Do you ever feel like your prayers aren't heard? Or that praying is a waste of time?
Ever wonder if there is a better way to approach prayer?
Daniel was one of the greatest prayer warriors in the Bible. He prayed three times a day every day; stopped what he was doing, got down on his knees to face Jerusalem, and really prayed.
I've been marveling at how much instruction on prayer is packed into one verse in Daniel chapter 10. Gabriel has just appeared to Daniel to tell him that God has heard his prayer and in fact already sent an answer 24 days prior. But because of the unseen forces working against his prayer it's taken that long for Daniel to receive the message from God.
"From the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words." 10:12
From the first day Daniel set his heart to understand and humble himself before God, God heard him and started working on the request.
What is your heart set on?
Is it set on understanding? This is what I've been asking myself all week:
What is my heart set on? My plans or God's?
When I go to God in prayer, do I come humbly acknowledging that He is the answer.
Do I humbly remember that His plans and His ways aren't the same as mine,
in fact they are always better, or do I already have my plans set in concrete?
“I don’t think the way you think.
The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Isaiah 55:8 MSG
God does things differently than we do, beyond what we even can do,
it's one of the things that makes Him God.
When my heart approaches God's in prayer,
I need it set on understanding Him not Him understanding my way.
I need my heart simply set on Him as the answer.
He is the peace.
He is the redemption.
He is the solution.
If I set my heart on Him instead of my expectations, I will always get what I desire.
Daniel trained his heart in prayer until it's default setting was understanding and humility. Admitting we don't know the answers and understanding where to take the problems, that's humility and understanding. It's the best way to make prayers work.
I'm trying to train my heart to be set on just God when I go to Him in prayer.
It's going to take me a hot minute to master this one, try it with me.
I know we won't be sorry.