The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

chance. Rest assured, he has read many times the awesome prediction of his friend Jeremiah in Jerusalem (and also knows of 2 Chronicles 36:21-22): For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive [trick] you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD. For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place (emphasis added). In light of the clear statement of Scripture, Daniel must have already seriously considered that the time was close for serious prayer about the matter. He certainly was familiar with the next three verses: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive (emphasis added). All this was more than a casual reading for the umpteenth time. When Daniel 9:2 says that he ´ understood «WKDW +H >*RG@ ZRXOG DFFRPSOLVK VHYHQW\ \HDUV LQ WKH GHVRODW ions of Jerusalem µ -- this was an immediate, quickening awareness of the Holy Spirit saying, ´ the time to get ready is NOW! µ The Magnificent Intercession. The prophet wasted no time in first doing WKH PRVW LPSRUWDQW WKLQJ ´ Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes (Daniel 9:3). The ZULWWHQ SUD\HU XQGRXEWHGO\ FDPH IURP 'DQLHO·V RZQ KDQG DQG KHDUW EHLQJ D carefully crafted prayer that He possibly read aloud as He poured out his petition to the God of heaven. 28 The fifteen verses are punctuated with eleven heart-crie V RI ´2 /RUG , µ ´RXU *RG µ ´2 P\ *RGµ DQG ´0\ *RG µ Note the IUHTXHQW XVH RI ´ZH , µ ´RXU µ DQG ´XVµ as Daniel identifies with his people, even though he is not QHDUO\ DV JXLOW\ DV WKH\ DUH DOVR QRWH IUHTXHQW XVH RI ´+H µ ´

28 I have personally found it powerful to take a serious need or problem and carefully think it through, considering how God must feel about the situation, and then write it out in a manner in which I appreciate both the seriousness of the problem, but also how God feels about it. Then spread it out before the Lord (like Hezekiah or David did) and read it from your heart, assured that you have drafted a request in the best way that would please God, and according to His will (1 John 5:14).

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