Being Faithful to Pray for God’s Move and His Economy even in Face of Opposition

There is no other way to bring God’s economy into fullness and into fulfillment except by prayer.

In Daniel 1-6 we see how Satan attacks, deceives, blinds, lures, and tries to put down some of the remnant of God’s people who still overcome even while in Babylon.

Satan used Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the holy city and the holy temple, and it seemed like God’s expression on earth was wiped out. Yet God still had a group of overcomers right in the palace of the king, Daniel and his companions. They withstood Satan, unmasked his plans and stratagems, and defeated him to the uttermost.

In Daniel 6 we see that Daniel was habitually praying three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem. He joined himself to God’s desire in His word, especially in the prophecy of Jeremiah, and he prayed for the release and return of the people of Israel.

Daniel’s prayer laid the tracks for God to move, but Satan tried to disrupt and cut this time of prayer. Daniel prayed to God even at the cost of his life, and God stood with him.

Today God needs some Daniels, those who pray and lay the tracks for the accomplishment of His economy and for His return. These ones don’t care for their life; they care more for God’s interest, God’s economy, and God’s plan than for their basic needs or safety.

They see that God needs our prayer for Him to move, and they pay the price of their time and even their life to join themselves to God in prayer.

Daniel, Prayer, and the Lion’s Den

In Daniel 6 we see that Daniel was in a high position, and his colleagues (fellow chief ministers and satraps) were very jealous of him, even wanting to get rid of him. They watched Daniel daily, but they couldn’t find any fault in him in his living or work; the only thing they could accuse him or catch him with was his prayer life.

They then got together and convinced the king to sign an edict that everyone in the kingdom should worship only the king for 30 days (and no other gods). The king was happy with such a decree, and he signed it.

If we were Daniel, we would have considered this as “a 30-day vacation from God, and then we will come back to Him”. But as soon as Daniel heard that the writing has been signed, he went to his house and three times daily he knelt and prayed and gave thanks to God, because he had always done so previously (Dan. 6:10).

Then these men who were jealous of him came and found him making petition and supplication before his God, and they entreated the king to throw him into the lion’s den, as the edict said.

The king was very sad about it, but he had to do it. He couldn’t sleep the whole night, and in the morning he came to the lion’s den and said,

O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions? (Dan. 6:20)

What a testimony! Of course, the evil and jealous ones were thrown into the lions den (before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions “took care of them”).

Overcoming the Subtlety that Prohibits our Faithfulness in the Worship of God

God’s move is like a train which must have rails for its move. Man’s prayers are like the rails which pave the way for God’s move to go on. There is no other way to bring God’s economy into fulness and into fulfillment except by prayer. (Life-Study of Daniel, page 45)

The story in Daniel 6 is crucial and the pattern of Daniel is to be followed by us today. Daniel was victorious over the subtlety that prohibited his faithfulness in the worship of God.

He loved God, prayed to God, prayed according to God, and he realized that his prayer lays the tracks, the rails, for God’s move on earth in his time. Therefore, he didn’t allow anything or anyone to interfere with his prayer time, and he prayed even at the cost of his life.

God desires to carry out His economy, but man is needed to pray on earth for His economy to be accomplished. God needs faithful men who pray, some who are His faithful channels of prayer.

God’s move and His economy is like a train which needs rails for its move. Our prayers are like the rails for God’s move to go on, paving the way for God’s economy to be accomplished.

Because prayer is so important and crucial for God’s move, Satan will rise up all kinds of things, situations, people, and matters to distract us, frustrate us, and stop us from praying.

If we don’t pray, things are peaceful; as soon as we rise up to pray, all kinds of adverse situations and people are stirred up to stop us from praying.

We need to see the secret of cooperating with God for His move today, and we need to give ourselves to Him to be the Daniels’ of today, those who pray to lay the tracks for His move in this age!

Praying Toward God’s City, His Temple, and His House

Whenever we pray for particular people or situations, we should always aim our prayers at God’s interest and not at people. Daniel didn’t pray specifically for the return of God’s people, but he prayed for God’s interest: he confessed the people’s sin, repented on their behalf, and reminded God of His promise to bring them back to His holy land.

No matter for whom we are praying, we should not aim our prayer at that person but we should pray toward Christ and the church. Our prayer should not be aimed at a particular person, but toward Christ (the holy land), the kingdom of God (the holy city) and the house of God (the holy temple).

God listens to our prayer when we pray toward Christ and the church (1 Kings 8:48-49). If our prayer is directed at people, Satan may have the ground to attack them; but if our prayer is directed at God’s interest, God will come in and take care of His interest.

We need to be this kind of overcomers today, those who pray for God’s interest on earth even at the cost of our life, and never give up!

Lord Jesus, we love You. We love our prayer life with You. Lord, save us from taking a vacation from You. May we persevere in prayer and may we be diligent to pray for Your move and Your interest on earth. Show us the importance of our prayer in the fulfillment of Your economy. Lord, gain the overcomers of today who stand for You and pray in one accord for Your kingdom to come, Your will to be done, Your name to be sanctified, and Your economy to be accomplished. Lord, gain the faithful channels of prayer in all the churches on the earth today!

References and Further Reading

• Sharing inspired from brother Ed Marks’ speaking in this message and portions in, Life-study of Daniel (msg. 8), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on Crystallization-Study of Daniel and Zechariah, week 6 (entitled, The Victory of the Overcomers).
• Hymns on this topic:
  # Make us those who’re one with You in prayer, / Echoing the things for which You care. / Lord, do make us one so that Your heart’s desire we share; / In this age, Lord gain Your men of prayer.
  # God needs men who pray; / Those who lay the tracks for Him; / God’s economy is carried out through men of prayer.
  # O Jesus, Lord, we pray Thee hear our cry, / Come! Bring us to that city from on high!
• Pictures credit: both via, Inspiration Unlimited Facebook page, HWMR Daniel and Zechariah Quotes album.