THREE TIMES A DAY

THREE TIMES A DAY

(Daniel 6:10; Psalm 55:17)

this picture was taken from Google

September 23, 2018T

Lesson prepared by krisha of Solomon wisdom FB page

Memory verse

PSALM 55:17

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

INTRODUCTION:

Introduction taken: http://heartsongworship.org/abalsamo/DanielAndPraying.html

 

What are the things we do three times a day?  Do we take a shower three times a day? Do we drink coffee three times a day? Do we play games three times a day? I think most of our answers are “eating.” This is the common thing we do and sometimes some of us eat more than thrice. How about in prayer, do we do it three times a day? Is it hard to find a quiet time to pray? Finding the time to pray when you have a regular job and you’re not in your comfort zone is hard. Waking up early thinking the things you needed to do like: preparing for work and cooking for breakfast and your “baon” at work, is hard to focus in prayer especially if you wake up late. Honestly, yes, it’s hard and there’s dilemma but what if you have a rare disease which you couldn’t imagine why you have that? Do you see the urgency to pray? In our lesson for today, let’s see why Daniel prayed three times a day.

 

LESSON POINTS:

1.   DANIEL KNEW HOW DIFFICULT IT WOULD BE TO RESIST THE OPPOSITION AND REALIZED HE COULD ONLY FIND STRENGTH IN GOD (DANIEL 6:6-9).

 

-      In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we read that he lived under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar in the Babylonian empire. Daniel was an Israelite who followed the laws God had handed over to Moses. King Nebuchadnezzar did not follow Daniel's God in any way, shape or form, and while captive in Babylon Daniel was asked to do certain things he knew were not pleasing to his God. He did not conform to the requests of his captors to eat foods he knew were forbidden by God, nor did he relent in his desire to continue praying and worshiping with the Lord. Instead, we read that he prayed before the Lord three times a day although he was living during a difficult regime and very trying circumstances. How many of us can say the same? What do you do when pressed on all sides? Complain to your spouse/friends like everyone else? Mumble under your breath? Do you conform ever so slightly to the behavior of those around you?

Not so with Daniel. Here was a man truly set with his heart on God regardless of the prospect of certain death and many difficulties. He didn't succumb to the requests of a foreign King. He could have. It would have been easier to do that rather than risk the possibility of death, but no, not Daniel. He remained steadfast and firm in his desire to follow the Lord. So how did Daniel remain so sure in his walk? He prayed to his God; our God, three times a day. Not just a quick morning prayer before setting off to work, or an even quicker prayer before sleep. No, he prayed long and hard three times a day.

 

-      In this world we live, we know how hard to live in accordance with God’s will. Maybe we thought, the heroes of faith in the Bible hadn’t suffered the dilemma of living in this world as we live in this kind of modern world. Their experiences are the same as ours: working every day with our co-workers with a different spiritual view, the dress we need to wear for the nature of our work, the way we make “pakikisama” (Filipino culture) in order to have a good working atmosphere, and the jobs or any paper work our boss wants us to do which are against our conscience. These are just simple things compare to the experience Daniel had experienced; he was ordered to pray to a statue.

 

-      As I always mention in some of our lessons, my first time to experience working outside the Christian company was very hard but I treat those are part of my Christian life. Before, since I received Christ my Savior, I have been surrounded by Christian people, I lived with the same house with my pastor and his family, I also lived in the church as a full-time worker for so long. And after so many years of praying, my family became Christians as well, so I decided to live with them and also for financial reasons and my plan to study. Then I worked in Christian schools. Since that time, I have told myself “this is my world, my Christian world.” These, working in a different company was really hard for me. I once wrote a lesson titled, “The World Outside my World.” These experiences help me understand Christians and we couldn’t live in a Christian way with our own strength; we need God.

 

-      Daniel knew he was fighting against the leaders, therefore, he cannot do it by himself. Another lesson that can see in this situation is when we knew that in this life we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness (Eph.6:12) then we would lean on the Lord and be prayerful, but we are not that sensitive with the urgency of prayer in our lives. Daniel saw the urgency that was the reason why he prayed three times a day.

 

-      Prayerlessness is pride. Revelation 3:17 says, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”

These are penetrating words from Jesus to his people, specifically the church in Laodicea, who were a self-sufficient people, or so they thought. They thought they had it all together. They thought they had all that they needed. “You say, I am rich,” Jesus says, “I have prospered. I need nothing.” It’s a pretty potent picture of pride in Revelation 3:17, a people who think they can do it on their own, a people who think they have all they need, a people who were prayer less, who were not pursuing God, who were prideful before him.

 

When we do not pray, we show that we believe we are self-sufficient. God help us to see that apart from Him we can do nothing. Like Daniel, God helped him to see that apart from Him He can do nothing and that’s why he prayed three times a day.

 

2.   HE KNEW HE WAS JUST AS HUMAN AS THE OTHERS WHO WERE IN CAPTIVITY AND JUST AS PRONE TO SIN AS THEY WERE (DANIEL 6:3).

 

-      Are we strong all the time? No, we are not! We are all prone to stumble and the Bible warns us in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he falls.”

-      Daniel was in his native country and he was in a faraway country. He was taken captive by the enemy. Most of the Christians when they are in another country they compromise on how the people live in that country but it’s not the case with Daniel. He didn’t compromise his faith even though for the sake of his life. Also, he was given the task of being a president and this position is prone to sin, but he has remained faithful.

 

-      He had that strong faith not having that by himself but because on how treated his prayer life well. Prayer is power.

 

-      The power of prayer does not flow from us; it is not special words we say or the special way we say them or even how often we say them. The power of prayer is not based on a certain direction we face or a certain position of our bodies. The power of prayer comes from the omnipotent One who hears our prayers and answers them.

Luke 1:37 - For with God nothing shall be impossible.

 

3.   HE RELIED ON THE LORD FOR THE GRACE TO WALK IN TRUTH AND NOT SUBMIT into THE REQUESTS OF LEADERS AROUND HIM (DANIEL 6:11).

 

-      It’s hard to stand in the truth if all people are against you. Have you seen the struggles Daniel had? This was not just a simple struggle; it was huge. I remember some situations in our church wherein we were devastated and hopeless with one simple struggle we experience. Our countenance is already sorrowful. Compare to Daniel, his struggles were the leaders of the government, but he didn’t lose hope. He continued praying.

-      After He heard that the writing was signed, he went to his house and prayed. Daniel 6:10-11

¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

¹¹ Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

Tagalog (Daniel6:10) At nang maalaman ni Daniel na ang kasulatan ay nalagdaan ng pangalan siya'y pumasok sa kaniyang bahay (ang kaniya ngang mga dungawan ay bukas sa dakong Jerusalem); at siya'y lumuhod ng kaniyang mga tuhod na makaitlo isang araw, at dumalangin, at nagpasalamat sa harap ng kaniyang Dios, gaya ng kaniyang dating ginagawa.

 

As humans this problem Daniel had is a worrisome, right? We can see that Daniel went to his house right away to pray. Some of us or most of us, the reaction we do is cry, very emotional and talk to people who we think would help us solve the problem. It’s okay to cry but it’s better to cry in prayer. When we pray, we become less worry. Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7,

Tagalog: “Huwag kayong mabalisa patungkol sa anumang bagay. Sa halip, ipaalam ninyo ang inyong mga kahilingan sa Diyos na may pasasalamat sa pamamagitan ng panalangin at ng panalanging may paghiling. ⁷ At ang kapayapaang mula sa Diyos, na higit sa anumang pang-unawa, ang siyang mag-iingat sa inyong mga puso at pag-iisip sa pamamagitan ni Cristo Jesus.”

 

Another thing, in the last line of verse 10 we can see that the three times of prayer Daniel did it says, “as he did aforetime” which means he just not did it every time he was in trials or problems. He did it often. What lesson we could get on this? Whether we accept it or not, we only have the frequent prayer time if we are under trials and there’s urgent need we ask God to answer. I hope this verse would give us the thinking that talking to God in prayer is not occasionally done but often.

 

4.   HE PROBABLY KNEW IF HE DIDN’T PRAY OFTEN, HE WOULD BE WEAK AND INEFFECTIVE IN HIS WITNESS AS WELL (DANIEL 6:4- 5)

 

-      I know every one of us could relate on this, “A day without prayer is incomplete.” Our life here in earth is not perfect. Personally, we can see that our everyday life is not always prepared and began with prayer. We can compare those days with prayer and nothing can compare the day with prayer. The Holy Spirit urges us to pray too and if we don’t, we feel gloomy inside. Prayer prepares us facing the day with spiritual thoughts in mind so that even negative things happen, your heart is ready.

 

-      Daniel was supported by prayer and we can see in verses 4and 5 that his co-workers found no fault against him. He becomes faithful in his work and God’s guidance was there. He became faithful because he was prayerful.

 

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

 

-      He was committed to walk with god and prayer was where he knew he would gather the strength to continue to be faithful (Daniel 6:11).

Christians love to commit in a certain ministry especially if it is new-opened ministry but when times pass the commitment is longer there. Most Christians are having a hard time to continue. Yes! It’s hard to continue because we have no strength to continue. We need God that’s why prayer is very important in our lives. Like Daniel, we see in the verses we read that He always in prayer because the strength is from above.

 

-      Rice is life for Filipinos; rice flows in our blood. We can’t make it a few days without rice. It makes us stay strong in a few hours of working so it’s a bit cheaper, you’re no longer need a snack between meals. That’s the reason why we buy a sack of rice if we have extra budget for future use especially in times like this, pandemic. Why I say this? My point is we are afraid to get starving; we need rice. What if our mindset of prayer is like the food we need to take in and if we don’t partake we’ll be weak? Great possible, we all become prayerful like Daniel; we pray three times a day.

 

 

 CONCLUSION:

Daniel’s godly lifestyle confirms the significance of drawing close to God in prayer three times per day.  He believed it was so important that even under the threat of death he would not stop praying three times per day.  Daniel 6:10 records his mindset and practice; let’s read again: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”  We already knew how he was arrested for this and thrown into the lion’s den, and yet was delivered by God and restored to his place at the side of the king. 

 

If Daniel felt it was worthy to risk death to keep praying three times per day, it’s worth considering that this should be the modern Christian’s practice as well.