Prayer mattered to Daniel. We’re going to take a look at some reasons why this morning and allow Daniel to show us why prayer was such an important part of his life. I’m guessing that if I were to ask folks here this morning if prayer mattered to you I would find it hard to believe that someone would say it doesn’t. No one wants to be the guy who admits in church that prayer isn’t important. But I would like to ask you to think for a moment how important prayer is to you really. If the government made prayer illegal or even worse made it a law that you could only pray to the government would you break that law? In this hypothetical would prayer be important to you? Obviously it’s a hypothetical, maybe you don’t even know for sure, but this scenario actually happened to Daniel. The king made prayer to any god other than to him illegal. But Daniel 6 shares with us that, “he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” Daniel 6:10
Soren Kierkegaard, one of the most intellectual Christian philosophers of the modern era once said, “If I could prescribe one remedy for all the ills of the modern world, I would prescribe silence. For even if the Word of God were proclaimed in the modern world, no one would hear it; there is too much noise. Therefore create silence.”
Kierkegaard lived a 150 years before IPods, IPads, Smart Phones, DVD or Blueray, Radio or Rock and Roll, and yet he had his finger on the pulse of our modern dilemma. There are so many distractions in our daily life that keep us from prayer. How difficult is it for us to focus on our relationship with God when we are surrounded by so much noise? Daniel is an example of a person who knew not only how to pray, but the power that prayer brings to the life of a person who follows God. For the next few moments let’s look at some reasons for how Daniel, even in the midst of his own distractions and obstacles, still found significant moments to pray. Let’s ask, “Why did prayer matter so much to Daniel?”
Prayer mattered to Daniel because prayer helped him to Honor God
Soon after Daniel and his friends were officially entered into the king’s service as part of a team of advisors the king had a weird dream. When none of his closest advisors could tell him the meaning of a dream he became angry and issued a decree to have all the wise men killed. When the captain of the guard found Daniel and his friends to carry out the Kings wishes, Daniel asks and receives an audience with the King. He asks for more time to decipher the dream. Daniel tells his friends that unless they can interpret the dream they will die with the other advisors and wise men. So what do you think Daniel and his friends do?
They pray and they beg God for mercy and the meaning to the dream and God answers their prayer. Daniel tells us that during the night while these young men were praying for mercy from God, He blessed Daniel with a vision that explained the dream. In response to God’s answer to their prayer Daniel prays, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.” Daniel 2:20-23
Prayer mattered to Daniel because prayer was a vehicle of his praise. Expressions of worship, praise, adoration to God should often be included in our prayers. Such expressions recognize God’s position as Father and the Almighty. They remind s of our position under him as his children. There really is no better way to know God this side of heaven than through prayer and fasting. Jesus taught those who were just learning how to be his followers to pray like this: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10
God isn’t playing hide and seek. He isn’t hiding. He wants people to know him. Christianity is a personal and intimate faith. Jesus began this prayer with, “Our Father.” The Aramaic word for “father,” “abba,” literally means “papa.” According to Jesus, God is a loving Father who longs to speak to you as he did to Daniel. And His will and purposes are better than ours for our lives – far better. When these two truths become reality for us, we’ll find it difficult to miss prayer with God. Prayer matters because prayer honors God.
Prayer mattered to Daniel because prayer helped him to see God for who He is. God.
We must humbly acknowledge our complete dependence upon God for all our needs. People are funny. We like to think we’re our own gods, in charge of our lives, self-sufficient, self-reliant, self-motivated, self-made…there’s a lot of self there. According to motivationalday.com 13.5 million self-help books were sold in 2011. That’s 13.5 million new books. There’s no way to know how many were sold second hand, traded, or picked up in garage sales or given away. I don’t think there is anything wrong with picking up a self help book, if a book entitled Women Who Love Too Much or Men Like Women Who Like Themselves or Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them can provide some advice then good for you. But, the reality is that we have nothing – absolutely nothing – expect for what God has given us. Not one scrap of food, not one thread of clothing, not one talent or skill, not even one ounce of intelligence – nothing, nada, zip.
Daniel recognized this. It’s why he prayed multiple times every day. Not because he had to, but, because he recognized his dependence on God. We have the proof of his attitude towards prayer “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” Daniel 6:10
1 John 4:18 tells us there is no fear in love. When you are in love with God, you have no fear of death. When you are completely dependent on God, you have no fear of failure. When you see God for who He is you experience trust not fear.
Jesus said, “Give us today the food we need” Matthew 6:11
There are two key words in this passage: “give” and “today”. God is our daily source for provision, blessing and any other good thing. He daily provides for our needs. A necessary attitude for prayer with power is the recognition that without God we have nothing in our lives. He is our source for all that we need. He alone brings us life. If we don’t give God daily recognition that all provision, resource, and blessing ultimately come from him, we open ourselves up to be deceived and to foolishly attribute our success or what we have to our own effort or to some other institution, even government. We must humbly recognize our deep dependence upon God for all our needs, doing so will help us to see God for who He is. God.
Prayer mattered to Daniel because prayer helped him to confess sin and ask for mercy
Daniel said, “I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations.” Daniel 9:4-5
This prayer is a plea of Daniel for God to show mercy to His children, ancient Israel, who time and time again failed to obey God. In this prayer, Daniel recognized that God alone was justified to judge the world. Daniel shares his heart with God. He confesses the sins of Israel and acknowledges their unfaithfulness. This is a significant reason for why prayer matters. Jesus said this, too, “and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” Matthew 6:12
Jesus died for our sins – he carried the pain and the penalty so we wouldn’t have to. As we bring our pain, hurt and sin before him we are set free and can realize that full benefit of his forgiveness and grace. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 I wonder if Daniel was familiar with Proverbs 15:29, “The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous” Prayer matters because prayer is the vehicle for confessing sin, our need for forgiveness and our need of God’s help to forgive others – to love them as God loves us.
Prayer mattered to Daniel because prayer helped him to rely on God’s mercy
We don’t know the events or situation around the discovery of what Daniel read in Jeremiah, but, apparently he stumbled on something he hadn’t read before. Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem would be desolate for 70 years. So Daniel did what guys did back then when they mourned. He dressed in burlap and sprinkled ashes over himself. And then he prayed and fasted. Towards the end of the prayer Daniel says, “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.” Daniel 9:18-19
Daniel admits that we don’t ‘deserve help’. But this is what mercy is all about. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” Luke 19:10 This is the ultimate in mercy. That even though we don’t deserve God’s grace he extends it anyway.
I have a can of soda. What do you think would happen if I shook this can and then opened it? Maybe I’ll just point it at someone and find out…As you reflect on what kind of damage I can do to your clothes reflect on a couple of questions. How are the “under pressure” contents of this can like the power of God, and how is the tab on this can like prayer? The contents of this can are like the power of God – the most dynamic and powerful force of all – just waiting to be unleashed in the world and in our life situations. Prayer is like “opening up a can” of spiritual power. So if you’re feeling kicked around or down in your daily life….open up a can. It can be easy to be overwhelmed by the wickedness in our world if we don’t live in daily awareness that God is stronger than all of it and that his Spirit and his Word live in our hearts. In us is the power to overcome it all.
Prayer matters because it helps us to rely on God’s mercy. Prayer matters because it helps us to confess sin and ask for mercy. Prayer matters because it helps us to see God for who He is. God. And prayer matters because we honor God when we pray.
Philippians 4:6-7 sums it up for me, and I think Daniel in particular would’ve had this Scripture posted somewhere in his house. “ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
I hope you pray or that you are encouraged to pray so that you will, in whatever life events or situations you face, experience God’s peace.
