Warriors Arise: July 28, 2021
Daniel 10:10-20 (NKJV) Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.” 15 When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless.
Sometimes it can be difficult to get information ahead of time. We think we want to know, but in knowing it alters how we think, how we respond, and what we do. In verse 14, Daniel is given information about his people in their latter days. When God reveals what is to come there are couple of different responses. The information can be devastating and cause one to be paralyzed in their actions because the news stole their faith. However, others may respond differently to the word given and begin to petition God for change. For instance, God and two angels come to meet with Abraham. Abraham renews covenant and supplies a burnt offering. Afterward, they decide to tell Abraham what they are sent to do, demolish Sodom and Gomorrah by fire. Abraham hurries along side to keep pace with them. He has family there. Lots family is there.
Genesis 18:23-33 (NKJV) And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” 27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.” 29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.” 30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”
So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.” 32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
Abraham approached God to petition for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, maybe just for his family, but he had the nerve to ask God to reconsider. When bad news comes. When you think, it is God's judgement upon the people of the land, how do you respond? Abraham was known as a friend fo God. So if we are friends with God and have people here on earth we care about, such as Abraham had Lot and his family, shouldn't we petition God for mercy rather than judgement?
Yes, there are times when judgement has to happen. However, judgement, in this sense, is not our place. God is the Judge; but as friends, we can meet with Him in His chambers and petition for our loved ones and the lives of the unsaved. This is our place. It is not our place to condemn people.
Daniel gets the news the angel is there to tell him. He gets news of the latter days for his people. It doesn't seem like it is good news because of the way Daniel responds, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. The news was overwhelming for Daniel. It was a blow that not only took his speech, but later he says it took his breath.
Daniel 10:16-17 (NKJV) And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”
Knowing the future of his people, in the latter days, was paralyzing to Daniel. It seems Daniel interpreted what he was told as absolute, so what could his prayers do? But Abraham petitioned God, so why not Daniel? Maybe it wasn't going to change anything, but what if it could change. Clearly the Lord wanted Daniel to continue to pray. It would seem He wanted Daniel to pray differently. There were greater things at stake than his people returning from Persia to Jerusalem. There were things beyond the here and now that Daniel needed to be praying for.
There is such hope and encouragement in verses 16 and 17. Even though Daniel was given information about the future, God didn't want him to remain in a place of paralysis. God wanted to hear the concerns of Daniel heart. He wanted Daniel to process and share his thoughts. He touched Daniel's lips and he was able to speak. He shared his feeling of despair because of what the angel had shared, the vision he had seen. It stole his strength and held passive his tongue. He had been praying consistently for the last 21 days. But now, everything changed. What he had prayed for over the past 21 days, seemed so insignificant to what he was then being called to do. The vision had knocked the very breath out of Daniel.
There are times when we can believe for the best. Remember, Daniel was praying for his people to return to Jerusalem. Their 70 years of captivity was up. But now, that seems so insignificant, compared to what the angel has shown Daniel in a vision and what he has said. Daniel was being called up to the big leagues. His prayers were to be for more than just the here and now, his prayers were to be focused on a future he wouldn't even be living in. Can you imagine being called to pray for matters that you will not even be living to see come to fruition?
I remember a time when God woke me up in the middle of the night. Fall was just turning into winter. I had such an intense dream, I was crying. I saw people in their homes with no way out because their doors were frozen shut and power lines down all over the mid-West. Tens of thousands of people died in the dream I had. The dream was so intense, I prayed for days. I finally sent a prayer request into a ministry to join me in prayer. I was a mess and felt helpless. I was living in the South at the time. Winter passed and there was no problem. I remembered my dream and praised the Lord, but I wasn't quite done with it. Two years later, my parents called and said they were sealed in their house. Their doors were frozen shut and they didn't have power. When the power went out they had decided to go to a hotel. But when they went to leave, they couldn't get the doors open because of all the ice. Dad had gone downstairs to get all of their blankets. They couldn't fix any food with the power out and running water was not possible just in case pipes were to burst. I remembered my dream. I began praying immediately. There was such a sense of helplessness, because I couldn't get to them in those conditions. So, all I could do is pray. I prayed for the linemen working to get power back on. I prayed for homes to be filled with the presence of God and they would feel the heat of His love. I prayed for sustaining strength not knowing when they would eat or drink. I prayed for pipes to remain strong. I prayed for God to be with each one. Thankfully, it did not turn out as catastrophic as my dream had shared and I know there were a multitude of people praying. God answered our prayers.
Daniel had been given a much more intense vision. God trusted him to know what to do. God touched his lips so he could continue to pray. God restored his strength and his breath to continue forward with his prayers for people who would live and rule before his life span. God's touch to Daniel's lips empowered him to speak forth in faith as he prayed.
Father, You are amazing. I ask for You to come and minister You love to me. I desire to know You and Your ways. I desire to stand in prayer and speak forth as You direct. I desire to be a friend to You as Abraham. I want to not be disheartened by what You share. I want You to be able to share things with me and I be found faithful to fulfill Your plans for my life. Thank You for trusting me. Thank You for wanting to know how the news affects me. Thank You for breathing Your life into me. I ask to be strengthened by Your touch to believe I can pray and mountains be cast into the sea in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
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