“Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers. – Daniel 10:12
In the story of Daniel, a prophet of the Lord during a time of exile, Daniel does all that he can to stay connected with God, and to be dedicated to the Lord even though he has been separated from his home, many of his people, and his temple (place of worship). Daniel as well as many other exiles in Babylon continue to turn to God and pray. The story of Daniel teaches us much about remaining dedicated to God even when things are far from normal.
We know Daniel because of many of the stories we learned as children, or shared with children. For parents out there, if you looking for some fun Bible stories to share with your kids, Daniel is a place that will give them wonder, and maybe a place to help them understand that we are still called to serve God even though we aren't "going" to church. There are many fascinating stories in the book of Daniel. Today, I bring us this particular verse of a story later in the book of Daniel. Daniel has been in prayer to the Lord his God, and has seen a wondrous vision of a “glorious one.”
Many believe that Daniel’s faith in the midst of constant persecution, his fasting, and dedication to the Lord has allowed him to see a vision of the one, who is to come. A few times in the book of Daniel they mention someone called “the one with human likeness.” Christian theologians believe that this “one” is the one who we will later know as Jesus. Jesus was there with the three friends of Daniel in the blazing furnace, Jesus was with Daniel in the lion’s den. Jesus comes and brings comfort to Daniel as he prays.
We believe Jesus is with us when we pray even today. And on this particular day, March 25, 2020. The Pope has asked for all Christians, and even all people, to come together and pray. The United Methodist Council of Bishops have asked us to do the same. And I’m seeing many churches across denominations, and even people who have written off religion say they will join in. So, I’m inviting you. At noon, in our own time zone, we are to pray the Our Father (Lord’s Prayer). So whatever you may be doing, at noon today, please stop and take a moment to lift up the Lord’s prayer, and perhaps the Lord will hear and come to our side.
In addition, I’ve been working on another way to connect with you. So, I will be holding a virtual prayer meeting at 11:30 am, and ending with the Lord’s prayer at noon. If you would like to join, we are going to meet through zoom, a video conferencing platform.
To join, you can follow the link below at 11:30 am. Please note, that if you are using a smart phone or tablet such as an iPad to join you will need to first download the free app from the app store to join us. If you are joining from a computer just follow the link.
Topic: St. Mark Prayer
Time: Mar 25, 2020 11:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/309615415
Meeting ID: 309 615 415
I hope to see some of you then, but if not, I know that you will lift your hearts and voices in prayer at noon. May God through the human one, and in the power of the Holy Spirit meet us and lift us up, today, as he did in ages past with Daniel.
Keep the faith, press on, and may the God of peace answer you today.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Sam