Well, as Pastor David mentioned, it's a gift to be here with you today.
It's a testimony of God's grace and kindness.
! I'll never forget last year messaging Pastor that I needed to cancel because I was in the hospital for leukemia and didn't know when I was going to be getting out.
And so today it's just such a pleasure to be here with you and it's always an honor to be able to share God's Word with His people.
This morning we will be studying Daniel chapter 9, the first 19 verses.
And the message, the title of our message today is Praying to a Sovereign God.
As we read through this passage, two overarching questions rise to the surface.
The first is this.
If God is sovereign over the kingdoms of the earth and over the course of history, including the events of our individual lives, and He is,
then what role do our prayers play in His sovereign plan?
After we attempt to answer that question, we will spend the rest of our time with the second one.
How then shall we pray?
I hope you came hungry this morning because this passage is an all-you-can-eat buffet.
And it's impossible for us to exhaust the amazing and rich content of this passage with the time that we have together.
And so it's my goal to adequately scratch the surface for us and to send you home with enough to enjoy for the rest of the week.
We have a lot of content to cover, so let's begin.
Daniel 9, chapter 1, verse 1.
One of the primary messages in the book of Daniel is that God is sovereign over the kingdoms of the world and over the course of history.
In the beginning two verses of chapter 1 of our book, it says that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it,
and the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand.
In chapter 2 of Daniel, God prophetically gives both king Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel a panoramic view of the Gentile kingdoms of the world that would rise,
starting with Babylon and extending all the way until the end of time when Christ's everlasting kingdom smashes them all and reigns supreme forevermore.
His kingdom is the stone not cut out by human hands that becomes a great mountain which fills the whole earth.
Daniel, chapter 2, verses 34 through 35.
These mighty, terrible kingdoms of man become as chaff which the wind blows away before him.
As Daniel says in chapter 2, verse 21, 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.
And in verse 37, Daniel declares that it is the God of heaven that has given you, O king Nebuchadnezzar,
the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell,
the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all.
Interestingly enough, in chapter 4,
this same man to whom God had given the beasts of the field is stricken to become like a beast of the field
because he thinks that by his own sovereignty he rules over the world.
And for the next seven years, we see great king Nebuchadnezzar exercise his free will
as he eats grass with the cattle in the field.
Still, God preserves his throne.
After all this time,
now you and I know politics.
The leader of the most powerful empire in the world goes insane,
and there's no coup to replace him?
Over the course of seven years?
This is only by the sovereign hand of God,
and it's because God's intent was to humble him, not replace him.
When the time was right,
God restored him,
and this once pagan king who gave glory to himself
is now giving glory to whom glory is due.
For his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will
among the hosts of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth.
And none can stay his hand or say to him,
what have you done?
Daniel chapter 4, verses 34 through 35.
Well, we come to chapter 9.
And in partial fulfillment of Jeremiah 25, verse 12,
Belshazzar, king of Babylon,
was killed on October 16, 539 B.C.
Babylon fell to the Medo-Persian Empire.
And as it says in Daniel chapter 5, verse 30,
Darius received the kingdom.
We are now in the first year of Darius' reign.
So it could be 539 or it could be 538 B.C.
when Daniel perceives the 70 years.
We're not quite certain who Darius the Mede really is.
No historical documents outside the Bible
give record of him specifically.
The word Darius is used in inscriptions
for at least five Persian rulers,
indicating that this is probably a title
rather than a name.
While commentators and historians
have different opinions about his identity,
there is good evidence that Darius
could be King Cyrus himself.
For one, historically,
there is no interval of rulership
between Belshazzar of Babylon
and Cyrus who conquered Babylon.
It's also interesting to note
that Cyrus was born in 600 B.C.,
which means he was about to turn 62
when he conquered Babylon.
The same age as Darius
in Daniel chapter 5, verse 30,
when he received the kingdom.
Coincidence or not,
whether Darius is Cyrus
or Darius is some agent ruling
for Darius
over the realm of the Chaldeans,
the important thing for us to understand
is ultimately Cyrus is king
of the Medo-Persian Empire
and it is Cyrus
who in his first year
in 538 B.C.
issues the decree
for the Jews to return to Jerusalem
according to Ezra chapter 1, verse 1.
And it is Cyrus
or in Ezra chapter 1, verse 1.
This too is by the sovereign hand
of the Lord
because more than 150 years earlier,
God had spoken
through the prophet Isaiah.
Cyrus, he is my shepherd
and he shall fulfill all my purpose
saying of Jerusalem,
she shall be built
and the temple,
your foundation,
shall be laid.
I believe that Daniel at this time
was already aware
of Isaiah's prophecy.
In fact, according to the Jewish historian
Josephus,
it was Daniel
as Cyrus' prime minister
who shared Isaiah's prophecies
with Cyrus,
influencing him
to make the decree.
I'm sure it was quite a spectacle
for Daniel
knowing Jeremiah 25
and Jeremiah 29
and Isaiah 44
and Isaiah 45,
witnessing
the judgment
of Babylon
by a kingdom
inferior to them,
the chest of arms
of silver,
as it were,
led by a man
named none other than Cyrus.
But here we read
in our passage
what really arrests
Daniel's attention
are the words of Jeremiah
which he had sent
in a letter
to the surviving exiles
of Babylon.
It's recorded
in Jeremiah 29
and we don't have time
to read both chapters
25 and 29
but we will read
29 verses 10 through 14.
It says,
For thus says the Lord,
when 70 years
are completed
for Babylon,
I will visit you
and I will fulfill
to you my promise
and bring you back
to this place
for I know the plans
I have for you
declares the Lord.
Plans for welfare
and not for evil
to give you a future
and a hope.
Then you will call upon me
and come to me
and pray to me
and I will hear you.
You will seek me
and find me
when you seek me
with all of your heart.
I will be found by you
declares the Lord
and I will restore
your fortunes
and gather you
from all the nations
and all the places
where I have driven you
declares the Lord.
And I will bring you
back to the place
from which I sent you
into exile.
Daniel realizes
that the end
of the 70 years
is imminent.
His entire life
was a testimony
to the sovereign power
of God
which drove Israel
into exile,
transformed the heart
of a pagan king,
exalted him repeatedly,
Daniel,
to high positions
of influence
in a foreign land
who shut the mouths
of hungry lions
and revealed to him
divine mysteries
and visions
of the future.
Here he perceives
that God
is about to fulfill
his word again.
So what is Daniel's promise?
Does he resign
to some form
of fatalism
and just sit back
and wait and say,
ah, God's got this?
No.
Convinced of God's faithfulness
to fulfill his word.
By faith,
he is driven
into fervent,
intercessory prayer.
Why?
Because faith moves us
to draw near to God
and to unite ourselves
with him
in his purposes.
And we do that
through prayer.
This is the purpose
of true
and effective prayer.
God responds favorably
to our faith.
He promises
that when we call
upon him
and come
and pray to him,
he will hear us.
And he will be found
by us
when we seek him
with all of our hearts.
And he will fulfill
his promises to us
by his sovereign power.
God's promise,
referenced by Jeremiah,
to restore Israel
to their land
and to fellowship
and communion with him
are rooted
in the Abrahamic
and Mosaic covenants.
In Genesis 12,
verse 7,
he tells Abram,
to your offspring
I will give this land.
And in Genesis 15,
God himself passes
through the pieces
in a covenantal ceremony
indicating that
the fulfillment
of his covenant
with Abram
and Abram's offspring
depended on him alone.
Then in Deuteronomy
chapter 28,
Moses lays before Israel
the promise
of blessings from God
when they obey
his commandments
and remain loyal
and faithful to him.
Followed by the promise
of curses from God
when they turn against him
in rebellion
and disloyalty,
including exile
from the land.
Prophetically,
in Deuteronomy
chapter 28,
verse 49,
Moses warns,
the Lord will bring
a nation against you
from far away,
from the end of the earth,
swooping down
like the eagle.
It's no coincidence
that in Daniel
chapter 7,
verse 4,
Babylon
is envisioned
as a lion
with eagle's wings.
This very image
decorated the city
of Babylon,
including the very throne room
of King Nebuchadnezzar himself.
For many years,
God was abundantly generous
in his blessings
toward Israel.
And tragically,
Israel responded
with hardness of heart,
rebellion,
and idolatry.
They suffered the curses
God promised
for their disobedience.
But just as God
had promised
to curse Israel
for their disobedience,
he also promised
restoration
when they repented
and turned to him.
At this time,
in Daniel chapter 9,
God had yet
to restore Israel
back to their land.
And Israel
had yet to call upon him
and come and pray to him.
In fact,
we see in verse 13
of Daniel's confession,
as it is written
in the law of Moses,
all this calamity
has come upon us,
yet we have not
entreated
the favor of the Lord
our God,
turning from our iniquities
and gaining insight
by your truth.
So Daniel turns
to God
in prayer.
And God responds
immediately.
Within that same year,
Ezra chapter 1
says that
the Lord stirred up
the spirit of Cyrus,
king of Persia,
to make the decree
for Israel
to return to Jerusalem
so that the temple
may be rebuilt.
Consequently,
Israel returns
to Jerusalem
and the temple
is rebuilt.
And later,
in Ezra chapter 10
and in Nehemiah chapter 9,
Israel as a nation
turns to God
in repentance
and prayer,
reminiscent
of Daniel's prayer
in our passage today.
We see in this example
before us
that through true
and effective prayer,
Daniel is moved
to fulfill God's word
by faith
and obedience.
and through Daniel's prayer,
God is moved
to fulfill his word
by a sovereign power.
Ultimately,
God used Daniel
as his instrument
to fulfill
his sovereign purpose.
So we see
God's sovereignty
working divinely
through responsible
human agency
to accomplish
his purposes.
In this,
we see the power
of true
and effective prayer.
Jesus said,
ask and it will be
given to you.
Seek and you will find.
Knock and it will be
opened to you.
For everyone who asks
receives
and the one who seeks
finds
and to the one who knocks
it will be opened.
Matthew chapter 6
verses 7 and 8.
He also says
in Matthew chapter 21
verse 22,
whatever you ask
in prayer,
you will receive
if you have faith.
James tells us
the prayer of a righteous
person has great power
as it's working.
James chapter 5
verse 18.
God moves powerfully
in response
to faithful prayer
not only to change
the course of history
and the external
circumstances
of our lives,
but also to change
the conditions
of our hearts.
Reordering
our affections,
revealing
his wisdom
and reconciling
us to himself.
In the end,
God's purposes
are fulfilled
within us,
through us,
and around us.
If only we knew
the greatness
of the power of God
that works
through prayers,
we would not be
so slothful
and casual
in our exercise
of it.
we would pray
without ceasing
as the Apostle Paul
urges us to do
and as Daniel
demonstrated
throughout his life
even when he is
threatened to be cast
into a dead alliance.
However,
not all prayers
are true
and effective.
James also says
you ask
and do not receive
because you want
to spend it
on your own passions.
And Jesus said
when you pray
you must not be
like the hypocrites.
Matthew chapter 6
verse 5.
And so we turn
now to our next
question.
How then
shall we pray?
In the following
verses of our passage
Daniel models
for us
true and effective
prayer.
The kind of prayer
that pleases
and moves
the heart
of God.
We begin
with a posture
of true
and effective
prayer.
the first thing
we notice
in our passage
is Daniel's faith.
Daniel trusted
the word of God.
Furthermore,
he trusted
the scriptures
as the word
of God.
It says in Daniel
chapter 9
verse 2
he perceived
in the books.
In other words,
he was studying
the scriptures
and it was his faith
and what he read
that resulted
in the marvelous
prayer that follows.
Daniel's prayer
is informed
by God's word
and energized
by his faith
in God
to fulfill
what he promised.
This emphasizes
the fact
that anyone
who wishes
to approach
God in prayer
must do so
on the basis
of faith.
We know this
because without faith
it is impossible
to please God
for whoever
would draw near
to God
must believe
that he exists
and that he rewards
those who seek him.
Hebrews chapter 11
verse 6
True and effective
prayer is always
preceded by faith
in God.
A firm reliance
on the character
of God
and on his ability
to fulfill
his promises.
And all true
and effective prayer
is shaped
and guided
by what God
has already said
in his word.
The next thing
we notice
is Daniel's
fervency.
In verse 3
it says
then I turned
my face
to the Lord God.
We know
from Daniel
chapter 6
verse 10
that it was
Daniel's custom
to pray
three times daily
while he faced
Jerusalem.
But I believe
that there is
much more
to this expression
than just
his physical
position.
This speaks
of a sincerity
of heart
and mind
of focused
determination.
an undivided
devotion
to his cause.
It reminds us
of the man
in Luke
chapter 11
who's knocking
on his friend's
door for a loaf
of bread
in the middle
of the night.
It's that
persistence.
It's that attitude
that he demonstrates.
It also reminds us
of the persistent
widow who
is petitioning
the unjust
judge
for justice.
it reminds us
of the commitment
and devotion
that was spoken
of about Christ
by the prophet
Isaiah.
Because the
sovereign Lord
helps me
I will not
be disgraced.
Therefore
I have set
my face
like flint
and I know
I will not
be put to shame.
Isaiah
chapter 50
verse 7.
And Jesus
fulfilled this
in Luke
chapter 9
verse 51
when it says
when the days
drew near
for him
to be taken
up
he set
his face
to go
to Jerusalem.
This expression
speaks of
unwavering
commitment
to the will
of God.
Not even
Nebuchadnezzar
or Cyrus
could command
the devotion
that God
received
from Daniel.
This was
repeatedly
demonstrated
throughout Daniel's
life and
now is
being repeated
again
in his
prayer.
This
fervency
was further
expressed
by seeking
him by
prayer
and pleas
for mercy
with fasting
and sackcloth
and ashes.
God
was the
chief object
of Daniel's
pursuit.
He fasted
so that he
would not be
diverted from
prayer to
food by
food.
He dressed
in sackcloth
as a sign
of abject
need
and he
covered
himself
in ashes
which was
a traditional
sign of
grief
and humility.
Is this
kind of
fervency
characteristic
of your
prayer life?
Is it
characteristic
of your
posture
before God
as you
attempt to
draw near
to him?
How easily
are we
distracted
by our
prayers,
by something
as simple
as the
ding
of a
text
message?
How often
do our
thoughts
wander
even while
we're in
the middle
of speaking
with God
in prayer?
God
help us
to have
the fervency
of Daniel
when we
come to
him in
prayer.
The last
thing we
need to
quickly note
is Daniel's
humility.
Unlike
many
major,
other major
characters
of the
Old
Testament,
no obvious
sin is
attributed
to Daniel
despite his
exile to
Babylon.
Now we
know he
wasn't
sinless,
but Daniel's
life is as
blameless as
we could ever
hope to be.
Yet through
his confession
and pleas for
mercy,
Daniel humbly
!
acknowledges his
personal guilt
and identifies
himself with
the sins of
God's people
and accepts
the harsh
discipline that
God has
brought upon
them.
This is
remarkable
because we
never see
Daniel complain
about the
fact that
he was
torn from
his home
and his
family at
an early
age.
We never
hear him
murmur about
the chaotic
circumstances of
his life or
the numerous
threats to
end his life
because of
his obedience
to the
Lord.
There is a
question that
we often want
to ask God
in prayer,
and we can
ask it in
two radically
different ways.
It's this
question,
God, why
are you
doing what
you are
doing?
The first
way that we
can ask it
is with the
attitude of
those in
1 Peter 1
10, where
it says,
concerning the
salvation, the
prophets who
prophesied about
the grace that
was to be
yours, searched
and inquired
carefully, inquiring
what person or
time the Spirit
of Christ in
them was
indicating when
he predicted
the sufferings of
Christ and the
subsequent glories.
God's wisdom
is a mystery
to us.
This first
attitude is
born of
humility and
a desire to
know God's
wisdom and
to join
ourselves to
him and
his purposes.
Second way
we can ask
this question
is with the
attitude of
those in
Isaiah 45
9, where
it says,
woe to
him who
strives with
him who
formed him,
a pot among
earthen pots.
does the
clay say
to him
who forms
it, what
are you
making, or
your work
has no
handles?
The second
attitude is
born of
pride and
a desire for
God to
join himself
to us and
our purposes.
It's a
rejection of
God's wisdom
and pursuit
to go another
way.
True and
effective prayer
can only come
from a heart
that is humble
and we should
not accept to
receive a
favorable answer
from the
Lord when we
approach him
in pride.
For God
opposes the
proud but
gives grace
to the
humble.
James 4
6.
So what
are the
properties of
true and
effective prayer?
With the
posture of
faith,
fervency,
and humility,
Daniel fills
his prayer
with worship.
And you can
also fit
thanksgiving
under this
category as
well.
He worships
him as the
great and
awesome God
who keeps
covenant and
steadfast love
in verse 4.
In verse 7,
to you
belongs
righteousness.
In verse 9,
to you belong
mercy and
forgiveness.
In verse 12,
he has
confirmed his
words,
speaking of
God's truthfulness
and faithfulness
to his word.
In verse 14,
the Lord has
kept ready the
calamity and
has brought it
upon us,
acknowledging that
he is just in
his judgment
upon sin.
True prayer
and worship
are inseparable.
How can you
draw near to
the most
holy God
without
worshiping him?
it is the
natural
outflow of
a heart
that loves
the Lord
and seeks
communion
with him.
As we
attempt to
draw near
to him,
we recognize
that he is
the great
and awesome
God.
He is
majestic
and holy
and therefore
there is
this infinite
chasm
that separates
us from
him.
Do you ever
feel that
when you
try to
pray?
That you're
coming to a
holy God
and just
it's like
how do I
cross
the chasm?
If we want
to commune
with him,
something has
to bridge
that gap.
What else
is there
except that
he is the
God who
keeps covenant
and steadfast
love,
calling us
to the
reconciliation
and intimate
fellowship
made possible
only by the
covenant
fulfilled for
us in
Christ.
Therefore,
we are
encouraged,
let us
draw near
with a
true heart
and full
assurance
of faith
with our
hearts
sprinkled
clean
from an
evil
conscience
and our
bodies
washed
with pure
water.
But who
are the
benefactors
of this
covenant
and steadfast
love?
It is
those who
love him
and keep
his
commandments.
Verse 4.
The covenant
applies only
to true
worshipers.
Unbelievers
and hypocrites
should not
expect to be
pardoned or
indulged by
God.
Worship
must be
true,
flowing from
a heart
of love,
not fake
ritualism.
We see
this from
the beginning
chapters of
the Bible
when God
was pleased
to accept
the true
worship of
Abel but
rejected the
hypocritical
offering of
Cain.
Unless we
love God,
we have no
reason for
concluding that
he will approve
of any of
our actions.
all our
duties will
become corrupt
before him.
As Jesus
said in
John chapter
4,
true
worshipers
are those
who worship
the Father
in spirit
and in truth.
They are the
kind of
worshiper
that the
Father
seeks.
True
worship
pleases
God and
it also
prepares
our hearts
for confession
and repentance.
When we
behold God
and his
majesty and
perfection,
we immediately
become aware
of how far
we fall
short of
his glory.
True
prayer seeks
to close
that gap
and bring
us back
into fellowship
and union
with him.
As J.C.
Ryle once
said,
praying and
sinning will
never live
together in
the same
heart.
Prayer will
consume sin
or sin
will choke
prayer.
Isn't
that true?
David is
thorough and
specific in
recounting his
sins and
the sins
of his
people.
Eleven of
the fifteen
verses of
his prayer
are spent
in confession.
He is
unhurried.
He does
not minimize
the seriousness
or number
of them.
He makes
no excuses.
He openly
acknowledges
their culpability
and calls
their sin
for what
it actually
is.
It was
not by
accident
or by
mistake
of ignorance
that they
disobeyed,
but their
disobedience
was willful,
wicked,
and rebellious.
He declares,
the Lord is
righteous
in all the
works he
has done.
There is
no justifiable
reason that
Israel had
departed from
the Lord
and rebelled.
And though
the Lord
tried to
correct them
through the
prophets,
they compounded
their culpability
by hardening
their hearts
and refusing
to repent.
To him
belongs
righteousness,
but to us
open shame.
How often
we underestimate
the weight
and magnitude
of our wickedness
and guilt
before God
or try to
minimize it.
we can be
so slothful
in our
confession.
Instead of
taking the
time to
really name
our offenses
toward God
and grieve
over the
grotesque
nature of
them,
we try to
brush them
away with
a single
word.
But Daniel
models for
us true
penitence
in the right
way to honor
God through
confession.
True
confession
then leads
us to
restoration
and
reconciliation.
On the
basis of
God's
mercy
and
righteousness,
Daniel
pleads
for
restoration.
Of your
city
Jerusalem
in
verse
16
and
18.
Of
your
sanctuary
which
lies
desolate
in
verse
17.
And
your
people
verse
19.
This
is
exactly
what
God
said
he
had
planned
to
do
through
the
words
of
Moses,
Isaiah,
Jeremiah,
and other
prophets.
It was
Daniel's
confidence
in the
character
of the
covenant
keeping
God
that he
is able
to boldly
pray for
God
to restore
these
things.
As I
have said
before,
true
prayer
seeks to
close the
gap between
us and
God
and unite
ourselves
with him
and his
purposes.
God
stands ready
to forgive
and to
restore
us
if we
will
just
seek
him
in
true
faith
and
repentance.
What
stands
between
you
and
him
today?
What
is
stopping
you
from
experiencing
the
restoration
that he
wants
to
accomplish
in
your
heart
and
life?
Abandon
your
idols.
They
can't
save
you.
Turn
to
the
one
and
only
sovereign
God
who
saves
and
restores.
This
brings us
to our
last
and
final
point.
The
pursuit
of
true
and
effective
prayer.
What
is
the
ultimate
goal
of
true
and
effective
prayer?
It's
the same
answer
to the
question
what
is
the
chief
end
of
man
that
we
read
in
the
Westminster
confession
of
faith
to
glorify
God
and
to
enjoy
him
forever.
Daniel
expresses
that
at
the
end
of
his
prayer.
Oh
Lord,
hear.
Oh
Lord,
forgive.
Oh
Lord,
pay
attention
and
act.
Delay
not
for
your
own
sake.
Oh
my
God,
because
your
city
and
your
people
are
called
by
your
name.
Daniel
chapter
9,
verse
19.
As
long
as
Israel
remained
in
exile
and
Jerusalem
lay
in
ruins,
they
were
a
byword
among
all
the
pagan
nations
of
the
world.
And
the
God
of
Israel
appeared
to
be
powerless
and
without
glory.
Daniel
wanted
to see
God's
promises
of
restoration
fulfilled.
He
wanted
to see
for all
of
God's
people
to
finally
return
to
him
with
their
whole
hearts.
And
he
wanted
to
see
God's
glory
fill
the
earth
as
the
stone
not
cut
with
human
hands
becomes
a great
mountain
that filled
the
God's
love.
Don't
you want
that
too?
I know
I do.
So let's
turn with
our whole
hearts
to God
in prayer.
Gracious
Heavenly
Father,
you are
so holy
and you
are so
good.
Thank you
for your
mercy
and your
kindness.
God
thank you
for
Christ
and for
the
covenant
that
allows
us
to
draw
near
to
you
with
confidence
and
boldness.
Thank you
God
for changing
our
hearts.
I pray
Lord
that you
would
help
us
and give
us the
faith
and the
fervency
and the
humility
that we
need
in our
prayer
life.
I pray
God
that you
would
give us
hearts
of true
worshipers
and that
God
you would
give us
hearts
ready
to
confess
and to
repent.
And I
pray
Lord
that God
you would
bring
restoration
and
reconciliation
Lord
where there
still
remains
a distance
between
us
and you.
Align
us
with your
purposes.
Teach
us your
will.
And
Lord
I pray
that you
would be
glorified
by our
lives.
Help
us Lord
we ask
in Jesus
name.
Amen.
Thank you.