vacMidway - Aug. 28, 2005
1) {Tell the story}
1a) {Open illustration – start with a clip of our Summer Sport Tournament }
You remember this basketball game. One minute left, we lead by 8 points, then lost the game because the other side start pulling technical fouls and we couldn’t score enough free-throws.
In sport, there is this concept of “kinetic memory”: the ability for your muscles to do the right thing automatically. The point of practice is to create this “kinetic memory” enough so that in the heat of the competition, you don’t have to remember how to stance, how to aim, or how to hit correctly.
1b) {Bridge to text}
We are in the last message of the series “Godly Life in the Ungodly World” on the life of Daniel.
Today we are going to examine one of the basic spiritual disciplines that Daniel employed to create a “kinetic memory” for him to do the right thing in the midst of pressures he received in the ungodly world he lives in.
It’s the practice of private prayer.
1c) Let’s turn to Daniel 6:10-13 {Read Scripture}
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed [1] , giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying [2] and asking-God-for-help [3] . 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays [2] to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays [2] three times a day.”
1d) {Prayer}
1e) {Retell the ancient story}
i) What was the decree about? Competition for relying on God vs. relying on the World and its men
ii) Why was it there? Jealousy.
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” [2 Tim. 3:12]
iii) What were Daniel options?
(1) Obey = making petition to Darius instead of God = trust in the World is idolatry.
“Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” [Ps. 40:4]
(2) Defer = sin against God
Prayerlessness is a sin. It is Samuel who said to the Israelites, “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way” [I Samuel 12:23]. Apparently Samuel believed it is a sin to not pray for people. [i] And if so, it may be that most of us would be wise to see that it’s a sin not to pray to God. Why? Because by not praying, we are saying to God “I don’t need you”.
Prayerlessness will also leave the door open for all other sins. This is made clear by the command of Jesus in Mark 14:38. He said to his disciple “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” [ii] .
(3) Close Windows = fear the World
But what about the option of closing the windows to pray so prying eyes won’t see what you do? It seems to be a perfect solution because you could obey the law of the land, yet also fulfill your duty toward God.
The problem is that Daniel had always been praying with his windows opened. If Daniel starts to close the windows now, hiding his faith, it means that he is afraid of the King in this matter. [iii]
(4) Disobey the law to obey God
And so Daniel had only one option left: to disobey the law to obey God.
Jesus agreed with this option. He taught us, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” [Matt.10:28]
1f) {Thesis & Tracking Points}
The habit of private prayer will help us have a Godly life in an Ungodly world. “It was this prayer-fellowship with Yahweh that had safeguarded Daniel from the corrupting influences of Babylonian culture.” [iv]
In prayer, we...
... Kneel under God to withstand the ungods
... Kneel in private to stand in public
... Kneel heavenward to walk earthbound
2) {The points}
First: KNEEL UNDER GOD TO WITHSTAND THE UNGODS
i) {Text: “decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.” [v.7b]}
ii) {Explain – the issue here is RELYING}
The word “pray” here in the original language meant “make petition”, asking for any things, not pray in term of worship a deity. The main issue here is “relying”. The decree is designed for people to rely solely on King Darius instead of any other god or man.
Many people may not have any problem with that. We are so used to the idea of the “self-made man”. We get ahead by relying on ourselves. Occasionally when things got out of hand, we will need to rely on someone else for a job lead, or mom and dad for some emergency money, and so on.
But as children of God, God wants us to rely on Him first. It pleases Him that we rely on Him!
iii) {Illustrate – John Piper has this illustration from the book “Desiring God”}
“Suppose you are totally paralyzed and can do nothing for yourself but talk. And suppose a strong and reliable friend promised to live with you and do whatever you needed done. How could you [honor] your friend if a stranger came to see you? Would you [honor] his generosity and strength by trying to get out of bed and carry him? No! You would say, "Friend, please come lift me up, and would you put a pillow behind me so I can look at my guest. And would you please put my glasses on for me?" And so your visitor would learn from your requests that you are helpless and that your friend is strong and kind. You [honor] your friend by needing him and asking him for help and counting on him.” [v]
That action of relying would make the friend looks good, but that of course would make you looks bad. That’s perhaps why we would rather rely on ourselves and on other people first and we won’t rely on God until the last resort. The issue is our own pride.
iv) {Apply – Are we praying as relying on God, or just as a duty?}
If we are not willing to lay down our own pride and kneel down before God in humility, relying on Him, we will not pray much.
There are some of us don’t pray much because we don’t really need anything else from God. Life is well, my school is great, my date is lovely, my family is wonderful, my career is on the right track. If I need anything else I will give you a call O God; but not at this moment.
Take a look at Daniel’s life. The man is on top of the food-chains, yet he was needy enough before God to pray all the times. Are you praying as needy for God, or is it just part of a duty? If it’s not your usual practice now to rely on God when everything is well, do you think your spiritual “kinetic memory” will kick in when you face tremendous pressure from the ungodly world? Kneeling under God now and you will have a chance to withstand the Ungodly temptations later.
Second: KNEEL IN PRIVATE TO STAND IN PUBLIC
i) {Text: “he went home… three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God”}
ii) {Explain – the development of prayer: community of faith -> PRIVATE life -> public }
At the end of this chapter we see that Daniel was exalted, “So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius” [v.28]. King Darius even sent a public declaration to the whole country saying “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel” [v.26]. All of this came because he was willing to say “No” to the King in public.
And before he could say “No” to the Ungodly world in his public practices , there was already a commitment to say “Yes” to God in his private practices. [vi]
How would we go about to develop a commitment to say “Yes” to God in our private life so that we can say “No” to the World in our public life? Looking back, we found many similar incidents. In chapter 3 last week, the three friends of Daniel also refused to bow before the golden statue. And when we get to chapter 2, we found that in the midst of crisis, “Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon” [Dan. 2:17-18].
I see a development pattern like this: We practice following God with the community of the people of God first. From there it leads to the practice of following God in our private life. And then we can stand firm in following God the secular world. A commitment to a prayer life in private will lay the foundation for Godly life in public.
iii) {Illustrate} [vii]
Last time when we went to Yosemite with our youth group, we took a tour to see the giant Sequoia trees in the forest. There you see very big and tall trees, average between 200 to 300 feet. But we also surprised to see a lot of fallen Sequoia; more than average. And the tour guide explained that Big Sequoia trees fall more often because they have a very shallow root system.
iv) {Apply – Do we have individual prayer life yet?}
Without a private deeply rooted prayer life, we will not be able to stand tall in the public life for too long. I am afraid that many of us here were just follow the crowd and running around with many religious activities. Many of us thought that by if we busy ourselves with these activities; our spiritual life will get better. On the contrary, the experience of many Christians before us called for a deeper prayer life.
Our church congregation has a corporate prayer time where we gather and pray on the first Friday of the month. But beyond the corporate prayer of the community, we will need to dig deeper into the presence of God in each of our private life. Remember the pattern of practicing following God from the community of faith to individual private life and onto standing tall in public? If you have not considered this before, come and join others as we pray together this coming Friday night.
Third: KNEEL HEAVENWARD TO WALK EARTHBOUND
i) {Text: “toward Jerusalem”; “prayed / giving thanks” vs. “praying / asking-God-for-help”}
The text mentioned that Daniel faced Jerusalem when he prayed. It is a reminder for him that despite his success in Babylon; his true home is back in Jerusalem; his identity is still that of a Jews.
ii) {Explain – the issue here is we are BETWEEN TWO WORLDS}
We also keep our windows of the soul open toward the heavenly Jerusalem. Our prayer life is an expression of that [viii] . When we pray, we realize that we are between two worlds. Despite our earthly success or failure here, our true home belongs to heaven, and our identity is children of God. [ix]
iii) {Illustrate – Misconception of God as a big vending machine}
As children of God, we know our heavenly Father in a different way than the other earthlings perceive of Him.
One of my friends said last week, “many people of our time see God as a great vending machine – insert your prayers, and get what you want.” [x]
iv) {Apply – Is our prayer more than just gimme gimme?}
And that was what Daniel’s accusers understood about his prayer. Every time they referred to the term “prayer” in this chapter they used the word “make petition” in the original language. But prayer is more than just making petitions, asking God to “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”
Here we see Daniel’s prayer life is much more than that. He “prayed, [and] giving thanks to his God” the text said. The term “prayed” here is different than the other “pray/make-petition” term which was used by the outsiders. It gives a sense of bow down and worship. So here, Daniel worshiped and gave thanks to God “when [he] learned that the decree had been published”.
What’s wrong with that picture? Isn’t he supposed to cry out to God, make petitions and plead for miracle from Him?
Apparently in prayer, Daniel was aware of the peace from the heavenly world, and not just the threat of this world. Prayer ultimately is the communication of our relationship with God, and not just merely relying on Him. Just like true communication between parents and child, it’s not just asking, but sharing and praising, and playing and rebuking.
The practice of spending time with God will allows us to grow in our relationship with God. We will know God more. We will have the heavenly perspective more often to shed light on our earthly situation.
3) {Address the problem / Imagine the differences}
So, what our prayer life is still lacking?
3a) {Lack of know how?}
Daniel has a routine: a specific time, a specific place, and even a specific posture in prayer.
He also has a specific practice, listening to God first (by reading the Word) and then responding to it: “In the first year of [Darius] 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. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” [Dan.9:2-3]
I have found it very helpful to interact directly with the Word. Others have suggested that devotional aides like “My Utmost for His Highest” or “The Daily Bread” would be helpful. Some would subscribe to devotional email and read them before praying.
Or try this: here are the bookmarks about our next series “Symbiosis – Living Together”. It has the weekly passages which we will study from next week until Thanksgiving. Why don’t you use that as your reading schedule and share what you learn from God on our web site? Whatever the case, we must be sure to remember that prayer is not merely talking to God, but also listen to his voice as well.
3b) {Lack of time?}
Don’t just wait to have time to pray – make time to pray. Instead of prioritize our schedule, let’s schedule our priorities.
“It is a common observation that those who have no regular habits of prayer very seldom do much praying. It is well for God’s people purposefully and deliberately to set aside and faithfully adhere to a definite prayer schedule. Prayer is thus recognized as a [sic] important part of the Christian life and given the place which it deserves.” [xi]
I have found it very helpful to have my time for God in the morning at my desk at work. Others have suggested that you could roll right off the bed into a kneeling position next to bed as a way to wake up. Whatever the case, we must be sure to make the time and don’t wait to have time.
3c) {Lack of accountability – IL: Grassy path to prayer}
May be another obstacles was the lack of accountability.
There’s a story about one area of Africa where Christianity began to spread, converts were zealous about daily devotions. They would find their own spot within the wild thickets and pour their hearts out to God. After some time the spots became well-worn, and paths were created. Soon, one’s prayer life was made public. If someone began to neglect his or her devotional life, it would soon be noticed by others. Believers would then gently and lovingly remind those in neglect, "The grass grows on your path." [xii]
I have found it very helpful to make my grassy path a little more public by keeping my devotional journal on the Internet, where others could keep me accountable to it. (Except for right now, I am going through Songs of Solomon so it was kept mostly private for the sake of 18-and-under crowd). Others have suggested that you should encourage your friends to ask you about what have you learned lately in your private time with God. Whatever the case, find some ways to wear your prayer life on your sleeves.
It had been said that the police had plenty of evidences to arrest Daniel for praying. If they want to arrest you, would they find any evidence?
4) {Conclusion: Imagine the difference}
a) What do we get out of that Godly habit?
Communication always helps relationship grow. You will grow in from just being children of God to a friendship with the Lord. You can trust Him more. You will have unshakeable peace like Daniel had: worship and give thanks when everything else seems to crumble around him. You will experience God’s undeniable intervention in your life, which is reserved for people who trust in Him just like the end of this chapter: “The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God” [Dan.6:23]
And God will confide in you too: “Friendship with the Lord is reserved for those who fear him. With them he shares the secrets of his covenant.” [Ps. 25:14, NLT] Look at the rest of the book of Daniel. This is one man who God revealed the rest of His plan for the human history too.
b) {Closing Illustration}
Back when I was in school; usually the library was packed around final when everyone was cramming for study. In those days, you have to show up early in the library just to get a good spot to study. And one early morning I show up and see a friend of mine from afar. “Wow, you start your study early huh?” I asked. “Not really, I am still doing my devotion, haven’t start my study yet!” I was very impressed at his devotional habit. But not until now, I start realizing that my friend is one of the modern day’s Daniel. Despite the pressure of cramming for final, he devoted his time for God first. No doubt that habit will help him to always relying God first, regardless of what’s going on in his life later. [xiii]
Annie Ortlund wrote this in Today’s Christian Woman: “The quality of your [spiritual] life will be determined by the amount of time you spend alone with God in reading, praying, and planning.” [xiv]
There will be stormy times as long as we following God in this world. There may be times when the pressures are just so great. In those times, would your spiritual “kinetic memory” kick in and help you to anchor your life and overcome the chaos? If you have the Godly habit of spending time with God privately in prayer, you will be able to continue living a Godly life in this Ungodly world.
For reference notes, formatted text and comments, please go to http://i12know1stdraft.blogspot.com/2005/08/kneeling-down-in-ungodly-world.html#comments
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