Historical Posts
Daniel 01:08-21; 06:01-10 Children Today
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Text: Daniel 1:8-21; 6:1-10
Introduction
1. The Bible is filled with accounts of many godly men and women who are worthy of our emulation
2. One such person is Daniel, a man who obtained preeminence and power in his lifetime.
a. He started out preeminent among the children of Israel – Daniel 1:3-6
b. He gained preeminence among the wise of men of Babylon – Daniel 1:17-20
c. He was given power over all of Babylon – Daniel 2:48-49; 5:29
d. He received similar power over the Medo-Persian empire – Daniel 6:1-3, 28
3. How was Daniel able to reach these positions of power and influence without compromising his position as a godly man?
4. A close look at the book of Daniel reveals his secret, and shows how we too can be successful without selling our souls
Body
I. DANIEL WAS A MAN OF PURPOSE
A. DANIEL PURPOSED IN HIS HEART… – Daniel 1:8
1. A young boy in a strange land, Daniel was immediately faced with a challenge to violate God’s law by eating the king’s food
2. Despite his youth and the obvious pressures to conform, Daniel purposed in his heart to uphold the law of God, no matter the cost
3. Because of his willingness to put God first, God granted Daniel favor in the sight of others – Daniel 1:9
a. How God did this is not explained, but it happened in the case of Joseph also – Genesis 39:1-4; 21-23
b. By putting God first, God blessed Joseph in such a way that favorably impressed others
B. EVERY CHILD OF GOD NEEDS TO BE A PERSON OF PURPOSE
1. No one respects a wishy-washy person, someone with no direction in their lives
2. Whereas a strong sense of purpose often breeds respect and admiration in others
3. What should be the purpose of the Christian?
a. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 6:33
b. to seek the will of God and fulfill it in our lives, no matter the circumstances
4. As Jesus promised, this will guarantee God’s favor toward us and in turn likely gain us favor in the eyes of those around us
II. DANIEL WAS A MAN OF PRINCIPLE
A. HE REFUSED TO COMPROMISE HIS CONVICTIONS
1. As a young man, by refusing to eat the king’s meat or drink his wine – Daniel 1:8
2. As an old man, by refusing the gifts of Belshazzar – Daniel 5:13-17
3. Under the threat of persecution, by refusing to obey the decree of Darius – Daniel 6:10
B. PEOPLE ADMIRE PERSONS OF PRINCIPLE
1. Outwardly they may ridicule them, but inwardly they wish they had the same intestinal fortitude
2. And when they need someone that can be trusted, and depended upon to carry through with an assigned task, who do you think they will turn to?
3. God also admires individuals who will stand by their principles, and by their words – Psalm 15:1-5
III. DANIEL WAS A MAN OF PURITY
A. HIS OPPONENTS COULD NOT FIND ANY FAULT
1. He was faultless when it came to management of his business affairs – Daniel 6:1-4
2. This would help to explain his rise to positions of great responsibility and power
3. Of course, his purity in business affairs was related to
a. His overall purpose to please God first
b. And the fact that as a man of principle he could be trusted
B. THE CHRISTIAN IS ALSO TO MAINTAIN PURITY OF CONDUCT
1. Whether young or old – 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:6-8
2. Whether slave or free – Titus 2:9-10
3. People who maintain purity in their dealings with others are often given positions of great responsibility and privilege, because they can be trusted to use them wisely
IV. DANIEL WAS A MAN OF PRAYER
A. A GLIMPSE OF HIS PRAYER LIFE – Daniel 6:10
1. He knelt in prayer, a demonstration of his humility
2. He prayed three times daily, a demonstration of his continual dependence upon God
3. He gave thanks in the midst of persecution, a demonstration of his gratitude and the fact that he had not lost sight of God’s blessings
4. His prayers were a custom since early days, demonstrating his persistence and faithfulness in his service to God
5. Is it not likely that his custom to pray so diligently helped him to remain a man of purpose, principle and purity, despite his rise to power and preeminence over the empire?
B. CHRISTIANS WOULD DO WELL TO FOLLOW DANIEL’S EXAMPLE
1. “Let us learn the lesson that the finest of God’s servants must maintain regular and fixed prayer habits in order to continue steadfast in devotion to the Lord.” (Strauss)
2. As Christians, we too are to pray often – 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18; Colossians 4:2
3. If our efforts to live purposeful, principled, and pure lives are not what they should be, could an undisciplined prayer life be the reason?
4. Are we willing to Dare To Be A Daniel in regards to prayer?
Conclusion
1. There is a false assumption that to “get ahead” in this world one must conform to the sinful practices of the world
2. But even today there are many Christians who demonstrate that when one dares to be a Daniel they can succeed in the affairs of men without selling their souls to the world
3. How about you? Will you Dare To Be A Daniel by becoming a person of:
a. PURPOSE?
b. PRINCIPLE?
c. PURITY?
d. PRAYER?
Prayer Purposes
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(The Purpose Of Prayer)
Introduction
1. In August 2005, Newsweek and Beliefnet asked 1,004 Americans what they believe and how they practice their faith
2. One of the questions was this: What do you think is the most important purpose of prayer?
3. Here are their responses…
a. To seek God’s guidance (27%)
b. To thank God (23%)
c. To be close to God or the divine (19%)
d. To help others (13%)
e. To improve a person’s life (9%)
f. Other (4%)
g. Don’t know (5%)
[What is the purpose of prayer? As the answers above suggest, there are many reasons to pray. One way to remember “The Purpose Of Prayer” is with the acronym ACTS, where “A” stands for…]
I. ADORATION
A. EXPRESSING ADORATION…
1. God is certainly worthy of our praise, our adoration
2. While we can praise God in song, we can also praise God in prayer
B. EXAMPLES OF ADORATION IN PRAYER…
1. When Paul prayed for the Ephesians, he took time to praise God – Ephesians 3:14-21
2. David provides an example of offering adoration and praise – 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
[Expressing adoration was not one of the responses in the aforementioned survey, but it is certainly an important purpose of prayer. Continuing with our acronym ACTS , “C” stands for…]
II. CONFESSION
A. CONFESSING OUR SINS…
1. There is mercy to be found in confessing one’s sins – Proverbs 28:13
2. The Christian enjoys cleansing of sin by the blood of Jesus – 1 John 1:7-10
B. EXAMPLES OF CONFESSING SINS…
1. Jesus provided an example in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican – Luke 18:10-14
2. Again, David provides an example with his confession of sin – Psalm 51:1-13
[Obtaining forgiveness by confessing sins is a blessing now enjoyed only through Christ (John 14:6). Once we have put on Christ (cf. Galatians 3:27),prayer is crucial to remaining forgiven. “T” stands for…]
III. THANKSGIVING
A. OFFERING THANKSGIVING…
1. Being thankful is emphasized repeatedly in exhortations to pray – Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
2. The antidote to anxiety is to pray for everything, with thanksgiving – Philippians 4:6
B. EXAMPLES OF OFFERING THANKSGIVING…
1. Christ set an example of thanksgiving – Matthew 11:25; 26:27; John 6:11; 11:41
2. Daniel had the custom to thank God three times a day – Daniel 6:10
[We cannot discount the importance of thanksgiving in our prayers. Especially if we expect God to answer us as we make requests for future blessings. This leads to the final letter, where “S” is for…]
IV. SUPPLICATION
A. MAKING SUPPLICATION…
1. We are encouraged to let our requests be known to God – Philippians 4:6
2. We are commanded to make supplications for all men – 1 Timothy 2:1-2
B. EXAMPLES OF MAKING SUPPLICATION…
1. “Real widows” are known for their supplications night and day – 1 Timothy 5:5
2. Solomon made supplication at dedication of the temple – 1 Kings 8:28-29
3. Jesus made supplication as He was crucified; Stephen also, as he was being stoned – Luke 23:34; Acts 7:59-60
Conclusion
1. With the aid of a simple acronym (ACTS), we should never forget “The Purpose Of Prayer”…
a. Adoration
b. Confession
c. Thanksgiving
d. Supplication
2. It is good to understand prayer’s purpose, but do we also…
a. Appreciate the power of prayer?
b. Even have the privilege of prayer?
c. Understand the principles of prayer?
d. Manifest the persistence of prayer?
e. Engage in the practice of prayer?