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Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel Chapter Nine. Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, DANIEL. As you’re turning to Daniel 9 I want to talk about prayer. As is our custom, Riverview has a Prayer Meeting and Bible study on Wednesday nights. The Church should be full of praying believers. The Bible is a Book full of prayers.

Jabez prayed (1 Chronicles 4:10)
Moses prayed (Exodus 32:9-14)
The virgin Mary prayed (Luke 1:46-49)
The Publican prayed (Luke 18:13)
Our Lord Jesus both taught prayer and Himself prayed
(Matthew 6:9-13)

Before Jesus went to Calvary to save His Church, He prayed that “we would be One as He and the Father are One (John 17:11). Jesus prayed that His Church would be One with the Triune God:

John 17:21 That THEY ALL MAY BE ONE; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Though we as Christ’s Church are separated by quarantine from the pandemic Covid-19, though we may be physically apart we can still be spiritually one. I believe as Christ’s Church wherever it may be goes through this time of testing, that at the other end of the tunnel we will be stronger, more united in Christ Jesus. Jesus taught us that “a house divided cannot stand” (Mark 3:25; Matthew 12:25). The Church – like Israel – derives its power from unity with God and with one another. Prayer and Bible Study is so very important.

When the Christian prays according to God’s Word we center ourselves on God. Beloved, we as Christians are desperately needed to be centered on our God as we go through this great national trial.

Daniel FREQUENTLY Prayed

Daniel 6:10 …. {Daniel} kneeled upon his knees THREE TIMES a day, and PRAYED, and GAVE THANKS before his God, as he did aforetime.

No one could stop Daniel from praying. Daniel not only PRAYED, but he PRAISED. He sought God in prayer, but exalted God in his praise!

Have YOU thanked God for Covid-19?
Have you thanked God for the quarantine?
There is a reason for this quarantine, and our God is still in control.
Though Daniel was in captivity, cut off from Israel, he still prayed and thanked God for what he was going through.

When you pray, God will speak to you. He spoke to Daniel, and as God revealed what was coming it physically affected Daniel. The Bible says:

Daniel 8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

When a nation drifts away from God, it brings a curse upon itself. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 33:12 … Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

America, we need to get back to God.
Tennessee, we need to get back to God.
Columbia, we need to get back to God.
Church, we need to get back to God.

How Did Daniel Pray?

• Daniel focused on God in prayer. He deliberately prayed.

Daniel 9:3-4 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: 4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession

I love the way he says this: “I set my face unto the Lord God” (‘Adonay Elohiym) – the Godhead. His focus was not on others to solve the problem, but on the Lord Who saved him. Daniel calls God “The Godhead Who is Lord”, but in verse 4 addresses God as “the LORD my God” (Yahweh Elohiym) – the Godhead Who is the Eternal I AM. Our God is the ever Present God. He is always I AM, never I WAS or I WILL BE. He is with us, watching over His children by faith. Daniel made his confession. The Bible tells us that:

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This is the first part of prayer – confession of sin. Notice how Daniel confessed sin:

Daniel 9:4-6 … O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Daniel did not play “the blame game” with God. He confessed his sins. He confessed the sins of his nation. He exalted God while confessing sin. He acknowledged that the mess the nation was in was because we have not listened to our faithful and loving God. The Scripture declares:

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Deuteronomy 7:9 … the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God …

Covid-19 may be ravaging our country, but it’s cause is not that God is faithless, or that God is absent. God is there. God is always with us. But when we reject His Word and His Spirit bad things happen. Daniel prayed:

Daniel 9:11-13 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, EVEN BY DEPARTING, that they might not obey thy voice; THEREFORE THE CURSE IS POURED UPON US, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.  [12]  And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.  [13]  As it is written in the law of Moses, ALL THIS EVIL IS COME UPON US: YET MADE WE NOT OUR PRAYER BEFORE THE LORD OUR GOD, THAT WE MIGHT TURN FROM OUR INIQUITIES, and understand thy truth.

Trials come upon us when we reject God’s leading. God warned Israel not to depart from His leadership. When we reject His Word, we automatically do something that brings badness to our front door. God said:

Deuteronomy 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, TO OBSERVE TO DO ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS AND HIS STATUTES WHICH I COMMAND THEE this day, that ALL THESE CURSES SHALL COME UPON THEE, AND OVERTAKE THEE:   … [20] The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.

Daniel did not blame others. Politics in our country has elevated itself to a place that previously was held only by religion. Politicians are constantly blaming “the other side”. Beloved, we are one country in distress. The blame game does nothing but lie to cover our own sins. Daniel prayed:

Daniel 9:5 WE HAVE SINNED, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even BY DEPARTING FROM THY PRECEPTS AND FROM THY JUDGMENTS:

Daniel didn’t pray “THEY have sinned” but prayed “WE have sinned”. The beginning of national healing comes when we realize we are all at fault – and return to God.

We are the United States TOGETHER. We are the Church of Christ TOGETHER. We must not compromise God’s Word, but be the light that our Lord calls us to be. What did Jesus say?

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

• Daniel acknowledged his weakness, that God alone is God. So often we hear God’s Word and say “Yes Lord, BUT”. Daniel prayed:

Daniel 9:7-8 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. 8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

The best prayer is the prayer that says, “God, I don’t know what to do. Please be God and tell me. Your servant is listening!”

I have often stood outside at night and looked at a beautiful, full moon. Have you ever thought that, if the moon were to depart from the sun, it would have no glow, and would not be seen from the earth. The light of the Church is God’s Son. The light of the Church is to imitate the Word. Not the WORLD, but the WORD.

• Daniel acknowledged the righteousness of God, and asked for mercy upon the nation.

Daniel 9:14-17 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.

As Daniel prayed, he refereed to various Biblical texts:

Leviticus 26:40
Deuteronomy 28:64
Exodus 34:6
Psalm 44:14
Jeremiah 25:11

Daniel was a man who studied the Word of God. Jesus has told us that (John 15:3) “you are clean through the Word I have spoken unto you”. Jesus said:

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and MY WORDS abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

God’s people are called to pray and heed God’s Word.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from THEIR WICKED WAYS; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

• Daniel pleaded the glory of God throughout his prayer. He prayed:

Daniel 9:18-19 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Daniel asked that God grant a positive answer to his prayer for the glory of God. Everything we do is to be for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

The model prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ taught us in Matthew 6 begins and ends with glory to God:

Matthew 6:9-10, 13 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. … 13 … For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

As we pray we acknowledge that we belong to God, and give glory to His Name. We come together to glorify Him. We praise Him here – and out there. The glory of the Lord is our strength.

1 Chronicles 16:28-29 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

As Daniel ended his prayer we know that it was heard of God, for the Lord sent Gabriel to Daniel. He brought a vision to Daniel, telling Daniel “you are greatly Beloved of God” (Daniel 9:23). Daniel was allowed to look into the future, and to see the coming of the Messiah, and His death on Calvary. God led Daniel to a deeper place of blessing, and used Daniel for His glory.

As we go through this time of quarantine let us all commit to being people of prayer. Let us read our Lord’s Word, and trust Him. I believe America has better days to come. But if they will come, they will only come if God’s people are focused on Him and His glory.

Oh that God would bring national revival to America! May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit.