FBC Morning Light (11/25/2023)

Good Saturday morning, people of faith. We're going to be reading this morning about a man of faith, a man of the word, and a man of prayer. And this man is all one in the same man. Let me read to you from Daniel chapter 9, starting in verse 1.

In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans. In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Let me say a few things here, that first of all, Daniel, as a man of faith, believed what was prophesied by Jeremiah, recognizing that Jeremiah was, in fact, a prophet. And so in Jeremiah chapter 25 and verse 11, I believe it is, and it says, and this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon 70 years.

So Daniel saw or read this, and he believed the word of God, and so he, you notice also in this passage that Daniel is a man of the word. He was a very accomplished person of high stature within the kingdom of Babylon and then the kingdom of the Medes, and so he, from a worldly standpoint, he would have no need to submit himself to the word of God, but yet he does submit himself to the word of God, and he believes the word of God.

Let me continue on to verse 3 of chapter 9, and we see one more aspect of Daniel here. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

All right? Daniel takes the word and he takes his faith seriously enough to pray. He not only prays, he fasts, he is in sackcloth and ashes. He realizes, and he's going to go on here, and he's going to pray a prayer of repentance for himself and for the people because they have sinned and he has sinned, and he understands that being a sinner, that we are in need of God's mercy and God's grace.

When I think of Daniel and I think of the high-ranking position he had and his willingness to submit himself to the word of God through faith and in prayer and in fasting and all of these things, my heart cries out for our country here that could we potentially have leaders who would follow in the example of Daniel?

Perhaps if you are someone who is in leadership of our country, would you take up this mantle and would you accept this challenge to be a man of faith, a man of the word, and a man.

Of prayer?

If you are one who is just like me, an average citizen, would you commit to praying that the Lord would raise up a man of faith, a man of the word, and a man of prayer to be a part of the leadership of our country?

Because right now it is very clear that that man is absent, generally speaking, from our.

Government.

So let's take a moment and pray. Heavenly Father, we come to you knowing that you are God and that we are in need of your mercy and grace. I ask that you would raise up a man like Daniel who would lead through faith in you and faith in your word, one who is a man of prayer, who is willing to let you change his life and to lead our country.

In your son's name, Jesus, we pray, amen. Have an excellent day, people of faith.