Q2. Preparing for Prayer

[Barbiemac]

Daniel 9:3-4a) What is Daniel's demeanor as he prays? How does he prepare? Why is this so important in this case? In what ways might you and I prepare for intercession?

Daniel comes to God in a humble manner he "sets his face toward God". He fasts and dresses in sack cloth and ashes to have a humble attitude to pray that God would complete His work. I believe to intercede we need to strip away the outside busyness and "set our face toward God". The act of fasting and humbling ourselves before God helps us to hear from Him and receive the answer to our prayer.

[parkerslope]

What is Daniel’s demeanor as he prays?

Humility, surrender, talking to a greater power. 

 

How does he prepare?

By putting on sackcloth - by drenching his body with ashes - by focusing his mind on the love of God.

 

Why is this so important in this case?

God is the creator - we are the created,  God is all powerful and can do anything for one who is humble.

 

In what ways might you and I prepare for intercession? 

By getting on our knees and bowing our head - by reading scripture - by focusing our minds on the love of God

[Old Jerry]

Daniel humbled himself when he prayed to the Lord. He didn’t demand anything just asked for mercy. He prepared by fasting and putting on sackcloth. The way that we might prepare for intercession is to fast so that we can get closer to God.

[linda bass]

Daniel's demeanor as he prays is an attitude of humility and repentance.

Daniel prepares by fasting as well as wearing sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning.

This is important in this case because Daniel was preparing to stand in the gap for Israel and intercede for their return to the promised land.

Ways I might prepare for intercession would be spending time in scripture, repentance of personal sins, quieting my heart, and preparing my spirit.

[nancyann]

Daniels demeanor is one of humility. An acknowledgement of God as being all powerful.  Daniel comes to plead and beg God's forgivenes of Isreals sin.  He prepares himself by fasting and coming before God in Sackcloth and Ashes. He comes prayerfully.

 

 It is important that Daniel prepare for this time of Intercession as he believes that God will help and hear him.  That God will answer a pray of suplication and humility.

 

To prepare for intercession I think we need to confess to God our sin and ask forgiveness and then to fast and pray for guidence.

[Moises Percu]

What is Daniel’s demeanor as he prays? How does he prepare? Why is this so important in this case? In what ways might you and I prepare for intercession?          

Daniel humiliated himself recognising he and his people were sinners. Then he quotes the Scriptures showing God is merciful with His people Israel. Daniel describes how in the History God had protected His people and had prevented others to hurt Israel. It is important because he showed the Lord he, Daniel, had a thankful heart which could recognize all the things God had acted in Israel favor.  If we act the same way Daniel did we can prepare our intercession.

[Lionwolf]

Q2. (Daniel 9:3-4a) What is Daniel's demeanor as he prays? How does he prepare? Why is this so important in this case? In what ways might you and I prepare for intercession?

 

Daniel is humble. He prepared by fasting and in sack cloth and ashes. Daniel is asking God for mercy for the Jewish people. He knows the people are sinful and have forgotten their God. This is different than pleading for a righteous cause. We must be humble before God.

[Clelie]

Daniel turned to the Lord to pray for his people that they might  go back to,their land. He fasted , put in sack cloth and ashes.He confessed the sin of his people ,asked for forgiveness for he he knows it is a sinful people. 
 

To intercede for others we need to confess our sin ,make right with God and humbly seek the will of God for those we are praying for . 

[Krissi]

I have often wondered why some Christians "act out" their inner feelings, as if God pays more attention to a person covered with ashes than a person with equal contrition who is clean, for example. Some churches emphasize "doing things" in worship -- standing, kneeling, prostrating, jumping, dancing, symbolically such as throwing chains, etc. It's called "kinetic worship." I'm sure that some Christians find this meaningful because it concretizes or externalizes what they feel internally and therefore makes their inner feelings seem more genuine or efficacious.

Fasting is not one of these kinetic acts. It is done quietly without fanfare. No one should know that you fast except God Himself. The person fasting gives something up, not acts something out. Too, prayer in itself can be silent and private, not always public and vocalized.

But sackcloth and ashes is a public display not merely an expression of an inner faith or feeling (which doesn't need to be expressed externally to be genuine.) You don't put on sackcloths and cover yourself in ashes in the privacy of your bedroom, but in public.

What seems most important in this passage is the depth of Daniel's pleading. He feels and thinks God will intervene because his prayers are genuine and heartfelt -- what is unimportant, in my opinion, is the way Daniel opts to express his genuine love and concern for his tribe.

So, do we have to "set our face" before God to get God to hear us, even when our prayers are barely faith-filled ... with a mustard seed of faith? I believe God hears all prayers. This passage insinuates that God hears more loudly ... or more intensely, the most dramatic prayers of those which are most intense and sincere. Honestly, I don't know how God responds to prayer. That's His business. On a personal level, I do know, however, that my most desperate and pleading prayers "felt" as if they reached Him, though I will never "act out" my prayers except privately and quietly.

This also reminds me of the parable of the persistent widow who came before the judge multiple times until he finally noticed her and granted her wishes. She pestered him, in other words, repeatedly. Must we do this with God? I don't believe so. Last night, I was reading a book on healing by Anne White in which she wrote that after she prayed half-faithfully for her very sick son, he was instantly healed. Why did God heal her son and not someone else who was lovingly and passionately prayed for? I do not know how God chooses to heal. But after this prayer of hers "worked" so well that the rest of her life was devoted to understanding miracles, particularly healing, and helping others become healed as well. Perhaps God healed her son because He wanted to call her to this ministry.