If you are like me, and I suspect many of you are…. there is so much to work on for this New Year. Not only to improve our lives for the coming year…but also help others around us. As a Christian however, one of the most incredible things about making our lives better is realizing how much we ‘can’t do’. I’m not implying we are supposed to become lazy and not try to improve ourselves-or those that could use our help-but to realize that bringing God into the equation literally ‘blows away’ anything we could do without Him. Let’s start by looking at what the prophet Jeremiah says about getting connected with God.
Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me , when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
For years-I did not ‘get’ the above verse because I totally underestimated what it means to ‘seek the Lord with my whole heart’. Knowing how I fall short is really the beginning of being able to see what I was doing wrong…or realizing I have ‘broken pieces’ that I need to fix-which is great! Having our solutions to life broken in pieces-scattered abroad… gives us the opportunity to be able to build them back together the proper way (Gods way) and have them work. Daniels example below gives me (us) an understanding how to seek the Lord with all whole heart and have Him work in such a way the heavens can break wide open and truly change the world.
Daniel 9: 3-23
9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
Daniel starts by giving us the ‘pieces’.
-I set my face unto the Lord- We know from the next chapter in Daniel (he fasted for 21 days..eating no ‘choice food’) that he did not make a request to the Lord, but set himself on a quest. He had a purpose-and that purpose was to ‘break through’ to the throne room of God.
-to seek by prayer and supplications- To seek (hebrew-bawkash) is to beseech someone..to cry out, to absolutely pull their attention to your request.
His prayer was backed up by supplication, (from h-khawnan) means to ask someone of authority (God) to stoop down and find favor on someone who is not worthy. From this verse and the ones following, we shall see Daniel had an incredible humble heart.
-with fasting Jesus went up the mountain ‘filled’ with the Spirit- fasted and then went down the mountain in the ‘power of the Holy Spirit’. He moved the heavens through miracles by fasting and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit Luke 4: 1-14. Jesus and the great saints of God knew their is no greater individual technique (if done with a sincere heart) to bring down Gods glorious blessings from heaven than fasting.
-sackcloth and ashes Like being baptized, expressing yourself with an example of true humility pulls us up to Gods throne room
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (also 1 Pet. 5:5-6)
Dan. 9:4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said,
-And I prayed unto the LORD my God . Daniel knew his God. His Lord was not a just a teacher or a moral guide. Nor was Daniels God one who pursued religious exercises-but someone he could come to and have a true relationship with. Daniel not only knew his God, but more importantly-his God knew Daniel and honored him by opened the heavens on his behalf.
-Made my confessions, and said- It is said there are more verses on speaking the truth than having faith for that truth…both are important, but Daniel did not exclude speaking the promises of God
Matt. 12:33-35 For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. [35] The good man brings (speaks) good things out of the out of the good stored in him, the evil man brings (speaks) evil things out of the evil stored in him.
Proverbs 12:18 Death and live are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof
Dan. 9:4 O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments;
-He is a dreadful God only to those who do not love Him by rejecting His truth-to those who refuse to follow Him. To those who love Him-His mercy abounds. Ps. 89:2, 138:8
Dan. 9:5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments….
For the better part of this chapter, Daniel is totally honest and makes supplications for the sins of God’s wayward people. He spends time crying out to God and does not neglect asking for forgiveness and His mercy. Daniel knew his prayers for Gods mercy had to cover an entire nation. Daniel became very serious with God about his request to forgive a whole country. See below…
Dan. 9:18-19 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolation’s, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness’s, but for thy great mercies. [19] O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive;
9:20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the ‘holy mountain of my God’
-Daniel was highly favored by God (Dan. 9:23, ) but still confessed ‘my (his) sins’. The Word says Be ye Perfect as the Holy Father in heaven is Perfect (Matt. 5:48), but Paul explains this is a ‘striving’ for perfection
Phil. 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Perfection is completed when we are face to face with the Lord 1 Cor. 13:12.
Christians who think they have ‘obtained perfection’ need only to get closer to the Lords glory and become like Daniel. They will then see how holy He is and how much we need Him not only to keep us from sinning…but to be able to see our sin so we can confess it. Is. 6:1-7, 1 John 1:9
–supplication before the Lord and ‘THE HOLY MOUNTAIN OF GOD’ God is on a mountain..it is called heaven. It is impossible to reach without Christ, but if we truly ‘set our face to God’ He breaks through the clouds and into our lives . This quest cannot be replaced by casual prayer or a thank you for dinner.
Personal note: Once the Lord gave me an ‘ouch’ moment. He was showing me I was spending too much time trying to ‘know Him’. He was encouraging me to make more of an effort to ‘go to Him’. One is reading about Him, the other-climbing the Mount of God-comes with real scrapes and bruises along its path.
God is holy and the scriptures explain He gives His true heavenly power to those who climb the mountain. We have seen that Daniel was favored before God (Dan. 9:23, 10:11).
I have a questions for you. If Daniel (being highly favored) did not go to the Lord–climb His mountain–would the Lord have sent His angel from heaven to help him?
Would it be okay to let the Word be the ‘final answer‘…..
Dan. 9:22-21 & 23 and (while I was) confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God… Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly….
[23] At the beginning of thy (Daniels) supplications the commandment came forth (from God), and I (Gabriel) am come to show thee
I think it would be safe to assume-if Daniel had to climb Gods mountain to move the heavens, then we would have to do the same.
Let’s take a look at this from Gods perspective. Imagine you are a father and want to give an inheritance to your son. This inheritance is a torch that will never go out and be a light to your descendants for all times. It will also give them warmth and help keep them safe. There is one problem however with your son. He is careless and often throws the torch in the dirt. He acknowledges the torch is holy but does little to protect it’s light and holiness. The son is more interested in enjoying himself than keeping the torch protected from the filth in the village. The holy torch is often neglected and left in unclean places.
You as a father then cannot pass this righteous torch to your son until he comes to where you are-where it is lit with the light from above. Only when your son comes with a sincere devotion can he accomplish the true purpose for this great light. Which is…to take this glorious torch and illuminate the path to the holy mountain of God, becoming a true torch bearer.
Heb. 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Simply, acknowledging His mountain is holy as we walk around it is not the same as climbing His Holy Mountain. Daniel is clearly showing us the difference.
[21] Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched …[22] And he informed me , and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. [23] At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee ; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
The Lord truly honored Daniel because he made it his quest to climb the holy mountain of God.
Gabriel, the angel who ‘stands in the Lords presence Luke 1:19 ’ the great messenger angel literally explained to Daniel the timeline of the coming world events. God granted Daniel his petition and sent him His personal messenger from heaven.
Daniel knew how to break through and he gives us the steps to do it…
-Daniel came to God with a humble and honest heart. He confessed ‘his sins’ and put his brothers before him (the true definition of humility see Being Humble) and asked the Lord for their forgiveness.
-His breakthrough came by ‘climbing the mountain’ and not just by ‘praying’ or asking God for a favor. This also included supplication, fasting, speaking His promises and believing God will honor those whom He sees will be at His side-those who desire to ‘keep the torch holy’.
The Father in heaven loves you and wants nothing more than to show you this great love. As Daniel showed us, it’s all about truly seeking after God. I honestly believe the Lord is waiting for those who know Him to climb His mountain and meet Him where He is at.
Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city on a mountain (singular) that cannot be hidden…Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
One holy united church that has been lit with the glory of God, by Jesus Himself, going to where He is-on the mountain. We can do nothing in our ‘own city-mountain’, or in our own strength. Jn. 5:19
For those who would like to start not only a new year, but a new life knowing the one true God, please follow the link below-the way to His mountain.
Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
God bless you as you pursue His truth.