daniel and prayer. daniel’s first prayer then daniel returned to his house and explained the...

DANIEL AND PRAYER

DANIEL’S FIRST PRAYER

• Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the

matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18

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. Daniel 2:17-18

DANIEL’S FIRST PRAYER

•WHAT WAS THE GOAL OF DANIEL'S PRAYER?

•SELF PRESERVATION

DANIEL’S SECOND PRAYER

• 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, giving thanks to his God,

just as he had done before.11 Then these men went as a

group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.

Daniel 6:10-11

•  “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not

sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to

their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far

away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land

where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in

the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have

done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 and if they turn

back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their

enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the

land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen

and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from

heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea,

and uphold their cause.  1 Kings 8:46-49

DANIEL’S SECOND PRAYER

•Daniel’s prayer was

powered by SCRIPTURE

not by his EMOTIONS OR

NEEDS.

DANIEL’S THIRD PRAYER

• Give ear, our 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 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For

your sake, 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, a

word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly

esteemed. Daniel 9:18-23

DANIEL’S PRAYER WAS UTTERLY

GOSPEL-CENTRIC

THREE THINGS TO CONSDER….•1) How much of my prayer is self-centric?

•2) How much of my prayer is driven by scripture and how much by my emotions and needs?

•3) How much of my prayer is Gospel-centric?