Drive the dark of doubt away
‘“Don’t be afraid. You are highly respected. Everything is alright! Be strong! Be strong!” Daniel 10:19
Prayer really works. Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim 2:1 ASV
There is a child’s song ‘dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose firm, dare to make it known’
At 86 years of age Daniel’s prayers got him thrown into a lion’s den. He suffered for doing good. Do you think there was a sliver of doubt in Daniel’s mind he would survive the lions? What a long night. Consider these verses if the dark of doubt has a grip on you. Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord. Isaiah 50:10 NKJV
The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 1 John 2:8
Read the story of the lion’s den in Daniel 6:16-27.
LORD GOD when we feel weak, unable to pray it is an indication of our need for more grace. Fill us with grace, let our lives and families drip with grace. Amen.
Lord let our prayer lives model that of Daniel’s. He exceeded the biblical instructions on priestly prayer times by praying in a kneeling posture three times a day. 1 Chronicles 23:30 NIV They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening.
Daniel combined prayer and fasting for an unearthly sort of strength and wisdom.
Romans 14:12 NIV It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Sober up, as you rightly ought to, and sin no more, for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:34
Heavenly Father let my actions impart strength to your people. May Christ in me win against the flesh, especially when the choice is hard between what I want and what is better for your kingdom. You can make me clean. (Matt. 8:2)
Sanctify, O Lord, our souls, bodies and spirits; examine our minds and search our consciences; take from us all evil imaginations, all impurity of thought, all inclinations to lust, all depravity of conception, all envy, pride and hypocrisy, all falsehood, deceit and irregular living, all covetousness, vain glory and sloth; all malice, anger and wrath, all remembrance of injuries, all blasphemy and every motion of flesh and spirit that is contrary to the purity of Thy Will. Amen. —Liturgy of St. James.
Truly it is worthy … Giving devout thanks for the gifts of the past, more readily do we trust that the things to come shall be granted; nor should we despair of the fruitfulness of the seeds, since He is coming who will be venerated in our annual devotion through our supplications, who is also the saving fruit of the Virgin Mother, Christ our Lord. Whom the angels praise. —Gelasian Sacramentary written in the 7th Century.
Do not despair the seed will grow. The fruitfulness of Christ will bloom, and first you may have a sour fruit but then in time a sweetness and full ripened lemon or orange. I have a young lemon tree which I sprouted from seed. It’s growing, but no fruit yet. I see it as a reminder the prayers sown will produce fruit, we must have patience.
Daniel prayed for 3 weeks desiring understanding. The archangel angel Michael came saying, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. Daniel 10:12 Pray and faint not. —Jesus Luke 18:1
By the mercies of God you can present your body as a living sacrifice. Romans 12:1-2
Jonah down in the depths of the sea said: When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. Jonah 2:7-9
Daniel praised,(Daniel 2:20) Jonah praised, and in our advent story “a multitude of the heavenly host” praised God. (Luke 2:13-14).
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My prayers seem to be the same over and over. Never audacious, spectacular that only God can do. They usually safe little prayers.
I often pray some of the same prayers myself, and have to remind myself of whom I am approaching and how vast and wide his power really is 🙂 so today I’m asking God for the words to approach HIM. 🙂 be blessed!