COMMITTED TO BE SEEKERS

“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications…. And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession…. And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel…” (Daniel 9:3, 4 and 20). These were praying men!

You see, the first commitment they had made—to live a separated life—had to be backed up by a second commitment, to be seekers after God. Indeed, it is impossible to live a holy life without spending much time on your knees, seeking God for the power and authority to lead such a life.

Don’t be mistaken—faithful praying will not keep you out of a crisis. On the contrary, most likely it will bring you to a fired-up furnace and a lions’ den. But prayer will prepare you to face it all with trust—to become a living sacrifice for Jesus’ sake!

Daniel’s praying led him straight to the lions’ den. And this test came years after that of the Hebrew men—when Daniel was in his eighties! This may frighten you, if you wonder how long it will be before you stop having crises. Perhaps you thought you’d learned all your “important” tests after a certain number of years in the Lord. Yet, here God is allowing one of his greatest prayer warriors—a man of a quiet, tender spirit—to face the crisis of his life after decades of faithful intercession!

Beloved, the testing only ends when Jesus comes—or when you die in Christ! This is why prayer is so important. You can make a commitment to live an undefiled life—but that commitment is impossible to fulfill without also having a commitment to seek God.