Jewish people were accustomed to pray at nine o’clock in the morning, noon, and three o’clock in the afternoon, the third, sixth, and ninth hours of the day, and Daniel carried that discipline with him to Babylon when he was carried away. When Daniel and his friends were supposed to know the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and explain it to him, they prayed earnestly and our unfailing Lord gave them the complete dream and its meaning. They prayed further and thanked God (Dan.2:14-23).
When Daniel’s life was in danger, he went to his home and prayed, and the Lord delivered him from the lions (Dan.6:10). Frequently Daniel asked the Lord or His messengers for wisdom to understand the visions the Lord gave to him. Daniel depended on prayer.
In the church today, people turn to prayer only when everything else has failed. Their translation of (Ps 46:1) is, “God is our last refuge when our own strength is gone and we don’t have anywhere else to turn.” What a tragedy! A.W. Tozer used to say, “Whatever God can do, faith can do, and whatever faith can do prayer can do, when it is offered in faith.” Daniel not only prayed alone but he also prayed with his friends, because he knew the value of two or three believers assembling together to cry out to God. “I’d rather be able to pray than to be a great preacher,” said evangelist D.L. Moody: “Jesus Christ never taught His disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.”
Those who set aside special times of prayer are more likely to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17), for the special times of prayer help to sanctify us and keep us in touch with God.
B. Prayer has amazing power in healing the nation: (Jam. 5:17-18):
Elijah was as human as we are. He was the prophet during the days of wicked King Ahab and queen Jezebel.
- Prayer has healed the nation from idolatry: Elijah challenged 450 priests of Baal and 400 priests of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table. God worked a great miracle through Elijah defeating 850 priests and Elijah killed them to rid the land of the from idolatry.
- Prayer brought showers of rain to land: Elijah had stopped the rain for 3 1/2 years because there was rampant sin and idolatry. When he prayed the showers of rain came heavily (1 Ki.17:1; 18:41-46).
But when Jezebel learned the slaughtering of Baal’s and Asherah priests, she threatened Elijah. Elijah was very much afraid and ran for his life. He forgot that his God is all powerful who could do such a great miracle at his prayer and is able to rescue from the wicked Jezebel.
C. Prayer will add up souls: (Jam.5:19-20)
If someone is saved from wandering from the truth or the Word of God, he should be brought back gently. By doing so, we will be saving him/her from the death and covering his multitude of sins by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Any person born once (physical birth) and dies will have 2-deaths i.e. the first physical death and second eternal death. But whoever takes 2-births (one physical and another spiritual birth by repentance) will have only 1-death (i.e. one physical death or even may not be).
When we pray for backsliders, wanderers, we are literally rescuing them from the eternal fire. Their sins would be forgiven by God.
“Some like to live within the sound of Church bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell” CT Studd.