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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 27, 2010
“Daniel: A Man of Prayer and a Man of Learning”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
“I want to be like Daniel.”
“Oh, good.”
“Yeah, all he ever did was pray.”
“Wait a second. All you think Daniel ever did was pray?”
“Yeah, like five times a day.”
“Well it was more like three times a day, but anyway, if that’s all you think Daniel did, you need take a good long look at the book of Daniel.”
Let’s start by looking at Daniel’s first big break. Like many of the young Jewish men of his time, Daniel was hauled into exile by the king of Babylon.
Then the king sent for the cream of the crop. He was looking for young men who “possessed knowledge” and were “well informed.”
The king of Babylon was not looking for slackers. He wanted young men who were already putting their brain to work.
Daniel was one of them. Yes, he was a man of prayer, but he was also a man of learning.
Daniel 1:17 says God gave Daniel “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom.”
Does that mean Daniel didn’t have to do anything but pray? Not at all. Just because God gives you the skill to learn doesn’t mean you automatically know everything.
Daniel had the ability, but he still had to do the work. He had to read and study and listen to teachers. It says Daniel was taught the language and the literature of Babylon.
As you probably know, God also gave Daniel the ability to interpret dreams, which really opened doors for him in the kingdom. Daniel 2 says the king placed Daniel in a high position and made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon
So in this lofty position of authority, what did Daniel do? Did he just pray all day? Can you really rule a province through nothing but prayer?
Later Belshazzar became king, and once again Daniel was given authority.
Then Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.
And who became one of Darius’ top officials? Daniel!
Now listen. You know what happened to a lot of people when a kingdom changed hands? Some lost their jobs, and some lost their heads!
But not Daniel. Daniel 5:12 says that Daniel was found to have “a keen mind and knowledge and understanding.”
And he continued to distinguish himself under King Darius, so much so that Darius decided to put Daniel in charge of the whole kingdom.
Yes, prayer helped make Daniel the great man that he was, but that was only part of it. I think a huge part of it was Daniel’s mental diligence. I think he continued to study and learn and grow in wisdom and knowledge.
He probably knew economics and psychology. He probably studied defense and military strategies, and agriculture and food production. He probably oversaw scientific research and education. I’m just guessing here, but when you are in charge of a kingdom, those are the things you must be in charge of.
Daniel was a well informed young man, and I think he stayed well informed throughout his life. If God gave him a 5 brain, Daniel turned it into a 25.
One thing about Daniel, when you are that successful it makes other people jealous, and that’s how Daniel ended up in the lion’s den.
But how did they actually get him into the lion’s den? Well first of all they tried to find flaws in his leadership, and guess what? There weren’t any.
If all Daniel did was pray all day, that would have been enough. They could have charged him with slacking on his duties, but he wasn’t. It sounds like he had every gear working smoothly. The only thing they could trap him on was praying, so that’s what they did.
Now you could say this. Maybe Daniel got all his great knowledge straight from God during his prayer times.
God could certainly do that, but it’s not the usual way.
Daniel did hear from God many times, but look at Daniel 9:2. It points out that he studied the Scriptures. For example, it says he learned things by reading Jeremiah.
If there was anybody who didn’t need to study the Bible it was the great prophet Daniel, and yet there he was, studying the Scriptures just like we all need to do.
So anyway, don’t get the idea that all Daniel did was pray all day. His prayer times were important, but he also spent much of his days just like you and I – taking care of business.
Yes, Daniel was a great man of prayer.
And he was also a great man of learning.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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