Thursday, January 29, 2015
TEXT: DANIEL 9:4-10
Key Verse: “And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments” (Daniel 9:4).
Prayer is the means and activity by which men align themselves with God’s purpose. It does not consist in battering the walls of heaven for personal benefits. Rather, it is committing ourselves to carrying out His purposes. It is not bending God’s will but in bowing to His will to be done. If Christians spend as much time praying as they do grumbling, they would soon have nothing to grumble about.
God had promised the children of Israel that whenever they were taken captive into a strange land, if they would repent of their sins, He would remember them because of His covenant with Abraham. Daniel, on this account, took his countrymen’s place by confessing their sins. He acted as their representative and intercessory priest. Thus, he typifies the Messiah, the Sin-bearer and great Intercessor. If we fulfill our part of the bargain, God will not fail to fulfill His. He will be faithful to His people as He is to His word. He keeps covenant and not one iota of His promise shall fall to the ground.
Daniel pleaded for God’s mercy and sued for the performance of His promise, knowing that their captivity was occasioned by sin. He took it upon himself to seek the face of God on behalf of his people so God could forgive their sins and end their calamities and captivity. To this sincere heartfelt prayer, God answered by sending an angel to disclose His mind to Daniel.
During prayer, we need to focus on God’s greatness, goodness, majesty and mercy. Sin and Satan are ruining people’s lives. There seems to be no hope for peace and progress. The church also is not spared the crisis as she daily suffers opposition from persecutor and false prophets. This is the right time for true believers in Christ to arise like Daniel and intercede in prayer for God’s mercy upon our world.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ROMANS 7 - 9
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Prayer is the heart’s sincere desire.
Higher Everyday for Youths - Link: http://highereveryday.dclmhq.org/
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