The whole challenge of inviting someone to attend Daniel may be creating excitement or fear for you. Let’s face it, this is stretching some of us way beyond our comfort zone. Are you spending some extra time praying for the showing you hope to attend and those to invite?
Did you ever stop to notice how Jesus models prayer for us? Hebrews 12 defines Him as the author and perfecter of our faith, yet He depended greatly on prayer and fasting. From His triumphal entry into Jerusalem through the crucifixion, we see how Jesus faced each task in serious prayer. The harder the task that was ahead of Him, the more time Jesus spent praying. Take some time to go back to some of your favorite Gospel passages and look for yourself.
So I’m adding to the challenge today. From now through Labor Day weekend, please pray for the Daniel event and those who are inviting someone to attend. If you are able to invite someone, be praying for your time together. Ask the Lord to create opportunities He for discipleship and sharing. And pray for the courage and opportunity to discuss their thoughts and needs. Even consider how to take the extra step of fasting as you prepare and pray. God will take our preparation and add His blessing to touch and change many lives!
Here is this week’s devo from Sight & Sound Theater with more insight into Daniel’s story.
GOD IS FOR YOU. AND SO AM I.
When he was taken by Babylon, Daniel’s name was changed to Belteshazzar. It loosely translates to, “the one sent by the god, Bel, to stand beside the king.” The irony of this name resonates throughout Daniel’s story. He was actually sent by the one true God to stand beside the kings of the world for the purpose of pointing them to the King of Kings. The people of God are meant to shine. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” That’s what Daniel did. He walked out the mission of God’s people – to shine like a light and represent God to the nations.
How could Daniel do that and be the chief wiseman in Babylon? We don’t know how Daniel specifically navigated his profession, but we know that, as far as the description of a wise man goes, “one who communes with the gods to determine circumstances and outcomes,” Daniel actually was the best wiseman! He, along with his friends, had a direct line of prayer to the one true God and the Lord listened and responded.
While the calling of the people of God is to share the hope that He has so generously given us, the way someone responds to the message of hope in the Lord is between them and God. Someone’s heart can soften or harden under the light of the same sun. King Nebuchadnezzar had a challenging and volatile journey toward the Lord, but he eventually arrived at His feet. From Daniel’s perspective, Nebuchadnezzar must have seemed hopeless at times. King Belshazzar rejected the Lord and blatantly tried to humiliate him. King Darius praised him for all to hear and see.
While the separation from home had to be incredibly difficult, God had a plan to share the hope he offered with the world through Daniel and his friends. Daniel’s daily disciplined closeness to the Lord helped him be able to guide these Kings. The Lord’s ways are not our ways. His ways bring blessing and justice for all. Daniel didn’t keep the hope that the Lord had given to himself. He shared it. His willingness to faithfully share that hope led to world changing impact.
Scripture: Daniel 2, Daniel 12:3, Matthew 5:16, Matthew 28:19 & 20
With those great reminders about the faith and hope of Daniel, continue pushing forward on your own spiritual fitness and praying for the Daniel event. Please reply and let us know how we here at Back to the Bible can be praying for you.
I’m thankful for this special event to help us practice revealing how God is at work in our lives. Watch a trailer for Daniel and get tickets to a theater near you. Just click here: https://bit.ly/4dexjJ4.
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