The LORD's Day August 31, 2008

A Prayer For the Nation

Daniel 9.1-23

How interesting that in between the Democratic and Republican Conventions in our country, God has us here in this chapter this morning. I believe in small beginnings. The LORD has said in Zechariah 4.10 Who despises the day of small things? A great mistake is being made today that unless you have a massive amount of people filling up stadiums and the like that God is not in it. Most moves of God began with a very small group of people who responded to His call. Often that call is to pray. Today in our nation and in the scripture we just read there is a call to pray for the nation.

The exile to Babylon was difficult for those who loved the LORD and considered Jerusalem to be the holy city in the midst of the Promised Land. Verse seven is given out of a broken heart.

We tend to see the prophets as a rough group of guys with fiery messages. But in Daniel, Hosea and Jeremiah we see broken hearted men who saw the consequences of the sins of their people and wept over it.

What makes you cry? What breaks your heart? As you grow in the LORD the things that bring this to you should be the same things that bring it to God. Daniel’s prayer shows us his heart (Our prayers have a way of doing that ). His prayer is over the spiritual needs of the people. His heart was breaking with the sin and wickedness that had dominated the land and the people.

Our nation is focused on who will be our next president. We need to be looking to the LORD. While we are not a theocracy like Israel was we do claim to be one nation under God. The Democratic Convention ended with a pastor praying on Monday night to the Father in heaven and ending with in the name of Jesus. Our nation has tremendous Biblical Roots. We have laws that have lined up with God’s Word. Many of our laws find their roots in the Ten Commandments.

While Daniel’s prayer cannot be taken completely into our context most of it can and should be There are some things that speak to us.

1. There are some truth about sin that we need to see. v.4-10

*It has consequences, some that spill into future generations. v.8
So often the children pay for the parents’ sin and even down the line to grandchildren and great grandchildren. Daniel recognized this as he prayed. God is speaking through his prayer.

It tears up families and nations. v.7
Families were scattered. They were driven away and banished from the Promised Land because they didn’t obey the LORD.
Sin, in the form of a grudge, can keep family members apart for generations. Some stupid argument or series of arguments and family members cease talking to one another. How tragic.

Since as we said many of our laws find their roots in the Ten Commandment to break one of them is to break one of the Ten Commandments. For instance, stealing someone’s property is not only against the law of the United States, it is against God’s Word. Millions of Americans are in danger of identity theft. This should not trouble us only for our own sake but that it is eating at the foundation of our society.

Ignoring these truths are to our own peril. Ignoring them is like a person with all kinds of warning signs of a certain disease but instead of seeking treatment they choose to pay no attention to it. If this goes on long enough they will die from the disease. As it goes with a person so it goes with the nation.


2. There are some truths about God that we need to see this morning.

*He answered immediately vs.20-23

God’s grace is seen in this answer. Like in His words to Eve in Genesis 3, He is promising a Redeemer, the Anointed One, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God’s grace doesn’t come when we deserve it, on the contrary by its very nature it comes when we do not deserve it

We need God’s grace and mercy today in our nation as Daniel needed it in his. God answered and gave him what he was asking for and much much more

This didn’t mean the end of trouble. Sin has cast itself over the human race so deeply that it will not be until Jesus comes again that we will be done with it. We live in a sinful world. One day Jesus will come and set up a righteous reign. We aren’t in heaven yet.

*God comes to the faithful and obedient. It was a difficult time for the nation but God was speaking to those who spoke to Him. John 14.21 Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him.

3. There are some truths we need to see about ourselves this morning.

We used to sing when I was a young kid, Dare To Be a Daniel Well that is still a challenge. It isn’t easy to stand up for Jesus, for that often means standing alone. Well not exactly alone, as Paul said, the LORD stood with him.

Remember this is the man who was thrown into the lion’s den alone But of course the LORD shut the mouths of the lions.

Interesting, Paul writes in II Timothy 4.16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.

Being alone and standing alone reveals true character. Being alone frightens the best of men. But the best of God’s people will do it Joseph, David, Elijah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Paul, and of course Jesus.

Build yourself up in the faith by prayer and God’s Word that you will be made strong enough so you can stand alone if needs be. Today there are many situations that call for us to do that. I know this is not easy, rather it is difficult, sometimes overwhelmingly difficult. That is why we need to lean upon the LORD and rely upon His power. Daniel read God’s Word- it what was made him aware of the exile’s end.

Daniel was highly esteemed in heaven. (v.23)

Too many are concerned with being highly esteemed on earth. That is not important. It matters what the LORD thinks of us. It matters eternally.

God is looking for people like Daniel today who will pray for this nation of ours. Is there hope? Only God knows what our future will be. The safest place for us, as followers of Jesus to be is praying for the LORD to move by His Spirit over our land and draw people to Himself.

Will you dare to be a Daniel?

Standing by a purpose true,
Heeding God’s command,
Honor them, the faithful few
All hail to Daniel’s band
Refrain

Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone
Dare to have a purpose firm
Dare to make it known.

Many mighty men are lost
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel’s band.
Refrain

Many giants, great and tall,
Stalking through the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel’s band.
Refrain

Hold the Gospel banner high
On to vict’ry grand
Satan and his hosts defy,
And shout for Daniel’s band.
Refrain