalm 27.7-8 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."
NOW: Fasting is a wonderful spiritual discipline if we do it with the right motives.
• It’s not a fancy Christian DIET PLAN it’s a wonderful Christian DISCIPLINE PLAN!
• When we fast… and at the same time devote ourselves to God in prayer & worship: -- At least 3 things are accomplished.
#1 – We LEARN that there is great power by His Spirit. Power to deny yourself. Power to worship deeply & overcome temptation.
#2 – Our PRIORITIES shift back to the things of the Spirit.
#3 – We Gain GREAT VICTORY over habits!
Romans 6.16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
NOTE: FASTING, Combined with Prayer, is powerful!
• There is a real strength in fasting… seeking God’s wisdom.
• Taking time to discipline my body and direct myself spiritually.
• That’s where Daniel is… earnestly seeking the Lord. Desperate
APP: The church needs to become desperate again!
• We live in a day and age where we’re watching our nation go rapidly, headlong down a path toward destruction!
• Marriage being re-defined. Right being called wrong.
• Wrong being called right. God eliminated from our government, from our classrooms, from our society!
• Oh that these things would brother us! Stir us to action.
• Do you get upset that over 50 churches a week close in this country?
• Do you get upset that 1000’s of babies are aborted every week?
• You’re watching a nation implode & corrode from within.
• May we be stirred as Daniel is stirred, seeking the face of God!
II. (10:4-9) GOD’S VISIT.
1. (5) A heavenly visitor.
a. Daniel has seen a lot in his lifetime.
b. Leaders have come and go. Visions, Dreams, Images!
c. Here is the pinnacle of all that he saw… He sees Glory!
d. It sends him to his knees, he’s faint.
e. What a descriptions… again looking at v6!
f. Now many say here that Daniel is seeing Gabriel or Michael here (since Michael is mentioned in v13).
g. NO, it’s not an angel.
I AGREE with most every commentator, that this is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ ministering to Daniel here.
• Who Daniel saw is very similar to who John saw.
• Let’s jump over to Revelation 1:12ff
• The vision of John. The appearance to Daniel.
• It’s Jesus coming to comfort & encourage him in his distress.
• DANIEL’s just lost it. Notice v8… no strength remained in me.
NOTE: This is the typical reaction when people in the Bible get a glimpse of the glory of God! -- We see it in Isaiah 6.
• In Isaiah 5, the chapter is filled with woes and judgment.
• But he turns around and sees God…
Isa 6.5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts."
Peter cries out in the presence of Jesus Christ.
Luke 5.8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
John the Revelator it’s said of him…
Revelation 1.17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
THE BIBLE TEACHES us that God wants fellowship with His people.
• He created man to have fellowship with Him.
• To enjoy His goodness, to bask in his faithfulness, to grow in His grace, to love His appearing!
• It’s what God did with Adam, walking with him in the cool of the day thought the garden of Eden.
• How careful we must be to not lose sight of his glory.
• That when we come into this place, we worship a HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, and AWESOME GOD.
• As we open the word. As we pray. May we be struck by His glory and majesty and power!
III. (10:10-12) ANSWERED PRAYER
1. (10-12) Answered Prayer
a. Isn’t that just a blessing? As soon as you start praying, God hears and His answers are not delayed!
b. Daniel is told that as soon as he prayed, from the first day, his words were heard!
c. Oh that we would understand this! God hears & answers.
Luke 18.1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
• Why? Because our loving God hears and answers!
NOTE: Our brothers & sisters in the Early Church demonstrate this powerful prayer as persecution descends upon them!
• Peter is jailed and rather than break him out, the Pray!
• In answer to their prayer, God breaks Peter out of jail and he quickly returns to the group! Look at Acts 12.13ff
NOTE: Keep in mind here, Daniel’s been praying for 3 weeks, 21 days now.
• That’s a long time to be seeking the Lord that way!
• This angel finally shows up and says, I was sent on day one and now 3 weeks later I’m here!
• The answer to Daniel’s prayer was immediate as far as God was concerned.
• Yet Daniel’s perspective all he heard was NO, or maybe WAIT!
• But God’s answer was there… it was sent… It arrived!
GUYS: Prayer is not a last resort!
• You know, well, all I can do now is pray. There’s no more hope!
• We’ve done everything else. SO let’s pray.
• But Daniel shows us that prayer is where to start.
• It’s where to start, continue, & finish!
• And just because an answer doesn’t come immediately, don’t lose heart. God’s delays are not His denials!
IV. (10:13-21) SPIRITUAL WARFARE
1. (13) Resistance.
a. This prince does not seem to be a human being but an angelic force, a demonic being.
b. Men don’t successfully detain angels!
c. This “Prince of Persia” appears to be a title for a demon dispatched by Satan to hinder the work & answer of God!
d. In v20 the “Prince of Greece” is also mentioned.
e. I believe we’re given a glimpse of what’s going on in the unseen world, the invisible world all around us.
IT MAKES ME WONDER, if the prince of Persia was this bad, what about the prince of San Francisco or London or Baghdad?
• There are angelic influences, both good and evil.
• Satan is the commander and chief of the demonic realm.
• A 1/3 of the angels fell with Satan in his rebellion.
Eph 6.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
NOW DEMONS Don’t like you. That’s the bad news.
• It’s too bad that many Christians only focus on the bad news.
• But see, every bad angel, there are 2 good angels.
Hebrews 1.14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
YES, Satan and his demonic army is organized. He’s determined.
• He’s even successful at times.
• Unfortunately, Christians think they should dive right into the spiritual realm and go toe to toe with Satan.
• They’ll talk to him. They’ll interrupt their prayers to God by binding & throwing & tossing and kicking the devil!
• Groups are talking about territorial demons and they think it’s important to find out who they are and drive them out.
NOTE: We know that Satan is the ruler of this world, this system!
John 12.31 "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
2 Cor. 4.4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
Eph. 2.2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
BUT he’s not omnipresent. He can’t be everwhere at once!
• And he’s not more powerful than our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!
NOTE: Here’s a key with the devil: RESIST HIM.
James 4.7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5.8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
How DO WE RESIST HIM?
Psalm 119.9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
2 Timothy 2.22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
I love how this CHAPTER ENDS. With ENCOURAGEMENT!
• He’s lifted up, built up: beloved of God
• Fear Not. Peace to you. Be strong.
• Why? Because the fight never really ends.
• Notice, the angel had to go back and fight then next prince v20.
• But Gabriel & Michael fight together v21.
• And we as brothers/sisters in the lord fight together too.
• We’re a family. We’re here for each other.
So when sin creeps in and snaps a person… as it shatters lives… it splinters relationships and shuts down spiritual growth.
• May we be open to, active in, RESTORATION.
• That God would draw out REPENTANCE so that the man that has fallen, the woman that has stumbled can get right with God!
Gal 6.1-2 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
• Literally that word restore means ‘to set a broken bone’.
Daniel was desperate, and in his desperation he was seeking the Lord, wanting to stand in the gap for his country, for his people!
• What’s a DESPERATE PERSON TO DO? SEEK GOD!
