Prayer is Intentional

 

“Intentionally Communicating With God”

DAN. 9:1-23 

THEME: Regularly Engage in Two-Way Communication With the Lord in order to Build an Ever Deepening Fellowship With Him.

RELEVANCE:

Many good communication books are on the market today. The Bible, however, is God’s foremost book about God’s communication with us. The Scriptures are the supreme source of insight on prayer and talking with God. It is the source from which we receive new insights and eternal wisdom regarding our prayer ministry.  

The Christian life is NOT a set of religious rituals, nor merely a list of beliefs.  God is a Divine Person and we must never forget he offers us a personal relationship to enjoy and maintain.  Intimate associations grow, prosper, and are strengthened through wholesome self-disclosing communication—prayer.  Victory or defeat is decided in your Christian life on the battleground of your daily walk with the Lord.

INTRODUCTION:

1.  Each of Us Has a Need to Communicate with God. That need has been built into us by our Creator. It is part of God’s design—part of His imprint on our lives. We desire to be in touch with our Maker.

2.  Prayer Is Communication with God. In its broadest definition, prayer includes both verbal and nonverbal communication—it covers our thoughts and actions toward God, as well as our words toward Him.

Daniel’s prayers illustrate and model two-way communication with God.   

MESSAGE: 

I.   PRAYER IS TO BE INTENTIONAL; DO IT ON PURPOSE (Dan. 9:3-6)

1. PRAYER DOES NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.

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, 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;

1.      We must Engage in the Process Regularly.

A.    We must turn our minds, hearts and voices toward God. Vs. 3-4, “I set my face,” “I prayed.”

1.      Daniel demonstrated a purposeful persistence in prayer. Even Jacob in his prayer cried, “… I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Gen. 32:26).

2.      Daniel was concerned about his people. Perhaps he was shaken by that little horn in chapter 8, Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian king of the Seleucid dynasty. He would abuse Daniel’s people, and he would desecrate the temple. All of this caused Daniel great concern.

3.      We must make a conscious decision to pray daily. Certainly Daniel did!

 

B.     We must designate specific times of prayer and devotion with our Heavenly Father.

1.   Daniel disciplined himself to pray three times a day (Dan. 6:10).

2.   Nehemiah was a godly leader of constant prayer (Neh. 1:14; 2:4; 4:9; 6:9).

3.   The Lord Jesus made a major priority of prayer each day (Mk.1:35).

a.       Jesus rose a long while before daylight and went out to a place where He would be free from distraction and spend time in prayer. The Servant of Jehovah opened His ear each morning to receive instructions for the day from God the Father (Isa. 50:4, 5).

b.      If the Lord Jesus felt the need of this early morning quiet time, how much more should we! Notice too that He prayed when it cost Him something; He rose and went out a long while before daylight. Prayer should not be a matter of personal convenience but of self-discipline and sacrifice. Does this explain why so much of our service is ineffective? –Believer's Bible Commentary

c.       Despite a full day of ministry (vv. 21-34), Jesus got up the next morning very early, before daybreak (about 4 a.m.) and went out to a solitary place (cf. v. 4) where He spent time praying. 

d.      Mark selectively portrayed Jesus at prayer on three crucial occasions, each in a setting of darkness and aloneness: near the beginning of his account (v. 35), near the middle (6:46), and near the end (14:32-42). All three were occasions when He was faced with the possibility of achieving His messianic mission in a more attractive, less costly way. But in each case He gained strength through prayer.—The Bible Knowledge Commentary 

C.     We must include these various aspects of this passage in our own prayers.  True prayer is:

1.      In response to the Word (v. 2). 

a.       The determining factor which brought Daniel to this prayer was his study of the Word of God. The Word reveals the will of God. A study of God’s Word, followed by prayer, is the formula for determining God’s will.

b.      The promises Daniel read are (Jer. 25:11; 29:10).

2.      Characterized by fervency (v. 3).

a.       James 5:16,…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

3.      Characterized by self-denial (v. 3).

4.      Identifies unselfishly with God’s people (v. 5).

5.      Strengthened by confession (vv. 5–15).

a.       He Confesses His Own Sins and the Sins of His People. He reviews Bible history and confesses that the nation has been wicked and God has been righteous to judge them.

b.      He Knew the Warnings Moses Had Given (v. 13, see Lev. 26).  He knew that he and his people deserved far greater disaster than God had sent to them. It is wonderful to see Daniel identifying himself with his sinning nation, though he himself had not been guilty of these sins.

6.      Dependent on God’s character (vv. 4, 7, 9, 15).

7.      It has as its goal, God’s glory (vv. 16–19).

D.    This is proper expression of intentional prayer to the Lord.  While we may express our prayers through feelings and thoughts, prayer must be intentional for it truly to be a form of communication.

2.      We Must Engage in Prayer Instead of Complaining. 

A.    I am NOT discouraging confiding in a friend regarding a burden or struggle, but if you ask for prayer, be sure to pray for yourself also.   

B.     Prayer is far better than merely complaining to each other.

1.      Ex 17:3, And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? Again the people of Israel complained about their problem instead of praying. They had followed God’s leading into the desert, but now were doubting his ability to take care of them.

2.      Some problems can be solved by careful thought or by rearranging our priorities. Some can be solved by discussion and good counsel. But some problems can be solved only by prayer.

3.      We should make a determined effort to pray when we feel like complaining, because complaining only raises our level of stress. Prayer quiets our thoughts and emotions and prepares us to listen to the Lord.

C.     Silently wishing something might be so is not prayer.

D.    Confessing a fault to another person is not prayer.

E.     Feeling a spring in our step as we rejoice in the warmth and beauty of an April day is not prayer. No, we must intentionally engage in prayer.

2. PRAYER WILL HAPPEN WITH PERSONAL INITIATIVE.

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….   

1.      Take the Matter Straight to God. Daniel took the initiative and took the matter to the Lord in prayer.  He by-passed everybody else and went straight to the Lord his God.

 

2.      Don’t Miss out Because You Fail to Pray.  Many times our problems and challenges persist because we failed to pray over the matter.

A.    James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

B.     To be engaged in prayer, we must voice our problem to God … with an expectation that He not only will hear us, but will respond to us.

C.     To be engaged in prayer, we must yield our desires to God … and expect Him to answer or change our desires as part of the process.

D.    To be in genuine prayer, we must make our confessions to God … and actively receive His cleansing and forgiveness.

E.     To be people of prayer, we not only must feel positive, good, or thankful, but must give voice to our thanksgivings and praise … and open ourselves fully to experience the presence of God at work both in and around us.

3.      Initiate Prayer By Speaking With Your God.

A.    Psalm 4:3, But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.  The godly are those who are faithful and devoted to God. David knew that God would hear him when he called and would answer him.

B.     We too can be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call on Him. Sometimes we think that God will not hear us because we have fallen short of his high standards for holy living. But if we have trusted Christ for salvation, God has forgiven us, we have fellowship, and he will listen to us.

C.     When you feel as though your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, remember that as a believer, you have been set apart by God -- and he loves you. He hears and answers, although his answers may not be what you expect.

D.    Look at your problems in the light of God’s power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems.  Make prayer intentional.