Daniel 9:23 (EXB) When you first started praying [At the beginning of your supplication], an ·answer [ word] ·was given [went out], and I came to tell you, because ·God loves you very much [ you are FAVORED/coveted/desired]. So ·think about [consider; reflect; ponder] the ·message [ word] and ·understand [consider; reflect; ponder] the vision.
Yes, God loves us very much. Other translations have either "beloved, valued, or precious" rather than FAVORED. Why was Daniel FAVORED? What was his reward for being FAVORED?
Prophet Daniel was a praying man. He was a man confessing his sins and for the sins of his people as God showed him the secrets and hidden things. When he confessed the sins of his people, it meant he was always interceding for them. He was a praying man and fasting. When we speak about fasting, we immediately associate fasting with food. But in the spiritual, this also represents fasting from the desires of the world. In order to be FAVORED, we must be set apart from the world. We must not be swimming in its dung or sin. From chapter one to the end of the chapters (years, life of Daniel), he was one who prayed, repented, and fasted.
What was his reward? He was one who became counselor to kings. He was one who had his spiritual eyes opened having angels come give him messages. He was one who was granted wisdom and revelation to see into the future of God's people and the world. He was granted the hidden secrets of the spiritual realm.
Daniel 9:21-22 AMP while I was still speaking in prayer and extremely exhausted, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and he talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and wisdom and understanding.
The angel had come when in was in prayer and extremely exhausted. Daniel was a man praying to his limitations. He went to his limits. He prayed with all his strength, mind, heart, and soul. We must come to our limitation and perhaps until we are extremely exhausted. During prayer and exhaustion, the Arch Angel Gabriel came to give him insight and wisdom and understanding. There is a difference between the lay believer and those who hold the keys to God's kingdom. They are a people of prayer. They are a people who bear fruit of repentance. They are a people who fast (food/desires of the world). They are people who do not sin. They are a people of submission and obedience. Their reward is that they will receive the secrets to the Kingdom of God (insight, wisdom, understanding, spiritual eyes).
Who else was FAVORED?
Luke 1:30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary; [ for; because] ·God has shown you his grace [you have found FAVOR/grace with God].
Even though Mary was a very young lady, she was a woman of faith and prayer. What was the difference between Mary and Zechariah/Elizabeth (John's parents)? How were their reactions? Why did Elizabeth say Mary was most blessed above all women? Yes, she was the carrier of our Lord Jesus but she became most blessed as she was a women of prayer.
In Luke 1, Mary's response are in verses 46-55. They are her prayer/song. In the context of those verses are the hints of her relationship with God. Without a true, relationship, she would not be able to come forth with such words.
What about the mother of John the Baptist? Why did God pick Elizabeth? She too was a woman of prayer. These two women brought forth birth or "life." In order to bring life into our families and nation, the daughters of the Most High must be a people of prayer. In order for His people to receive insight, wisdom and understanding, His sons must be a people of prayer and fasting.
A few weeks ago, a Seventh Day Adventist tried to evangelize to me. I asked her how much does she pray. She said she prayed 3 times a day. I asked, well how much in time. She said ten minutes each. This is NOT praying. When I say praying, I mean hours per day.
Luke 1:13-14 But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid. God has heard your ·prayer [petition]. Your wife, Elizabeth, will ·give birth to [bear for you] a son, and you will name him John. 14 He will bring you joy and ·gladness [delight], and many people will ·be happy [rejoice] because of his birth.
Verse 13 states, "God has heard your prayer." Today, we cannot birth John the Baptist again but we can birth spiritual life through prayer/spiritual birth pangs. In verse 14, this life will bring joy and gladness. The life in us which brings joy and gladness will bring many other people joy. Many Christian families that have no joy or gladness is due to no spiritual life. There is no spiritual life because they are not a people of prayer. In order to birth life, we need to be a people of prayer, fasting, and enduring.
Even though many are able to have physical children, for some Christians, when true spiritual life is birthed, this will be manifested with a special physical child. Elizabeth and Zechariah were very old. They had a hard time conceiving. Why? God wanted to bring forth a special child for His purpose. First, God requires the couple to be right and then they must accumulate their prayers. To bring forth that life required much prayer which took Elizabeth and Zechariah to old age.
Luke 1: Zechariah and Elizabeth ·truly did what God said was good [ were righteous before God]. They ·did [followed; walked in] everything the Lord commanded and were ·without fault [blameless] in keeping his ·law [regulations; requirements]. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth ·could not have a baby [could not conceive; was barren], and both of them were very old.
Even in our church, several couples are finding it difficult to conceive and birth children. In our church, God will be raising many from your children. But to bring forth those chosen, God is waiting for the couples to get right and/or pray much even if it takes them to old age and God will have His ways. Therefore, the sooner we get out of our boxes and as we pray more, the sooner we come to fulfilling HIS Will. HE had kept Elizabeth and Hannah barren for a purpose. HE made them women who cried out and prayed.
Pastor Steve Yong Kim
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