Topic: DON’T CLOSE YOUR MOUTH I
Memorise: Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain:
ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:2
Read: Daniel 9:1-19, Bible in one year: 1st Kings 3-4, Luke 1:57-80
Our Bible reading shows Daniel, a great man of prayer, interceding for
his nation, Israel.
In his prayer, he asked God to remember His promise to restore the nation of Israel.
He was determined to seek the face of God for mercy, through prayers and
supplications with fasting. He mourned for the despicable condition of the Jews
who were scattered all over the world and for the ruins of Jerusalem.
There are great lessons of life we can profit from when we ponder on this
example of Daniel.
One of these lessons is from this statement: “I Daniel understood by
books” (Daniel 9:2). It was Daniel’s discovery and understanding of what the
Lord has said through Prophet Jeremiah 29:10, concerning the time of His
visitation to restore Israel
as a nation that motivated him to intercede for his people. Recognise the fact
that in this period, there was no Bible collating all the writings of the
Prophets in one volume. The writing of the Prophets were on different scrolls
spread across various locations. Therefore, it must have been a lot of hard
work for Daniel to search for the relevant scrolls of the Prophets, and then
read through them to know what God had said about the situation he was bothered
about. Reading, studying and meditating on God’s word is hard work, but the
extent to which you know the Bible is the extent to which you will know the
mind of God concerning you. When you know the mind of God concerning a
situation, it will build your confidence as you approach your Heavenly Father
in prayer.
Our Lord Jesus Christ assured us of answers to our prayers in Matthew
7:8. He followed up this assurance by asking this question in Matthew 7:9:
“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask
bread, will he give him a stone?”
In answer to Our Lord’s question, a father indeed would not do that.
How much more our Heavenly Father who is more benevolent than our earthly
fathers (Matthew 7:1)? I therefore encourage you to study to know the mind of
God, so as to pray aright at all times. This alone can guarantee express answer
to your needs. It will not be good for you to engage in an exercise in
futility. Pray according to God’s mind in His holy word and you will be happy
you did. Do not keep your mouth shut and suffer in silence.
Prayer Point :Father, help the leaders of my country to be alive to their
responsibilities in Jesus’ Name.
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