On the day I called, You answered me. My strength of soul You increased. (Verse 3)
Daniel lived in Persia when Cyrus was the king. He and three of his boyhood Jewish friends were taken to Babylon during the captivity to live in King Nebuchadnezzar's palace where they'd learn the Chaldean language and literature. The young men were picked because they were handsome, good students and as nearly perfect as teenagers can be. When the Jewish nation left their captivity in Babylon seventy years later, Daniel stayed. He was important in the courts by then. A wise and tested leader. An interpreter of dreams. Cyrus had been king for three years when Daniel was given a vision that disturbed him so much he spent three weeks in mourning and fasting. Though the prophet understood the vision, it seems he didn't know what to do with it. In those three weeks of fasting and prayer, crying over the devastating news he'd seen in the vision, there seemed no real answer from God.
When the fast was complete, Daniel went for a walk on the banks of the Tigris River with some of his confidants. In the midst of an ordinary day, taking an ordinary walk an extraordinary thing happened. Daniel looked up to see a man standing in front of him. He was clothed in fine white linen with a glistening gold belt cinching it closed. The man's body glowed like a faceted jewel and his face was bright like lightning with eyes that glowed like flames of fire. His skin looked like polished bronze and when the man spoke it sounded like a multitude was speaking from his mouth. Only Daniel saw this man; his companions were overcome with fear, however, and hid themselves in the nearby bushes. So, Daniel was left alone with the fearsome messenger, and his strength left him as the man began speaking. The prophet passed out.
The stranger didn't leave him in a fainted heap on the banks of the Tigris, though. He touched Daniel and the prophet rose in his quaking fear to his hands and knees. And the first thing the messenger said to him was, "Daniel, you are greatly loved." An amazing thing to hear when Daniel had prostrated himself in unanswered prayer for three weeks. "Understand the words I'm saying to and stand up straight. Now I've been sent to you."
Daniel managed to stand up on very unsteady legs and looked into the face of the one sent to him. "From the very first day you began praying and fasting, humbling yourself before God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. Since then I have been fighting the demonic prince of Persia, along with Michael, a chief prince of heaven, for these twenty-one days. I have come now to answer your prayer and tell you what will happen to your people in the last days."
I have a few "unanswered" prayers. I have a multitude of answered ones! But we often struggle, like Daniel did, with aching hearts and confusing circumstances, and we've given them to God over and over again without seeming result or answer. For Daniel, it was of national importance. For us, most of the time, it's about our family, our finances, our health or our future. But God's answer to us is the same. "Child, you are loved very much." First and foremost, that was what God wanted Daniel to hear as he rose from his crumpled humility to face the glowing angel. The prayer wasn't delayed because you aren't precious to God. There is a battle you couldn't possibly have known about going on over that prayer. Demonic princes fighting mighty warring angels over the request Daniel made...and, I'm confident, over ours. And the angel said, "Your prayers were heard immediately!" Not the third or fourth time you prayed. Not at the end of the three weeks of fasting. No! As soon as the prayer came from his lips, it was heard! Daniel had to wait because there were things going on only God knew about. It had nothing to do with the fact that Daniel wasn't valuable and that his prayers weren't as good as someone else's.
When the angel finished interpreting for Daniel what God wanted, he touched the prophet again and strengthened him. "O, greatly loved man, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and courageous." And Daniel said, "I was strengthened as he spoke to me and was brave enough to stand and listen to all he said." Ah, the power of knowing we are loved and heard. That all along God has been working out what so concerns us. What the angel told Daniel needed courage to hear. It wasn't roses and sunshine. But it was the message of a powerful, loving God to a man who needed an answer. And it gave Daniel the courage he needed to obey his God.
Answered prayer tells us God sees us and loves us. It is such pure joy to swim in the wonder of knowing our Father is listening. It gives us the energy to go on. In faith. Unanswered prayer should signal that God is doing something we can't fathom in the moment. The faith inspired by all the times we've been obviously heard and answered should encourage us in the times when God seems silent. Because He's always working on our behalf. And if the answers are tough, He will strengthen us to hear it. Always, always prefaced with these words: "You are greatly loved."
Daniel lived in Persia when Cyrus was the king. He and three of his boyhood Jewish friends were taken to Babylon during the captivity to live in King Nebuchadnezzar's palace where they'd learn the Chaldean language and literature. The young men were picked because they were handsome, good students and as nearly perfect as teenagers can be. When the Jewish nation left their captivity in Babylon seventy years later, Daniel stayed. He was important in the courts by then. A wise and tested leader. An interpreter of dreams. Cyrus had been king for three years when Daniel was given a vision that disturbed him so much he spent three weeks in mourning and fasting. Though the prophet understood the vision, it seems he didn't know what to do with it. In those three weeks of fasting and prayer, crying over the devastating news he'd seen in the vision, there seemed no real answer from God.
When the fast was complete, Daniel went for a walk on the banks of the Tigris River with some of his confidants. In the midst of an ordinary day, taking an ordinary walk an extraordinary thing happened. Daniel looked up to see a man standing in front of him. He was clothed in fine white linen with a glistening gold belt cinching it closed. The man's body glowed like a faceted jewel and his face was bright like lightning with eyes that glowed like flames of fire. His skin looked like polished bronze and when the man spoke it sounded like a multitude was speaking from his mouth. Only Daniel saw this man; his companions were overcome with fear, however, and hid themselves in the nearby bushes. So, Daniel was left alone with the fearsome messenger, and his strength left him as the man began speaking. The prophet passed out.
The stranger didn't leave him in a fainted heap on the banks of the Tigris, though. He touched Daniel and the prophet rose in his quaking fear to his hands and knees. And the first thing the messenger said to him was, "Daniel, you are greatly loved." An amazing thing to hear when Daniel had prostrated himself in unanswered prayer for three weeks. "Understand the words I'm saying to and stand up straight. Now I've been sent to you."
Daniel managed to stand up on very unsteady legs and looked into the face of the one sent to him. "From the very first day you began praying and fasting, humbling yourself before God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. Since then I have been fighting the demonic prince of Persia, along with Michael, a chief prince of heaven, for these twenty-one days. I have come now to answer your prayer and tell you what will happen to your people in the last days."
I have a few "unanswered" prayers. I have a multitude of answered ones! But we often struggle, like Daniel did, with aching hearts and confusing circumstances, and we've given them to God over and over again without seeming result or answer. For Daniel, it was of national importance. For us, most of the time, it's about our family, our finances, our health or our future. But God's answer to us is the same. "Child, you are loved very much." First and foremost, that was what God wanted Daniel to hear as he rose from his crumpled humility to face the glowing angel. The prayer wasn't delayed because you aren't precious to God. There is a battle you couldn't possibly have known about going on over that prayer. Demonic princes fighting mighty warring angels over the request Daniel made...and, I'm confident, over ours. And the angel said, "Your prayers were heard immediately!" Not the third or fourth time you prayed. Not at the end of the three weeks of fasting. No! As soon as the prayer came from his lips, it was heard! Daniel had to wait because there were things going on only God knew about. It had nothing to do with the fact that Daniel wasn't valuable and that his prayers weren't as good as someone else's.
When the angel finished interpreting for Daniel what God wanted, he touched the prophet again and strengthened him. "O, greatly loved man, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and courageous." And Daniel said, "I was strengthened as he spoke to me and was brave enough to stand and listen to all he said." Ah, the power of knowing we are loved and heard. That all along God has been working out what so concerns us. What the angel told Daniel needed courage to hear. It wasn't roses and sunshine. But it was the message of a powerful, loving God to a man who needed an answer. And it gave Daniel the courage he needed to obey his God.
Answered prayer tells us God sees us and loves us. It is such pure joy to swim in the wonder of knowing our Father is listening. It gives us the energy to go on. In faith. Unanswered prayer should signal that God is doing something we can't fathom in the moment. The faith inspired by all the times we've been obviously heard and answered should encourage us in the times when God seems silent. Because He's always working on our behalf. And if the answers are tough, He will strengthen us to hear it. Always, always prefaced with these words: "You are greatly loved."
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