Good morning.
This morning we'll be talking specifically about the topic of prayer and looking at it in light of the book of Daniel.
! Almost often be drawing your attention to Daniel chapter 2 again, which you can find on page 738 of the Bible in the seat back in front of you.
Page 738. The topic of prayer has been very interesting to study over the last few weeks.
In a time where culture is so often anti-religion, anti-Christian, anti-church, even anti-God, surprisingly prayer is still a largely accepted concept and acceptable practice.
So, for example, if you ask to talk to somebody about Jesus, you'll far more often find resistance than if you offer to pray for someone or indicate you are praying for someone.
Now, as we begin, let's look at a few definitions of prayer from the internet.
The first is from CollinsDictionary.com and it simply says,
Prayer is the activity of speaking to God.
Vocabulary.com says,
A prayer is something you say to a god or deity.
Your prayer can be silent words of thanks or a plea for help that's spoken out loud.
Most religious believers say a prayer from time to time.
While some people might use prayer as part of their plan for recovering from an illness,
others bend their heads in prayer whenever they attend church or temple services.
Then Wikipedia, which I think probably gives us a better idea of the world's view on prayer,
says,
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication.
In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ancestor.
More generally, prayer can also have the purpose of thanksgiving or praise,
and in comparative religion is closely associated with more abstract forms of meditation and with charms or spells.
Prayer can take a variety of forms.
It can be part of a set liturgy or ritual, and it can be performed alone or in groups.
Prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creedal statement,
or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person.
Today, most major religions involve prayer in one way or another.
Some ritualize the act, requiring a strict sequence of actions
or placing a restriction on those on who is permitted to pray,
while others teach that prayer may be practiced spontaneously by anyone at any time.
So, given all of that, watch this brief video about prayer from the website called Skylight,
which is part of the Radiant Foundation.
Today in America, we'll roll out enough prayer rugs and mats to reach coast to coast five times.
Today, we'll count enough tiny prayer beads to encircle the 48 states.
And today, we will light so many prayer candles and flames.
They could lift 20,000 hot air balloons.
But most astonishingly, today, prayer will lift her heart just a little bit higher.
So, the Radiant Foundation, who produced this video,
commissioned a National Day of Prayer survey in 2023,
and they gathered information from almost 1,800 people ages 18 to 64
that reflected the demographic diversity of the U.S. adult population.
What they found was 85% of Americans connect to their higher power.
61% of those connect with a higher power through prayer.
What are the top three reasons people give for praying?
One, to connect with God.
Two, to feel less anxious or depressed.
Three, to find solutions to my problems.
What is it that people are praying for?
The top three are this, for loved ones in crisis,
when somebody else is ill,
for other people suffering or in crisis.
Now, the people who said they are praying said
they average about 18 minutes a day.
18 minutes a day in prayer.
And after they prayed,
people said they most often felt calm,
grateful, optimistic, humbled.
Now, of those that were surveyed,
87% of those praying
had at least one prayer answered in the last 12 months.
And 84% of praying Americans think
your prayers are heard no matter how you believe.
Now, I'm sure, like me,
there are several things that stood out to you from the survey
that are interesting, surprising, possibly alarming.
Yet I found myself wondering
how often those of us in the church
find ourselves in very similar situations.
taking our 18 minutes a day
to connect with our higher power,
trying to connect with God,
trying to feel less anxious or depressed,
hoping to find some solution to our problems,
praying for our loved ones who are in crisis or ill,
for those who are suffering,
or maybe for our own challenges or needs.
Praying so we can feel more calm,
more grateful, more optimistic.
We're probably not hoping to be humbled,
but maybe hoping to have some type of transcendent
or mystical experience,
content with at least one answer to prayer a year,
or maybe a month, maybe a week,
generally believing that any prayer is authentic prayer
and that God hears them all equally.
You see, I think it's pretty easy for us
to function in this way
with this mystical, anemic, vague, worldly view of prayer,
at least until you have one of those days.
One of those days where your life
or your marriage or your family,
your job or something else
that's essential or precious to you blows up.
You're caught off guard,
suddenly finding yourself helpless
in the middle of some raging storm
in a broken and fallen world.
And maybe it's not the first day things blow up.
Maybe it's the 30th day or the 100th day
when you're facing some overwhelming loss,
some feeling, some sickness,
some pain, some frailty,
some need,
maybe a disappointment or a fear
that continues without any hope of getting better.
There's no light on the horizon.
It's the day that you realize
you're facing a problem
that there's no way you can fix
and there's no way you can endure.
That's the day that our mystical,
anemic, vague, worldly prayers fail us.
All the formulas or the incantations
that we've practiced in the name of prayer
are not enough,
leaving us wondering,
does prayer really work?
Does God really hear?
Does God really care?
The day that God seems so far away.
And that's exactly the kind of day
we find in Daniel chapter 2.
If you would, follow along with me
as I read Daniel 2 verses 1 through 11 again.
Daniel 2 verses 1 through 11.
It reads,
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar,
Nebuchadnezzar had dreams.
His spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.
Then the king commanded that the magicians,
the enchanters, the sorcerers, the Chaldeans
be summoned to tell the king his dreams.
So they came in and they stood before the king
and the king said to them,
I had a dream and my spirit is troubled
to know the dream.
Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic,
O king, live forever.
Tell your servants the dream
and we will show you the interpretation.
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans,
The word for me is firm.
If you do not make known to me the dream
and its interpretation,
you shall be torn limb from limb
and your houses shall be laid in ruins.
But if you show the dream and its interpretation,
you will receive from me gifts and rewards
and great honor.
Therefore, show me the dream
and its interpretation.
They answered a second time and said,
Let the king tell his servants the dream
and we'll show its interpretation.
The king answered and said,
I know with certainty
that you're trying to gain time
because you see that the word for me is firm.
If you do not make the dream known to me,
there is but one sentence for you.
You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me
till the times change.
Therefore, tell me the dream
and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.
The Chaldeans answered the king and said,
There's not a man on earth
who can meet the king's demand.
For no great and powerful king
has asked such a thing of any magician
or enchanter or Chaldean.
And the thing that the king asks is difficult
and no one can show it to the king
except the gods
whose dwelling is not with flesh.
You see, King Nebuchadnezzar is having one of those days.
The most powerful man in the world
has a dream so vivid
that he's troubled.
He's undone.
He can't stop thinking about it.
He's not sure what to do.
So he calls the spiritual experts,
the magicians,
the enchanters,
the sorcerers,
the Chaldeans.
Then suddenly,
the spiritual experts are having one of those days.
The king wants them to do what?
And if they don't,
they're going to be torn limb from limb
and their houses laid in ruins?
Suddenly, all of their collective knowledge,
their power,
their spiritual expertise,
and their mighty prayers are undone.
They're shown to be what they are,
empty,
anemic,
powerless,
merely for show.
When push comes to shove,
their prayers are worthless.
You can hear it in their voice.
The thing that the king asks is difficult.
No one can show it to the king
except the gods
and their dwelling's not with flesh.
Their argument is clear.
Nobody in their right mind
would expect anyone
to be able to do this.
Nobody's connection to God
or the gods
is sufficient for a task.
Nobody's prayer can do that.
No matter how much we want to,
if we want to save our own necks,
we want to save our families,
it's only the gods.
Only God can do what you're asking.
And although we hate to admit it,
king,
we don't have access to him.
We don't have access to them.
They are not accessible.
And you remember what happens.
As a result,
the king is enraged
and decides to kill them all.
He's done with all their shallow,
powerless,
worthless prayers,
their empty counsel,
all of their collective experience
and supposed wisdom.
That power,
that counsel was worthless
if they couldn't connect with the gods,
if they couldn't effectively pray.
But you remember what happens next.
Daniel finds out
about the whole decree
to kill all the wise men,
which would include him
and his friends,
Hananiah,
Mishael,
and Azariah.
And in stark contrast
to the other wise men,
Daniel immediately schedules
an appointment with the king
to do the impossible,
to do what only God can do.
Then Daniel goes and tells Hananiah,
Mishael,
and Azariah
what's going on
and he asks them to pray with him,
to seek mercy from the God of heaven.
So they pray.
Then Daniel 2.19,
it's almost shocking in its brevity
where it says,
Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel
in a vision of the night.
Did you get that?
They prayed.
God answered.
Daniel 2.25-28 continues,
Then Ariok brought in Daniel
before the king in haste
and said thus to him,
I have found among the exiles of Judah
a man who will make known
to the king the interpretation.
The king declared to Daniel,
whose name was Belteshazzar,
Are you able to make known to me
the dream that I have seen
and its interpretation?
Daniel answered the king and said,
No.
No wise men, enchanters, magicians,
or astrologers
can show to the king
the mystery that the king has asked.
But there is a God in heaven
who reveals mysteries.
And he's made known to King Nebuchadnezzar
what will be in the latter days.
So Daniel goes in
and says the same thing
the Chaldeans said.
Only God can do this.
But have no fear, king.
There is a God in heaven
and he is accessible.
He reveals mysteries.
And he's made known to the king
what will happen.
And then as you remember,
they all live happily ever after.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah,
tons of magicians, enchanters,
sorcerers, Chaldeans,
all of their families.
They live happily ever after
because Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
prayed asking the God of heaven for mercy.
Now, I don't know about you,
but that's the kind of praying I want.
Prayers that reach to heaven
that show there is a God in heaven,
that he is accessible,
that he hears my prayers,
that he responds to prayer.
That's the encouragement I need
for my prayer life.
Now, if you're at all like me,
you might do what I did.
Begin scouring the book of Daniel,
looking for things that distinguish
Daniel's praying from the praying of others.
So I worked my way through Daniel
numerous times,
and I've compiled a list
of the key characteristics
of Daniel's prayers.
And because I love you all,
I'm going to save you so much time,
and I'm going to share it
with you this morning.
So here we go.
Daniel's method of prayer.
The first thing,
Daniel's prayer is in response
to God's word.
Daniel's prayer is in response
to God's word.
Now, we'll see it most clearly
in a few weeks
when we get to Daniel 9, verse 2,
where it says,
In the first year of his reign,
I, Daniel, perceived in the books
the number of years that,
according to the word of the Lord
to Jeremiah the prophet,
must pass before the end
of the desolations of Jerusalem,
namely 70 years.
Now, I cannot prove to you
what was going through Daniel's mind
in his other prayers
because God's word
does not explicitly tell us.
But I can tell you
that when you look at Daniel's prayers
and you notice
how they line up,
they're consistently aligned
with scripture
that was available to Daniel.
So, for example,
in the situation
in Daniel chapter 2
that we were looking at,
we see Daniel boldly go in
and claim before the king
that he's going to do
the impossible
and interpret the dream
before praying about it.
Now, is he being presumptuous?
Well, I think based on verse 28
where he says,
but there is a God in heaven
who reveals mysteries,
that it's quite possible
that Daniel already has
scripture in mind.
Maybe some of these verses,
maybe Deuteronomy 29, 29,
when after Moses has called
the Israelites
to recommit to God
and reminded them
that if they're disobedient,
that they will face curses
and ultimately be cast out
of the land.
And then Moses ends
with this statement,
the secret things
belong to the Lord our God,
but the things that are revealed
belong to us
and to our children forever,
that we may do
all the words of the law.
Or maybe Psalm 25,
verse 14 is in mind,
where it says,
the secret counsel of the Lord
is for those who fear him,
and he reveals his covenant to them.
But maybe it's Amos,
Amos 3, 7 says,
and for the Lord God
does nothing
without revealing his secret
to his servants,
the prophets.
Or Amos 4, 13,
that says,
for behold,
he who forms the mountains
and creates the wind
and declares to man
what is his thought,
who makes the morning darkness
and treads on the heights
of the earth,
the Lord,
the God of hosts,
is his name.
Now,
I can't prove any of that,
but I think when we look
at Daniel's life,
as we see how Daniel's life
is centered in God's word,
it's reasonable to think
he's not being presumptuous,
but that his prayer flows
out of God's word.
So that's the first thing we see.
Second,
we see Daniel's prayer
comes from a heart of humility.
Daniel's prayer
comes from a heart of humility.
And we'll see this time and time again
in Daniel's prayers,
but here in Daniel 2,
in verse 17,
we see Daniel's humility
because he goes immediately
to his friends,
Hananiah,
Mishael,
and Azariah,
and says,
guys,
I don't know how to tell you this,
but I just promised
to do the impossible
to the king,
and if I don't get it right,
we're going to die.
So,
I really need you to pray.
We have to pray together
that God will show mercy.
Right?
There's a humility.
He doesn't feel like
he has the answers.
He knows who has the answers,
so he asks them
to pray with him.
Then we see the humility
in Daniel
when in verse 23,
immediately,
after God's answered
their prayer,
he begins to praise God,
make much of God,
and in verse 23,
Daniel says,
to you,
O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for 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 matter.
We see his humility
in verses 26 through 28
when Daniel goes into the king
and says,
no,
I can't do this,
but there is a God
in heaven
who reveals mysteries.
And as the next few weeks
go by,
as we look at Daniel
and you see in his prayers,
you'll see time and time again
that his prayer flows
out of the heart
of humility.
And then,
out of his prayers,
that humility pours out
on those around him.
The third thing,
Daniel's prayer
is bold
and faith-filled.
Daniel's prayer
is bold
and faith-filled.
Now,
as we see Daniel's prayers
in the weeks ahead,
the boldness
will be pretty clear,
but just consider
where we are
in Daniel chapter 2,
okay?
The Chaldeans
have just said
that this is so bold
that no king
has ever asked.
No king expects this.
It's not even possible.
But Daniel
boldly goes in
and says,
God,
will you show me
another man's dreams
and tell me
what they mean?
I mean,
what a bold request.
And we're going to see
later in Daniel,
he asks for even
more bold things.
But again,
it's not presumption.
He's not being presumptuous.
He just believes
the truth of God's word.
And so in faith,
he's boldly asking God
to act.
The fourth thing we see,
Daniel's prayer
is seeking God's glory.
Daniel's prayer
is seeking God's glory.
Again,
we see it here
in chapter 2.
Once God answers
their prayers
in verses 20 through 22,
we see Daniel say,
blessed be the name
of God forever
and ever
to whom belong
wisdom and might.
He changes times
and seasons.
He removes kings
and sets up kings.
He gives wisdom
to the wise
and knowledge
to those who have
understanding.
He reveals deep
and hidden things.
He knows what is
in the darkness
and the light
dwells with him.
We see Daniel
exalting God
in his glory.
We see it
when he answers
the king again
and says,
no,
but there is
a God in heaven.
And ultimately,
we see it
in chapter 2,
verse 47,
because the outcome
of what happens
is the king
bringing glory
to God.
It says,
the king answered
and said to Daniel,
truly,
your God
is God
of gods
and Lord
of kings
and a revealer
of mysteries
for you have been able
to reveal this mystery.
And so we see
this consistent
commitment
in Daniel's prayers
and in his life
for God's glory
to be central,
for God's glory
to be the focus
of it all.
The fifth thing,
Daniel's prayer
is asking God
to do
what God
has already
promised to do,
which really
brings us
full circle.
Because Daniel
starts with the word
of God,
because his prayer
flows out of God's word,
his understanding
of who God
has revealed himself
to be,
revealed what he will do,
we see God,
we'll see Daniel
continually asking God
to do the things
that he's already promised,
that he's already said
he would do.
Now,
we can take all
of those steps
and I'm going to sum it up
for you here
in Daniel's method
of prayer.
In response
to God's word,
Daniel comes humbly
but boldly in faith,
seeking God's glory
by asking him
to do
what he has already
promised to do.
So we have a good
biblical method
for prayer.
We can see it here,
we're going to see it
again and again
in Daniel.
Not only is it a good
biblical method
for prayer,
I would contend
that if any prayer
doesn't clearly reflect
these pieces
of this method
that from a
biblical perspective
it's not prayer.
Let me say that again
a different way.
If you look
at your own prayers
and they're not
flowing from God's word,
if they're not
being presented
humbly
but boldly in faith,
if they're not
seeking God's glory,
if you're not
asking God to do
what he's already
promised to do,
it's not really prayer.
Not from the Bible's
perspective.
The world may call it
prayer,
but the Bible doesn't.
So I would say
it's essential
for us
to pursue
using this method
or something
that embodies
these principles
if our desire
is to truly pray.
In the biblical sense,
if we desire
for God
to hear our prayers
and respond.
But there's a problem.
You see,
the problem is
all of these
essential components,
everything in this method,
are not things
we can do
in our own strength.
As a matter of fact,
in our own power,
the Bible says
we cannot know God
or understand his word.
We cannot come
with truly humble hearts.
We cannot have
radically bold faith.
We cannot truly
seek God's glory.
And if we can't
do those things,
then we won't
sincerely ask God
to do
what he's already
promised to do.
So,
having found a good
biblical method
for prayer,
we find ourselves
having to at least
admit or understand
that the method itself
is of little use
without the power
to pray rightly.
Now,
I have good news.
I believe the book
of Daniel
makes it abundantly
clear where
to find that power.
So,
let's look at
Daniel's power
in prayer.
We're going to look
at six verses
from Daniel.
And I think
it will be as clear
to you as I think
it is there.
We're going to start
with Daniel 4,
verse 8.
Daniel 4,
verse 8.
It says,
At last,
Daniel came in
before me,
he who was named
Belteshazzar
after the name
of my God,
and in whom
is the spirit
of the holy gods.
Now,
just a little footnote
here.
That word God,
there's some discussion
among people
that know Aramaic
and are smarter
than me.
And if you're using
the ESV,
you'll actually find
you have a footnote.
They're not sure
if it's plural
or singular.
Now,
the truth is,
I think,
whatever the Babylonians
thought,
I can't say.
But we know
that ultimately
what it's saying
is singular.
The spirit
of the holy God.
Anyway,
end footnote.
Look at verse,
chapter 4,
verse 9.
It says,
O Belteshazzar,
chief of the magicians,
because I know
that the spirit
of the holy gods
is in you
and that no mystery
is too difficult
for you,
tell me the visions
of my dream.
Daniel 4,
18.
This dream
I,
King Nebuchadnezzar,
saw,
and you,
O Belteshazzar,
tell me the interpretation,
because all the wise men
in my kingdom
are not able
to make known
to me the interpretation,
but you are able,
for the spirit
of the holy gods
is in you.
Daniel 5,
10,
and 11.
The queen,
because of the words
of the king
and his lords,
came into the banqueting hall
and the queen declared,
O king,
live forever.
Let not your thoughts
alarm you
or your color change.
There is a man
in your kingdom
in whom
is the spirit
of the holy gods.
Daniel 5,
14.
I have heard of you,
that the spirit
of the holy gods
is in you
and that light
and understanding
and excellent wisdom
are found in you.
Daniel 6,
3.
Then this Daniel
became distinguished
above all the other officials
and satraps
because an excellent spirit
was in him
and the king
planned to set him
over the whole kingdom.
Do you see it?
The spirit of God
or the holy spirit
is Daniel's power
for prayer.
Now,
honestly,
there can be no true,
authentic,
powerful,
biblical prayer
without us having
the spirit of God
in us.
Now,
we can offer invocations
that seek to activate
a rapport
with an object of worship
through deliberate communication.
We can practice
abstract forms
of meditation
or seek to produce
charms or spells.
We can offer
a set liturgy
or a ritual,
recite an incantation,
rehearse a formal
creedal statement,
or have a spontaneous
utterance.
We can wish,
we can hope,
we can manifest,
but we cannot pray.
Not in any
biblical sense
of the word
without the Holy Spirit
within us.
And as a matter of fact,
I'll go a step further
and say
at least
84% of those
trying to connect
with their higher power
through prayer
are doing
no such thing
because what you believe
makes all the difference
in whether or not
your prayers are heard.
A few verses.
Psalm 66, 18.
If I had cherished
iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not
have listened.
Proverbs 28, 9.
If one turns away
his ear
from hearing the law,
even his prayer
is an abomination.
Isaiah 59, 2.
But your iniquities
have made a separation
between you
and your God
and your sins
have hidden
his face from you
so that he does not hear.
And then Jesus
in John 14, 6 says,
I am the way,
the truth,
and the life.
No one comes
to the Father
except through me.
Now,
maybe that seems
harsh to you
to say that God
doesn't listen
to the prayers
of those
who do not have
the Holy Spirit.
But,
if you stop
and consider
how the Bible
describes
every one of us
that does not
have the Holy Spirit
indwelling them,
it makes sense.
Look at these verses.
Ephesians 2, 1-3.
It describes us
as being dead
in trespasses
and sins,
sons of disobedience,
by nature,
children of wrath
like the rest
of mankind.
Colossians 1, 21 says,
we're alienated
from God
and hostile in mind.
Romans 1, 21-25 says,
we're without excuse
because although
we know God,
we do not honor
him as God
or give thanks
to him.
As a result,
we become futile
in our thinking.
Our foolish hearts
are darkened.
We claim to be wise
but we're fools.
We exchange the glory
of the immortal God
for images.
We exchange the truth
about God
for a lie
and worship
and serve the creature
rather than the creator.
Romans 3, 9-12 says,
we're all under sin.
There are none righteous.
No one understands.
No one seeks God.
All have turned aside.
No one does good.
Not even one.
Romans 5, 10 says,
we are enemies of God.
Romans 8, 7 and 8 says,
we are hostile to God
and cannot please God.
So, since that's our condition
without the Holy Spirit,
I think it makes perfect sense
to say that God
does not hear our prayers.
Or to say it another way,
without the Holy Spirit,
God is not accessible
to any of us.
So true prayer
is impossible.
Now hopefully,
that leads you
to the next question.
And I would say,
in some ways,
the most important
foundational question
on the topic of prayer,
how do I know for sure
I have the Holy Spirit?
Well,
the Apostle Peter
answers that question
so simply and clearly
to the people of Jerusalem
on the day of Pentecost.
Let's look at it.
Acts 2,
36 through 39.
Peter says,
Let all the house
of Israel,
therefore,
know for certain
that God has made him
both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus
whom you crucified.
Now,
when they heard this,
they were cut to the heart
and they said to Peter
and the rest of the apostles,
Brothers,
what shall we do?
And Peter said to them,
Repent
and be baptized
every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness
of your sins
and you will receive
the gift
of the Holy Spirit
for the promise
is for you
and for your children
and for all
who are far off,
everyone whom the Lord
our God calls
to himself.
So,
when we respond
in faith,
believing what the Bible says,
that Jesus is both
our Lord and Savior,
when we seek forgiveness
for our sin
by admitting them
and turning away from them,
desiring to be united
to Jesus Christ,
we are filled
with the Holy Spirit
and become
a child of God.
Now,
if that hasn't happened
in your life
yet today,
it can.
It can.
Let me just encourage you,
don't leave without coming
and talking to me
or talking to one of the people
around you
because it can happen today.
And once,
once you are united
to Jesus
and filled
with the Holy Spirit,
that changes everything.
That makes God accessible.
That makes prayer
truly possible.
Look at what Ephesians 2,
13 through 22 says.
But now,
in Christ Jesus,
you who once were far off
have been brought near
by the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace,
who has made us both one
and has broken down
in his flesh
the dividing wall
of hostility
by abolishing
the law of commandments
expressed in ordinances,
that he might create in himself
one new man
in place of the two,
so making peace
and might reconcile us
both to God
in one body
through the cross,
thereby killing
the hostility.
And he came
and preached peace
to you who were far off
and peace
to those who were near.
Verse 18.
For through him
we both have access
in one spirit
to the Father.
So then you're no longer
strangers
and aliens,
but you're fellow citizens
with the saints
and members
of the household of God,
built on the foundation
of the apostles
and the prophets,
Christ Jesus himself
being the cornerstone
in whom the whole structure
being joined together
grows into a holy temple
in the Lord.
In him you also
are being built together
into a dwelling place
for God
by the Spirit.
We can only have access
to God
and have the privilege
and the delight
of praying
because of Jesus
and our union
to him
through the Holy Spirit.
Remember,
Jesus himself said
in John 14, 6,
I am the way,
the truth,
and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me.
But he goes on
in John 15,
7 through 9,
and he says,
if you abide in me
and my words
abide in you,
ask whatever you wish
and it will be done
for you.
By this my Father
is glorified
that you bear much fruit
and so prove to be
my disciples
as the Father has loved me
so have I loved you.
Abide in my love.
You see,
Jesus,
as the perfect Son of God,
being fully God
and fully man,
has the innate ability
and access
to talk to God,
the Father.
They've been in
intimate communion
and conversation
for all of eternity past
and will be
for all of eternity future.
And so,
it's in being united
to Jesus
that his ability
and access
to commune
and converse
with God the Father
becomes ours.
There is really
only one method
of true prayer,
only one power
for true prayer.
It's Jesus.
Even Daniel's prayer,
though he didn't
as fully understand it
as we can
from this point
in history,
was prayer
through Jesus.
And I don't think
it will stretch you
at all
if we take
and look at the fact
that we talked
about Daniel's
method for prayer
being this.
In response
to God's word,
Daniel comes humbly
but boldly in faith
seeking God's glory
by asking him
to do what he has
already promised to do.
And see it even more
clearly in Jesus' life.
In response
to the Father's word,
Jesus comes humbly
but boldly in faith
seeking the Father's glory
by asking him
to do what he's
already promised to do.
And as we always find,
Jesus is the better,
perfect version
of all of our heroes
of the faith.
Jesus is the better Adam,
the better Abraham,
the better Moses,
the better Joshua,
the better David,
the better Elijah.
And as we work
our way through Daniel
and see the extraordinary ways
that God's love
and faithfulness
to Daniel and his friends
shows through
in lives
that are worthy
of learning from
and imitating,
we must not forget
Jesus is the better Daniel.
So as we take
Daniel's method of prayer
and his power in prayer
and look at them
in light of the central figure
and hero of the Bible,
really the central figure
and hero of all history,
Jesus Christ,
I think we can end
with this definition of prayer.
Prayer is the privilege
and delight we receive
from our union
with Jesus Christ
through the Holy Spirit
to respond to God's word
by coming in worship
to commune with him
and humbly but boldly
in faith
seeking the Father's glory
by asking him to do
what he's already promised
to do.
Now, I don't know where you are
in your prayer life
but if like me,
you find yourself realizing
that it's not what it should be,
that it's not what it can be,
then I just want to end
with four simple steps
that will help move you
in the right direction
and these are taken
from the writings
of Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones,
a godly pastor
and a man of prayer,
but it will just start
to move you
in the right direction.
The first is,
daily,
admit your failings to God
and your inability
to pray as you should
without his empowering
through the Holy Spirit
and ask him to do that.
Ask him to empower you
through the Holy Spirit
for a life of authentic prayer.
Two,
create time and space
to enjoy drawing near to God.
Start by reading his word
with an expectation
that he desires
to speak to you through it.
Listen first.
Step three,
as the Holy Spirit
begins to direct
your thoughts
to God's revealed character,
to his plan,
to his promises.
Begin pleading
the promises of God
with holy boldness,
liberty,
and assurance.
And that word,
plead,
is important
because it embodies
that humility.
We have to be careful.
Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones
says it well
when he says this,
do not claim,
do not demand.
Let your requests
be made known.
Let them come
from your heart.
God will understand.
But we have no right
to demand,
not even revival.
Some Christians
are tending to do so
at the present time.
Yes, pray urgently,
plead,
use all of the arguments,
use all of the promises,
but do not demand,
do not claim.
Never put yourself
into the position
of saying,
if we but do this,
then that must happen.
God is a sovereign Lord,
and these things
are beyond our understanding.
So never let the terminology
of claiming
or demanding
be used.
So we plead
his word.
Step four,
practice being sensitive
to the leading
of the Holy Spirit.
Obeying it
as quickly
as you can,
being willing
to stop
what you're doing
and prioritize praying
whenever you feel
like that comes
to mind.
You see,
if we are willing
to invest
the time
and the effort
to pursue communion
with God
through this type
of prayer,
no matter how many times
we have to commit
ourselves
to start again
and again,
you will find
in time
that we're growing
more and more intimate
with our Heavenly Father
and with our loving Lord,
and we'll see it
flowing out
into every area
of our life.
Now,
in closing,
we have one final commercial.
Someone last week
asked me,
does the church
still have a weekly
prayer bulletin?
Just in case
any of you
are not aware,
we have a channel
on Telegram
called The Powerhouse.
It's our prayer channel.
We share weekly prompts
on a number
of different areas
and topics
that try to assist you
in thinking through
and praying through things.
Right now,
we're working through
praying the fruit
of the Spirit.
If you want more
information about it,
you can check
the Maranatha Minute
or you can come
and talk to me,
but hopefully
it can be an avenue
to help you
as you seek
to grow
in your life
of prayer.
So as we end,
let's do the thing
that we have been
talking about.
Would you join me
as we pray?
Father, we thank you
for your word.
We thank you
that you've not
left us to ourselves.
Father, we confess
that if it was up to us,
our vain imaginations
would never rightly
conceive of who you are,
of your heart,
of your desire,
of your plan,
but you have given it
to us in your word.
So Father,
help us to cherish
your word.
Help us to pursue
listening to you
through your word,
desiring to hear you
for your spirit
to speak to us
and apply your word
in our lives.
Father, we confess
that we know
we cannot pray
as we should,
that it's beyond
our ability,
that we are
not diligent enough,
our faith is weak,
our inabilities
and the struggles
with our flesh
just continue
to mount against us
as we seek to pray.
But Father,
we know that you desire
for us to draw near.
We know that you've
invited us to come
boldly to your throne
because of our
connection in Christ.
So we ask that by
your spirit,
you would do
what you have said,
that you would empower
us for lives of prayer,
that our prayer
would be authentic,
that it would flow
from your word,
that we would
seek your glory
by asking you
to do the things
that you have promised
to do.
Forgive us
for all of the times
that we treat prayer
so lightly
with such contempt.
Father, help us,
help us to desire
and to delight
in communing with you.
help us to prioritize it,
to make space for it.
Help us to be
a praying church
that in all of these things
you might receive
the greater glory,
that our lives
would be conformed
to the image
of your Son,
and that the world
would know
that there is
a God in heaven,
and that he is
accessible
through Jesus.
It's in his name
we pray,
Amen.