Have you ever had a string of bad things happen to you? Ever feel like you are cursed for a period of time? Last week we at CrossPoint were reading the story of how Daniel escaped certain death via a lion's den and via King Nebuchadnezzar wrath because no one could interpret his dream. This occurred after he was exhiled to Babylon. What a string of unfortunate things! Yet each event brought glory to God and Daniel remained steadfast in his commitment. Can we accomplish this as well? Can I accomplish this when life is overwheming? Can you? How do we do it?
Daniel's prayer life reflected his perspective which enabled him to endure and accomplish so much. In Daniel chapter 2, verse 17-18, we see Daniel's response to a seemingly unwinnable situation. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the execution of all the wisemen of Babylon. The reason being that these wisemen were unable to know and explain the meaning of the King's dream. When Daniel was taken captive to Babylon, he was identified as gifted and was trained to be one of the King's wisemen.
Faced with this impossible situation, Daniel goes to his friends to pray, but notice what Daniel says to them. He urged them to plead for mercy from God of heaven concerning the mystery of the king's dream. This does not seem like much to comment on, but it reveals everything! Daniel did not go back and say, "Guys we need to pray for God to protect us or else we are going to die!" Instead, Daniel urged them to plead for "MERCY."
When you and I are faced with seemingly impossible situations, overwhelming circumstances and impending tragedy, do we pray for God's MERCY? I am sure we pray, by asking God to help us in our situation and to rescue us from our troubles, but do we pray for Mercy? Do we recognize that God's help is an act of mercy on behalf of God? Often times we complain about situations and pray for a sense of security to our lives, but do we pray for God's mercy on our lives.
By Daniel praying for mercy, he was recognized that God was ultimately in control and could change everything in an instant. He also recognized that God did not owe him anything. When a person pleads for mercy, a person realizes he/she deserves something negative in consequence, but pleads for mercy so that he/she may escape deserved judgment.
I don't know about you, but I would have been praying and complaining about my situation, rather than pleading for mercy. But praying for mercy puts everything into perspective. God is in control and is obliged to no one for nothing. We are not in control, we have rebelled against God and deserve nothing from God. Do we realize that every blessing from God is an act of mercy from God?
This was Daniel's perspective. Is it mine? Is it yours? What do we pray for, but more importantly what is our perspective when we pray? Do we pray for mercy realizing God owes us nothing. Just because God has acted so mercifully throughout history does not obligate God continue. If God were obliged to act always in mercy, then it would not be mercy, it would be obligation and we would feel entitled.
As Christians in America we live in a boat load of entitlement mentality. God save us from our entitlement prayers and instill within us our need to pray and plead for your mercy, so that IF we receive it from you, we can respond with a life of indebtedness that gives you all of the glory.
Beams Away!
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