The Lord’s Holy Interuptions

Hey Everybody,

I’m sorry that I have not been posting consistently. The first few weeks of my senior year have been crazier than I initially thought. The first day back to school I actually ended up in the ER for suspected appendicitis. I am now dealing with some other health issues, although I still am migraine free. Anyway, now that you have a mini update on what has been going on with me, I would like to dive into the Word with you.

As you know I have been in the book of Daniel since June, and this book is juicy. I am currently drawing close to the end of the book of Daniel. This week I am in chapter 9, which let me tell you, is jam-packed with goodies. This chapter shows that Daniel is a man of the Word as well as a man of prayer. Back in chapter 6 the Bible says that “he got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God…” Daniel knows that scripture asks for a response. When we dig in depth into what the scripture is saying, we should have questions, and we should have an emotional response to it. Let us take a look at what Daniel did after studying the book of Jeremiah and the prophecies relating to Israel’s current exile: “… I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD (Yahweh) to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely seventy years. Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking Him in prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:2-3). Daniel took his sorrow and his concerns immediately before the Lord who controls all situations. If I am being honest with you all, if I was Daniel I would probably complain to my friends and fellow Israelites about our exile first before praying.

What stuck out to me most in this chapter, however, is God’s response to Daniel’s heartfelt prayer about how he and the rest of Israel have been rebellious against God. At this point in the story, God sends His holy and glorious interruption. Daniel 9:21 (ESV) says, “While I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first (this refers back to Daniel’s vision of Antiochus IV in Daniel 8), came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. The Lord did not dilly dally and have His angel take his time before appearing to Daniel. Scripture says that Gabriel was swift in arriving, and he even came while Daniel was still praying. Although interrupting is not typically proper etiquette, I would definitely say that this is a time when I would say, “please Lord, interrupt me now.” Daniel expressed that his prayer was urgent, and then God responded with the same urgency.

For those of you who feel that your prayers often go unheard, or are not of high-priority to God, let these verses be a reminder that your prayers will always be heard. Your prayers may not always be answered in the way you desire them to be answered, but He will answer. I found an article from Christianity Today which presents 5 ways that God answers prayers. Here is their list: “’1. No I love you too much, 2. Yes, but you’ll have to wait, 3. Yes, but not what you expected, 4. Yes, and here’s more, and 5. Yes, I thought you’d never ask.’” Let us therefore take comfort in the fact that our Lord is attentive to our prayers, and that His ways are more incredible than we could possibly imagine. Romans 11:33 (NAS), “oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and unfathomable his ways.” Our minds cannot wrap around God’s plans. They surpass any human ideas.

Let us pray and ask God to open our ears to His response through the Holy Spirit, our soul companion and advocate.

I hope you have a blessed week, and that your coffee may be strong.

In Christ’s Love,

Sarah