Prayer Journal
Thursday, July 13, 2000
"As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed." Dan 9:23a
I confess that often time I've believed that certain people have an "advantage" over me and I have used that excuse to give up. I read in Daniel 1:4 that Daniel and his friends were of noble birth, good looking, smart, well-informed, quick to understand and educated. I chose not to publicly rank myself according to those attributes. Suffice it to say however, it's easy to understand how someone can develop feelings of inferiority under such scrutiny.
But Daniel was not a product of education and nobility. He was a man of prayer. Even more, he exhibited a willingness to stand-alone, even when those around him would not support him. By Daniel's example, we learn that being a man of prayer is based on a close relationship with God and nothing else!
On this day, Daniel was "speaking and praying, confessing his personal sin and the sin of his people and making his requests known to God". God answered - as soon as Daniel BEGAN to pray! I doubt that Daniel made a request to God before he confessed his need for cleansing. That being true, scripture says God answered even before Daniel made the request. (cp: Rom 8:26,27)
So here's what we can conclude: While education and experience are good, they do not make us better pray-ers. Rather, it is the determination that one demonstrates and the willingness to stand on godly conviction with a persistence that will not be denied. When we learn those things, we will eliminate anything that blocks a proper relationship with God. And when we pray like that, God hears and he answers as soon as we open our mouth.
"This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5:14,15
(1) Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society
(2) The images used herein were obtained from the Learning Company's ClickArt Christian Graphics Deluxe product, (c)1999 The Learning Company, Inc and its subsidiaries, 88 Roland Way, Novato, CA 94945 USA. All Rights Reserved.
