DANIEL 2:16-19: “So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” (NKJV)‭‭

OBSERVATION: Don’t forget to pray! This is the thought that rushes to my heart as I read these verses in Daniel. Faced with a life threatening situation, Daniel places himself in jeopardy to save not only himself, but also his three closest friends, and the entire community of wise men in Babylon. Daniel knew that the only one who could rescue them was the Lord of Hosts. So Daniel called Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah aside and asked them to seek mercies from the God of heaven. Daniel called them to join him in prayer.

As I ponder over this Scripture, I sense that we are at a crossroad in our nation that is as serious and threatening as the one Daniel faced. Not only is our freedom in the balance, but more important than that, the lives of many innocents are too. As we look upon the daily outpouring of bad news, personal attacks, and strife we many wonder – “What can we do?” This is much more than a call to vote. All Christians should vote and fulfill their responsibility as God’s representatives of light and salt in the world. However, more importantly, it is a call to pray! We can place our faith in our political system, or we can place our faith in God. We can vote and hope – or we can pray, vote, and then continue to intercede before the throne of the Almighty!

I choose to pray! 

Rest assured, I will vote, and I will vote for the candidates and the party platform that most closely aligns itself with Biblical truth and principles of life and righteousness. However, if all I do is vote, then I have missed the call. When we face times of great uncertainty, when we face a crossroad of such import, we must pray. God says during these times – “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (‭‭II Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬).

The first response, and the first action of the believer is to pray!

There is one other important thing to note about our call to prayer. Daniel did not enlist all of the wise men of Babylon to pray. Daniel enlisted his three faithful and trusted friends, who like him, believed in God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. We cannot grow discouraged when only a few are willing to pray. We must rise up to be a faithful intercessor, and call all those of like mind and heart to pray. The churches may not be full with everyone on their knees, but those who hear the voice of the Spirit can respond to this call. Daniel did not ask his friends to consider the odds of what might happen. Daniel asked his friends to seek the mercies of God of heaven to intervene in the situation.

There is power when faithful men and women engage in spiritual warfare on their knees!

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” (‭‭James‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Lord, sound the call to pray in the hearts of Your intercessors around the world. Bring revival and a great awakening to the hearts of Your people. Help us cry out to You for the mercies of heaven to be poured out upon this land. Change my heart, and help me to continue faithfully in prayer, faith, and obedience to Your Word.

In Jesus Name!