“He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:18 NLT).
When Daniel heard of King Nebuchadnezzer’s intent to execute all of Babylon’s wisemen for being unable to recount and interpret his dream, he asked the king for a time extension. That night, Daniel got with his three friends and fellow exiles, Shadrach, Meshach, and a Abednego, and urged them to join him in a prayer vigil, asking for God’s help.
There’s nothing like the threat of death to focus one’s prayer life. Just ask anyone who has spent the night next to a loved one’s hospital bed or hunkered down in a fox hole. When one’s life is at stake and eternity is at hand, even the most materialistic among us tend to lift their eyes heavenward.
That’s what Daniel and his friends did. They prayed to the “God of heaven,” asking Him to mercifully reveal to them the dream and its interpretation. The divine title, “God of heaven,” is only in the Bible 23 times. It is in the Old Testament 21 times, occurring primarily in those books where the Jews were interacting with men of other religions, stressing that their God was no mere tribal deity, but the true God who ruled over all creation from His throne in heaven. The title appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in the book of Revelation, and again to show God as the one true God over all creation.
That very night, as the Hebrew exiles prayed, the God of heaven did just as they asked. He revealed both the dream and its interpretation to Daniel, who went early the next morning to reveal it to king Nebuchadnezzer. The wisemen were saved, Nebuchadnezzer was appeased, Daniel’s position in Babylon was secured and the God of heaven received the glory due Him.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, we are Your children because of our adoption through faith in Jesus, Your Son. Yet, we know that sometimes You call us to face troubling times, in order that those around us might look up and recognize You as God. We too are like exiles in Babylon, yet we are confident that You are King over all. You are the God of Heaven and You have given all authority in heaven and earth to Your Son, who has commissioned us to make disciples of all nations. So we boldly ask for more of Your Spirit and Your power to do that which You have commanded. In Jesus’ name, amen.