Daniel 23rd session RAS
July 16, 1997 Joni’s Mkt.
We’re studying the book of Daniel. We are now in Chapter 9. Daniel 9:1-6
In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom-- [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.
What’s the difference between 7, 8 & 9. Seven was about what? His visions. Eight was about his visions also and nine it now you know instead of talking about the empire and stuff like that nagkaron ng break. You know there’s nothing in this bible that is accidental and dito pa lang just because there’s a break because in chapter 10 he’ll be back to visions. It already teaches us, God is I think trying to teach us a very important truth We heard this truth many times it’s really like changing but many people have not yet applied it in their life. There’s a break for prayer, we’re back now to Daniel’s life. In the first year of Darius the son of this guy of median, he was made king. What is significant about v. 1. In the first few chapter Daniel was under the Babylonians. In chapter 6, he was under Darius. Darius, he was the Mede who put Daniel in the lion’s den.
PRINCIPLES:
Is it true that our work conflict very much with our time with God? Why? Okay, we are preoccupied with our mundane problems. But it’s true that if you are a business man or even a student it becomes very difficult to find the time to read God’s word. Now bakit si Daniel, do you think he was a busy man? Was he slapping of in the work? Diba sa chapter 6, nakita natin walang masabi sa kanya yung mga ibang tauhan dun eh. That means he was coming in on time, that means he was doing his work extremely well and yet he had the time to read God’s word very diligentlyand to pray. Our problem is not time, we keep saying this, I keep teaching this, the problem is not time. When you are busy the problem is not time, what’s the problem? Priorities. There are many people who would go through lengths to achieve a certain goal and yet many of us hinde tayo nagbabasa ng bible. Many go to worship on Sunday, many go to bible study on Wednesday evening but those same people do not read the bibles diligently at home. We need to do now is to do it and once you do it makikita mo na okay na.
After he read in v. 2, v.3, So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. There are many times that we read our bible but don’t pay attention to God. We pay attention to the story, some people could be engrossed in the prophesy. Many read the bible on the theoretical basis. Our computer brain is so quick it can handle many things at the same time but you know it cannot handle it properly, you need to focus and if we don’t teach our people well it becomes nothing more than a ritual. The reading of the bibles, prayer becomes a ritual, it becomes something that you do but your focus is not on it, you just want to get it over win. You’re there but you are not there. So, so many times we just misdevote because we are not there and that is why it does not become top priority with us, it does not strong enough relationship to married priority. Let’s look up and give you some pointers on what Daniel was reading Daniel 9:2, in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. According to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years, do you understand kung ano yung sinasabi dito? Go to Jeremiah 25:1-11
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), [2] which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, [3] "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. [4] "And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, [5] saying, 'Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the LORD has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever; [6] and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.' [7] "Yet you have not listened to Me," declares the LORD, "in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm. [8] "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Because you have not obeyed My words, [9] behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' declares the LORD, 'and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them, and make them a horror, and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. [10] 'Moreover, I will take from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. [11] 'And this whole land shall be a desolation and a horror, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
So do you see the relationship between Jeremiah and Daniel? When Daniel went to exile who was the king? Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian. So, the whole of Daniel was only a fulfillment of what was prophesied by Jeremiah. You know Jeremiah said, "Because you have been like this I will send and take all the families of the North declares the Lord now will sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant and will bring them against this land. So si Daniel because of this prophecy pati siya nadamay, they became exile. God’s word once again will see its true. What can you learn just from this simple truth? How was Daniel praying to begin with? What was he doing first? He was reading the bible. In other words his prayer extends from what he just read. This way of praying when you start of reading the bible first taking something that you have read and then lifting that up to God it will always be what? Why it will be answered? Because its coming from God Himself. Let me just show you an outstanding promise by the Lord which will excite all of us in 1 John 5:13-15
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. [14] And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. [15] And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. Did you see the conditions? John is saying to us be confident that when you come before God if you ask him anything that is in accordance to his will He will hear you.
Conditions
Therefor si Daniel nag-uumpisa siyang magbasa ng bible muna bago siya magdasal. That is an excellent way to pray. See what God has to say to you and then responsd. Prayer is a response has said, that’s why I gave now my attention to God. So pray in accordance to His will, sometimes we think it’s God’s will, it’s not or sometimes we think it’s God’s will but the timing is not right. If you’re reading it from the bible then you are sure it’s God’s will then you pray then it will happen. It’s amazing to me that we do not give attention to God. We don’t understand who we are talking to, we don’t understand who is talking to us, if we do understand I guarantee you your prayer life will change. He is a person who’s talking with you, when you read His word but many times hinde natin maintindihan yun kaya hinde pumapasok. So dito, in Daniel 9:3, So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. How do we seek God? By prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. Many of us do not understand fasting, that’s our fault because we have not taught. You know when you seek God fasting is excellent, you know why? Because it removes the worldliness from you in a sense, when you don’t eat, sa una malilito yung tiyan mo ng konti eh but after a while you drink water, you will find the bible comes alive even better, your able to talk with God even more. One of the prayer lessons we have just devoted to fasting, we will teach you how to do that. Try fasting and then read your bible and then you pray. It’s really true. Remember when Jesus fasted for fourty days? Before Jesus began any work, before He began to preach He spent fourty days just prayer and fasting. It is like a humbling process for us. Notice in the NASB, ang sabi, I gave my attention to the Lord God, seeking God, he was not seeking knowledge, he was seeking God himself. Remember what God’s promises? If you seek me with all of your heart you will find me, but know notice the phrase with all your heart. Begin to read God’s word and then respond to what you read. Tonight I just want to encourage you to pray.
6 Reason to Prioritize Prayer
You know when you are doing bible reading, if you want your prayer answered, build your prayer life around God’s promise. Spend time with God. God will begin to bless you in a way that will be incredible to you. Put God first. Let’s pray.