Fuel for Your Prayer Life (Dan. 2:13-19)

 

Charcoal

Here are five things that will fuel your prayer life.

1. Urgency.  Your prayers will be more effective when you have a personal stake in the outcome.  "...they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them." (Dan. 2:13).  Nothing fuels prayer more than a sober estimate of what's at stake!
2. Alignment.  Your prayers will be more effective when you don't sabotage them by wrong behavior.  "Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment..." (Dan. 2:14)
3. Responsibility.  Your prayers will be more effective when you do your homework.  Ask relevant questions.  "For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?" (Dan. 2:15)
4. Concentration.  Your prayers will be more effective when you set aside special time for them.  "So Daniel...requested of the king that he would give him time..." (Dan. 2:16).  Pray for the one thing with all the energy, sincerity and faith you can muster.  Focused prayer doesn't bounce all over the place.  Focused prayer is the sniper's shot, not the hunter's buckshot.
5. Agreement.  Your prayers will be more effective when you exercise the power of unity.  "Then Daniel...informed his friends..." (Dan. 2:17).  See also Mt. 18:19-20; Ac. 2:1.  You're after people with a similar passion, people who also understand what's at stake, people you trust.