PART 4 HOW TO RESPOND TO ANSWERED PRAYER

TEXT- DANIEL 2:19-49

INTRODUCTION

LAST TIME WE LEARNED HOW THAT WHEN KING NEBUCADNEZZAR HAD HIS DREAM HE WANTED SOMEONE TO INTERPREAT IT FOR HIM.

THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WHO COULD DO THIS IF THEY KNEW WHAT THE DREAM WAS FIRST, BUT WHAT THE KING WANTED WAS FOR SOMEONE TO FIRST TELL HIM WHAT HIS DREAM WAS, THEN HE WOULD KNOW THAT THEY ALSO HAD THE ABILITY TO INTERPRET HIS DREAM.

HE WANTED SOMEONE WHO EXHIBITED A POWER BEYOND HUMAN CAPABILITIES.

IF NO ONE COULD TELL THE KING WHAT HIS DREAM WAS HE WAS GOING TO HAVE ALL THE WISE MEN KILLED.

AS A RESULT, DANILE WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE KILLED ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER WISE MEN.

AS A RESULT, DANIEL WENT TO HIS FRIENDS AND TOLD HIM WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE VERY NEXT THING THEY ALL DID WAS TO PRAY TO GOD.

ISN’T THAT THE WAY IT OUGHT TO BE? TOO OFTEN WHEN WE ARE FACED WITH A CRISIS IN OUR LIFE WE EITHER DO NOTHING OR ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, TRY TO TAKE MATTERS INTO OUR OWN HANDS.

BUT DANIEL WAS A MAN OF FAITH IN GOD AND A MAN OF PRAYER. WHEN DANIEL PRAYED TO GOD HE DIDN’T ASK GOD FOR THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DREAM, INSTEAD HE ASKED GOD FOR COMPASSION, BECAUSE THEY WERE ABOUT TO DIE.

FAITH IN GOD CAN BE MANIFESTED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.

DANIEL MANIFESTED HIS FAITH IN GOD BY STAYING CALM EVEN WHEN CONFRONTED WITH DEATH.

HE MANIFESTED HIS FAITH IN GOD BY PRAYING TO GOD AND ASKING HIM FOR HELP IN TIME OF TROUBLE.

WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF DAVID'S FAITH THAT HE EXHIBITED TOWARDS GOD?

GOD ANSWERED HIS PRAYER AND CAUSED HIM TO BE RICHLY BLESSED.

BECAUSE OF DANIEL'S FAITH, GOD REVEALED TO HIM THE DREAM THAT THE KING HAD AND ALSO ITS INTERPRETATION.

I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A GOOD LESSON FOR US TODAY.

WHEN WE PRAY TO GOD FOR HELP IN SOME MATTER, WE NEED TO EXHIBIT THE SAME KIND OF FAITH THAT DANIEL HAD IN ORDER TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER.

JAMES 1:5-8 IF ANY OF YOU LACKS WISDOM, HE SHOULD ASK GOD, WHO GIVES GENEROUSLY TO ALL WITHOUT FINDING FAULT, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO HIM. 6BUT WHEN HE ASKS, HE MUST BELIEVE AND NOT DOUBT, BECAUSE HE WHO DOUBTS IS LIKE A WAVE OF THE SEA, BLOWN AND TOSSED BY THE WIND. 7THAT MAN SHOULD NOT THINK HE WILL RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM THE LORD; 8HE IS A DOUBLE-MINDED MAN, UNSTABLE IN ALL HE DOES.

MARK 11:23 "I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, IF ANYONE SAYS TO THIS MOUNTAIN, 'GO, THROW YOURSELF INTO THE SEA,' AND DOES NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART BUT BELIEVES THAT WHAT HE SAYS WILL HAPPEN, IT WILL BE DONE FOR HIM.

BUT, WHAT ARE WE TO DO AFTER GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS? HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND? HE IN OUR TEXT WE ARE GIVEN THREE WAYS TO RESPOND TO ANSWERED PRAYER.