DRAWING NEAR
March 6
Praying with Fervency
"I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and
supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes" (Dan. 9:3).
The more you understand God's holiness, the more you will recognize
your own sinfulness.
People view prayer differently. For some it is a last resort after
all human options have been exhausted: "All I can do now is pray for
you!" Others liken it to a spiritual spare tire--something used only
in the event of an emergency. Many who should thrive on prayer have
been lulled into complacency by an affluent and godless society.
Daniel, however, saw prayer as an opportunity to express the passion
and fervency of his heart to the God he loved and served. In Daniel
9:3 he says, "I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him." That
implies he set apart a specific time to devote to thoughtful,
earnest, and fervent prayer. That is further supported by the way he
prepared himself through fasting and donning sackcloth and ashes
--symbols of humility and deep contrition over sin.
It might seem unusual for a man of Daniel's spiritual stature to be
overwhelmed by his sense of sin, but the closer one draws to God, the
more aware he is of his sinfulness. We see that in Paul, who called
himself the foremost of all sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). That might seem
like a ridiculous statement to us but Paul saw sin for what it was.
So did Daniel.
The title "Lord God" in verse 3 emphasizes God's sovereign rule over
all things. Daniel knew that God had permitted the Babylonian
Captivity and that He alone could deliver His people from it.
Consequently, Daniel gave the Lord his undivided attention as he
prayed and sought mercy for himself and his people.
Daniel's fervency is a rebuke to much of the flippancy we hear in
prayer today. It was profound because it was generated by God's Word
and grounded in His will.
James 5:16 says, "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much" (KJV). Be like Daniel--a righteous person who prays
fervently with great effect.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Ask God to give you a greater sense of fervency in prayer. Be
sensitive to any sin that might be hindering your prayers.
For Further Study:
Read Luke 11:5-13.
What parable did Jesus tell to illustrate the benefits of humble,
persistent prayer? How did Jesus contrast earthly fathers with their
heavenly Father?
Drawing Near, Copyright c 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
1 Timothy 1:15 (NKJV)
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Luke 11:5-13
5 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to
him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 'for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have
nothing to set before him';
7 "and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the
door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise
and give to you'?
8 "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he
is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give
him as many as he needs.
9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you
will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to
him who knocks it will be opened.
11 "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give
him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent
instead of a fish?
12 "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask Him!"
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
http://www.gty.org/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
.
|
