God is Accessible

Good morning.

This morning we'll be talking specifically about the topic of prayer and looking at it in light of the book of Daniel.

! Almost often be drawing your attention to Daniel chapter 2 again, which you can find on page 738 of the Bible in the seat back in front of you.

Daniel 2 · chapter mention

Page 738. The topic of prayer has been very interesting to study over the last few weeks.

In a time where culture is so often anti-religion, anti-Christian, anti-church, even anti-God, surprisingly prayer is still a largely accepted concept and acceptable practice.

So, for example, if you ask to talk to somebody about Jesus, you'll far more often find resistance than if you offer to pray for someone or indicate you are praying for someone.

Now, as we begin, let's look at a few definitions of prayer from the internet.

The first is from CollinsDictionary.com and it simply says,

Prayer is the activity of speaking to God.

Vocabulary.com says,

A prayer is something you say to a god or deity.

Your prayer can be silent words of thanks or a plea for help that's spoken out loud.

Most religious believers say a prayer from time to time.

While some people might use prayer as part of their plan for recovering from an illness,

others bend their heads in prayer whenever they attend church or temple services.

Then Wikipedia, which I think probably gives us a better idea of the world's view on prayer,

says,

Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication.

In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ancestor.

More generally, prayer can also have the purpose of thanksgiving or praise,

and in comparative religion is closely associated with more abstract forms of meditation and with charms or spells.

Prayer can take a variety of forms.

It can be part of a set liturgy or ritual, and it can be performed alone or in groups.

Prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creedal statement,

or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person.

Today, most major religions involve prayer in one way or another.

Some ritualize the act, requiring a strict sequence of actions

or placing a restriction on those on who is permitted to pray,

while others teach that prayer may be practiced spontaneously by anyone at any time.

So, given all of that, watch this brief video about prayer from the website called Skylight,

which is part of the Radiant Foundation.

Today in America, we'll roll out enough prayer rugs and mats to reach coast to coast five times.

Today, we'll count enough tiny prayer beads to encircle the 48 states.

And today, we will light so many prayer candles and flames.

They could lift 20,000 hot air balloons.

But most astonishingly, today, prayer will lift her heart just a little bit higher.

So, the Radiant Foundation, who produced this video,

commissioned a National Day of Prayer survey in 2023,

and they gathered information from almost 1,800 people ages 18 to 64

that reflected the demographic diversity of the U.S. adult population.

What they found was 85% of Americans connect to their higher power.

61% of those connect with a higher power through prayer.

What are the top three reasons people give for praying?

One, to connect with God.

Two, to feel less anxious or depressed.

Three, to find solutions to my problems.

What is it that people are praying for?

The top three are this, for loved ones in crisis,

when somebody else is ill,

for other people suffering or in crisis.

Now, the people who said they are praying said

they average about 18 minutes a day.

18 minutes a day in prayer.

And after they prayed,

people said they most often felt calm,

grateful, optimistic, humbled.

Now, of those that were surveyed,

87% of those praying

had at least one prayer answered in the last 12 months.

And 84% of praying Americans think

your prayers are heard no matter how you believe.

Now, I'm sure, like me,

there are several things that stood out to you from the survey

that are interesting, surprising, possibly alarming.

Yet I found myself wondering

how often those of us in the church

find ourselves in very similar situations.

taking our 18 minutes a day

to connect with our higher power,

trying to connect with God,

trying to feel less anxious or depressed,

hoping to find some solution to our problems,

praying for our loved ones who are in crisis or ill,

for those who are suffering,

or maybe for our own challenges or needs.

Praying so we can feel more calm,

more grateful, more optimistic.

We're probably not hoping to be humbled,

but maybe hoping to have some type of transcendent

or mystical experience,

content with at least one answer to prayer a year,

or maybe a month, maybe a week,

generally believing that any prayer is authentic prayer

and that God hears them all equally.

You see, I think it's pretty easy for us

to function in this way

with this mystical, anemic, vague, worldly view of prayer,

at least until you have one of those days.

One of those days where your life

or your marriage or your family,

your job or something else

that's essential or precious to you blows up.

You're caught off guard,

suddenly finding yourself helpless

in the middle of some raging storm

in a broken and fallen world.

And maybe it's not the first day things blow up.

Maybe it's the 30th day or the 100th day

when you're facing some overwhelming loss,

some feeling, some sickness,

some pain, some frailty,

some need,

maybe a disappointment or a fear

that continues without any hope of getting better.

There's no light on the horizon.

It's the day that you realize

you're facing a problem

that there's no way you can fix

and there's no way you can endure.

That's the day that our mystical,

anemic, vague, worldly prayers fail us.

All the formulas or the incantations

that we've practiced in the name of prayer

are not enough,

leaving us wondering,

does prayer really work?

Does God really hear?

Does God really care?

The day that God seems so far away.

And that's exactly the kind of day

we find in Daniel chapter 2.

Daniel 2 · chapter mention

If you would, follow along with me

as I read Daniel 2 verses 1 through 11 again.

Daniel 2:1–11

Daniel 2 verses 1 through 11.

Daniel 2:1–11

It reads,

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar,

Nebuchadnezzar had dreams.

His spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.

Then the king commanded that the magicians,

the enchanters, the sorcerers, the Chaldeans

be summoned to tell the king his dreams.

So they came in and they stood before the king

and the king said to them,

I had a dream and my spirit is troubled

to know the dream.

Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic,

O king, live forever.

Tell your servants the dream

and we will show you the interpretation.

The king answered and said to the Chaldeans,

The word for me is firm.

If you do not make known to me the dream

and its interpretation,

you shall be torn limb from limb

and your houses shall be laid in ruins.

But if you show the dream and its interpretation,

you will receive from me gifts and rewards

and great honor.

Therefore, show me the dream

and its interpretation.

They answered a second time and said,

Let the king tell his servants the dream

and we'll show its interpretation.

The king answered and said,

I know with certainty

that you're trying to gain time

because you see that the word for me is firm.

If you do not make the dream known to me,

there is but one sentence for you.

You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me

till the times change.

Therefore, tell me the dream

and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.

The Chaldeans answered the king and said,

There's not a man on earth

who can meet the king's demand.

For no great and powerful king

has asked such a thing of any magician

or enchanter or Chaldean.

And the thing that the king asks is difficult

and no one can show it to the king

except the gods

whose dwelling is not with flesh.

You see, King Nebuchadnezzar is having one of those days.

The most powerful man in the world

has a dream so vivid

that he's troubled.

He's undone.

He can't stop thinking about it.

He's not sure what to do.

So he calls the spiritual experts,

the magicians,

the enchanters,

the sorcerers,

the Chaldeans.

Then suddenly,

the spiritual experts are having one of those days.

The king wants them to do what?

And if they don't,

they're going to be torn limb from limb

and their houses laid in ruins?

Suddenly, all of their collective knowledge,

their power,

their spiritual expertise,

and their mighty prayers are undone.

They're shown to be what they are,

empty,

anemic,

powerless,

merely for show.

When push comes to shove,

their prayers are worthless.

You can hear it in their voice.

The thing that the king asks is difficult.

No one can show it to the king

except the gods

and their dwelling's not with flesh.

Their argument is clear.

Nobody in their right mind

would expect anyone

to be able to do this.

Nobody's connection to God

or the gods

is sufficient for a task.

Nobody's prayer can do that.

No matter how much we want to,

if we want to save our own necks,

we want to save our families,

it's only the gods.

Only God can do what you're asking.

And although we hate to admit it,

king,

we don't have access to him.

We don't have access to them.

They are not accessible.

And you remember what happens.

As a result,

the king is enraged

and decides to kill them all.

He's done with all their shallow,

powerless,

worthless prayers,

their empty counsel,

all of their collective experience

and supposed wisdom.

That power,

that counsel was worthless

if they couldn't connect with the gods,

if they couldn't effectively pray.

But you remember what happens next.

Daniel finds out

about the whole decree

to kill all the wise men,

which would include him

and his friends,

Hananiah,

Mishael,

and Azariah.

And in stark contrast

to the other wise men,

Daniel immediately schedules

an appointment with the king

to do the impossible,

to do what only God can do.

Then Daniel goes and tells Hananiah,

Mishael,

and Azariah

what's going on

and he asks them to pray with him,

to seek mercy from the God of heaven.

So they pray.

Then Daniel 2.19,

it's almost shocking in its brevity

where it says,

Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel

in a vision of the night.

Did you get that?

They prayed.

God answered.

Daniel 2.25-28 continues,

Then Ariok brought in Daniel

before the king in haste

and said thus to him,

I have found among the exiles of Judah

a man who will make known

to the king the interpretation.

The king declared to Daniel,

whose name was Belteshazzar,

Are you able to make known to me

the dream that I have seen

and its interpretation?

Daniel answered the king and said,

No.

No wise men, enchanters, magicians,

or astrologers

can show to the king

the mystery that the king has asked.

But there is a God in heaven

who reveals mysteries.

And he's made known to King Nebuchadnezzar

what will be in the latter days.

So Daniel goes in

and says the same thing

the Chaldeans said.

Only God can do this.

But have no fear, king.

There is a God in heaven

and he is accessible.

He reveals mysteries.

And he's made known to the king

what will happen.

And then as you remember,

they all live happily ever after.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah,

tons of magicians, enchanters,

sorcerers, Chaldeans,

all of their families.

They live happily ever after

because Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah

prayed asking the God of heaven for mercy.

Now, I don't know about you,

but that's the kind of praying I want.

Prayers that reach to heaven

that show there is a God in heaven,

that he is accessible,

that he hears my prayers,

that he responds to prayer.

That's the encouragement I need

for my prayer life.

Now, if you're at all like me,

you might do what I did.

Begin scouring the book of Daniel,

looking for things that distinguish

Daniel's praying from the praying of others.

So I worked my way through Daniel

numerous times,

and I've compiled a list

of the key characteristics

of Daniel's prayers.

And because I love you all,

I'm going to save you so much time,

and I'm going to share it

with you this morning.

So here we go.

Daniel's method of prayer.

Daniel's method of prayer.

The first thing,

Daniel's prayer is in response

to God's word.

Daniel's prayer is in response

to God's word.

Now, we'll see it most clearly

in a few weeks

when we get to Daniel 9, verse 2,

Daniel 9:2

where it says,

In the first year of his reign,

I, Daniel, perceived in the books

the number of years that,

according to the word of the Lord

to Jeremiah the prophet,

must pass before the end

of the desolations of Jerusalem,

namely 70 years.

Now, I cannot prove to you

what was going through Daniel's mind

in his other prayers

because God's word

does not explicitly tell us.

But I can tell you

that when you look at Daniel's prayers

and you notice

how they line up,

they're consistently aligned

with scripture

that was available to Daniel.

So, for example,

in the situation

in Daniel chapter 2

Daniel 2 · chapter mention

that we were looking at,

we see Daniel boldly go in

and claim before the king

that he's going to do

the impossible

and interpret the dream

before praying about it.

Now, is he being presumptuous?

Well, I think based on verse 28

where he says,

but there is a God in heaven

who reveals mysteries,

that it's quite possible

that Daniel already has

scripture in mind.

Maybe some of these verses,

maybe Deuteronomy 29, 29,

when after Moses has called

the Israelites

to recommit to God

and reminded them

that if they're disobedient,

that they will face curses

and ultimately be cast out

of the land.

And then Moses ends

with this statement,

the secret things

belong to the Lord our God,

but the things that are revealed

belong to us

and to our children forever,

that we may do

all the words of the law.

Or maybe Psalm 25,

Psalms 25:14

verse 14 is in mind,

where it says,

the secret counsel of the Lord

is for those who fear him,

and he reveals his covenant to them.

But maybe it's Amos,

Amos 3, 7 says,

and for the Lord God

does nothing

without revealing his secret

to his servants,

the prophets.

Or Amos 4, 13,

that says,

for behold,

he who forms the mountains

and creates the wind

and declares to man

what is his thought,

who makes the morning darkness

and treads on the heights

of the earth,

the Lord,

the God of hosts,

is his name.

Now,

I can't prove any of that,

but I think when we look

at Daniel's life,

as we see how Daniel's life

is centered in God's word,

it's reasonable to think

he's not being presumptuous,

but that his prayer flows

out of God's word.

So that's the first thing we see.

Second,

we see Daniel's prayer

comes from a heart of humility.

Daniel's prayer

comes from a heart of humility.

And we'll see this time and time again

in Daniel's prayers,

but here in Daniel 2,

in verse 17,

we see Daniel's humility

because he goes immediately

to his friends,

Hananiah,

Mishael,

and Azariah,

and says,

guys,

I don't know how to tell you this,

but I just promised

to do the impossible

to the king,

and if I don't get it right,

we're going to die.

So,

I really need you to pray.

We have to pray together

that God will show mercy.

Right?

There's a humility.

He doesn't feel like

he has the answers.

He knows who has the answers,

so he asks them

to pray with him.

Then we see the humility

in Daniel

when in verse 23,

immediately,

after God's answered

their prayer,

he begins to praise God,

make much of God,

and in verse 23,

Daniel says,

to you,

O God of my fathers,

I give thanks and praise,

for you have given me

wisdom and might,

and have now made known

to me

what we asked of you,

for you have made known

to us the king's matter.

We see his humility

in verses 26 through 28

when Daniel goes into the king

and says,

no,

I can't do this,

but there is a God

in heaven

who reveals mysteries.

And as the next few weeks

go by,

as we look at Daniel

and you see in his prayers,

you'll see time and time again

that his prayer flows

out of the heart

of humility.

And then,

out of his prayers,

that humility pours out

on those around him.

The third thing,

Daniel's prayer

is bold

and faith-filled.

Daniel's prayer

is bold

and faith-filled.

Now,

as we see Daniel's prayers

in the weeks ahead,

the boldness

will be pretty clear,

but just consider

where we are

in Daniel chapter 2,

Daniel 2 · chapter mention

okay?

The Chaldeans

have just said

that this is so bold

that no king

has ever asked.

No king expects this.

It's not even possible.

But Daniel

boldly goes in

and says,

God,

will you show me

another man's dreams

and tell me

what they mean?

I mean,

what a bold request.

And we're going to see

later in Daniel,

he asks for even

more bold things.

But again,

it's not presumption.

He's not being presumptuous.

He just believes

the truth of God's word.

And so in faith,

he's boldly asking God

to act.

The fourth thing we see,

Daniel's prayer

is seeking God's glory.

Daniel's prayer

is seeking God's glory.

Again,

we see it here

in chapter 2.

Once God answers

their prayers

in verses 20 through 22,

we see Daniel say,

blessed be the name

of God forever

and ever

to whom belong

wisdom and might.

He changes times

and seasons.

He removes kings

and sets up kings.

He gives wisdom

to the wise

and knowledge

to those who have

understanding.

He reveals deep

and hidden things.

He knows what is

in the darkness

and the light

dwells with him.

We see Daniel

exalting God

in his glory.

We see it

when he answers

the king again

and says,

no,

but there is

a God in heaven.

And ultimately,

we see it

in chapter 2,

verse 47,

because the outcome

of what happens

is the king

bringing glory

to God.

It says,

the king answered

and said to Daniel,

truly,

your God

is God

of gods

and Lord

of kings

and a revealer

of mysteries

for you have been able

to reveal this mystery.

And so we see

this consistent

commitment

in Daniel's prayers

and in his life

for God's glory

to be central,

for God's glory

to be the focus

of it all.

The fifth thing,

Daniel's prayer

is asking God

to do

what God

has already

promised to do,

which really

brings us

full circle.

Because Daniel

starts with the word

of God,

because his prayer

flows out of God's word,

his understanding

of who God

has revealed himself

to be,

revealed what he will do,

we see God,

we'll see Daniel

continually asking God

to do the things

that he's already promised,

that he's already said

he would do.

Now,

we can take all

of those steps

and I'm going to sum it up

for you here

in Daniel's method

of prayer.

In response

to God's word,

Daniel comes humbly

but boldly in faith,

seeking God's glory

by asking him

to do

what he has already

promised to do.

So we have a good

biblical method

for prayer.

We can see it here,

we're going to see it

again and again

in Daniel.

Not only is it a good

biblical method

for prayer,

I would contend

that if any prayer

doesn't clearly reflect

these pieces

of this method

that from a

biblical perspective

it's not prayer.

Let me say that again

a different way.

If you look

at your own prayers

and they're not

flowing from God's word,

if they're not

being presented

humbly

but boldly in faith,

if they're not

seeking God's glory,

if you're not

asking God to do

what he's already

promised to do,

it's not really prayer.

Not from the Bible's

perspective.

The world may call it

prayer,

but the Bible doesn't.

So I would say

it's essential

for us

to pursue

using this method

or something

that embodies

these principles

if our desire

is to truly pray.

In the biblical sense,

if we desire

for God

to hear our prayers

and respond.

But there's a problem.

You see,

the problem is

all of these

essential components,

everything in this method,

are not things

we can do

in our own strength.

As a matter of fact,

in our own power,

the Bible says

we cannot know God

or understand his word.

We cannot come

with truly humble hearts.

We cannot have

radically bold faith.

We cannot truly

seek God's glory.

And if we can't

do those things,

then we won't

sincerely ask God

to do

what he's already

promised to do.

So,

having found a good

biblical method

for prayer,

we find ourselves

having to at least

admit or understand

that the method itself

is of little use

without the power

to pray rightly.

Now,

I have good news.

I believe the book

of Daniel

makes it abundantly

clear where

to find that power.

So,

let's look at

Daniel's power

in prayer.

We're going to look

at six verses

from Daniel.

And I think

it will be as clear

to you as I think

it is there.

We're going to start

with Daniel 4,

Daniel 4:8

verse 8.

Daniel 4,

Daniel 4:8

verse 8.

It says,

At last,

Daniel came in

before me,

he who was named

Belteshazzar

after the name

of my God,

and in whom

is the spirit

of the holy gods.

Now,

just a little footnote

here.

That word God,

there's some discussion

among people

that know Aramaic

and are smarter

than me.

And if you're using

the ESV,

you'll actually find

you have a footnote.

They're not sure

if it's plural

or singular.

Now,

the truth is,

I think,

whatever the Babylonians

thought,

I can't say.

But we know

that ultimately

what it's saying

is singular.

The spirit

of the holy God.

Anyway,

end footnote.

Look at verse,

chapter 4,

verse 9.

It says,

O Belteshazzar,

chief of the magicians,

because I know

that the spirit

of the holy gods

is in you

and that no mystery

is too difficult

for you,

tell me the visions

of my dream.

Daniel 4,

18.

This dream

I,

King Nebuchadnezzar,

saw,

and you,

O Belteshazzar,

tell me the interpretation,

because all the wise men

in my kingdom

are not able

to make known

to me the interpretation,

but you are able,

for the spirit

of the holy gods

is in you.

Daniel 5,

10,

and 11.

The queen,

because of the words

of the king

and his lords,

came into the banqueting hall

and the queen declared,

O king,

live forever.

Let not your thoughts

alarm you

or your color change.

There is a man

in your kingdom

in whom

is the spirit

of the holy gods.

Daniel 5,

14.

I have heard of you,

that the spirit

of the holy gods

is in you

and that light

and understanding

and excellent wisdom

are found in you.

Daniel 6,

3.

Then this Daniel

became distinguished

above all the other officials

and satraps

because an excellent spirit

was in him

and the king

planned to set him

over the whole kingdom.

Do you see it?

The spirit of God

or the holy spirit

is Daniel's power

for prayer.

Now,

honestly,

there can be no true,

authentic,

powerful,

biblical prayer

without us having

the spirit of God

in us.

Now,

we can offer invocations

that seek to activate

a rapport

with an object of worship

through deliberate communication.

We can practice

abstract forms

of meditation

or seek to produce

charms or spells.

We can offer

a set liturgy

or a ritual,

recite an incantation,

rehearse a formal

creedal statement,

or have a spontaneous

utterance.

We can wish,

we can hope,

we can manifest,

but we cannot pray.

Not in any

biblical sense

of the word

without the Holy Spirit

within us.

And as a matter of fact,

I'll go a step further

and say

at least

84% of those

trying to connect

with their higher power

through prayer

are doing

no such thing

because what you believe

makes all the difference

in whether or not

your prayers are heard.

A few verses.

Psalm 66, 18.

If I had cherished

iniquity in my heart,

the Lord would not

have listened.

Proverbs 28, 9.

If one turns away

his ear

from hearing the law,

even his prayer

is an abomination.

Isaiah 59, 2.

But your iniquities

have made a separation

between you

and your God

and your sins

have hidden

his face from you

so that he does not hear.

And then Jesus

in John 14, 6 says,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life.

No one comes

to the Father

except through me.

Now,

maybe that seems

harsh to you

to say that God

doesn't listen

to the prayers

of those

who do not have

the Holy Spirit.

But,

if you stop

and consider

how the Bible

describes

every one of us

that does not

have the Holy Spirit

indwelling them,

it makes sense.

Look at these verses.

Ephesians 2, 1-3.

It describes us

as being dead

in trespasses

and sins,

sons of disobedience,

by nature,

children of wrath

like the rest

of mankind.

Colossians 1, 21 says,

we're alienated

from God

and hostile in mind.

Romans 1, 21-25 says,

we're without excuse

because although

we know God,

we do not honor

him as God

or give thanks

to him.

As a result,

we become futile

in our thinking.

Our foolish hearts

are darkened.

We claim to be wise

but we're fools.

We exchange the glory

of the immortal God

for images.

We exchange the truth

about God

for a lie

and worship

and serve the creature

rather than the creator.

Romans 3, 9-12 says,

we're all under sin.

There are none righteous.

No one understands.

No one seeks God.

All have turned aside.

No one does good.

Not even one.

Romans 5, 10 says,

we are enemies of God.

Romans 8, 7 and 8 says,

we are hostile to God

and cannot please God.

So, since that's our condition

without the Holy Spirit,

I think it makes perfect sense

to say that God

does not hear our prayers.

Or to say it another way,

without the Holy Spirit,

God is not accessible

to any of us.

So true prayer

is impossible.

Now hopefully,

that leads you

to the next question.

And I would say,

in some ways,

the most important

foundational question

on the topic of prayer,

how do I know for sure

I have the Holy Spirit?

Well,

the Apostle Peter

answers that question

so simply and clearly

to the people of Jerusalem

on the day of Pentecost.

Let's look at it.

Acts 2,

36 through 39.

Peter says,

Let all the house

of Israel,

therefore,

know for certain

that God has made him

both Lord and Christ,

this Jesus

whom you crucified.

Now,

when they heard this,

they were cut to the heart

and they said to Peter

and the rest of the apostles,

Brothers,

what shall we do?

And Peter said to them,

Repent

and be baptized

every one of you

in the name of Jesus Christ

for the forgiveness

of your sins

and you will receive

the gift

of the Holy Spirit

for the promise

is for you

and for your children

and for all

who are far off,

everyone whom the Lord

our God calls

to himself.

So,

when we respond

in faith,

believing what the Bible says,

that Jesus is both

our Lord and Savior,

when we seek forgiveness

for our sin

by admitting them

and turning away from them,

desiring to be united

to Jesus Christ,

we are filled

with the Holy Spirit

and become

a child of God.

Now,

if that hasn't happened

in your life

yet today,

it can.

It can.

Let me just encourage you,

don't leave without coming

and talking to me

or talking to one of the people

around you

because it can happen today.

And once,

once you are united

to Jesus

and filled

with the Holy Spirit,

that changes everything.

That makes God accessible.

That makes prayer

truly possible.

Look at what Ephesians 2,

13 through 22 says.

But now,

in Christ Jesus,

you who once were far off

have been brought near

by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace,

who has made us both one

and has broken down

in his flesh

the dividing wall

of hostility

by abolishing

the law of commandments

expressed in ordinances,

that he might create in himself

one new man

in place of the two,

so making peace

and might reconcile us

both to God

in one body

through the cross,

thereby killing

the hostility.

And he came

and preached peace

to you who were far off

and peace

to those who were near.

Verse 18.

For through him

we both have access

in one spirit

to the Father.

So then you're no longer

strangers

and aliens,

but you're fellow citizens

with the saints

and members

of the household of God,

built on the foundation

of the apostles

and the prophets,

Christ Jesus himself

being the cornerstone

in whom the whole structure

being joined together

grows into a holy temple

in the Lord.

In him you also

are being built together

into a dwelling place

for God

by the Spirit.

We can only have access

to God

and have the privilege

and the delight

of praying

because of Jesus

and our union

to him

through the Holy Spirit.

Remember,

Jesus himself said

in John 14, 6,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life.

No one comes to the Father

except through me.

But he goes on

in John 15,

7 through 9,

and he says,

if you abide in me

and my words

abide in you,

ask whatever you wish

and it will be done

for you.

By this my Father

is glorified

that you bear much fruit

and so prove to be

my disciples

as the Father has loved me

so have I loved you.

Abide in my love.

You see,

Jesus,

as the perfect Son of God,

being fully God

and fully man,

has the innate ability

and access

to talk to God,

the Father.

They've been in

intimate communion

and conversation

for all of eternity past

and will be

for all of eternity future.

And so,

it's in being united

to Jesus

that his ability

and access

to commune

and converse

with God the Father

becomes ours.

There is really

only one method

of true prayer,

only one power

for true prayer.

It's Jesus.

Even Daniel's prayer,

though he didn't

as fully understand it

as we can

from this point

in history,

was prayer

through Jesus.

And I don't think

it will stretch you

at all

if we take

and look at the fact

that we talked

about Daniel's

method for prayer

being this.

In response

to God's word,

Daniel comes humbly

but boldly in faith

seeking God's glory

by asking him

to do what he has

already promised to do.

And see it even more

clearly in Jesus' life.

In response

to the Father's word,

Jesus comes humbly

but boldly in faith

seeking the Father's glory

by asking him

to do what he's

already promised to do.

And as we always find,

Jesus is the better,

perfect version

of all of our heroes

of the faith.

Jesus is the better Adam,

the better Abraham,

the better Moses,

the better Joshua,

the better David,

the better Elijah.

And as we work

our way through Daniel

and see the extraordinary ways

that God's love

and faithfulness

to Daniel and his friends

shows through

in lives

that are worthy

of learning from

and imitating,

we must not forget

Jesus is the better Daniel.

So as we take

Daniel's method of prayer

and his power in prayer

and look at them

in light of the central figure

and hero of the Bible,

really the central figure

and hero of all history,

Jesus Christ,

I think we can end

with this definition of prayer.

Prayer is the privilege

and delight we receive

from our union

with Jesus Christ

through the Holy Spirit

to respond to God's word

by coming in worship

to commune with him

and humbly but boldly

in faith

seeking the Father's glory

by asking him to do

what he's already promised

to do.

Now, I don't know where you are

in your prayer life

but if like me,

you find yourself realizing

that it's not what it should be,

that it's not what it can be,

then I just want to end

with four simple steps

that will help move you

in the right direction

and these are taken

from the writings

of Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones,

a godly pastor

and a man of prayer,

but it will just start

to move you

in the right direction.

The first is,

daily,

admit your failings to God

and your inability

to pray as you should

without his empowering

through the Holy Spirit

and ask him to do that.

Ask him to empower you

through the Holy Spirit

for a life of authentic prayer.

Two,

create time and space

to enjoy drawing near to God.

Start by reading his word

with an expectation

that he desires

to speak to you through it.

Listen first.

Step three,

as the Holy Spirit

begins to direct

your thoughts

to God's revealed character,

to his plan,

to his promises.

Begin pleading

the promises of God

with holy boldness,

liberty,

and assurance.

And that word,

plead,

is important

because it embodies

that humility.

We have to be careful.

Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones

says it well

when he says this,

do not claim,

do not demand.

Let your requests

be made known.

Let them come

from your heart.

God will understand.

But we have no right

to demand,

not even revival.

Some Christians

are tending to do so

at the present time.

Yes, pray urgently,

plead,

use all of the arguments,

use all of the promises,

but do not demand,

do not claim.

Never put yourself

into the position

of saying,

if we but do this,

then that must happen.

God is a sovereign Lord,

and these things

are beyond our understanding.

So never let the terminology

of claiming

or demanding

be used.

So we plead

his word.

Step four,

practice being sensitive

to the leading

of the Holy Spirit.

Obeying it

as quickly

as you can,

being willing

to stop

what you're doing

and prioritize praying

whenever you feel

like that comes

to mind.

You see,

if we are willing

to invest

the time

and the effort

to pursue communion

with God

through this type

of prayer,

no matter how many times

we have to commit

ourselves

to start again

and again,

you will find

in time

that we're growing

more and more intimate

with our Heavenly Father

and with our loving Lord,

and we'll see it

flowing out

into every area

of our life.

Now,

in closing,

we have one final commercial.

Someone last week

asked me,

does the church

still have a weekly

prayer bulletin?

Just in case

any of you

are not aware,

we have a channel

on Telegram

called The Powerhouse.

It's our prayer channel.

We share weekly prompts

on a number

of different areas

and topics

that try to assist you

in thinking through

and praying through things.

Right now,

we're working through

praying the fruit

of the Spirit.

If you want more

information about it,

you can check

the Maranatha Minute

or you can come

and talk to me,

but hopefully

it can be an avenue

to help you

as you seek

to grow

in your life

of prayer.

So as we end,

let's do the thing

that we have been

talking about.

Would you join me

as we pray?

Father, we thank you

for your word.

We thank you

that you've not

left us to ourselves.

Father, we confess

that if it was up to us,

our vain imaginations

would never rightly

conceive of who you are,

of your heart,

of your desire,

of your plan,

but you have given it

to us in your word.

So Father,

help us to cherish

your word.

Help us to pursue

listening to you

through your word,

desiring to hear you

for your spirit

to speak to us

and apply your word

in our lives.

Father, we confess

that we know

we cannot pray

as we should,

that it's beyond

our ability,

that we are

not diligent enough,

our faith is weak,

our inabilities

and the struggles

with our flesh

just continue

to mount against us

as we seek to pray.

But Father,

we know that you desire

for us to draw near.

We know that you've

invited us to come

boldly to your throne

because of our

connection in Christ.

So we ask that by

your spirit,

you would do

what you have said,

that you would empower

us for lives of prayer,

that our prayer

would be authentic,

that it would flow

from your word,

that we would

seek your glory

by asking you

to do the things

that you have promised

to do.

Forgive us

for all of the times

that we treat prayer

so lightly

with such contempt.

Father, help us,

help us to desire

and to delight

in communing with you.

help us to prioritize it,

to make space for it.

Help us to be

a praying church

that in all of these things

you might receive

the greater glory,

that our lives

would be conformed

to the image

of your Son,

and that the world

would know

that there is

a God in heaven,

and that he is

accessible

through Jesus.

It's in his name

we pray,

Amen.