Daniel and Prayer

6-12-11

Daniel is an outstanding example of one with a godly character. Daniel exhibits in his life the trust and confidence that he places in Jehovah and Jehovah in turn reveals to us about his servant Daniel. We are not going to look at the obvious account of where Daniel was in the den of lions but rather how he reacted to a certain trial that came upon him and his three friends. As we know King Nebuchadnezzar started having dreams which troubled him to the extent that he could no longer sleep and when he awoke the dreams had gone from him. So King Nebuchadnezzar called for the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell him what he dreamed along with the interpretation of the dream. Well the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and the Chaldeans were in an awful quandary. They could perhaps come up with a reasonable interpretation if only the king would tell them of what he dreamed but the king was demanding both. Daniel 2:6 “…therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.” The king was so adamant about wanting the dream and interpretation explained to him that he placed a death sentence upon the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans if they couldn’t produce it. Daniel 2:5 “The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.” Well they pleaded their case before the king and explained to him that nobody on earth including gods in the flesh could satisfy his demand which they felt was very unreasonable and beyond solving. Daniel 2:10,11 “The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” King Nebuchadnezzar became furious and set in order the decree to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel 2:12 “For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.” In this company of wise men to be slain were Daniel and his three companions Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. As Arioch is searching for the wise men he finds Daniel and Daniel inquires why this decree is so urgent to slay all the wise men. Arioch explains the situation to Daniel and Daniel goes in to speak unto the king. Notice the courage and boldness of Daniel in approaching the king for time so that Daniel could show the interpretation to the king. The faith of Daniel is exhibited in his sureness that Jehovah would deliver him the dream and interpretation even though Jehovah had not given a vision unto Daniel or his three companions up to this point. Daniel immediately goes to his three companions and informs them of the decree by King Nebuchadnezzar to have their lives slain. Daniel saw the answer to this dire situation and that was through prayer. Daniel implored his three companions to pray to Jehovah for his mercies. Daniel 2:17,18 “Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” Desire is to ask, to seek, to request, to pray, to make petition and what they were in need of was the mercies or compassion of Jehovah. Jehovah answered their requests and Daniel received a vision concerning the secret thing of King Nebuchadnezzar. Notice the praise, honor and reverence that Daniel gives unto Jehovah who had answered their petitions. We also see the mercy and compassion that Daniel had for others in that he requested that the wise men of Babylon be not destroyed. Daniel 2:24 “Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon:” Daniel also more or less defends the wise men before the king in confirming that they truly could not answer what the king demanded. Daniel 2:27 “Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;” Daniel also proclaimed that this revelation was from Jehovah in heaven and Daniel renounced any wisdom on his part in elevating himself in the sight of the king. Daniel 2:28, 30, “But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.” Not only was Daniel prayerful but he was also of a humble spirit which is absolutely necessary for prayer to be answered by Jehovah. May we be bold in approaching our God but remain mindful of who we are in humbleness. Daniel truly was a man of God.

Larry Bumgardner