Honest in Prayer

Daniel 6:10

This is a great verse, one of the most wonderful verses in the Bible. It discloses the fact that there lived a man who was honest, pure, sober truthful and upright to the core. He feared God, and answered every roll call, obeyed every injunction, and lived up to all the light given him by the Holy Ghost, He was fearless. He did not cool off, let up or let down when the frightful decree was heralded forth that anyone who failed to bow the knee to the king's statue would be thrust into the den of lions, There was not one bit of fear, not the slightest wave that played over this honest, sincere, holy heart, He was as fearless as God could make man.

After reading the hellish decree he went home, threw up his windows -- mark you! he did not do one thing that he had not been doing; did not put on one extra; did not pray any louder, but only did what he had been doing aforetime. Mark well the "aforetime." He had been having his family prayers; he had been having them with open windows; he had been having them with his face toward Jerusalem; and when this awful crash came, he kept doing what he had been doing aforetime.
God will always take care of such a man. God will never see such a man trodden under foot. God has always delivered those who lived as Daniel lived, If we would have success, we must live where God can give us success. Crowded altars, scores and scores being saved and sanctified, can only be given to those who live in constant touch with the skies. Now, you may say, "I know some who are black sheep, and yet they have some success." That is true. God will bless His own Word, no matter through what channel it may go, but, mark you well, the black sheep do not have great break-downs and sweeping revivals constantly. Some we know, and sorry are we in our heart that we know them, who are living in sin, covered-up sin, and yet they go right on preaching the Word, and sometimes souls get through to God in their meetings. But in their hearts they have no connection with God in prayer; they do not enjoy the sweet, deep, blessed communion with God. They pray but little, for if they did, light would be turned in.

Daniel had power to get audience with God. Why? He had had audience with God. There had been no break, and when this awful storm swept down upon this holy man of God, he stood firmly because he stood only in the will of God. We have seen good men, holy men, praying men, who, if it had not been for their grip in prayer, would have been swept from their feet, and if they had not been prayed up, had not lived up, would have been swept out by a mad gale. Elijah was prayed up before the great Mount Carmel sacrifice. Moses was prayed up before God gave him the Decalogue. Joshua was prayed up when he marched around the walls of Jericho.

Notice, every man through whom God has wrought mightily has been a man of much prayer. Luther prayed three hours a day. Knox prayed by the hour. Fletcher was a man of much soul
travail. Spurgeon lived upon his face. Madame Guyon was a woman of constant prayer. If we would do something for God and lost humanity, we must be earnest in our prayer life. The greatest victory that comes to one usually comes after a protracted season of prayer. The fire fell after Elijah had prayed; the rain fell after Elijah had placed his face between his knees; the great deliverance came to the Jewish race after Mordecai and Esther had fasted and prayed three days and three nights; the great Pentecostal fire came rushing upon the hundred and twenty in the upper room after they had prayed ten days; the scales fell from Paul's eyes after he had prayed three days and nights.

Prayer is the channel through which we reach the haven of rest. Prayer is the channel through which God enters into the soul. Prayer is the wire over which comes the blessed news, freedom from sin. Let us remember, always remember, and never forget, that prayer is the key that unlocks Heaven. Hence, we should stay upon our knees. wrestle, agonize, fast, pray clear through. Be determined to place the key in the lock.