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Recap of 7/17/11 (Daniel 9: 20-24)
1. Daniel had a habit of prayer, especially at the times of the morning and evening sacrifices which Israel would have been observing had they still been in the land. Though they were in exile in Babylon (and Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed at this time) Daniel still observed these as appropriate times for adoration, praise, and prayer requests. Worship for Daniel was a thing of the heart, not just going through the motions. God’s repeated accusation against His people is that they just went through the motions of worship, without a heart commitment (See Malachi 1 for example).
2. The issue of Israel’s restoration to the land, but more importantly restoration to the Lord, was so important to Daniel that he took an extended time in prayer. God rewarded his diligence by sending the angel Gabriel to give him the answer to his prayer. In the words of Dr. Ronald Gibson, “Some of the deep things of God only come with an investment of time.” Yet so often in our lives we do not give spiritual issues sufficient time, we are too busy with so many things. We can be so busy that we lose our way spiritually. Again, Dr. Gibson warns against what he called “the danger of the barrenness of busyness in God’s work.” We can even substitute business in God’s work for building intimacy with Him.
3. Dr. James M. Gray (early leader of Moody Bible Institute for over 30 years) said this about this passage: “What mystery is shrouded in these verses! The nearness of heaven, the interest of God in the petition of His people, the nature and ministry of angels, the divine estimate of the saints, who can fathom these things?”
