August 17
Daniel 4
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream.
INSIGHT
What a towering figure is Nebuchadnezzar! Sovereign over the greatest nation on earth at the time, wealthy beyond description, subject to fits of rage, and yet somehow vulnerable and teachable. Nebuchadnezzar rages in fury at the three Jews who refuse to worship his image—yet proclaims their God the only God when He saves them from the furnace. Then, warned by Daniel that unless he repents he will be stripped of his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar lapses into convenient forgetfulness and self-adulation. True to Daniel’s word, the king becomes an animal and roams the forest. Yet, when his senses are restored, the king again worships God and proclaims His praise to the ends of the earth.
PRAYER
We praise the Lord for ruling in love:
“Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
“Blessed be Your glorious name. . .
You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You
(Nehemiah 9:5-6).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession:
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit (Psalm 32:1-2).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to God:
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies (Psalm 40:4).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- A passion for moral excellence
-- The ministry of Christian education institutions
-- Your activities for the day
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).
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