Daniel: 21 Days of Prayer - Willie Mullan — From the Pulpit & Classic Sermons

Daniel 10 and the Heavenly Dimension of Prayer

Welcome to From the Pulpit in Classic Sermons. Each week we bring you a different message from some of history's greatest speakers in the Christian faith and powerful sermons for modern preachers too.

This week we have William Millon with his message, Daniel 21 Days of Prayer.

Please meet with Daniel. Daniel chapter 10. And I make bold to say to you tonight that this is one of the greatest chapters not only in the book of Daniel but I think it's one of the great chapters of the Bible.

Because you might rightly say to me all the chapters in this Bible are great and that is very true. But then you know sometimes when one has to give a week's Bible readings here and there, sometimes I take a Bible reading, Bible week of readings on great chapters of the Bible.

And I call them great because there are chapters that bring doctrines to us and revelations and give us an insight into things that we don't find in other chapters. Think of Genesis 1 and we get the doctrine of creation and the doctrine of the Creator.

Think of Hebrews chapter 1 and there you get the great story of the sweet fellowship between the Father and the Son. In times past through the prophets the Father spake unto the Fathers about his Son.

And there are great chapters just like that right on through. And this is a great chapter this evening because it gives us an insight into what goes on in the heavenlies when men and women get really down to pray.

That's why I think it's one of the great chapters. I think that this is an inspiring chapter because you're going to see an old man of 86 years of age, and I have thought to prove his age for you, an old man of 86 years of age getting down to pray something through.

Not just saying prayers. Not just bowing his knee at the bedside for a moment or two. An old man of 86 years of age getting the grip of God's throne and determining in his own heart to pray this matter right through and staying there for 21 days.

No food, no washing, no anointing. Praying it through. And I venture to say that not one of us know anything about it. I trust we shall learn what it really means to get alone with God. It's much easier to sing choruses than do this, I assure you.

And it's much easier to come to the Bible class than do this. Blessed are those choruses and Bible classes. This is a man getting alone with his God and determining in his soul to see it through in prayer.

This is the mighty thing. We're getting an insight into what this means in the heavens. This scares the devil, you know. He's got to get his forces going now if there's such a man around. And so it's an inspiring chapter when you come to look at it from that angle.

It's a very interesting chapter because you see all heaven moving to meet and answer this man's prayer. All heaven, I tell you. All heaven moving. This is most interesting. And then I think it's a great chapter not only because it gives us an insight into this and inspires us to pray and it's interesting to watch all heaven moving.

But we get an instruction here about principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. I don't know whether we've ever stopped to consider this phrase, the rulers of the darkness of this world.

Who are these rulers that are determined to keep the world in darkness? Well there's instruction here for us. It's an interesting chapter. It's an inspiring one. It's an instructive one. It's an indispensable one.

The modernists would love to tear it out. And they have tried. They say it doesn't come. Does it not? We shall see. I tell you if they could tear this chapter out we haven't this instruction anywhere else in the book that I know.

That's why I say it's one of the great ones. And it's not only inspiring and interesting and instructive and indispensable. It's an intricate chapter. There are difficulties I admit that. We've got to face them honestly.

Why some of the greatest expositors in the world are all at sixes and sevens with each other as regards this chapter. So one must think as to where to wear the shoes for martyr's feet when we come here.

We're on very holy ground. It's ground that the devil doesn't want us to be on. And all the forces of hell will be against this bible reading this evening. And then we take fresh courage because we're living in the age of grace and the holy ghost the comforter has come.

And Jesus promised us when he the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth. So depending on the holy ghost we're coming to this great chapter this evening. I've called it 21 days of prayer.

Daniel’s Twenty-One Days of Fasting and Prayer

You see first of all in those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. And it's the same word that we had last week in the chapter. It's the word weeks. Weeks it's the word sevens. But it was sevens of years last week from the context.

And it's quite easy to see that it's sevens of days this week. It's three sevens of days. It's twenty one days. Three full weeks. See what verse 3 says? I eat no pleasant bread, neither tin flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all till three full weeks were fulfilled.

Twenty one days of prayer. My what a lesson this evening. And when you realize that the same Daniel is somewhere above 86 years of age. Let's get the first verse in now. In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia.

Now that's very interesting isn't it? Those of you who know this book and I think by now you should know it. Do you know how the chapters go? Well chapter 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 all have to do with Nebuchadnezzar the great king of Babylon.

That's an easy way of knowing Daniel. 1, 2, 3, 4 all belong to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. And then you want to watch this because it's chapter 5 and then it misses 6 and 7. It's chapter 5 and 8 that belong to Belshazzar.

You see the chapters are not in chronological order. But 1, 2, 3, 4 belong to Nebuchadnezzar. And then 5 and 8 belong to Belshazzar. And then 6 and 7 and 9 belong to Darius. And then 10 we find Cyrus the king of Persia.

So that you can see at a glance that Daniel lived right through the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, right through the reign of Belshazzar, right through the reign of Darius, right into this very time in this chapter.

And here's a very interesting fact if you go back to the book of Ezra. Let's go back to Ezra just for a moment. First and second Samuel, first and second Kings, first and second Chronicles, and then comes the book of Ezra.

Now take your time and find the place. And you young ones who are here and you don't know your Bibles very well, if you open the first part of your book just behind the back there you'll find directions to the page.

And I have all the sympathy in the world with you. Because when I was first saved and went to church, if the picture preached out of anywhere only Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, I couldn't find it. I hadn't a chance.

I used to just open it anywhere and pretend. But that's no good, you're getting on nowhere like that. Have you got Ezra? Well, second Chronicles is before Ezra. And the last chapter is chapter 36. Do you see verse 22?

Verse 22. Now in the first year of Cyrus. See where we were reading tonight? It's the third year of Cyrus. Now way back there in second Chronicles, just before Ezra, verse 22. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, The Lord stood up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdom of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with them. Let them go up. Now this is the first year. You see, just to fulfill what Jeremiah had said, Jeremiah had said that God would take his people as captives into Babylon and keep them for 70 years.

Now the 70 years are gone. It's all the fact I want out of it. And if we come to the conclusion that Daniel was brought as a captive to Babylon at the age of 16. Some of the scholars believe he was 14, some believe he was 15, some believe he was 16.

It's very difficult to be exact. Old Testament computerism isn't altogether correct, but he was somewhere about 14 or 15 or 16, we'll say 16. And if he came to Babylon as a young prince captive at the age of 16, 70 years have gone now.

These kings have all run the course. Jeremiah's prophecy is about to be fulfilled. He's 86 years of age. Let's get that settled now. Some people ask me, if the king of Persia let the captives go back two years before this, because it's the first year that the king let them go back, why did Daniel not go back?

It's a very good question. Because in the third year he's still in Babylon. And I believe maybe the answer's found in the book of Ezra. You know when these captives had the liberty and the opportunity to go back, not very many of them responded at all.

A great multitude had made their home in Babylon. And I believe that Daniel stayed to pray them out of it. But we'll find out as we go on with the story this evening. I'm only perusing his age, so we'll not ponder that anymore, we'll go back to Daniel 10.

So you can see this old man, 86 years of age, bowing down before his God, holding on to the throne for 21 days. I want you to look at those days of devotion that Daniel had. I want you to notice this phrase in verse 3.

I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all. I want you to see this old man got down before God and denied himself. I want you to get that. Because I can tell some of you young ones if you're going to learn to pray at all, you'll have to deny yourself.

And I'll tell you this is not easy. You know if you're going to really pray, if you're going to really get alone with God, you'll have to learn what it meant when Christ said, and thou then thou dress enter into thy closet and shut thy door.

Because you've got to get alone, you've got to deny yourself. You know when you're really praying something through, something that's burdening you, something that you must get right before God, then you'll have to deny yourself food.

Maybe we wouldn't be prepared for that. Maybe the snails that come from the kitchen wouldn't allow you to do it. You have to shut the door on food at times, and you have to shut the door on friends at times.

Sometimes I just tell my wife, it doesn't make a matter who comes, you just tell them that I'm with God. Maybe they think I'm dodging, you can think whatever you like, if you go ahead with the thinking.

What you think doesn't worry me. You've got to shut the door on food. You've got to shut the door on friends. You've got to shut the door on fun. Now you give up your fun too, you've got to shut the door on fools.

Because usually when I get down to pray, there's always some fool at the door. I think the devil sends them round. But I just send them away. I'll tell you this is the great matter of this praying business you know.

There are bottles that have been engaged here that have never been put on the page of history and never will. You see this is 21 days of denying yourself. Have a look at verse 11 here just for a moment.

The angel who came to Daniel when he had prayed for 21 days, and we'll not hurry this, the angel said, he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved. I can tell you whether the folks talked about them or not, heaven loved them.

Sometimes when the critics are turned away at the door they could say all sorts of things about you. I'll tell you heaven doesn't say a word. Yes, he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved. Understand the words that I speak unto thee and stand upright, for unto thee am I now sent.

And when he had spoken this word unto me I stood trembling, and he said unto me, Fear not Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand. This is what it was all about you know.

He got down before God, and I want you to watch the rephrase, set thine heart, because in this great matter of prayer it is the heart that matters. It is not your language, nor how quick you can get through it, nor how fast, nor how large, nor how dramatic.

No, not at all. It's the heart that counts. You know that the psalmist knew this. He said if we regard iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not hear us. And if you're going through the whole day thinking about sex or naked women, you must stop praying, for the Lord will not hear you.

He just shuts his ears to that sort of thing. You're bluffing the Lord you know. It's the heart that can't see it. And it's the same for husbands and wives. If you're barging and buckling it out and eating the face of one another at home, Peter said, your prayers will be hindered.

Because your thought life can hinder your prayer life, and your home life can hinder your prayer life. You know if you're going to pray at all, you'll have to set your heart. That's the thing that we're trying to get across.

You see it's the desires of the heart. And it's the heart that's right with God. You know he set his heart to understand. I want you to watch that. To understand what? It says from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand.

What was Daniel praying about at all? Look at verse 14. The angel said, now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days. That's what he was asking. You know there was just a little remnant went back with Ephraim.

But there's a multitude in this land of idols. And Daniel's burdened about God's people. And he's getting down before God. And he's gripping his throne. And he's honestly wanting to know what's going to befall this people in the last days.

And you know the devil doesn't like you to be anxious about the people of God and their good. Doesn't like you at all. And so you can see that Daniel denied himself. And you can see these days of desiring before God.

Prayer’s Heartfelt Dependence on God

And I want you to watch this phrase in verse 12. It says, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten myself before thy God. You know this was between this man and God.

He got along with God. It was God's throne. It was God's face. It was God's ear. It was God that Daniel got before. This was a real business. You know if you're anxious about prayer and how to pray. One of the great books of the Bible for you is the book of Daniel.

Because Daniel will teach you in one of the chapters when to pray. Three times a day. He never failed. Even when he faced the lion's den. He just went on as he did the four times. Three times a day. It's the best medicine you'll ever get.

They write it on the medicine bottle now. Three times a day. But I can tell you this is better medicine. And if we could just dedicate our lives that somewhere each day. Maybe in the morning. Maybe at noon.

Maybe at night. But three times a day somewhere I shall get along with God. Do you know? Because Daniel will teach you when to pray. And I'll tell you that this chapter tonight will teach you how to pray.

You'll have to be alone with God. And when you're alone whether it's an old sermon or not I'll tell you this you'll come out fresh. Because unless you go in you needn't come out to the folks. Now Daniel was alone.

That's it. Saw this great vision. And there remained no strength in me. Do you see what this revelation did to him? My eye can catch the boys on every time they come to me and say they have revelation.

Because you know you couldn't get a heart big enough for them. Oh I can see them you know. There's a mechanic that came down to me one night and he said Mr. Monk why you should see him demonstrating this.

He must have thought I was a fool you know but I was watching him carefully. Oh I have the greatest vision I've ever heard. God came into the room. Filled the room with light. And he told me that Mr. Monk was the greatest man in this world.

God help him for being such a liar. You know he was all charmed about it. He was working himself up. He was exalting himself. It was all fresh. From beginning to end. I'll tell you where you'll find him tonight.

Up in the pub. He's in the pub now. I've seen him come along drunk there sometimes. I'd just pass him by but one night I was in that sort of religious costume and said say you the boy that had the vision.

You will never see him. I'll tell you if you got near to the Lord it would not have stopped of you. There'd be no boasting about it. You'd keep on your hold. My dear friends if you get near to God you never talk about yourself at all.

You're just a wee fellow. Miserable wee fellow. That's all. St. Daniel he was a great man. He says therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision and there remained no strength in me for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption and I retained no strength.

Yet heard I the voice of his words and when I heard the voice of his words then was I in a deep sleep on my face and my face toward the ground. Now I want you to get the other part because it's the other part that's important.

That's really important. And behold a hand touched me. And I want you to watch the word touched as we go through the chapter. I'll gather them together afterwards. And set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands and he said unto me O Daniel a man greatly beloved understand the words that I speak unto thee and stand upright.

And that's a pretty good indication that this was an angel. Pretty good indication. Because it would be quite right to bow before the Lord. And you know when the Lord walked on the water and got into the boat it says that all the disciples worshipped him.

In the boat they worshipped him. And when the old Scottish divine was preaching once a night he said there wasn't a blessed Unitarian in the boat. Because the Unitarians can't worship the Lord because they don't believe he's God.

But if you believe he's God you can worship. But this is just an angel and he says now you just stand upright. And I think it goes on to prove it more than that. Unto thee am I now sent and when he had spoken this word unto me I stood trembling.

My this book's a great book how perfectly it is written. 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.

You know he got right through. Once did he get the hold of this. My he really got through to the full. Thy words were heard. And I'll tell you this. If you can be absolutely sure that God hears you. If you know that he hears you.

This New Testament says then you have the petition that you desired of him. Or Daniel got right through. But Daniel didn't know that he had got right through. And it said this. Thy words were heard and I am come for thy words.

Spiritual Warfare and the Prince of Persia

But the prince of the kingdom of God who withstood me one and twenty days. Now let's think about this prince for a moment or two. You know the chapter began in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia. Now what's the difference between the king of Persia and the prince of Persia.

Now there is no doubt at all that this was a great angelic being that was sent from heaven to answer Daniel's prayer. There's no doubt in your mind. Some of the scholars believe it was the Lord Jesus.

I know it was a great angelic being. Now when it talks about the prince of the kingdom of Persia do you think it's talking about an ordinary human. Because I would give you more marks than that. You would know right well on the seat where you sit that no human could keep an angel back for twenty one days.

So we're not talking about a human now. We're entering into something else that's really wonderful. You see let's go to Ephesians for a moment. Twelve letter to the Ephesians and we're now at the sixth chapter.

Twelve letter to the Ephesians chapter six. I'm commencing to read at verse ten. And Paul said finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we believers wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. I want you to see the enemy here outlined before you.

Principalities, do you know what that means? We wrestle against principalities, against powers. Here's a great phrase, against the rules of the darkness of this world. Against wicked spirits it is translated once.

Against wicked spirits in heavenly places. You see over the kingdom of Persia was the king called Cyrus at that time. But then over him, although he didn't know it, there was a prince, one of these principalities, one of these powers, one of these rulers of the darkness of Persia.

And there's a man in the nation now and he's going to get white. Ah well we'll have to stop him says the devil from getting white. So he sent this mighty principality. He's called the prince of Persia.

He's not a human being, he's one of these rulers of the darkness. You know friends, over this province of ours, we've had many prime ministers. But let's get this in tonight that over all the prime ministers that we've ever had or are ever likely to have, the devil has designated one of his great princes.

And he's the prince of Ulster. That's what he would be called if we could understand. And let me tell you he's done a great job for the devil. He's done a great job. I'm sure the devil's thinking of decorating him just now.

You know there was an old man who dreamed a dream once. And he thought he could see the whole army of the devil. And the devil is walking up and down the ranks looking at all these principalities and these powers of his and all these rulers of the darkness.

And he's saying to them, there's a little province down yonder and they're getting more light and more light and more light and what are you fellas doing about it? And one of them stepped forward and said, sir I've got the folk attracted to the football.

Now the devil says that's not at all to stop that. And another one said this and another one said that and they all stood. And the devil said I'll tell you what's wrong with you, you don't know. There's an old woman a way down in a wee cottage down yonder.

And she's on her knees from morning to night. And she's praying the blessing of God down upon the place. You'll have to take her. And I'll tell you this. You just examine it just in your own logic tonight.

It doesn't matter how big it touches. It doesn't matter how many folks we have. It doesn't matter about the financial end. It doesn't matter about the blessings in the soul. Have a look at the premises.

You take every church representative here and I'll tell you the smallest meeting in your church is at the prayer meeting. Because the devil keeps folks from going to the prayer meeting. There's a big man who sits over there who prays sometimes.

Lord thank you for the folk at the prayer meeting tonight because the devil never brought one of them. The devil doesn't take you to prayer meetings. The devil keeps you from going. Maybe he has kept some of you for years.

Persevering in Prayer Against Spiritual Opposition

You see these principalities need to be understood. And you know this great prince of Persia. This prince that belonged to the devil's army. This prince was so powerful that he stopped this angelic being from coming from heaven with the answer for 21 years.

You don't tell me it was Christ that was stopped. Not a bit of it. He would just brush them aside. But he was so powerful that he stopped this angel. Now let's get this bit in. Let's go back to Daniel.

He's talking to Daniel. He says thy words were heard in verse 12 at the end and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia, this wicked spirit, withstood me, withstood this shining angel for one and twenty days.

Twenty one days. Three, four weeks. I'll tell you this Daniel never gave in. Not a bit of it. All the time he's on his face this old man. The battle's raging in the heavens. He's got the hold of the throne by faith and he's not letting go.

He's saying the truth. And I'll tell you all heaven came to his aid. Because a man on his knees or a woman on her knees meaning business with God is a powerful character. Some of us on this tour around will pray.

I'm not talking to you at all. You are my brothers. We're talking about people who pray. We're not talking about praying about business. We're talking about people who know how to get about the business.

Some of us have never been at it yet. Oh it's a great chapter isn't it. It's a lot of things isn't it. Now watch this very carefully. Verse thirteen. The angel says, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia, this mighty being who is over the darkness of Persia, withstood me, this great angel, one and twenty days.

But Lord Michael, one of the chief princes. Now see now, see a human being turn off on you. Life is not. That's why I know the exposition I'm giving is true. You see Michael is the archangel. Now here's what this angel is saying.

The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days. But Lord Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me. You know it took the archangel to come down and help this other angel pass this wicked spirit so that he got there to tell the answer to Daniel.

You know when a man gets on his knees all heaven gets about the business. I'll tell you all hell gets about it too. That's where battles rage. Young men, young women, go home and learn to pray. It's the greatest thing in the world.

I had a wee mother you know, she was only about four feet thick she was, maybe more. And I say this to you, she never owned a jacket in her life. She wore a shawl. She was my mother and I love her. She always wore a shawl.

Old shawl it was too. I'll tell you this, she knew more about prayer than anybody else I've ever known. Oh she hadn't two coppers. I fear in heaven and I must have the feeling that she'll be well near the front.

Maybe her son will not be near the distance at all. But there were seventeen of us you know and we were all in rags. I never had shoes on my feet when I went to school. Boy I'd be amused that these great professors on the TV these nights, they amuse me.

They're the greatest lot of doofs on God's earth. I heard one of them talking the other night about the school children, the tick and the motocross. He says you know they'll grow up and they'll be all weaklings in no time at all.

He said nothing about it. When I went to school, I went on the bus every day summer and winter. And there were screenings, do you know what screenings are? Screenings, that's what the yard was in Tarmac or anything like that.

Screenings. You used to learn to run on the screenings in your bus. You could do it wonderfully once you got to go. And you know you had a peach with you. Do you know what a peach is? When I say peach and the English people listen in to this, they don't know what we're talking about.

But then you see they're way backward anyway. That'll help them when they hear this again. You know we had two pieces of bread wrapped up in a bit of a telegraph and margarine, margarine in between. Sure you never saw butter in your life.

My dear friend, I stood for all my school life, frozen in the wintertime on my bed seat, eating two slices of loaf and more. I'd like that old professor to come and have a look at me. I'd like that old professor to come and have a look at me.

I'd like that old professor to come and have a look at me. Why you wouldn't move and you wouldn't dare move either. She prayed for us. And there's the whole bunch of us saying it. We all say it. Yes. Mother, are you praying at all?

Are all this fooling around? Why we need to get back to praying don't we? My of this whole bunch could be enlisted tonight to really pray. I'll tell you we could move this province. You see when this old man of 86 got down on his knees and held on.

And this angel was kept back by this other wicked spirit. Michael the Archangel came along and fought the battle and got them through. It's a tremendous thing to see Michael named here. If you've any doubts about him at all, just turn over the page quickly and in chapter 11 next week I'll show you something.

When we get to verse 36 if we get that far next week, it says the King, and it's talking about the Antichrist, this King of Sears Carton, shall do according to his will. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every God and shall speak marvellous things against the God of God.

There's the mouth again. And shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished and that which is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any God, for he shall magnify himself above all.

Now coming into chapter 12, here's how it begins. And at that time, at the time when the Antichrist was there, shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people. You see, this is the wonderful thing.

This archangel, this Michael, this one who came to fight the battle for this other angel, this Michael, this archangel, he has a job to do for Israel. He's the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people.

Daniel's people, of course. The Lord's talking to Daniel. He says, at that time, shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people. You know, it's wonderful when the Lord Jesus will come, and he's going to come one of these nights, and he'll come like this.

The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with his trousers, armed with the voice of the archangel. Well, what's he got to do with it anyway? They're only written for the Lord. That's very true. But you see, this fellow has been employed by God to look after all the children of God in Israel, the real Israel of God.

And many of them have been buried. And when the Lord comes and calls for the church, he shall descend from heaven with a shout, the same moment Michael will bop in, and the voice of the archangel. You know, when God wanted to raise the body of Moses, because he was going to put him on the Mount of Transfiguration with the Lord Jesus.

You see, nobody knew where Moses was buried. God buried him. There's only one at Moses' funeral, God. Of course, he sent the archangel, he knew. He knew where he was. Of course, the devil comes along and says, you can't take this body out of the grave.

The redemption price is not paid yet, you can't take the body out. And there was a dispute between the devil and the archangel. Of course, the archangel didn't bring any reeling accusation against him or anything.

He said, God can do what he likes when he likes with whatever he likes. He's sovereign. And he raised the body of Moses. But the archangel had to be there because this is a Jewish body. You see, when we come away back to the book of Revelation, let's get back there for a moment, it's chapter 12, Revelation 12.