TRUE, EFFECTUAL PRAYER IN THE LIFE OF DANIEL--The Proper Spirit In Prayer
Having defined proper and Biblical motivations for prayer, exemplified in the life of Daniel, I now turn to the proper spirit that must be maintained for true, effectual prayer. We cannot enter into God's presence flippantly. We must not be presumptuous. However, on the other hand, we must not be timid. We must seek to cultivate a proper spirit in prayer that is pleasing to God, that is not offensive to His nature and attributes, and that will be conducive to a favorable, divine answer. Daniel modeled a proper spirit in prayer as manifested by Daniel 9:3-4:
"And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments."
In regards to a proper spirit in prayer, first, I would manifest that there is a need for a spirit of joyful recognition and submission to the sovereignty of God and His will. In prayer, Daniel directed himself to the "Lord God" which literally in Hebrew is "Adonai Elohim." Verbalizing his prayer, he said, "O Lord (this is the divine name Adonai), the great and dreadful God...." The word "Adonai" is taken from a Hebrew root word that means to rule. The divine name, Adonai, is God's self-declaration that He is the absolute ruler over all things. God sovereignly declares the end from the beginning which means He brings to pass by His omnipotence all that He determined and declared He would to do from eternity past; and by this ability, distinguishes Himself as superior to all other gods and all of creation (Isaiah 46:9-11). God sovereignly acts according to the good pleasure of His will, according to that which He has purposed in Himself, and according to the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:5,9,11). God is sovereign in heaven, on earth, and in hell (Psalm 135:6). God sovereignly rules over all (Psalm 103:19). He rules over the angels, the wickedly heinous devil, and the hideous demons. He rules over nations, kings, and civil authorities. He rules over depraved, unregenerate men, His people, and His churches. He rules over all earthly circumstances without exception and governs in all the affairs of men. He sovereignly rules all of creation, visible and invisible, and there is none that can thwart, delay, obstruct, or impede the fulfilling of His sovereign, omnipotent, and all-wise will (Daniel 4:35).
Daniel sought the face of God in prayer with his heart set upon the Sovereign God and His immutable will. Prayer must never be AGAINST the will of God, but always in ACCORDANCE to His eternal, sovereign will. It has been said, "Prayer changes things." Yes, how gloriously true! Yet, prayer has never changed God, His eternal purpose, or His immutable will. Daniel's prayer to God was not that He would change His eternally-determined purpose toward His people, toward His beloved city, Jerusalem, or toward the glorious, Solomon-built temple where God in time past was truly worshiped according to the dictates of the Mosaic law. Daniel's pleading was according to the revealed, sovereign will of God as he read and studied in the book of Jeremiah 29:10-14.
God's people must seek God's face resting and trusting in Him: in His sovereignty, in His omnipotence, in His goodness, in His wisdom, and in His right to do and govern, to save and to destroy, to raise up and humble, to make rich and poor, and to give or withhold. The spirit of joyful submission to the sovereignty of God is not through lip service or saying certain words before the Lord in prayer. Rather, the spirit of joyful recognition and submission to the Sovereign God is birthed out of a God-wrought, Bible-instilled passion to seek the majestic glory of God in all aspects of life. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do ALL to the glory of God" (1Corinthians 10:31). Daniel's heart was set on God's glory, not his personal relief, comfort, or well-being.
Secondly, in regards to a proper spirit in effectual prayer, we must learn to cultivate a spirit of earnestness and fervency in prayer. Daniel set his face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Prayer in Daniel's life, was a not a passive, nonchalant activity, but one for which he prepared his heart and soul. True, effectual prayer is not read, said, memorized, or emptily repeated. True, effectual prayer comes forth from the heart...not just any heart, but a heart that is inflamed with God, with His will, and with His glory. This is one of the great errors of modern, American Christianity--its lack of earnestness, fervency, and wholeheartedness. There is little heart preparation to seek the Lord. There is virtually no passion for the things of God. There is little self-humbling before the Lord. There is little earnestness in our intimate communion with God. There is little earnestness in the confession of our sins. There is little earnestness in our discerning God's will. There is little earnestness in the heart-exaltation of Christ. There is little earnestness in our worship. There is little earnestness in our praying. There is little earnestness in our preaching. There is little earnestness in our evangelism. There is little earnestness in our service. Our lives are not consumed with God and it shows in most areas of our lives and especially in our praying. May God grant us wholehearted and life-changing repentance!
Daniel's fervency and earnestness in prayer are revealed in what accompanied his prayers, namely, his fasting, his covering with sackcloth, and sitting in ashes. Many of the Old and New Testament saints exemplified an earnest spirit in prayer with varying accompaniments. Their prayers were often accompanied with:
These accompanying acts to prayer did not give any more favor to their prayers before God. Remember that answered prayer does not depend upon personal merit, but on the merits of Christ. All of the spiritual blessings that we have and receive through prayer are in and because of Christ (Ephesians 1:3). God is impressed with the impeccable merits of His dear Son, not with anything that we could do in the flesh. However, these accompanying acts to their prayers were the manifestation of their sincerity, their wholeheartedness, and their earnestness before God. Prayer was not an afterthought. Prayer consumed their whole being. They were given over to prayer, and God delighted in answering them. This is the spirit we need in prayer today....prayer that consumes us, prayer that is preceded by preparation, prayer that involves our whole being, prayer that is passionate.
Thirdly, in regards to the proper spirit of effectual prayer, I would manifest that we need to cultivate a spirit of humility and contrition. Humility speaks of a proper concept of ourselves before God. Without the knowledge of God, we cannot have knowledge of ourselves. To know God is to know ourselves. As we know God, we are brought to see our finiteness, our unworthiness, our indignity, and our insignificance. "All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing" (Daniel 4:35). Without Christ, we can do nothing, we know nothing, we have nothing, and we are nothing (John 15:5). Humility also speaks of an utter dependence upon God. A spirit of self-sufficiency is the opposite of humility. We need God more than we know or understand. To depend upon ourselves is to perish in pride, but to depend upon God wholly is life everlasting. We must be weaned of self-confidence until we are saturated with God-confidence.
Further, a spirit of contrition speaks of brokenness or of being crushed. A broken and contrite heart God will not despise (Psalm 51:17). God works favorably for the one who is of a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 34:18). God dwells with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit (Isaiah 57:15). Blessed are they that are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).
Daniel clearly manifests a spirit of humility and contrition by fasting, wearing sackcloth, and sitting in ashes. David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, said that he humbled his soul with fasting (Psalm 35:13). In regards to the sackcloth, which was a coarse garment of goat's hair, it was usually worn as a symbol of mourning and grief. Regarding the ashes, it was an ancient custom to put ashes on oneself as a symbol of extreme grief, penitence, humiliation, or sense or worthlessness. Daniel did not have a high or elevated spirit in prayer, rather a lowly, dependent, broken, contrite, and humble spirit.
Lastly, in regards to a proper spirit in true, effectual prayer, I would urge us to seek a spirit of reverence toward God. Intimacy is not contrary to reverence. The Spirit has been shed abroad in our hearts whereby we cry, "Abba, Father" (Galatians 4:6). We are to enter His presence boldly (Hebrews 4:16). Our familiarity with God and our intimacy with Him should never cause us to seek Him without a reverential respect. Daniel prayed demonstrating tremendous respect for Jehovah: "O Lord (Adonai),....the great and dreadful God....the Keeper of the covenant....the Possessor of mercy and forgiveness...the God of righteousness" (Daniel 9:4,7,9,14). He exalted the character and attributes of God as he humbly took his proper place before Him. Our prayers should be saturated with reverence and exaltation of God, His nature, character and His glorious perfections. As we exalt Him, we humble ourselves. As we praise Him, we show ourselves unworthy of praise. As we glorify Him, we show forth our own indignity. As we manifest His bigness, we declare our littleness. As we justify Him in all that He does, we accept responsibility for our sins and their consequences. May God grant us an ever-growing concept of His greatness, His majesty, His eternality, His incomparability, and His infinite holiness and righteousness, so that we might reverence His holy name now and forevermore.
True, effectual, life-changing prayer must have Biblical motivation along with a proper Biblical spirit. May God teach us to approach His throne in prayer with the proper, God-glorifying spirit (Jeremiah 30:21). Having learned how to approach Him in effectual prayer, may all the honor and glory be to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY!!!!!!!!
"And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments."
In regards to a proper spirit in prayer, first, I would manifest that there is a need for a spirit of joyful recognition and submission to the sovereignty of God and His will. In prayer, Daniel directed himself to the "Lord God" which literally in Hebrew is "Adonai Elohim." Verbalizing his prayer, he said, "O Lord (this is the divine name Adonai), the great and dreadful God...." The word "Adonai" is taken from a Hebrew root word that means to rule. The divine name, Adonai, is God's self-declaration that He is the absolute ruler over all things. God sovereignly declares the end from the beginning which means He brings to pass by His omnipotence all that He determined and declared He would to do from eternity past; and by this ability, distinguishes Himself as superior to all other gods and all of creation (Isaiah 46:9-11). God sovereignly acts according to the good pleasure of His will, according to that which He has purposed in Himself, and according to the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:5,9,11). God is sovereign in heaven, on earth, and in hell (Psalm 135:6). God sovereignly rules over all (Psalm 103:19). He rules over the angels, the wickedly heinous devil, and the hideous demons. He rules over nations, kings, and civil authorities. He rules over depraved, unregenerate men, His people, and His churches. He rules over all earthly circumstances without exception and governs in all the affairs of men. He sovereignly rules all of creation, visible and invisible, and there is none that can thwart, delay, obstruct, or impede the fulfilling of His sovereign, omnipotent, and all-wise will (Daniel 4:35).
Daniel sought the face of God in prayer with his heart set upon the Sovereign God and His immutable will. Prayer must never be AGAINST the will of God, but always in ACCORDANCE to His eternal, sovereign will. It has been said, "Prayer changes things." Yes, how gloriously true! Yet, prayer has never changed God, His eternal purpose, or His immutable will. Daniel's prayer to God was not that He would change His eternally-determined purpose toward His people, toward His beloved city, Jerusalem, or toward the glorious, Solomon-built temple where God in time past was truly worshiped according to the dictates of the Mosaic law. Daniel's pleading was according to the revealed, sovereign will of God as he read and studied in the book of Jeremiah 29:10-14.
God's people must seek God's face resting and trusting in Him: in His sovereignty, in His omnipotence, in His goodness, in His wisdom, and in His right to do and govern, to save and to destroy, to raise up and humble, to make rich and poor, and to give or withhold. The spirit of joyful submission to the sovereignty of God is not through lip service or saying certain words before the Lord in prayer. Rather, the spirit of joyful recognition and submission to the Sovereign God is birthed out of a God-wrought, Bible-instilled passion to seek the majestic glory of God in all aspects of life. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do ALL to the glory of God" (1Corinthians 10:31). Daniel's heart was set on God's glory, not his personal relief, comfort, or well-being.
Secondly, in regards to a proper spirit in effectual prayer, we must learn to cultivate a spirit of earnestness and fervency in prayer. Daniel set his face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Prayer in Daniel's life, was a not a passive, nonchalant activity, but one for which he prepared his heart and soul. True, effectual prayer is not read, said, memorized, or emptily repeated. True, effectual prayer comes forth from the heart...not just any heart, but a heart that is inflamed with God, with His will, and with His glory. This is one of the great errors of modern, American Christianity--its lack of earnestness, fervency, and wholeheartedness. There is little heart preparation to seek the Lord. There is virtually no passion for the things of God. There is little self-humbling before the Lord. There is little earnestness in our intimate communion with God. There is little earnestness in the confession of our sins. There is little earnestness in our discerning God's will. There is little earnestness in the heart-exaltation of Christ. There is little earnestness in our worship. There is little earnestness in our praying. There is little earnestness in our preaching. There is little earnestness in our evangelism. There is little earnestness in our service. Our lives are not consumed with God and it shows in most areas of our lives and especially in our praying. May God grant us wholehearted and life-changing repentance!
Daniel's fervency and earnestness in prayer are revealed in what accompanied his prayers, namely, his fasting, his covering with sackcloth, and sitting in ashes. Many of the Old and New Testament saints exemplified an earnest spirit in prayer with varying accompaniments. Their prayers were often accompanied with:
- Shaving the head (Job 1:20-21)
- Sitting in ashes (Job 2:8)
- Sprinkle dust upon the head (Job 2:12; Joshua 7:6)
- Wearing sackcloth (2Kings 19:1)
- Tearing or renting garments (2Samuel 13:31)
- Fasting (Deuteronomy 9:18)
- Bitter crying (1Samuel 1:10)
- Making a vow (1Samuel 1:11)
- Strong crying and tears (Hebrews 5:7)
- Smiting the breast (Luke 18:13)
- Rending the heart (Lamentations 2:19)
- Sweating profusely (Luke 22:44)
These accompanying acts to prayer did not give any more favor to their prayers before God. Remember that answered prayer does not depend upon personal merit, but on the merits of Christ. All of the spiritual blessings that we have and receive through prayer are in and because of Christ (Ephesians 1:3). God is impressed with the impeccable merits of His dear Son, not with anything that we could do in the flesh. However, these accompanying acts to their prayers were the manifestation of their sincerity, their wholeheartedness, and their earnestness before God. Prayer was not an afterthought. Prayer consumed their whole being. They were given over to prayer, and God delighted in answering them. This is the spirit we need in prayer today....prayer that consumes us, prayer that is preceded by preparation, prayer that involves our whole being, prayer that is passionate.
Thirdly, in regards to the proper spirit of effectual prayer, I would manifest that we need to cultivate a spirit of humility and contrition. Humility speaks of a proper concept of ourselves before God. Without the knowledge of God, we cannot have knowledge of ourselves. To know God is to know ourselves. As we know God, we are brought to see our finiteness, our unworthiness, our indignity, and our insignificance. "All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing" (Daniel 4:35). Without Christ, we can do nothing, we know nothing, we have nothing, and we are nothing (John 15:5). Humility also speaks of an utter dependence upon God. A spirit of self-sufficiency is the opposite of humility. We need God more than we know or understand. To depend upon ourselves is to perish in pride, but to depend upon God wholly is life everlasting. We must be weaned of self-confidence until we are saturated with God-confidence.
Further, a spirit of contrition speaks of brokenness or of being crushed. A broken and contrite heart God will not despise (Psalm 51:17). God works favorably for the one who is of a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 34:18). God dwells with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit (Isaiah 57:15). Blessed are they that are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).
Daniel clearly manifests a spirit of humility and contrition by fasting, wearing sackcloth, and sitting in ashes. David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, said that he humbled his soul with fasting (Psalm 35:13). In regards to the sackcloth, which was a coarse garment of goat's hair, it was usually worn as a symbol of mourning and grief. Regarding the ashes, it was an ancient custom to put ashes on oneself as a symbol of extreme grief, penitence, humiliation, or sense or worthlessness. Daniel did not have a high or elevated spirit in prayer, rather a lowly, dependent, broken, contrite, and humble spirit.
Lastly, in regards to a proper spirit in true, effectual prayer, I would urge us to seek a spirit of reverence toward God. Intimacy is not contrary to reverence. The Spirit has been shed abroad in our hearts whereby we cry, "Abba, Father" (Galatians 4:6). We are to enter His presence boldly (Hebrews 4:16). Our familiarity with God and our intimacy with Him should never cause us to seek Him without a reverential respect. Daniel prayed demonstrating tremendous respect for Jehovah: "O Lord (Adonai),....the great and dreadful God....the Keeper of the covenant....the Possessor of mercy and forgiveness...the God of righteousness" (Daniel 9:4,7,9,14). He exalted the character and attributes of God as he humbly took his proper place before Him. Our prayers should be saturated with reverence and exaltation of God, His nature, character and His glorious perfections. As we exalt Him, we humble ourselves. As we praise Him, we show ourselves unworthy of praise. As we glorify Him, we show forth our own indignity. As we manifest His bigness, we declare our littleness. As we justify Him in all that He does, we accept responsibility for our sins and their consequences. May God grant us an ever-growing concept of His greatness, His majesty, His eternality, His incomparability, and His infinite holiness and righteousness, so that we might reverence His holy name now and forevermore.
True, effectual, life-changing prayer must have Biblical motivation along with a proper Biblical spirit. May God teach us to approach His throne in prayer with the proper, God-glorifying spirit (Jeremiah 30:21). Having learned how to approach Him in effectual prayer, may all the honor and glory be to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY!!!!!!!!
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