DANIEL CH. 6
LIVING A LIFE OF PRAYER LIKE DANIEL
Good morning everyone! If you’re a guest with us or joining us online this morning, my name is Nic Cook and I’m one of the Pastors here at Cornerstone Church. SERIES: We’re continuing our sermon series today on the book of Daniel and we’ve entitled the series Standing Up in a Bow Down World. This is an incredible book that has spoken to some very relevant issues we’re still experiencing at this moment. [2] (COMPASSION) How do you live in this world and make a difference by loving those around you and treating them with dignity and respect? (COMPROMISE) Yet simultaneously, not going with the flow and compromising on what is true and speaking up even when it’s painful or possibly even deadly. How do you live as a part of Babylon but never forget that you’re a citizen of God’s country? And the life of Daniel is a powerful picture of what that is supposed to look like. But the question is…
How did he do it? I think we all really want to live lives like Daniel, right? I think the world could use more people like Daniel. So, let’s take a look at one of the most famous stories in the Old Testament together and see what God has to show us. [3]Open your bibles the book of [Dan. 6]. We’re going to pray and then we’re going to see just what made it possible for Daniel to live such a powerful life regardless of his circumstances. [4][READ: Dan. 6:1-28]
(TCH/APP)POWERFUL PUBLIC LIFE/ PRAYERFUL PRIVATE LIFE
BACKGROUND: Daniel is around 80 years old at this point of his life. When we hear this story, we usually picture a young guy. But Daniel has outlived multiple kings, multiple threats to his life. He has seen God send dramatic visions of warning, he’s experienced God saving his friends from death. And the entire time he has faithfully served evil and prideful kings. He has loved them and prayed for them. And because of his faithfulness to God and his compassion for the nation he is serving, he continues to be promoted over and over again. And in chapter 6 we see Daniel being promoted by the next empire that replaced Babylon. Anyone who looked at Daniel saw…[5]
A POWERFUL PUBLIC LIFE: Corruption was rampant in ancient governments (hmm, nice to know it’s always been a problem). People in charge were responsible for collecting taxes and making sure that the kings’ laws were observed. And because there were so many people involved, money could be skimmed off the top as it changed hands, people could be bribed to ignore certain laws. So, the King picks three men to oversee all the rest. And when there is one person who doesn’t play by the same rules of get ahead, get rich, laws are not for us but for the people we rule, and it causes problems for the other two. So, the other two men do what normally happens in politics, let’s dig up some dirt on him so we can get him out of power. And the problem was, they couldn’t find any. Daniel was a man of great character. He worked hard. He did his job well. He wasn’t cutting corners or padding his pockets. He was not just enforcing the laws, but he was personally keeping them. Daniel’s life in public is an example of…[6]
- CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER & COMPELLING COMPETENCE: I believe that God wants his people to be the best in every sphere of public life. I believe that he wants Christians to be the best teachers and teachers aids and bus drives, to be the best coaches and the best teammates, to be the best insurance agents, to be the best musicians, the best IT technicians. Why, because we are filled with the Spirit, and like Daniel we bring the fruit of the Spirit into our places of work, learning, and play. Imagine what Spirit-filled bosses, coaches, teachers, technicians and artists could turn a workplace, a soccer field, or a school classroom into. Secondly, It’s an act of worship. [7]We’re told “work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people…the Master you are serving is Christ.” [Col. 3:23-24] There’s no such thing as a dead-end job, you’re working for Jesus. Make your place of work, your place of school, your place of play, a place of worship! The world should look at the way we work and live and take notice. Unfortunately, a powerful life of Christ-like character and compelling competence can sometimes bring…[8]
- CONFLICT: Here’s the double-edged sword of this approach: human pride, spirits of competition, habits of laziness, all flare up and get exposed when there is someone they’re being compared to. They don’t like looking bad. They don’t like not being able to get away with things. Since the other two leaders can’t destroy him for keeping the law, they need to pass a law that they know Daniel will break. They need to make it…
ILLEGAL TO WORSHIP: They knew where Daniel’s ultimate loyalty lay, it was with his God and not the government, so they tricked the King into passing a law that they knew Daniel wouldn’t keep. [9]In this world there will always be tension between governments and Christians. On the one hand, Christians try to fix sinful people through laws. That never works because laws don’t change hearts. That’s why this election won’t fix the world. On the other hand, Governments run by those who don’t follow Jesus, will always tend to seek more and more authority over people’s lives. They will seek to define what is right and wrong for everyone. And when they define it as God defines it, we as followers of Jesus willingly obey and submit. But when they define what is right and wrong on their own terms in a way that disagrees with God’s definition, we will always submit to his authority. And Daniel disregards this law. He refuses to bow publicly to pressure and to compromise his faith because…[10]
DANIELS POWERFUL PUBLIC LIFE FLOWED OUT OF A PRAYER-FILLED PRIVATE LIFE. He didn’t cave because God had built him into a man of firm convictions and unshakable character during his time of prayer. RHYTHMS OF PRAYER:We’re told that Daniel had a habit of going into his house and praying 3x’s a day. Now this isn’t actually something God commanded his people to do. The only people that had specific times and prayers that they had to pray every single day would have been the priests at the Temple in Jerusalem. At the beginning of the day when sacrifices started around 6:00 am and then again at 3:00 when the last sacrifice was made. At both those times they would lay their hands on a lamb, ask God to place their sin on that animal, and then sacrifice it as they prayed that God would forgive them, accept them, and make them holy. There are hints that people had been stopping to pray at certain points in the day so that even if they weren’t at the temple, they were participating in worshipping God, asking for his forgiveness, and thanking him for making them his people. King David, the greatest human King in Jewish history said this [11-12]“But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice.” [Ps. 55:16-17] It seems like David used the times of the morning and evening sacrifices as well as a time in the middle of the day as a pattern for his prayer life.
- TIME & PLACE: If we want to live powerful prayer-filled lives, a good starting point is to set aside specific times and places for prayer. When is your time for prayer? Where is your space for prayer? We often crumble in the pain of the present moment, because we haven’t developed a plan for consistent prayer and learned to make it a rhythm in our everyday moments.
GIVE THANKS: Here’s something else I almost missed about prayer as I studied this passage. What do you think Daniel prayed after he found out his life was in danger? God this isn’t fair? Why is this happening to me? Haven’t I done all the right things? God, please get me out of this! No, it says that Daniel “GAVE THANKS” to God. [13]
- We’re told in [1 Thess. 5:16-18] Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Always be joyful? Even when it seems like things are falling apart? How do I do that? Never stop praying! So what do I do I pray for when things are hard? Be thankful! Give thanks to God. Thank you God for walking with me through this. Thank you for bringing through what you’ve already done. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your Spirit that can give me hope and peace. Thank you for my church family who is walking with me through this. There is always something to thank God for. I think we’re told to start with giving thanks because…[14]
- WE MOVE FROM TRYING TO GET SOMETHING FROM GOD TO BEING REMINDED THAT WE’VE GOT GOD HIMSELF! God, I know this hurts, but I know you’re there. Thank you for being the great healer. God, I don’t understand why I’m experiencing this but I know that you can use it. Thank you for your wisdom. God thank you for bringing me this far, I trust that you’ll complete what you’ve started. And…[15]
This is not a momentary thing in Daniel’s life. It’s not an add on. Daniel isn’t just throwing up a quick prayer because things are getting tough. For Daniels entire life, he would find a private place and turn towards Jerusalem and pray. Three times a day he set aside a time and a place to shut out the kingdoms of this world and to focus his eyes on God and his kingdom. It’s in those regular private moments that he developed a relationship with God. He spoke to him. He listened for God’s voice. It was in the everyday quiet faithful moments of prayer that Daniel was turned into a man of great public character. A man who had learned to love because he had prayed for kings and God helped him love them and see them as he did. A man who was willing to stand up for God even if it meant he would endure death. If we want to live powerful public lives, we have to learn to live prayer-filled lives first!
(JC) PRAYING TO THE GOD WHO DELIVERS FROM DEATH[]
Here is the way that the story of Daniel has been misused. [16]
- IF YOU TRUST GOD AND PRAY, YOU WON’T EXPERIENCE PAIN: We think, well if I love God, and I pray to be spared from pain, even if I get thrown to the lions, God is going to keep me safe and I won’t get hurt just like Daniel. But that’s not how God always works. When we look at Jesus, we see that He lived a blameless life like Daniel. He had incorruptible character. He lived a life filled with prayer just like Daniel. He was brought before the ruler of the empire by those who were jealous of him and hated him just like Daniel. He too had a stone rolled over him. But unlike Daniel, he wasn’t spared harm. He experienced being shredded and torn apart. Unlike Daniel, he didn’t spend one night of darkness in safety, he spent 3 nights of darkness in death. And if Jesus experienced that kind of pain, then we are not exempt. But the stone was rolled away and Jesus came out of the pit of death and is alive today. We have hope that…[17]
- THE GOD WE PRAY TO IS ABLE TO DELIVER US EVEN FROM DEATH. Jesus would have grown up praying the psalms. He used scripture to teach him words to say to God in prayer. One of those psalms he probably prayed throughout his life would have been Psalm 23 that we’re going to meditate on today. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” And later “and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” I’m sure these words and others that he had prayed for years helped him know what to say when the words were hard. I’m sure these words had sunk into his heart over the years and gave him hope and trust in his darkest places. Like Daniel and like Jesus, in prayer we need to daily, regularly, and consistently turn our face towards God, look towards our true home, and pray. Knowing that he can be trusted and that not even death can separate us from God and his love. [18]
(NXT/INSP) SO NOW WHAT? (YOU/THE WORLD)
Today, I’d like to give you two ways to respond to what we’ve heard in God’s word today. If you are here today and not a follower of Jesus, I’d like to invite you to…
- PRAY TO JESUS FOR THE FIRST TIME: The truth is we’re all the conspirators in this story. We all like being in charge, living our lives according to our own standards. We hate realizing that we’re corrupt, or broken, and anyone who exposes us we want to get rid of. And we deserve to be thrown in the pit and destroyed. Instead, Jesus took our place. He took our punishment. By dying on the cross, he allowed corrupt people to escape eternal destruction. And he not only wants to save you from destruction, but he wants to transform you into someone like Daniel. He wants you to live a good and beautiful life like Jesus. So, if you’re interested…
LEARNING TO PRAY REGULARLY: The second way to respond to what we’ve heard is by actually praying together. So that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to pray through Psalm 23 together. But before we do, I’d like to pray for us, and I’m going to use the Lord’s Prayer as my guide. So, if it’s okay, I’d like to pray to God for all of us, and then we will pray together as Jared leads us through Psalm 23.