 | Daniel 10:12 "Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words." From the First Day
Sometimes God answers before we ask, and sometimes God answers before we know that He has. In either case, it is encouraging to know that God is in control. Ironically, instead of encouraging us to ask God for what we need, the fact that He is in control can discourage us from asking because "He is going to do what He is going to do anyway." God is in control, and that truth should remind us to come to Him for what we need. Daniel had been very burdened for his people, and after fasting and praying, he received a messenger from God. This messenger told Daniel that his "words were heard" and he (the messenger) had "come for thy words." In other words, the messenger was a direct answer to Daniel's prayer!
What caught my attention in verse 12 are the words "from the first day." Daniel had prayed, fasted, and mourned in earnest for three weeks, but God heard his prayer from the very first day! There is much that could be said about the spiritual warfare mentioned in verse 13, but the truth is, we do not always know when God answers or how God answers. However, never forget that God does answer. In fact, the answer to Daniel's prayer was sent long before he even knew it!
Just the other day, one of my kids asked for something he had asked for before. The answer was already on the way, and my kid just didn't know it! The temptation as a parent was to get frustrated with his asking because it was already taken care of. But God is not that way with us. Many times His answers are already on the way, and we just do not know it.
You never know what you are praying for today that God has already answered. The truths that God is in control and He does answer should encourage us in our asking. It may be that the answer to what you are praying for is already on the way. That is not a reason to stop asking; you ought to be encouraged that God hears and answers prayer. Today, have you taken your requests to the Lord? | Prayer Requests: 1. Protection and provision for staff 2. Families traveling home from camp 3. Campers traveling to the Ranch this weekend from Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and the Bahamas Camp Quote: "If you can trust God with eternity, you can trust God with tomorrow." -Evangelist Chris Miller | | Visit our website for more information about our summer camp weeks! | | | |
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