God’s Word and Prayer - Part 2

Undermined Christian lady asked the Bible says that Daniel prayed fervently those of fervent describe your prayer life was proven even look like and believe that I am Turning Point of Jeremiah examines this quality in Daniel's life.

Practical pointers were pretty lost the fight more vibrant is the conclusion of his message. God's word and prayer. What we need to learn about prayer where we can as I mentioned earlier in mysteries, there's an awful lot of the Bible, not only about prayer, but there a lot of prayers in the Bible that you can study and read and learn from, and of this part of Daniel's here in the ninth chapter is one of the most important prayers in the Bible and were going to finish up our discussion about here today, tomorrow morning to talk about God's people and prayer, and throughout the rest of this week were going to be in the ninth chapter.

In fact, almost through the next week as well because this is the great prophetic chapter of the book of Daniel. Well today were going to go back and finish up what we started yesterday. This is God's word in Daniel chapter 9. Sometimes I get the impression even for my own prayers that I've misunderstood the meaning of prayer. Prayer is not to get God to change as well. If you really believe that the will of God is perfect, then why would you want to change it, but we labor along prayer trying to get God to change as well. From what we think he's going to do when our prayer really ought to be motivated out of our deep understanding of what the will of God really is. I know many of you have the opportunity of hearing Josh McDowell and his tremendous message on getting it out into the light. Josh said that when we pray, sometimes we pray about what we want, but by our very act of praying we get that out into the light of God's will, in the light of God's word and as we pray about it sometimes, and are very act of praying we discover when we get out into the light. What God's will is or isn't about that very thing that he illustrates that tremendously and that message you see the will of God will never lead you contrary to the word of God.

So when your prayer is motivated by the word of God, and you understand what God is said then you get to the place where you know how to pray and you can pray what God is already said to be as well.

There a lot of folks I know who go to prayer not to ascertain the will of God, but to ask him to do that on which they have already fully set their minds they come to God with their will and they try to get God's will to blend in with their prayer is not a device for getting our wills done through heaven, but it is a device that God's will may be done on earth through us and that's why when we read the Lord's prayer, the disciples prayer.

We are told to pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done and when Jesus is praying in the garden.

He's praying. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.

Prayer is not getting God to adjust his program to what we want.

Prayer is adjusting our lives to the revealed will of God. So in essence, when we pray it isn't God who changes but it's us and maybe we been looking for change at the wrong end of the cycle. That's what Daniel is doing here you see he's gotten God's will. And now he begins to pray in behalf of his people that his people will come into a conformity with the revealed will of God so that God can do what he already said he's going to do that we get caught up. The stress between what God's sovereignty is and what man's responsibility is. I can never solve that problem for you. I can just tell you what God is determined to do. He is determined to do and then he tells us to pray that he will do what is going to do and that's exactly what Daniels done. Jeremiah says this is what God's going to do in Daniel. Praise God do it and don't not do it. That's true prayer. Prayer is motivated by the word of God and prayer is measured by the will of God say, let me ask you something.

If you read in the Bible that something is outside of the will of God, should you pray about it.

Well let me ask the question again because you don't seem to be too sure if you read something in the word of God, and God says it's not his will. Should you pray about it. That's the biggest waste of time in Christendom prayed about things a daughter. He said we shouldn't do not have so many young people come to me over the years that I've been in the ministry here comes a young gal and she's a really neat galaxy is about ready to get married but she's got hooked up with a guy outside of the faith in the Lord and she comes in Jesus, pastor, would you talk to me about my relationship.

I really wish you would perform our wedding. And so I opened the Scripture. I talked to her about being unequally yoked together and what God said about how we should do that and inevitably I've had young people say to me, the pastor, Jeremiah, I have prayed about this and I have real peace in my heart. Now I don't know what you got in your heart but I know it is and peace from God.

It's probably infatuation and love what it's love outside of the revealed will of God.

You see, it is never right to pray about that which God has already said is wrong. Most will just save your energy will do any good.

God is going to change his mind as far as I know we had written another Bible beside the one we got our hands. It's only one I've got. Prayer is motivated by the word of God is measured by the will of God. Let's take one more show it. Prayer is manifested in our walk with God. Other two things about Daniel's life that come into focus when we examine his praying, let me just give you two words you can handle this truth on first of all we learn about his frequency of prayer and secondly we learn about his fervency and prayer. Prayer isn't just something we do at a point in time. Prayer is a part of our total life and being.

And you will see that in Daniel prayer is the very fabric of his life. First of all, Daniel said that when you read this prophecy from Jeremiah out of the Scriptures that he set his face before God and he began to pray and will be first read that here in the ninth chapter, it seems bit unusual, but it's not unusual go back in your Bibles to the six chapter let's find Daniel on his knees again. There's one little thing in the 10th verse of chapter 6 that sometimes we pass over quickly, but it is testimony to the frequency of Daniels praying now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed. He went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem.

He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, and that's where we usually stop we say good old Daniel. What was he a plucky guy. He was under indictment from the king and so you know what he did. He went into his house and he opened his windows and he prayed three times a day just know say take that King but you know that's really not what the text says the key to what Daniel did on that day is wrapped up in that last phrase he kneeled on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did previously or one translation puts it as he was in the habit of doing see when the crisis came Daniel didn't change anything. He just kept right on doing it already done.

I have an idea that maybe one of those prayers, he prayed on his knees toward Jerusalem could be what were reading in chapter 9 of this book, when Daniel was praying that God would restore his people in accordance with Jeremiah's prophecy, the frequency of prayer and if you go back to the ninth chapter come down to the 20th verse. This is indeed a long prayer, but I want you to notice that Daniel gets to the end of the prayer verse 19 and verse 20 starts the Revelation. In verse 20 says. And while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes. While I was speaking in prayer. Even the man Gabriel came so Daniels and praying all this time is been an extended protracted prayer in Danielson while he was in prayer. God gave a message to them from the messenger angel Gabriel himself. Daniel was a man who is committed to frequency and prayer daily prayer not you can't look up all these references, but let me remind you that that's another matter about which God is not change his mind still committed to our being involved in prayer on a frequent basis locating one says and he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not faint. Acts 114 these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus with his brethren.

Acts 242.

They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, but in breaking of bread and the prayers asked 64. We will give ourselves continually to prayer.

Romans 1212 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation continuing diligently in prayer. First Thessalonians 517 pray without ceasing. Daniel's prayer life was marked by the frequency of his praying in his walk with God. Prayer was a part of this daily habit, but the second thing that really comes to the front in this ninth chapter and with this we may not get any further is Daniel's prayer was also marked by fervency. Verse three says I set my face onto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplication's with fasting in sackcloth and ashes.

Daniels praying wasn't like ours, he didn't see God as the divine bellhop to get whatever he needed at a moments notice.

He didn't just bopping in front of God and say his thing and leave Daniel was fervent in prayer. Let me remind you that the book of James tells us that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much fervency you know what it means to be fervent in prayer we see if I can illustrate it for you. I want you to think back in your Christian experience to the moment of the greatest crisis you've ever experienced as an individual be a physical, mental, emotional, whatever it is your Christian now and you face that crisis and you pray, how did you pray, but I got this here need should be neat if you could do some about it.

I don't take too much time Lord we just want to run this via in the Lord. If you do some of the great thanks Lord or did you call out to God, almost with groanings that cannot be uttered. I'm going to the Old Testament and I found that in the Old Testament culture. There were certain things that accompany fervent prayer.

I just like to run down the list because it will help you to understand the emotional involvement of an individual who was praying fervently for the will of God to be done. First of all, in this passage we learned that sometimes fervent prayer was associated with sackcloth. The garments of morning Job chapter 2 tells us about one who prayed fervently sitting in a Nash pile and putting ashes on his head. Job chapter 1 says that praying fervently was accompanied by shaving off the hair of the head. In Luke 18 we read of one who prayed fervently smiting his breast, and in other places in the Bible we are told that sometimes praying was so agonizingly fervent that it was accompanied by crying, by throwing dust on the head by tearing garments by fasting and sighing and groaning and sweating blood and agonizing and breaking of heart and pouring out one's heart and making clothes and making sacrifices. Somehow, as we examine our prayer lives in seem to fit into that context today, fervent praying. I want to take just a moment and talk a little bit about praying and fasting. You know, we don't hear much about that fasting. All I know about the Cambridge fast but that's not in the Bible is not for the right reason either. Although very helpful as you read the Bible you discover something that really ought to get your attention.

Jesus fasted the apostle Paul fasted in the Old Testament early church leaders, and in the Old Testament. Isaiah the prophet Daniel Esther David Hannah Elijah, Ezra, Nehemiah Zechariah and others fasted when you read churches for you discover that Martin Luther fasted John Calvin fasted John Knox fasted John and Charles Wesley David Brainerd George Mueller Reese Howells and many many more. In fact, I've read many of the biographies of the great men of the faith, and I've hardly found one who didn't practice fasting. We don't talk much about that today. I need to be very clear that we are not commanded to fast in the New Testament.

Whatever we have in the New Testament about fasting is not commanding us to do it but instructing us that when we do it, were supposed to do it a certain way, not as an outward expression of our piety, but that does not do away with the fact that sometimes fasting gets at this matter of fervency and are praying. It is a time in our lives when we say no to our physical wants and desires and we prioritize the spiritual realm within us, and I'm going through the Bible and discovered that there are many times when fasting occurs where we can put into operation in terms of really being able to focusing on the spiritual dimension of life. For instance, sometimes in the Old Testament, they fasted because of private problems in first Samuel chapter 1 we have the story of Al Qaeda and his two wives Hannah and Mina Knight had children, but Hannah was not able to bear any input nine and taunted her because of her barrenness.

And if you read the first chapter you read about fasting because of the private problem sometimes fasting took place in the Old Testament because of public disasters. First Samuel chapter 31 we have the story of Saul and his sons, including Jonathan being killed in battle against the Philistines and when the Israelites from the tribe of Manasseh heard what the Philistines had done. They took the bodies of Saul and his sons, and they brought them to Jay – were they were cremated and they fasted for seven days because of this tragedy. Public disasters sometimes in the Bible they fasted because of personal grief second Samuel 12 sometimes, in perplexity over a situation such as in Daniel chapter 6 verses 18 to 20. Sometimes because of peril that was ahead in their life they knew the trouble was coming. Esther chapter 4 records the story of King that has you where us through the guile of his Prime Minister Heyman signed a decree that all the Jews both young and old women and children must be killed on the 28th day of February the following year and when Queen Esther heard about this. She told Mordechai her cousin and if you read Esther for you. Find out where fasting fit into the plan. Sometimes fasting took place in penitence over sin sometimes because of pity for friends sometimes in perplexity over the will of God.

In acts chapter 13 you'll see that in the life of Paul Andrew Murray, the great father who has written so many things that are helpful to us wrote learn from these men that the work which the Holy Spirit commands must call us to new fasting and prayer to new separation from the spirit and pleasures of the world to new consecration to God and his fellowship.

These men gave themselves up to fasting and prayer, and if in all our ordinary Christian work. There were more prayer and fasting. There would be more blessing in our own inner life."

New Testament teaches us that certain demons could not be cast out except by prayer and fasting. Paul fasted after his vision in Damascus and in the 27th chapter of acts we are told that those who were in the storm tossed ship with Paul fasted for 14 days.

I'll believe it or not. I told you all about. Not because I want you to start fasting. That's not the point. The point is that fasting is simply one measure, indicating the fervency that is important in our relationship with God. I really don't believe God is enamored with our emotion less uninvolved relationship with him. Sometimes that's even given away in our experience in church.

One of the great illustrious theologians of this generation was named Edgar Young Mullins.

He told a story one time that stayed in my mind, he said, a little monkey got loose from the organ grinder in the cold winter time and the little thing was freezing to death and sought warmth. So the little monkey jumped on the sill of the house and look through the window pain and there he saw a roaring fire little thing went around the house and found his way inside into the room. Any set there with his little paws raised to the fire and he froze to death because said Dr. Mullins. It was a painted fire on a painted screen.

How many churches are there like that and how many Christians are there like that painted fires on painted screens and there is no emotion and there is no fervency and there is no warmth and why do we wonder that people don't want to be a part of what we have. If it doesn't mean any more to us than that which we give away by our personal emotional involvement, then why would anyone be drawn to it church in the village was burning down in all the villagers were there watching the thing go up in flames and the pastor happened to turn and see the town infidel standing by his side and he said to him sarcastically. Well Sir, this is the first time I've ever seen you at church in the town infidel replied and pastor. This is the first time I ever saw the thing on fire and the flame dies and the fire dies and the sealed eyes and the feelings died in the emotion dies in the spirit cannot do anything with us because we really don't care enough to be fervent committed to.

I heard about a pastor who described the unity in his church. He said all yes were unified fact, if you want to know the truth were frozen together. Another pastor was describing his church. In this way, he said I'm sure that our church will go first in the rapture because the Bible says the dead in Christ will rise first. Little uneducated, followed slipped into a liturgical church sat in the back row where guest preacher was giving a message guest preacher happened to be orthodox, to some degree, and he sorry got into his message and he just got started and he said something good about Jesus in this little fellow slipped in the back row didn't know where he was and so write out loud. He said he's God, everybody, the Carnation turned around and looked at it, preacher, lost his place in got himself back together and he started on trying to be sedated enough not to arouse this fellow. All of a sudden he forgot what he was doing and he said something else good about Jesus and the fellow said amen. The pastor motioned to the head usher head usher went back and sat down in on the floor on the pew next with this fellow seated told him to be quiet.

Pastor started going again pretty soon he got caught up in his message. He said some really good about Jesus. The fellow stood up and hollered. Hallelujah in the usher said shut up. He said I can't shut up. I got religion. He said what you didn't get it in here. So shut and in churches like that you wouldn't get much religion would you want if we really believe what we say we believe if were not willing to get involved when you pray, you need to pray fervently that's all I want to say.

The effectual fervent prayer want you to do something for me this week.

It's a very simple assignment won't hurt anybody. I want you to pray. That's it, just pray, read the book.

See what God would tell you to pray about prayer is motivated by the word of God. Find out what God's revealed will is and play it back to him and say do it, Lord. And don't not do it and then get involved frequently and fervently in talking to your God see what happens. Amen, amen. I want to re-endorse that encouragement for all of you see tomorrow. Have a great day message today turn to you from Sugar Mountain community church we don't dive Jeremiah serves as a senior cost, will you let us know have Turning Point is touching your life. Please write to us a Turning Point PO Box 38, San Diego, CA 92163 visit our website. Jeremiah thought all/writing your copy of a math test funnies kept fighting the last and Israeli inside looks at the end times. Pray for his room goes for gift of any of those are valid for mobile app is not fun or searching over the key with Turning Point ministries and instantly exited programs and resources with go to dive. Jeremiah got ready and I'm very hurt. Join us tomorrow as we continue the handwriting on the Turning Point. Jeremiah, thanks for taking time to listen to on tonight from these increased in size and all