NATION-SHAKING PRAYERS
Daniel 9:2-7, 11, 13, 17-23
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: Election in 2 Days; Memorable Jokes
1. "Over the weekend, President Obama announced that he was running for a second term as president of the United States. There’s a brand-new campaign slogan — ’Give me four more years to find my birth certificate.’" —David Letterman
2. "Mitt Romney says he’s never paid less than 13% in taxes, which I think is fair because only 13% of his money is in this country." –Jay Leno
3. "Prominent people are coming forward to attest to President Obama’s American citizenship. The Governor of Hawaii said he first met Obama just days after he was born. He knew it was Obama, because he kept pointing to his diaper and calling for change." –Conan O’Brien
4. "Today Mitt Romney visited a firehouse here in New York City. Of course, he was disappointed when he learned that the firehouse is not where you get to fire people." –Jimmy Fallon
5. "President Obama released his tax returns. It turns out he made $900,000 less in 2011 then he did in 2010. You know what that means? Even Obama is doing worse under President Obama." –Jay Leno
6. "Mitt Romney believes that marriage should be between one man and one woman. Which is better than his grandfather, who believed that it should be between one man and five women." -Jimmy Kimmel.
7. "A man in Florida has been arrested for wearing a President Obama mask while robbing a McDonald’s. To show you how good this guy’s disguise was, instead of a holdup note he was reading from a teleprompter." –Jay Leno
B. TEXT
2 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 17 Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” 20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision.
C. THESIS
1. This is certainly one of the most important elections our nation has ever faced.
2. I’m glad for all of those who have gone out and voted, but more is required. We must fall on our knees and pray for a heaven-sent revival.
3. We have the biblical example of Daniel, who, though he had the promise of revival from Scripture, still felt it his responsibility to "pray-it-in."
4. R.A. Torrey once said, "They are have been revivals without much preaching; but there has never been a mighty revival without mighty praying."
5. We’re going to look this morning at how 1). Daniel set his face to seek God, 2). How Daniel agonized before God, and 3). How Daniel knew a fresh effort of prayer must confront new situations.
6. The title of this morning’s message is: "Nation-Shaking Prayers."
I. DANIEL SET HIS FACE TO SEEK GOD
A. DANIEL WAS ALREADY A PRAYING MAN
1. Scripture says, he prayed 3X a day (6:10; morning, noon, and night).
2. He prayed -- even when he knew it would cost him his life.
3. Even the King commented, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you" (6:16).
4. And Daniel walked with God, and God gave him revelations about the future.
5. But even ALL THAT WASN’T ENOUGH FOR DANIEL. Daniel knew there was more!
B. HE FELT CALLED TO ENTER INTO INTERCESSION
1. Daniel recognized the times; "My generation is in a crisis! It’s going to take more than ordinary praying!"
2. Daniel read Jeremiah 29:10 and the truth of it struck him; "God’s time has come! He’s ready to deliver us. We stand at the end of the 70 years of captivity, at the threshold of a glorious outpouring, BUT WE ARE NOT READY! We’ve become lazy! We have this great promise of revival, yet no one is taking it seriously and calling on God!"
3. It’s the same with us! This is a time -- of both great crisis, and great possibility of revival -- for America, but God wants us to "pray it in."
4. Many times in history, the Word tells us "God had something (blessing) prepared" "but you would not."
5. Why? Why does God do it this way? God knows He can only entrust His blessings to those who value them highly enough to lay hold of them.
6. J. WILBUR CHAPMAN & PRAYING HYDE
a. J. Wilbur Chapman had been holding meetings in England, but the attendance had been disappointingly small.
b. Then he received word that John Hyde, who became known to the world as Praying Hyde, a Presbyterian missionary to India, was going to pray down God’s blessing upon him and his work.
c. As a result of Hyde’s powerful praying, the tide soon turned and the meeting hall became packed with people. At Chapman’s first altar call, 50 men received Christ as their Savior.
d. Chapman writes, "As we were leaving I said, "Mr. Hyde, I want you to pray for me." He came to my room, turned the key in the door, and dropped to his knees, and waited five minutes without a single syllable coming from his lips.
e. I could hear my own heart thumping, and his beating. I felt hot tears running down my face. I knew I was with God. Then with upturned face, down which the tears were streaming, he said "Oh God."
f. Then for five minutes at least he was still again; and then, when he knew that he was talking to God, there came from the depths of his heart such petitions for me as I had never heard before. I rose from my knees to know what real prayer was." Roger F. Campbell, You Can Win!, pp. 17-18.
g. Secret of Hyde? He knew that seeking God could change things NOW.
C. OTHERS WHO SOUGHT FULFILLMENT THRU PRAYER
1. NEHEMIAH -- got desperate, even though he had a promise of total victory, before he started. "And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven" (1:4).
2. EZRA also had a glorious promise of restoration, yet prepared his heart to seek God. He didn’t just say, "God said it. I’ll just stand on His promise until it comes to pass." No! "I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard... and... I fell upon my knees and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God, and said, "Oh my God, I’m ashamed to blush and to lift up my face to You... for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens" (Ezra 9:3-6). Ezra knew that revival must be "birthed" through prayer.
D. REVIVAL MUST BE BIRTHED THRU PRAYER
1. CHARLES FINNEY’S INTERCESSOR
a. Charles Finney. Many people know him. However, few know the name, Daniel Nash. Nash was a lackluster pastor in upper New York State who, at the age of 48, dedicated his life to prayer.
b. Long before Finney would arrive in a town, Nash would be there in an empty cellar or boarding house room, praying for the power of God to enter the city.
c. Finney relates: "When I got to town to start a revival a lady contacted me who ran a boarding house. She said, "Brother Finney, do you know a Father Nash? He and two other men have been at my boarding house for the last three days, but they haven’t eaten a bite of food. I opened the door and peeked in at them because I could hear them groaning, and I saw them down on their faces. They have been this way for three days, lying prostrate on the floor and groaning. I thought something awful must’ve happened to them. I was afraid to go in and I didn’t know what to do. Would you please come see about them?"
d. "No, it isn’t necessary," Finney replied. "They just have a spirit of travail in prayer." Within four months of Nash’s death, Finney left evangelism for the pastorate. The great prayer warrior of his crusades was gone.
2. God, Wake us up! Let us become so hungry, so on-fire, so burdened for Your will and purpose that You pour out Your Spirit mightily!
II. DANIEL AGONIZED ALONE & UNSELFISHLY
A. DANIEL’S DETERMINATION
1. Daniel didn’t wait for a ‘called’ prayer meeting. Daniel wasn’t looking to the spiritual temperature of others when deciding how "hot" to be for God.
2. If no one else sought God, that wouldn’t stop him. Are you willing to go-it-alone?
3. Daniel was determined to touch God for his generation whether anyone else did or not.
B. DANIEL’S MOTIVATION
1. Daniel wasn’t agonizing over his own needs, but for the people of God.
2. It’s pleasing to God -- when we care about Him and His work!
3. Stanley Banks once said, "Heaven isn’t moved by oratory, but it will be moved by soul agony and tears."
C. PRAYER: THE UNTAPPED RESOURCE
1. Some years ago a woman was hit by a car and pinned under the car. The bystanders were making preparation to try to lift the car.
2. Suddenly a man stepped from the crowd and lifted the car enough that the woman could be pulled to safety.
3. Later, news reporters asked the man to lift the same car for pictures, but the man was unable to budge it.
4. Apparently he had some "untapped" power waiting in reserve for just such an extraordinary occasion. All he had to do was draw on that power when it was most needed.
5. The power of prayer is very similar – it waits to be released by the child of God when a crisis situation stirs them enough to exert their powers with God.
III. DANIEL KNEW: EVERY NEW CRISIS REQUIRES A FRESH BURST / EFFORT OF PRAYER
A. HUMOR
1. Two men were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence.
2. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn’t make it. Terrified, the one shouted to the other, "Put up a prayer, John. We’re in for it!"
3. John answered, "I can’t. I’ve never prayed in public my whole life." "But you must!" implored his companion. "The bull is catching up to us."
4. "All right," panted John, "I’ll say the only prayer I know, that we pray at the table. ‘Oh Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.’"
B. DANIEL’S PREVIOUS PRAYER EFFORTS
1. Daniel 2 – Nebuchadnezzar’s dream revealed.
2. Daniel 4 -- Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of the Tree. Daniel interpreted it.
3. Daniel 6 -- Law made against prayer. Penalty: the lion’s den. Daniel prayed anyway and touched God so that the lions wouldn’t harm him.
4. Daniel 7 & 8 -- He prayed and interpreted dreams and visions given to him.
5. Daniel 5; He read the ‘handwriting on the wall.’
6. Daniel 9 -- He prayed for end of captivity. Angel
7. Daniel 10 -- 90 years old. He doesn’t say, "I’ve done my time." No, he returns to fasting, weeping, and mourning. He wants a new touch/work of the Spirit in his life. He was touched in verses 10 & 18.
C. GOD’S RESPONSE
1. Daniel 10:12, "Daniel... from the first day..."
2. The moment you say, "Yes, Lord, I’ll stand in the gap and pay the price," God hears you.
3. Like Daniel, we can say, "I’ve received several touches, but I want a fresh touch from God NOW!"
4. Leonard Ravenhill says, "The law of prayer is the law of the harvest: Sow sparingly in prayer, reap sparingly; so bountifully in prayer, reap bountifully. The trouble is we are trying to get from our efforts what we never put into them."
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: DON’T QUIT PRAYING
1. Bill Hybels tells how, after a baptismal service in his church, he bumped into a woman in the stairwell who was crying. I thought this was a little odd, since the service was so joyful.
2. I asked her if she was all right. She said, "No, I’m struggling." She said, "My mom was baptized today. I prayed for her every day for almost 20 years. The reason I’m crying is because I came this close to giving up on
her.
3. At the 5 year mark, I said, "Who needs this? God isn’t listening." At the 10 year mark I said, "Why am I wasting my breath?" At the 15 year mark I said, "This is absurd." At the 19 year mark I said, "I’m just a fool."
4. But I just kept trying, kept praying. Even with weak faith I kept praying. Then she gave her life to Christ and she was baptized today. I regret that I ever doubted the power of prayer!" Do we doubt it?
B. THE CALL
1. Beloved, God is getting ready to pour out His Spirit. The Lord is saying, "Will you once again seek My face that I move in this land?"
2. God has prophesied revival for our time. Will we coldly sit by and watch it pass? Or will we “give birth” to revival by prayer?
3. Do you need a fresh touch? Seek it!
4. Will we fail…
a. those who are depending on us to pray?
b. a generation, letting it be bypassed because we don’t intercede?
5. It’s time we dust off our Bibles. It’s time we began to wear holes in the knees of our pants. It’s time we discover again what it means to labor in prayer.
6. Richard Trench says, "Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, it’s laying hold of God’s willingness."
