Daniel, A Man Who Persevered

June 29

One of the characteristics of Daniel was that he was a man of prayer.  But he was also a man of the Word.  Hosea wrote that people perish for a lack of knowledge.  Knowledge that comes from the Lord, from the Spirit and the Word is the best and most enduring kind of knowledge.

Keep in mind Daniel, even though he’s in a position of authority, lives in a culture that is counter to the culture of the Kingdom of God.  Yet Daniel continues to pray, which got him an all expense paid night in a lion’s den; and he also continued to read the Word.

Daniel 1:2 – 4 “in the first year of his reign (Darius), I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 3So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. 4I prayed to the LORD my God. . .”

Daniel’s response to reading that the seventy years were nearly completed paved the way for a remnant to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and temple.

In reading the Word, the Lord will often open our eyes to incredible revelations that He desires to see come to pass.  Daniel read that the Jeremiah had prophesied Israel and Judah would be in Babylon 70 years.  Daniel’s response was to “pray into” that prophecy to be fulfilled.

When God gives a “word” whether through devotional reading or through a prophetic declaration; our first response, as Daniel, should be pray into that word.  James promised that if we lacked wisdom, if we prayed God would give it to us.

Daniel was perseverant in his prayer too.  Recall after having prayed into this prophetic word for 21 days Gabriel came and let him know that the answer was coming from day 1, but he had been hindered from coming due to the Prince of Persia, a demonic stronghold over that region.

Pray into the “word” and be perseverant.