The King’s demand was bizarre. It’s hard enough to try to interpret a dream once you hear it, but King Nebuchadnezzar was adding a new twist to it all. “Not only do I want you to interpret my dream, I want you to remember it for me – because I’ve forgotten it. The content of the dream has escaped me completely. Think hard because if you can’t tell me, your heads will roll.” Nasty consequences to say the least! A rather brutal penal system.Obviously none of the magicians of the day could meet the King’s demand. So the edict from the King was swift and sweeping. Not only were the magicians and astrologers implicated, every wise man was faced with the prospect of being cut in pieces too – even Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
Daniel wisely suggested to the King’s captain that the execution order was a bit hasty. He asked for more time to consider the forgotten dream. Daniel went back to his apartment and told his three friends. The next scene is awesome: the four young men have a prayer meeting. What’s so awesome about that? Well, these were young guys far away from home and from their parents. They had attended the University of Babylon – maybe they were still in a campus dorm. But they were still living for God.
“Then Daniel went to his house,
and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
his companions:
that they would desire the mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret….”
(Daniel 2:17)
They still knew how to pray. Their first impulse, when at risk, was: “let’s pray.”
Is praying a part of your culture when you get together with your friends? Does your group feel comfortable praying together – or would someone snicker?
If your parents’ generation seldom prayed spontaneously and informally together with their friends, would you like to help blaze a new trail for your generation? If the adults in your life mostly only prayed in local church meetings or in bedrooms, would you like to do your part in making spontaneous, informal, on-the-spot prayers a part of your generation’s normal activities?
If your friends piled into a car for a weekend camping trip or for a Bible conference, would it be too awkward to pause momentarily to pray? You could briefly ask that God would protect you on the road, guard you from talking about wrong things and that you would have a good weekend.
It’s not too late to start praying with your friends – even if it hasn’t been the norm in the past. We’re all scared of being labeled a super-duper, holier-than-thou Christian. Yes, your friends know the crazy side of you and you may be scared they’ll think you’re being artificial or hypocritical, but get beyond that.
Have a little discussion with your group. “Hey, you know what we should start doing? We should pray together when we are planning to do something or if one of us has a problem. It might seem weird at first and we might feel awkward, but we should start doing it. We don’t have to pray long – we can just spontaneously pause to pray. When any one of us has the impulse to pray, let’s give ourselves permission as a group to interrupt whatever we’re doing and pray – even if it is just a 20 second prayer.“
Print off this Bible Bite and when you and your friends are together the next time, discuss it with them. 2010 could be the year when you help to make praying a part of your ‘group’ behaviour – the norm for your peers. And pray that it will spread to other groups of friends. Lead by example.
Romans 12:12 “…continuing INSTANT in prayer.”Praying together will deepen your relationship with each other and with God.
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay