PINELAKE CHURCH INFLUENCE: LIVING A HIGH IMPACT LIFE PRAYER (DANIEL 6) SEPTEMBER 29, 2013 PREPARATION > Spend the week studying Daniel 6. Consult the commentary provided and any additional study tools to enhance your preparation. > Determine which discussion points and questions will work best with your group. > Pray for our pastors and this week s message, the upcoming group time, your group members, and their receptivity to God s Word. > Focus on the Main Point. Powerful prayers are fueled by integrity, persistent through difficulty, and rooted in faith. INTRODUCTION As your group time begins, use this section to help get the conversation going. What is the most powerful answer to prayer you have ever experienced? If you were engaged in a conversation with a non-christian who asked, Why do you pray? how would you respond? Why is it important for us to know why we pray? Prayer is both commanded and practiced throughout the Bible. In the Old and New Testaments, we almost constantly see the people of God assuming a posture of prayer. For us today, prayer remains the God-given means of ongoing relationship with Him. In Daniel 6, we have in the prayer life of the prophet a powerful example of integrity, persistence and faith. LEARN Unpack the biblical text to discover what Scripture says or means about a particular topic. > HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ DANIEL 6:1-13. What did the new king Darius do when he came to power? How was Darius similar to the previous kings we have seen in Daniel? 1 INFLUENCE PINELAKE CHURCH
Why did the new decree threaten Daniel? Describe Daniel s prayer life. How is Daniel s prayer life similar to yours? How is it different? Darius listened to the advice of the wise men of Babylon, just like the kings that came before him. He decreed that anyone who worshiped any God other than him would be thrown into a den of lions. As one who prayed three times a day, this decision caused conflict for Daniel. Daniel s integrity fueled his persistent commitment to his prayer life with God. > HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ DANIEL 6:14-24. Do you notice anything new after reading and hearing this story this week? If so, what? Daniel s faith was validated by the intervention of God. How has God proven Himself faithful in your life recently? The king threw Daniel in the lion s den for worshiping God. However, God responded to Daniel because of their relationship. God sent angels to protect him. When the king found Daniel alive the next morning, he worshiped God and cast the wise men into the lion s den. Clearly, God responds to those who faithfully pray to Him. Let s look to Luke, where we see Jesus teaching the principles that were displayed in the prayer life of Daniel. > HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ LUKE 18:1-8. What do you think is the main point of Jesus story? Where do you see integrity in this passage? Persistence? Faith? What does Jesus teach us is the result of faithful prayer? Jesus stated the need to pray always on a regular basis. The disciples needed to pray because humans tend to get discouraged. In the future, after Jesus ascended to the Father, His disciples would await His promised return anxiously. Jesus, however, pressed them not to give up. They were to pray persistently in faith. What factors threaten your ability to pray in faith? What value do you find in the practice of faithful prayer? Read Luke 22:44 and Acts 12:5, two examples of faithful prayer. What additional insight do these two texts give on prayer? 2 INFLUENCE PINELAKE CHURCH
LIVE Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives. Create some talking points for the group by looking at the practical implications of the lesson. Get group members to talk about the real life implications of the passage. Look at what can be applied specifically to Pinelake. What does it look like for you to have a faithful prayer life like Daniel or the widow? What has been your biggest takeaway from this series on the book of Daniel? LEAD Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage impact the way that you lead at Pinelake and interact with people outside of Pinelake. What does persecution over prayer and faith look like today? How can our group help each other stay faithful? What is something at Pinelake our group can pray for with persistence? What is something in our community for which we can pray? PRAY Close in a brief time of prayer, thanking God that He s concerned about the condition of our hearts and our motives for seeking Him. Pray for the members of your group as they surrender to the Holy Spirit s conviction in their lives throughout the upcoming week. Pray that we would be persistent in our prayers while trusting in God with both faith and humility. FOLLOW UP Midway through this week, send a follow-up email to your group with some or all of the following information: Questions to consider as they continue to reflect on what they learned this week: How is your prayer life? What do you consider to be its strengths and weaknesses? Honestly evaluate your motives concerning prayer. How much room for improvement is in your own life? How is God speaking to you about this issue? Are you truly praying persistently in faith? The challenge to memorize Daniel 6:10. 3 INFLUENCE PINELAKE CHURCH
COMMENTARY PINELAKE CHURCH INFLUENCE: LIVING A HIGH IMPACT LIFE PRAYER (DANIEL 6) SEPTEMBER 29, 2013 DANIEL 6 6:1. In one of the best-known stories in the book, Daniel was cast into the lions den for his faith. Since Daniel was about 15 years old in 605 b.c. when the Babylonians brought him as a captive to Babylon, and since the events in Daniel 6 most likely took place in the second or third year after the Medo-Persian conquest of Babylon in 539 b.c., Daniel would have been approximately 82 years old when he was thrown to the lions, not a teenager as is often pictured in Bible story books. 6:2. The king appointed three administrators over the 120 satraps to assure that taxes would be properly collected without any embezzlement or corruption by the 120 government officials. For these positions, the king needed men with trustworthy reputations. So he chose Daniel as one of these officials. He must have heard of Daniel s reputation; perhaps he was even aware of Daniel s interpretation of the writing that had appeared on the wall the night Babylon fell. 6:3. Daniel proved to be a superlative administrator because of his extraordinary spirit, a phrase used previously to describe his character (5:12). Therefore, the king planned to set him over the whole realm as prime minister. 6:4-5. The king s choice of Daniel created jealousy among the other court officials, and they wished to denounce Daniel. Since Daniel was both diligent and honest in his work, they could find no corruption in him. Therefore, they sought to trap him by creating a law to ban Daniel from worshiping his God. 6:6-7. When these corrupt officials approached the king, they falsely claimed that all government officials supported the proposal that for 30 days, anyone who petitioned any god or man except the king would be thrown into the lions den. By agreeing to this law, Darius probably had not claimed deity but rather adopted the role of a priestly mediator. His goal was to unite the Babylonian realm under the authority of the new Persian Empire. 6:8. The irrevocability of a law of the Medes and Persians is confirmed elsewhere in Scripture (Esth. 1:19; 8:8) and secular literature (Diodorus of Sicily, XVII:30). 6:10. Even though the law prohibiting prayer had gone into effect, Daniel still prayed with his windows opened toward Jerusalem. Jewish people in exile always pray toward Jerusalem even today just as Solomon had instructed in his prayer of dedication for the temple (1 Kings 8:44-49). Daniel prayed not out of rebellion toward the king but out of obedience to the greater command of God. As the apostles would later say, We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). So great was Daniel s reputation for spiritual commitment that even his enemies knew he would obey God rather than bow to the king s edict. 6:14. The king was very displeased not because Daniel had defied him but because he came to understand that the true purpose of the law was to trap Daniel, whom he respected. 6:16. The Persians used mutilation by lions as one of several brutal forms of execution. It was Daniel s continual service to God that caused him to be cast into the lions den; now the king hoped that this devotion would cause God to deliver Daniel. The word for den can also be translated as pit. 6:17-18. Daniel was cast into a pit over which a stone was placed and sealed with the signet rings of the king and his nobles. King Darius then spent the night fasting and presumably praying for Daniel. 6:22-23. God uses angels to accomplish His purposes, including protection of His people (Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Heb. 1:14). He had done so for Daniel s three friends in the furnace many years earlier (Dan. 3:25). As on that 4 INFLUENCE PINELAKE CHURCH
COMMENTARY occasion, this may have been an angel or even the angel of the Lord (i.e., a preincarnate appearance of the Messiah). Daniel was not claiming perfection in declaring that he was found innocent before God. Rather, Daniel claimed that his allegiance to God made him guiltless in this matter. It was Daniel s faith in God, not his works, that brought him deliverance from the lions. 6:24. Although executing family members is exceptionally cruel, this was a common Persian practice according to Herodotus ( Histories, 3.119). 6:25-27. Just as King Nebuchadnezzar before him, King Darius issued a decree to every people, nation, and language (cp. 4:2), declaring praise to the God of Daniel. Darius recognized the greatness of God: that He is living and eternal, sovereign, all-powerful, and able to deliver His people. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that Darius came to a saving faith here. He instead accepted the God of Israel as just one of many gods. 6:28. Some maintain that this verse draws a distinction between Darius and Cyrus, such that Darius could only be identified with Gubaru and not with Cyrus the Persian. But it is also possible to translate this verse as during the reign of Darius, even Cyrus the Persian. LUKE 18:1-8 18:1. In spite of interruptions from the crowds and His opponents, Jesus consistently turned back to His disciples to teach them new truths about the kingdom. This time He augmented His teaching on prayer (see 3:21; 5:16; 6:12, 28; 9:18, 28-29; 11:1-13; 20:47; 22:40-46). Prayer is not one quick session of listing needs and expecting immediate results. Prayer is continuing to talk to God with persistence. Prayer is based on absolute faith in God, so it never gives up, knowing God will answer when and where He chooses. Prayer also knows that God expects us to keep on praying until the answer comes. 18:2-5. A parable illustrates Jesus teaching on persistent prayer. An emotionally passive judge settled cases in one town. He did so without passion, not caring for either party. He did so on the basis of his own wisdom and power, never looking to God for help, since he did not fear or believe in God. In an Israelite community where the judge was to be impartial and judgment ultimately belonged to God (Deut. 1:16-17), this judge was unfit for his job. The judge met his match when a local widow pled for justice in a dispute with a neighbor. The nature of her grievance is of no concern for the story. The point is that she was a widow who never gave up. As a widow she should have received special protection and care from the justice system (Exod. 22:22; Deut. 10:18; 24:17-21; 27:19; cf. Jas. 1:27). No matter how long the judge ignored her or denied her plea, she returned to his court asking for justice. The judge finally threw up his hands in disgust and frustration. Religious grounds did not cause him to act. He had no religion. Social justice grounds did not cause him to act. He cared nothing for people. He simply had a job as a judge and he did it. He did have limits to his patience. So he finally gave in to the woman just to get rid of her. 18:6-8a. Jesus applied the story for His disciples. If an uncaring human judge acts like this, how much more does a loving heavenly Father care for His children. He will never put you off. He does care for you. You will get a quick answer. You will receive justice. But remember, this involves continuing to pray day and night. Your definition of quick may not equal God s definition. 18:8b. The problem is not with God. He will answer when you need it. You can count on that. The problem is with us. When Christ returns, will there be anyone here who calls out in faith day and night? Will we become so lackadaisical in our faith that we allow people of persistent prayer to become extinct? Will the second coming of Jesus find us persisting in prayer that His kingdom will come? Or will it find us trapped on the housetop trying desperately to get back into the house to find the possessions that we rely on more than we do on God? Persistent prayer, the work of the person of faith, continues on, no matter what the answer. When Christ returns, the person of persistent prayer will still be praying.