Daniel's prayer of praise...

Week 24:

Daniel 2:20-23 …20”Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. 23I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Daniel has just had his first vision in order to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. God has revealed to Daniel what the dream was and what is was about. Now Daniel is giving praise to God for the revelation.

 

Notice how Daniel begins with giving God the glory. What an example for us to begin our praise a prayer with God. Give God the glory that is His due. He is almighty God who is more than deserving of our praise.

As the praise continues, Daniel becomes more specific about the power of God. He gives some general examples of how God is powerful around the seasons and earthly authorities. Daniel gives credit for man’s wisdom by acknowledging God’s gift of such.

Now notice Daniel honing in on the wisdom granted. He points out that God is the source of revelation for hidden things. By pointing out that God sees into the darkness is a testament to the fact that nothing is hidden from God. It is God who decides to reveal deeply hidden things.

Finally, Daniel gives thanks for the specific answer to his prayer for interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. What is interesting is that Nebuchadnezzar is not one of God’s people, yet God allows Daniel to help him. Just a side story of how God can use anything and anyone to reveal himself and his glory.

What can we learn from this prayer of praise? First, we are to acknowledge God as the almighty and all-powerful creator. We are to point out where we see his mighty hand at work. Second, we are to notice where he has worked more specifically in our lives…where we have seen his hand at work before. Third, we are to be thankful for the specific answer of yes. Gratefulness should be a part of the praise we have for God. He showers his blessing on us regularly.

I caution readers not to take this outline and make it into some kind of formula for praise. This is only a model as are many examples of great prayers and songs throughout the Bible. My challenge for me is to incorporate this model into my life in a way that is real. What I do not want it to become is just another routine that has no meaning and true heartfelt praise for God.

Question/challenges:

1. What came up for you as you read this passage of praise?
2. What can you learn from Daniel and his praise of God?
3. Where are you lacking praise for God in your life?
4. Spend time this week assessing areas of your life where you need to give God the praise for His revelation and gift. Spend some quiet time praising God for those areas.

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