The advisors claimed powers to reveal secrets and make
known divine revelations, but in a crisis, they could not
produce. Daniel’s secret to success is revealed in this
crisis—prayer! His concern was not for the wise men of
Babylon, but for three friends and himself. At Daniel’s
urging, the four friends pleaded for God’s mercy concerning
this mystery. Prayer meetings are especially effective when
urgent and earnest pleas come from the righteous.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each
other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man
is powerful and effective (James 5:16).
Daniel knew
the supreme importance of praying with other believers as did
the early church (Acts 4:23-31). It is obvious from Daniel’s
episode that prayer is indispensable in knowing and
understanding spiritual truth. The secrets of God are not
revealed to those who do not know Him or pray to Him. It
behooves every believer to cultivate a prayer life based on
God’s many promises.
Call to me and I will answer you
and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know
(Jeremiah 33:3).
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should
ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault,
and it will be given to him (James 1:5).
Truly, “He
reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in
darkness, and light dwells with him.” Wisdom is a reflection
of everlasting light. God is light and in Him is no darkness
at all. There is nothing so hidden or mysterious that it is
inaccessible to God (cf. Psalm 139). God is willing and able
to reveal wisdom to the wise. Nebuchadnezzar and his advisors
lacked wisdom; one must have spiritual insight to understand
God’s revelations according to 1 Corinthians 2:14:
The
man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come
from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and
he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
As you continue to read, observe several
amazing things that occur between 2:18-2:30:
In 2:18
Daniel and his friends prayed for themselves.
In 2:24 God
expanded Daniel’s heart to include concern for others—enemies.
In 2:30 Nebuchadnezzar was the target of God’s mercy
and compassion—His love. Since God reveals His plans to His
friends, the presupposition is that Yahweh wanted
Nebuchadnezzar as a friend (cf. Genesis 18:18-19; John 15:15).
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