This morning I was reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel, and felt like I should chapter 9. If haven't spent much time reading Daniel, it is a very interesting book and contains some of the most accurate foretelling prophecy of what was to occur to Jerusalem, the coming of the Messiah and even the destruction of Jerusalem. It is worth reading along with a commentary on the meanings of the different images and visions he sees.
However this morning, I am just reading and reflecting on the first few verses from chapter 9, as they seem appropriate this day as we celebrate the new year. Here are the verses - Daniel 9:1-3 NIV:
[1] "In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom--- [2] in 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."
These couple of verses are masterfully understated, for Daniel just gets right to the point. He is obviously reading scripture, studying them and praying through them, seeking the Lord's word for him and for his people. The time-frame of their captivity is mentioned in the first verses, and if we studied the timeline we would see that the Jews were in their 70th year of captivity. All of this lines up perfectly and as he is reading he happens upon Jeremiah's prophecy concerning the Babylonian captivity, and the length of it found in Jeremiah 29:10-14 NIV:
[10] This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. [11] For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [12] Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. [13] You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. [14] I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Daniel, after reading these verses immediately starts praying and fasting, pleading with God to fulfill that which He promised to do. A few verses later, we find God sends an Angel to visit Daniel and to speak to him, assuring him that his prayers had been heard, and providing timelines and understanding to the fulfillment of the promise originally spoken to Jeremiah. We actually see the fulfillment of the restoration of the Jews to Jerusalem carried out in books of Nehemiah and Ezra. I remember the first time I put this whole time-line together, and it was amazing to me how the Lord had spoken the prophecy in Jeremiah, had encouraged Daniel to pray and intercede and then fulfilled the promise in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. It certainly encouraged me to see the faithfulness of the Lord.
Today, my encouragement is multi-fold. First, I am encouraged that spending time regularly in Scripture is so important. Secondly, I am encouraged that my prayers are important not just in my life, but that they have power to release things in the Kingdom of God. Thirdly, I am encouraged that God hears my prayers immediately and responds. Fourthly, I am encouraged that God has spoken things prophetically over my life and that it is good to reflect on those promises, even praying over them, activating my faith and reminding the Lord of what He has spoken over me. It is mostly for my own benefit that I would do this, as God certainly knows what He has spoken over my life, and He intends to fulfill them all, but it is important for me to be reminded of this, that I might have right perspective. Fifthly, I am encouraged that God's plans are much larger than I can comprehend, and that I just need to listen to what He is saying here and now, and I can't do that if I never take time in prayer.
In summary, our prayers change things, and they are multiplied in effectiveness when they are in line with God's word. I am encouraged to go and revisit all the old prophecies over my life, and over our church, pressing in for anything that has not been fulfilled, asking God to provide insight, understanding and direction!
Amen and Amen! May we see fulfillment of God's promises in our lives in this New Year!
No comments:
Post a Comment