What is your view of prayer? Shopping list? Bartering at a market (if you do this, then I’ll...)

So far we have seen that Daniel is opening our eyes to the reality of the world - the dangers, the attacks. But he also makes it clear that God will prevail. That in Jesus, the is One who will triumph over all. So, in the light of that, what does Daniel do? Does he sit back and relax and watch God do His stuff? Does he parade around claiming he is invincible?

No. He prays. And just as Daniel, Shadrach, Mechach and Abendnego were God’s people in a foreign land, so too are we as believers. The Church (God’s people) is in a pagan society based on godless principles.

From Daniel’s actions, not only do we see that the right response to these things is to pray, but Daniel also teaches us how we should pray for the Church. Never has there been a time when prayer for the Church isn’t vital - Paul’s letters in the New Testament are full of such prayers - and now is no different. The Church has always been persecuted, so the Church always needs praying for.

4 Characteristics of Daniel’s prayer that should help us in our prayers:

1. Full of the Bible
Daniel was Biblical in his prayer. Daniel had a great burden for his people. They were in exile; removed from their God-given land and their own city and centre of worship. But before Daniel prays, though his burden was great, he studies the Word of God, the Bible. He reads Jeremiah 29, which is a letter sent by Jeremiah to the Elders of Israel in exile in Babylon.

This is how it goes: This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

Do Daniel prayed according to the Bible and it brought him hope, resting on the promise of God. He did not pray in some superficial way, but expressed his desires and prayers in a detailed and Biblical way. And neither did he just look at a few Bible verses in isolation as we often do. No:

"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses..." verse 11 "Just as it is written in the Law of Moses..." verse 13. When we pray, we should follow Daniel’s example, and base our prayers on the promise and Word of God.

2. Full of Repentance
So, having seen that Daniel understands the promises of God, what is his response? Does he see the promises of an all-powerful God and conclude that prayer isn’t necessary? Does he conclude that if a Sovereign God has declared it, then it will happen regardless?

No, Daniel would also have known Deuteronomy 30:1-4 The whole of Daniel’s prayer is infused with repentance and confession. All self-righteousness is poured out: "We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy" verse 18

Daniel has two facts before him throughout this prayer: A real sense of the majesty, holiness and justice of God, and a real sense of the shame and sin of the people. See these twin burdens in his prayer: "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame..." verse 7 "Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong." Verse 4.

Is there any doubt that all of us live too comfortably with sin? We minimise the righteousness of our awesome God and we minimise the sinfulness of sin. We need to pray, like Daniel, for a fresh appreciation of the utter holiness of an all-seeing God. We also need to pray with a deeper sense of contrition and humility.

This was Daniel’s conclusion, and should be ours.

Let’s reflect back on Daniel’s experiences so far: Daniel didn’t eat the kings food, Daniel prayed 3 times a day with his life threatened, Daniel withstood the lion’s mouth, Daniel has been elevated to a place of great eminence in the land.

And yet he prays: "Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land" Verses 4-6

How many times does "we" or "our" appear in this passage? 7 Daniel doesn’t blame others. He doesn’t have an inferiority complex that they are small people in a big nation and life is unfair. Does Daniel blame their plight on wicked Babylon and their evil kings? No verse 8

"We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you." Daniel goes to the root cause - We have sinned, he said, so we have brought this inevitable divine judgement on ourselves.

We like to hear that problems are other people’s fault. What’s wrong with the church? Well, it’s not us. It must be Evolution, post-modernism, materialism, Archbishop of Canterbury. And yet in verse 20 Daniel also says: "While I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill"

So Daniel shows us the biblical way. Yes we must pray for the Church - for our fellow believers, but there is preparation: Firstly, looking to the Bible and what God has said and promised. Secondly we need to pray in confession and repentance. Surely we all need from the Holy Spirit a fresh and vivid vision of the majesty of God and a conviction of our sins.

Daniel had a vision of the power and holiness and awesome nature of the Lord his God (v4). How could any sin, certainly any habitual / besetting sin exist in his life after such a vision - and the same should be true for us.

3. Full of Glory for God
I wonder what your motives are when you pray. Daniel’s motive is crystal clear - he desired God’s honour and glory. All else was secondary: "For your sake, Lord" verse 17 Why does Daniel pray and make his pleas? "For your sake, my God do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name" verse 19

If I pray that from this Bible Talk that people are better equipped or able to serve God, or turn to Him in repentance, then that is good. But if my motive has even a hint that is to do with people thinking I’m a good speaker, then all is spoilt.

If we pray for the prosperity of SDCC, then that is good. If a motive lurking deep down is that others may not see us as failures, but marvel at our blessing, then all is ruined. Our motive must be God’s glory alone: That Jesus may see the rewards of His suffering, that God may be glorified in the salvation of sinners, that God may have new voices to praise Him, that new hearts are turned from stone and softened, that the holiness, mercy and power of God be shown

4. Full of Logic
Daniel’s prayer was intense and deeply heartfelt. He had studied the Bible: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

Here is Daniel seeking God with all his heart. "Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act!!" Verse 19 This is no vain repetition, but shows Daniel’s emotion and we can feel the intense yearning and longing in his heart. He longs for the glory of God as he pours out his soul for his people - those who bear the name of God.

We can’t physically hear Daniel saying this prayer, but I can’t image he has a 'special prayer voice'. This intensity was not emotionalism or sentimentality. Daniel pours out his for a purpose and with a clear aim. Here is intense logic. He prays for a hearing "Give ear, our God, and hear..." verse 18

He realises that he is not worthy of a hearing, but Daniel prays biblically, in deep repentance and for the glory of God - and the request is granted. There is no waffle here - his prayers fly fast and logically. One prayer is build on the other: Listen, forgive, hear, act. There are no random requests with enthusiasm and little else. But equally there are no cold, logical, tepid statements as if it were an academic exercise

No. With a detailed knowledge of the Bible, he reasons with God. He argues with God, but he isn’t argumentative. God doesn’t require reasons, but he delights to know why we deserve the blessing. It was for God’s honour and glory.

Conclusion - So what do we make of all this? Well, Daniel teaches us how to pray, and in verse 23 we see that God answers Daniel’s pray through Gabriel. And Gabriel goes on to reveal to Daniel far more than he requested. Now Daniel receives a rapid response: "While I was still in prayer, Gabriel - came to me in swift flight" verse 21

We cannot be assured of the same rapidity of response as great faith has been known to be tried by delay. But delay is not denial. God gives liberally and this should encourage us to persevere in our prayers for one another here, and God’s people across the world. We need not be afraid to urge God to the next act of love and kindness. Let us pray for each other and pray for the Church across this land and across the world.

Let us pray with the Bible, in repentance, to the glory of God and with holy logic, compelled by the one who was put to death and had nothing and in the knowledge that he can do above all that we ask or think.

1. Do you pray regularly?
2. When you pray, how do you pray? Is it like a shopping list or like going through teh motions? Or is it like Daniel
3. What concerns do you have for God's people across the world? Are you interested in them and are you regularly praying for them?

Daniel