HAVE AN EFFECTIVE PRAYER L - Bible Study Courses

1 HOW TO have AN EFFECTIVE PRAYER LIFE 9 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, 2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah the prophet, the number of years [appointed] to complete the desolation of Jerusalem, [namely,] seventy years. 3So I set my face toward the Lord God, to seek him by PRAYER and petition, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.

2 4I prayed to Jehovah my God and made confession, saying, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and lovingkindness with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5we have sinned, we have gone astray, we have done wicked things, and we have rebelled; we have turned away from your commandments and your ordinances. 6 Neither have we listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7O Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but for us there is shame on our faces to this [very] day to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, both those who are near as well as those who are far away, [scattered] through all the countries where you have driven them because of their trespass that they have committed against you.

3 8O Lord, for us there is shame on our faces, for our kings, for our princes, and for our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, even though we have rebelled against him. 10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God, [instructing us] to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 Indeed, all Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey your voice. Therefore, the curse has been pronounced upon us, and the oath that has been written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against him.

4 12He has confirmed his words he spoke against us, and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great calamity; for under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not sought the favor of Jehovah our God by turning from our iniquities and paying attention to your truth. 14 Therefore Jehovah has watched over the calamity and brought it upon us; for Jehovah our God is righteous in all his works that he does, and we have not obeyed his voice.

5 15 Now, O Lord our God, you who have brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have gained fame that endures to this [very] day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16O Lord, in keeping with all your righteousness, let your anger and your wrath be turned away from your city, Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because our sins, and the iniquities of our fathers, have caused Jerusalem and your people to become an object of scorn to all those around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayers of your servant, [listen to] his petitions; for the Lord s sake, cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that [now] lies desolate.

6 18O my God, incline your ear, and hear; open your eyes and look upon our desolations the city that bears your name! We do not present our petitions to you on the basis of our righteousness, but on the basis of your great mercies. 19O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name. 20 While I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my petitions before Jehovah my God on behalf of the holy mountain of my God 21while I was still speaking in PRAYER , Gabriel, the man I had seen in the previous vision, being very weary, touched me at about the time of the evening sacrifice.

7 22He instructed me and said, O Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 When you began to make your petitions the word was given, and now I have come to instruct you; for you are greatly loved. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision. 24 Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and for your holy city [in order] to restrain transgression, to seal up sins, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to complete vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy [Place].

8 25 Know and understand that from [the time] the decree is issued to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until [the coming of] the Anointed One, the Prince, there shall be [a period of] seven weeks, and [then there shall follow a period of] sixty two [ weeks. ] It shall be rebuilt extensively, but within limits, in distressful times. 26At the end of the sixty two weeks, the Anointed One shall be cut off and have nothing the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary (but [his] end shall come with a flood.)

9 War shall continue to the end it has been decreed that there shall be desolation. 27He will establish a covenant with many for one week; and in the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. This one who causes desolation will come at the pinnacle of abomination. But [he shall continue only] until the destruction that has been [divinely] decreed has been poured out upon the desolator. (Dan. 9:1 27) Introduction Do you have an EFFECTIVE PRAYER life? Is your PRAYER life such that God would be moved to send an angel from heaven to assure you that your prayers are being heard and that you are very precious to God?

10 Especially in his PRAYER does Daniel reveal his character, and it is a character (and a PRAYER ) that causes God to declare him to be greatly loved (vs. 23). Do you have a PRAYER life that is pleasing to God? Do you have a PRAYER life that is very precious to God? Or do you find yourself in the same category as those addressed by James, when he writes, You do not have , because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask for the wrong reasons (Jas. 4:2b 3a)? As that passage of James indicates, there are times, perhaps many times, when our prayers are less than pleasing to God.