Gospel Reading Plan: Luke 15-16
Answers to Prayer
Read: Daniel 9
Isaiah 65:24 says, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will
hear” (NIV).
This was the experience of Daniel in today’s Scripture passage. Daniel was reading the book of Jeremiah and
understood correctly that the Babylonian captivity would last seventy
years. He could calculate the number of
years since the captivity started and reached the conclusion that the end of
the seventy years was very near. This
scriptural truth fuelled his prayers for the captivity to end. Notice how he was studying the Word of God
and knew the current events of the nation.
Notice how he gave himself to prayer, verse 3 tells us that he “pleaded with God in prayer and petition, in
fasting and in sackcloth and ashes” (NIV).
The rest of the chapter gives us a small glimpse into his prayer, full
of meaning, simple, yet earnest and direct in its confessions and requests. The
lesson here is that when we come to know that God is going to do something
(either through the logos Word or
through a rhema Word), instead of
relaxing it should motivate us to keep praying with intensity, fasting and
pleading to God. It was while he was
praying that the archangel Gabriel came to him to instruct him and give him
insight and understanding (vs. 22). As
soon as Daniel began to pray an answer was given. The message that God gave Daniel was much
more than he expected. Remember, he was
praying for the exiles to be released from captivity in Babylon and God’s
messenger told him the exact time of the appearance of the Messiah and also
looked to the end times and the events associated with it. This gave Daniel much more to pray
about! God did not just give Daniel the
answers he was looking for, He gave him much, much more!
PRAYER AND MEDITATION
- What does today’s passage teach you about prayer?
- What does today’s passage teach you about the character of God and how He treats His children?
- Ask the Lord to show you some things to pray about that would motivate you to spend more time with Him in prayer each day.
- Thank Him for the things that He showed you today.
