Want your prayers answered? Daniel changed my mind. God and humility

Daniel is usually renowned for his faith in God with his story about him and the lion’s den. I really enjoyed that story when I was a kid. Now that I’ve grown up I’ve come to appreciate and understand it a whole lot more. But what really got into my mind was his story about his cry for help from God.

This passage from Daniel 10 really intrigued me.

¹⁰Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.

¹¹He said to me, “O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you ” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.

¹²Then he said to me, ” Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.

¹³“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold,  Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

Verse 11 says that Daniel was a man of high esteem. This really intrigued me because the next verse says that his words were heard and the angel has come in response to his words. Isn’t a response what we long for these days? A response to our prayers and requests?

Daniel, being a man highly esteemed by God was sent a response immediately after he prayed. The angel was only delayed by the prince (an fallen angel) of Persia. I desire God’s response in my life. What made Daniel a man highly esteemed? He set his heart on understanding what God wanted to reveal to him and he humbled himself before God.

By understanding the things God wanted to reveal to him, he was obeying what God purposed for him. By humbling himself before God, he was giving God all the glory that came with understanding these revelations.

Having a big responsibility as Daniel’s, we sometimes get carried away with our pride and we fail to remember God and His sovereignty in our lives. Daniel kept his eyes on God and even when he has done so many things in God’s favour, still he is humble (and that is coming from an angel of the Lord, not from himself).

Do you want God to respond to your prayers? Follow Daniel’s example. He changed me.