"Yes, while I was still praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen previously in a vision, was approaching me in my state of extreme weariness, around the time of the evening offering." (Daniel 9:21)
Pastor Martha mentioned in her sermon that we, like Daniel, should take our role in prayer seriously. Chapters 9 and 10 reveal that Daniel was intentional in lifestyle choices which he engaged as part of his prayer stance. I see seven components (though there may be more):
*Prayer sessions measured in days and weeks, not hours
*Fasting
*Mourning
*Change In Attire (Sackcloth and ashes)
*Change In Personal Care (Did not anoint himself with oil)
*Reading Scripture
*Change In Diet
Without getting into a deep discussion of asceticism, it seems that Daniel was somewhat ascetic in his approach to prayer. Scripture informs us, several times in the text, that Daniel's prayer life drove him to exhaustion. He went beyond just spending time in prayer, and spent himself in prayer. And what was God's response? "Lighten up, dude"? No. It was, "You are highly valued!"
Daniel, we are taking notes.
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