Daniel chapter 2 starts with a King and a dream.
Nebuchadnezzar knows that this dream isn’t just any old dream! It’s special and he needs to know what it means!
He calls in his swarm of wise men, magicians, sorcerers and the like and proceeds to give them and impossible task: tell me what I dreamed and what it means!
They doubtlessly thought that King Neb had lost his mind.
I can only imagine what went through the “wise men’s” minds. They doubtlessly thought that King Neb had lost his mind.
When the wise men broke it to King Neb that they couldn’t tell him what his dream was, Nebuchadnezzar became furious! He rashly gives an order to have ALL wise men killed.
Enter Daniel.
He is part of the “wise men” group although he wasn’t initially called to the throne room to consult with the King.
Most likely, Daniel is still seen as the new kid in town! So, he’s probably not the King’s “go to” guy for answers. It is quite unfair that he is about to be killed when he was never given a chance to meet the King’s challenge!
Nonetheless, his neck, and those of his good friends, is on the chopping block.
Of course, God is going to work mightily through Daniel and his friends.
Of course, God is going to work mightily through Daniel and his friends. The King’s dream and it’s meaning will be revealed. The lives of Daniel, his friends, and all of the other “wise men” will be saved.
But, something comes before this miraculous deed.
Something that we often overlook when we’re going through difficulties in our own lives! The power of pleading!
Daniel 2: 17-18 record:
“Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hanaiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wisemen of Babylon”
Daniel 2:17-18 NIV Emphasis mine
I don’t know what comes to your mind when you picture somebody pleading. But, I think of someone who is in dire straights and spares nothing to get their need met!
Daniel and his friends did ‘t just say a simple prayer and then go to sleep! They plead with God almighty to intervene in the events that threatened their life!
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes all I have to do is say a simple sincere, faith-filled prayer and God is one the scene taking care of things!
But, I wonder how many times my prayers went unanswered because I failed to work at prayer.
I wonder how many of my prayers go “unanswered” because of my lack of effort when I come before the throne of God with my needs?
I wonder what would have happened to Daniel if he’d said a simple bedtime prayer and just gone to sleep. Would he have lived or would he, and all of his friends, died due to their lack of effort in prayer?
Blessedly, we will never know, because they chose to plead until the answer came.
Today, I am wondering if I am praying lazy prayers and expecting Daniel level results?
Unfortunately, I think I do this far more often than not!
It’s time for me to be a Daniel. To give my prayer life the time it deserves!
Time to see some things move! How about you?
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