Have You Got Down on Your Knees?

Daily Devotion Thursday July 20, 2017

 

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“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

(Daniel 6:10)

Pastor David Jeremiah who runs the radio program The Turning Point once said; “When the problem is worry, the prescription is prayer.” Every day, we are faced with problems and challenges capable of pushing us to worry. When such problems arise, what do you normally do? Have you tried to get down on your knees? Never neglect to take any of your concerns to the Lord in prayer because any concern that seems too little to be turned into prayers can grow into a burden. The word of God encourages:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

This is exactly what Daniel, a young Jewish administrator in the palace of Darius king of the Medes and Persians did when there was a conspiracy to get rid of him. Daniel was a man who feared God, he was an honest man wonderfully endowed by divine wisdom and he worked distinctly. This caused the other officials (satraps and administrators) in the king’s ranks to become jealousy of him, they managed to lure the king to make a decree that would see Daniel thrown into a den of lions to get rid of him.

“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (Daniel 6:10).

Daniel went down on his knees—he decided to offer his problems and challenges to God with thanksgiving—as he went down on his knees in prayer. Daniel didn’t just come to God in prayers because he was in problem, for he regularly had a time of prayer—three times a day—even before this problem arose.

Like Daniel, we should always be in fellowship with God through prayer and bible reading. We should be able to set certain times of the day when we can do this lest we are caught up by the busyness of the day and we have no time of fellowship with God. Daniel regularly (three times a day) prayed to God. In our prayers, we should be able to make our requests known to God. Although “Prayer is not a check request asking for things from God” (Dutch Sheets), it includes asking God for the things we need.

Daniel asked God for help. He asked God to rescue him from the wicked plans of the satraps and administrators who conspired to get rid of him. God heard Daniel’s prayer, he took note of Daniel’s request and delivered him from the ferocious lions. In thankfully making his request known to God, Daniel did exactly what Peter has asked us to do: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares” (1 Peter 5:7).

Joseph M. Scriven in his poem which later became the popular hymn What a friend we have in Jesus asked: “Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?” In the next lines, he answers these questions saying: “We should never be discouraged—Take it to the Lord in prayer.” So, have you got down on your knees? Rev. J

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture Quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) 2011.

Rev. Julius Izza Tabi is the founding Director of this online New Dawn Ministries. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Religion, Society and Global Issues from the Norwegian School of Theology. Julius also is a pastor in the Anglican Diocese of Ma’di and West Nile of the Church of Uganda who believes that God’s timeless truth of salvation must be preached to all Nations. Help Donate here to support the New Dawn Ministries. You can also support this ministry by purchasing Julius’ popular books Triumphing Over Odds and Suffering and Pain? from Amazon. Thank you.