Prayer of The Beloved
Hello Bride of Christ,
Ever think the phrase "I will pray about it" is over used within the Christian community? Or if people actually prayed for as many times as you hear the phrase more answers would be given, revival would occur, less depressing events would occur, since prayer is so powerful?!
Join me today in the book of Daniel to get a glimpse of a man who regardless of the great discrepancies between what his community was claiming and actually doing knew the power of prayer and more importantly the character of His God to which he prayed.
Daniel 9
In Daniel Chapter 9 we get to see as a fly on the wall the prayers of a faithful man, Daniel. We see him kneeling in his daily custom crying out to His God based on scripture he read in Jeremiah. Within this chapter we are given three Cs I will share with you today. However, to get the full context of the chapter please pause here and read it before continuing.
Confession
All throughout Daniel's prayer there are confessions. Confessions of Israel's disobedience and lack of holding to scriptures. Confessions for his own short comings. Daniel notes this behavior and the consequences of it were called out in scripture of Jeremiah. Much like Daniel, we are living in a time predicted and warned in scripture. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come; For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanders, without self control, brutal despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." (2Timothy3:1-5)
Must I go on?!
No different than the children of Israel, disobedient and not holding to scripture.
Character
Daniel does not stop there though. He weaves poetically throughout his prayer the character of the God to which he prays. Great and awesome, faithful, merciful, and forgiving to name a few. Daniel recounts events the Lord has done, as if to remind Him..."And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day.." (Daniel 9:15) Like Daniel we pray to the same God! For His word declares He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The Lord Himself declares it! "For I am the Lord, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). Since He is the same God then as He is now, we can expect the same results as Daniel.
Clarity
As Daniel prayed he was visited by a man, Gabriel. The man was sent to provide Daniel clarity to the vision he was trying to understand. "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. At the beginning of your supplication the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved, therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:" (Daniel 9:23)
Just like Daniel, do you know you are greatly beloved?
When you pray God activates events, sends forth men / people, and moves the heavens! And He does this not because you are righteous or because of anything you have done. He does this because you are greatly beloved!
Love is what motivates our Creator, God. So beloved Bride of Christ, the next time you say you will pray about it, remember because you are greatly beloved and are praying to a God with an impeccable character, that no matter what you confess He will bring the clarity you need even if He has to move heaven and earth for you to understand. There is power in the prayer of the beloved.
