Scripture to Read: Daniel 10:1–3
In Daniel 10:1, God revealed it was the third year of Cyrus (king of Persia, the fourth king Daniel served under), which would have been 536 B.C. (Daniel would have been in his mid-80s). God used Cyrus to release the children of Israel back to their homeland after their 70 years in exile. God had Isaiah write of Cyrus 200 years in advance in Isaiah 44:28: “It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’” Also, Cyrus was an unbeliever, for God had Isaiah record in Isaiah 45:4, “…though you have not known Me.” Though Cyrus did not know God, God used him to fulfill His will. In Daniel 10:2–3, we read how Daniel prayed and fasted for three weeks, waiting to hear from our Lord. In Daniel 10:4–7, an angel appeared to Daniel, and though no one else saw the angel, everyone ran due to fear. In Daniel 10:8–12, the angel reassured Daniel that the reason he was there was because Daniel had humbled himself before God and that God sent him to respond to Daniel’s prayer. Daniel’s prayer was not answered due to a spiritual conflict (Daniel 10:13) between the angel and a demon, perhaps Satan, hovering over Persia. When we under¬stand spiritual warfare, we understand why God commands us to pray (Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 1 Timothy 2:1–3, 1 Peter 4:7).
Challenge & Application
• God used King Cyrus, a lost man, to fulfill His will in releasing the Israelites after their 70 years of exile. What does that teach us about God’s sovereign rule over everything?
• Why was the angel hindered in getting to Daniel, and why does God command us to pray fervently?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!