Text: Daniel 9:20-27

Dear Young People,

GOD DOES HEAR AND ANSWER PRAYER
Did God hear and answer the deeply moving prayer of Daniel? Assuredly, He did! God even sent an angel to give him a special word of encouragement, to express how delighted He was with him and the way he prayed.

God's answer was always special to Daniel and so he recorded this event most carefully.

"Now while I was speaking, 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, yes, while I was speaking
in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision
at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me
about the time of the evening offering."
Daniel 9:20-21

Let us be greatly encouraged by these words. God does hear and answer prayer. Let us not be discouraged and disheartened in our prayer efforts.

A SPECIAL PERSONAL WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT
We must never think that God is impersonal. We must not think that when He answers prayers He does it impersonally. God wanted Daniel to know that He loved him dearly and so he sent the angel Gabriel with a personal message for Daniel, besides the word of instruction that He wanted to give to him.

"And he informed me, and talked with me, and said,
'O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill
to understand. At the beginning of your supplications
the command went out, and I have come to tell you,
for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter,
and understand the vision..."
Daniel 9:22-23

How Daniel must have felt encouraged as he heard the words of the angel Gabriel. God had heard his prayer! Even before he had finished praying, God had decided that He would send Gabriel to minister to Daniel!

More than that, God had sent him a special word of commendation. Daniel was called "greatly beloved". What a precious word of encouragement that must have been to Daniel.

On top of that, Gabriel was sent to personally teach Daniel further skills as to how to fathom God's deep plans! What encouragement! Let's be challenged to pray better.

Prayerfully,                                                                             

Pastor Charlie

First released 19th May 2002, © Bethany Independent-Presbyterian Church, Singapore