Pray It Through - Praying for a Sure Thing

When you’ve been praying for something, maybe for a long time or maybe just one day, and you get the news that your prayer is going to be answered in the near future, what is your response?

Praise and thanksgiving are very appropriate here. But what about more prayer for the thing that you already found out is a “sure thing?” And I’m not just talking about the word of a man saying it’s a sure thing, I’m talking about the Word of God Himself. Unfortunately, I have to confess that in that moment, my prayers often cease. What if instead our response was not only to continue to pray, but actually pressing the accelerator and diving into continual prayer and fasting? That doesn’t sound very logical, but it is the response of Daniel to the revelation of God’s promise for the Israelites in Daniel chapter 9.

Daniel 9:1-4a – “In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2in 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. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed…”

Notice first of all that the promise, the revelation, was discovered by sincere searching of the scriptures and an intimacy with God’s Word that Daniel certainly practiced (It earned him a trip to the lion’s den, as chapter 6 tells us that Daniel “got down on his knees and prayed” three times a day, even when it was forbidden.). The same will be true for us: if we are seeking a word from our God, if we are seeking direction, it will most often be found in the Bible. Daniel had one of those moments where you’re reading something that you’ve read before, but then suddenly it jumps off the page and you understand it like you never have before. Daniel suddenly understood the promise given in Jeremiah 29:10:

“This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.” (see also Jer 25:11-12)

Daniel was able to see that not only would the captivity last only 70 years, but the 70thyear was approaching! Suddenly excitement as freedom was near! When you see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is so close that you are only steps away (things like financial security, full health, marriage, children, freedom from addiction, or anything you’ve been longing for and can see is almost yours after waiting for so long), do you get fixated on being in that place you’ve been longing for or do you respond like Daniel and pray even harder for the promise, the “sure thing?” I want to challenge you and myself to respond as Daniel with renewed fervor, not lacking thanksgiving, to seek Him fully and pray it right through to completion.

But let’s make sure we understand the nature of Daniel’s prayer. If you haven’t read Daniel 9 recently, I encourage you to stop reading this and read it now (if you have only enough time to read either my blog or the Bible today, please read your Bible! It is the only pure truth that lasts and anything you read outside of the Bible should point you right back into it.).

Daniel’s prayer was of sincere, sweeping repentance. In addition to prayer and petition, he fasted. In addition to fasting, he put on sackcloth and ashes, a sign of grief and repentance. Grief and repentance in the face of a fulfilled promise? Yes, this is the response of a human heart pure before the Lord, recognizing our sinful nature, His perfection, and confessing in His presence in response and awe of a gracious, loving, powerful, sovereign God of justice who would relent for “[His] people who are called by [His] name” (v. 19).

Every single verse from 4 through 16 speaks of confession of sin and repentance. So we see revelation followed by a full repentance, as Daniel confesses personally and on behalf of the entire nation, for “all Israel has transgressed your law” (v. 11). Finally, Daniel makes an appeal to God for who he knows God to be in verses 17-19. This is an appeal to grace, mercy, and for the sake of God’s own name to be glorified, because the Israelites bear God’s name before all men and nations. Revelation and conviction, followed by thorough repentance (13 of the 19 verses here), followed by an appeal to God’s character--His face, not just His hands.

2 Chron 7:14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

You see, Daniel was a man seeking much more than personal gain or the hands of God to bless him and his nation. Daniel had an intimate, dedicated relationship with God through His Word. We have the same Word of God in the Bible, and additionally, we know that through Jesus Christ, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Through the Word of God, most purely Jesus Christ in our lives, we too can have this intimate relationship with a pure, just God who is also loving and merciful such that He saves those who call out to Him through the name of His Son Jesus Christ.

2 Chron 7:14 speaks to repentance and seeking God’s face, and the promise that follows: restoration, both spiritual eternity and the physical present. It is interesting how much Daniel’s prayer models this promise, in that He spoke up on behalf of an entire nation “who are called by [God’s] name,” he offered repentance for the entire nation and sought God’s face on behalf of an entire nation, all of which are prerequisites to the promise of forgiveness of sin and actual healing of the land.

What I see in this prayer is a leader stepping up in intercession for His people. Boldly, powerfully, humbly, and purely. This is a leader well acquainted with God and His Word. A leader who answered to God alone and not men. A leader blessed by God to rise to this position for a time such as the one described in chapter 9. These are real leaders and the kind that we need to be seeking in America and across the world. What good is a leader who can provide one generation of wealth and prosperity? We would fall all over ourselves for a leader that could deliver on 4 years of prosperity, yet we struggle to find even that. Yet what future do we preserve for our families and our nation if even a full generation of prosperity can be promised and delivered, but no more? We need to stop being so short-sighted and see the eternal picture, or at least 2 or 3 generations past ourselves for starters. We need a leader who will seek God’s face. A leader who knows His Word. A leader that answers to God alone and not men. A leader who will be an intercessor to God for his people, through Jesus Christ the Supreme Intercessor.

Can you imagine what great works God would come and do in America if a Daniel became President of the United States? How about a Daniel that became the leader in your school, your church, your office, or your family? What might be started on this small level and propagated by the hand of God? I don’t believe we grasp the power and value God places on a sincere intercessor who seeks the heart of God and His face.

Isaiah 59:15-16 – “So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.”

“He wondered that there was no intercessor.” In the book of Isaiah, this speaks to the absence of men to intercede on the behalf of the defenseless, such that evil abounded; to intercede to God the Father on behalf of a sinful nation; and the inability for a man to properly intercede for the sins of any man, such that God Himself would have to become a man, live a perfect life, make the sacrifice of death that results from sin, conquer death on our behalf, then take His place at the right hand of the throne of God with a the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the only adequate intercessor on our behalf.

Do to this lack of an intercessor in the time of Isaiah, the Israelites would soon enter into the 70 years of Babylonian captivity. And with Daniel as an intercessor at this time, according to the promise given through Jeremiah, at 70 years, they would be delivered.Notice also that right at the very onset of Daniel’s prayer, God gave a command:

Daniel 9:21,23a - “…yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering… 23 “At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved…””

An empowering truth and realization is that at the onset of our first words of prayer, God has already seen our heart and begins to act swiftly in our favor when we bear such an attitude as Daniel.

In view of all this, as we stand in the climate of our times, will you join me as an intercessor for our people? Will you search the scriptures with me for truth and receive God’s promises and revelations? Will you give yourself to sincere prayer and repentance, thoroughly and personally, as well as for our entire nation? Will you set out with me to seek God’s face, desiring an intimate knowledge of His very character? If so, we will be the leaders through which God will accomplish His every promise to be fulfilled in our lifetimes. And when we see the eminent fulfillment of God’s every promise, every personal small or large thing, or on a national or global scale, let's respond as Daniel responded, diving deeper into prayer.

God’s promises are a sure thing. Let’s pray them through to completion. I pray that we discern and seek leaders like Daniel and that we ourselves would be those leaders right where we are today. Amen.

(To see all posts for "Pray It Through," click here.)

Seeking a Prophet – When We Desire a Word from the Lord Today

This week in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), we were studying Hezekiah and the events during his reign as king of Judah, specifically when Assyrian king Sennacherib threatened to overtake Jerusalem and the entire southern kingdom (Isaiah 36-37). Hezekiah’s response to intense pressure and impending exile by a foreign nation was most impressive—He sought the Lord immediately and with utmost sincerity. I know we can all take a lesson from that.

One of the interesting actions that Hezekiah took upon hearing the threats of the invading army outside of the city was his summoning of Isaiah. Isaiah was the prophet appointed by God in the kingdom of Judah throughout the span of several kings, including Hezekiah. Isaiah was the Lord’s man—God spoke directly to Isaiah with words to speak to the rest of His people. I believe that Hezekiah recognized this fact and rightly revered Isaiah as being God’s chosen messenger.

Hezekiah tore his clothes and went straight to the temple upon hearing the news from the Assyrian army commander. He also sent for Isaiah, signifying his total and utmost seeking of God. He needed to hear from God for guidance or encouragement or repentance or just any word from the Sovereign God of Israel. God responded by speaking through Isaiah. The response was to have faith and be reminded of the promises He had made: in this case, the king of Assyria would not enter the city and his entire army would be wiped out. How, they did not know—but this was the word of the Lord.

See Isaiah 10, specifically v. 32-34, for the prophecy of Assyrian demise years earlier. In Isaiah 36-37 we see them come to “the hill of Jerusalem” and “shake their fist,” yet they were wiped out as chapter 10 depicts (and again in another prophecy in Ch. 37). You see, the Assyrians did more than taunt Jerusalem, filled with God’s people, and Hezekiah, who was God’s appointed king—they insulted God Himself, saying, “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? 20 Who of all the gods of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” (36:18-10) We might reply similarly to Hezekiah and say, “silly man, those gods were fake. In having those “gods,” they had no God!” Nevertheless, this kingdom of Assyria dared to exalt themselves above God and publicly ridiculed Him. In Hezekiah’s sincere prayer, we see a powerful attitude that we should all seek to possess:

“LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.
18 “It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are the only God.” (37:16-20)

Hezekiah’s plea wasn't simply for his wellbeing or the wellbeing of any loved one or even his entire people—His plea was for the integrity of the Lord to remain sound, so that all would know Him as the only one real and true God of the entire world. Hezekiah’s grief went beyond his fate and that of his people—His grief stretched to the blaspheming of the name of God. And within the sincerity of that prayer, and the truth of the Assyrian pride and defaming of God Almighty, God moved swiftly. He not only sent word to Isaiah to comfort and strengthen Hezekiah and Judah, but He sent His wrath to the Assyrians. We read later how the angel of the Lord actually killed about 185,000 of the Assyrian warriors as they slept. Only a handful, including King Sennacherib, woke up the next morning to the horrifying and inexplicable scene. Later, King Sennacherib was killed by his sons in the temple of a false god, according to the prophesy the Lord gave Isaiah in response to Hezekiah’s request (37:7, 38). Our God is good and His Word has perfect integrity and truth.

This is a riveting story that could be made into a blockbuster historical-style film. However, my inspiration tonight goes back to Hezekiah calling upon Isaiah in his time of distress, in addition to going straight to the temple. You see, a righteous man such as Hezekiah would know full-well that Isaiah was the Lord’s chosen prophet—He was effectively the mouth of God to these people. The Lord’s prophecies through Isaiah were fulfilled both in their day and in generations to come (more prophecies about Jesus come from Isaiah than any other prophet). So we see that in times of distress, good kings sought prophets to bring a true word from God—to bring guidance, to bring conviction when repentance was needed, to bring encouragement when the Lord’s favor was with them…and simply to receive whatever it was that the Lord desired to tell them, for better or for worse. Seeking the Lord’s prophet was seeking God, for they knew that God would speak through him.

I think we can apply this directly to our lives. Are you in a bit of a quandary right now? Would you like to hear from God on what to do, what to choose, or where to go? Are you undergoing trial right now? Do you need to be convicted for repentance or encouraged that the Lord is with you and will deliver you? Do you need hope? Do you simply seek His presence and to hear from Him in a very real way? Do what Hezekiah did—seek the Word of the Lord.

In the days of Hezekiah and Isaiah, the Word of the Lord came through Isaiah (though, God could certainly speak in any way He wanted and sometimes did speak in other ways). You see, they knew right where to go—go to the prophet! Today, we should seek such a prophet—except there is no prophet like Isaiah so prominent and known to the king and every townsperson. Nevertheless, God has ordained that we should not need to seek Him through another man—He has given us two infinitely powerful things: the Bible, which is the Word of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit, which is God filling our very bodies to guide and convict us. We also know that “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14) in the form of Jesus Christ, who is called Immanuel, meaning God with us. God brought Himself to us through Jesus, His Word embodied, to live with us, to die and make propitiation for our sins and redeem us, such that God could remain with us via the Holy Spirit. We can go directly to Him, our High Priest, who was tempted just as we are, yet remaining blameless (Heb 4:15). He therefore understands and has the strength to conquer the sin that so easily entangles us (Heb 12:1). "Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith" (Heb 12:2). Let us go to His Word daily, let us pray and learn to recognize His voice in the Holy Spirit.

Do you see it? Do you see that if you seek answers from God this very night that He has made a way for you to receive them? In Hezekiah’s day, he set apart one man, Isaiah, who was cleansed when the hot coal was applied to His lips after He confessed His sinful nature (Isaiah 6:5-8). And today, through Christ and receiving of the Holy Spirit, we can call on God sincerely, just as Hezekiah went directly to the temple and immediately called upon Isaiah. We can ask Him tonight and confess our sins and need of His perfect holiness (enter the temple), and we can open the Bible to receive His very Word to us. Pray about where you might read, or simply throw it open. In encourage you to pray, though. Keep your ears open as you pray daily, in between prayers, for He will speak through sermons, wholesome songs, brothers and sisters in Christ, and even in your very core (perhaps He might even speak through a blog such as this). Whatever the experience is for you, find a way into the Word. Start anywhere and read. Make a habit of it, and you’ll begin to find that He is speaking to you. Some days you’ll wonder if what you’re reading was written just for you this very day because it is so on-point—the Holy Spirit is alive in you then! Don’t you know that the Word is alive (Heb 4:12)?! It is, and I speak of these things not because I have been told them, but because I have experienced them. Even still, I would do well to heed my own encouragement here, and get into the Word and prayer with all sincerity every spare moment and increasingly every day. We have to make the time.

We can have direction in times of impossible decisions. We can have conviction when we don’t know where we’ve fallen and how to get back to God. We can have comfort and hope in the midst of impossible odds and the most threatening trials. Go to the temple, and seek a word from the Lord: Open to Him in prayer, and open His Word to hear His truth and a personal reply to you. "Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Do you know what that means? He loves you—you! He is listening to your thoughts right now, and if you’ll open to Him, He will fill you. Will you give Him 5 minutes today? Will you give Him 30? How sincerely are you seeking Him? He will not only match your sincerity, He will more than doubly meet your sincerity—He is infinite, He is not the limiting factor. Our experience of Him is equally as powerful and sweeping as our sincerity in seeking Him. Let us seek Him to our utmost and receive from Him His highest. Amen.

Reference verses worth reading:

Heb 4:12-16 - “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Heb 12:1-3 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

John 1:12-14 – “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

1 Peter 5:6-11 - "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."