GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks to God, as he did aforetime." (Daniel 6:10.)

This passage discloses one of the great prayers of the Old Testament Scriptures, He was a man of rare character, a great mind and a rich experience. He was living in the full light of a full redemption. He was walking in all the light the Holy Spirit had turned in upon his pathway. He was a man who did not serve God spasmodically. He did not have religious spasms. We mean by this he did not get into a series of meetings, listen to special lines of preaching, get under a tremendous conviction, and vow and promise God to do so and so, and then never do it. Too many of us get worked up in a revival without getting the "old man" worked out of us; hence, too often, and too soon after the revival closes, we close down the mill, it ceases to grind, we lose our zeal, and hang our harps upon the willows.

We oftentimes make statements and vows in a series of meetings that are hurtful. Why? Because people watch us and see that we do not follow up and follow out what we have vowed and promised. Here is a young lady who gets worked up in a meeting, and tremendously burdened for China. She gets up before a crowded house, with a shining face and tear-filled eyes, clapping her hands for joy, telling her neighbors and kinsmen that she will soon be in China, and in less than twelve months she is married and settled down. Here is a young man who gets wrought up spasmodically, jumps up and declares that he has been called to preach the Gospel, then in a few short months we hear no more of his call.

Daniel had ballast, road-bed, He was a stalwart character. He did not get into a revival, get worked up, promise God a tenth, then soon cool off, pocketing every "brownie." When Daniel made a statement, he lived up to it. He did not change his manner of living at all when the king sent forth a decree that all men bow the knee, that every knee should bow before the statue. Daniel went home, threw up his windows, and bowed with his face toward Jerusalem three times a day, "as he had done aforetime." Mark you carefully the "aforetime"; that is to say, Daniel had been praying three times a day all of his religious life. He lived right every day; he prayed clear through every day; he had the burden of prayer, the spirit of prayer, the liberty of prayer. He lived upon His knees, and when these awful tests came his anchor held. He was rooted and grounded. He was not driven by a mad gale. He was not caught off of his base. Daniel knew, and knew full well, that God would take care of him. Why? Because of his faithfulness; because of his constant watchfulness; because he lived upon his face.

A praying man, one who really prays, one who has the spirit of prayer, is hard to put to flight, is on his guard. He has his pickets out. You remember that God said "watch" as well as "pray." W-A-T-C-H comes first. A praying man is a watchful man. The enemy cannot swoop down on him and catch him napping.

The reason why our prayers do not reach the Throne and bring the desired answer is, we do not live up to our privileges and opportunities; we do not hug the firing-line and toe the mark; we do not walk in all the light God gives us; hence, when we go to prayer we go as weaklings, We are made weak by weak living. We get sleepy, tired, feel sluggish, have no spirit of prayer, no energy; then we do not get a grip upon God. A good liver -- and it takes a mighty good liver to be a good pray-er -- can pray right. No man can pray the fires out of Heaven unless he lives right; lives right in his home, before his wife and children; irritableness, crossness, and all harsh-speaking are things of the long by-gones. For a man to pray clear through he must, indeed, be a good liver before his own family. One will have a hard time in prayer when he does not live right in his own home before his own family.
Daniel lived right. His family knew that he lived right. His neighbors felt his righteous life. He had fruits. There was not a barren tree in his orchard. Every tree was loaded with luscious,

ripe fruit. If we live right all the time, it will be easy for us to pull the fires out of Heaven during a revival, and point sinners to Calvary. One of the things that is hurting God's cause is a prayer-less life; that is, a life minus prayer; that is, a life without prayer. When tests come, the praying man is ready. He is manned with heavy artillery. He has his fortresses and rifle-pits ready. We would rather be a great pray-er than a great preacher; we would rather be a great pray-er than a great singer, for it is the prayers of the righteous that avail much.

Let us take ourselves to more earnest, protracted seasons of prayer. Let us be careful to have, every day, secret prayers. If you want a fat soul, a healthy soul, a joyful soul, pray much. If you want a strong, robust faith; a deep, sweet. rich experience. pray much. If you want to live on the sunny side of the street, pray much. If you want to keep out of Satan's dumps, pray much.