ELEMENTS OF PRAYER: PREPARATION

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonia kingdom—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel 9:1-3

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We’ve had a great journey through Daniel which has brought us to Chapter 9 and a look at prayer, the focus of what will be a six devotion series. Through this string of messages, we’ll specifically look at some of the particular elements of prayer as seen through the words of God’s faithful servant, Daniel. We start by looking at the element of preparation so look again at the opening three verses of this chapter:

In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonia kingdom—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. Daniel 9:1-3

Note here that we’re back in the days of Darius and the Medo-Persian empire after going back in time and looking at visions in Chapters 7 and 8 that came during the Babylonian kingdom under the rule of King Belshazzar. During the first year of Darius’ reign, we find Daniel gaining understanding from the scriptures, specifically from reading the words of the prophet Jeremiah, words that contained a harrowing declaration of the future for God’s people.

What was the bad news?

Well, we know that God’s judgment came on His people because they chose to give their devotion to false gods and idols in direct violation of His command to have no other gods before Him. God held the Israelites accountable for their blatant disregard and disrespect by bringing first the Assyrians and then the Babylonians to attack the holy land of Canaan, leaving the nation God had given His people in ruins. Nothing was left untouched to include the holy city of Jerusalem and God’s temple within its walls as both were destroyed. As for the people, those who survived the onslaught were taken away into captivity in Babylon, not just for a short time but as Daniel discovered from the scriptures, seventy years.

It was quite a revelation for Daniel who we sense felt an immediate need to turn to the God he so faithfully served in an attempt to intercede for the Israelite people. As we look at the lead up to his prayer, we find the following three main components within the element of preparation, the steps one should take as they prepare to call upon the Lord:

1. One should get their attitude right.

Note the spirit of humility Daniel adopted before he brought his words to God. The scriptures tell us he fasted and donned sackcloth while heaping ashes upon himself, symbolic of deep mourning and contrition. Daniel showed through his attitude that God was God and he was not, fully showing his submission before His Master and Maker.

2. One should get their focus right.

Note here that Daniel’s full attention was on God. He didn’t rely on himself or anyone else for that matter. Rather, he turned to the Lord and the Lord alone in prayer and petition.

3. One should get their heart right.

Daniel showed an uncompromising dedication toward God when he chose to direct his prayer to Him and Him alone. Through his actions, Daniel showed his heart was in the right place as he pleaded to the only One he knew could make a difference in the circumstances of the Israelite people.

Today and every day as you pray, make sure you are prepared before you come before the Lord with your petitions and praises.

Get your attitude right.

Get your focus right.

And get your heart right as you bow before Him and begin to speak.

Tomorrow, we look at what those opening words should look like in Part 2.

Amen

In Christ,

Mark
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