We must pursue prayer and fasting as Daniel did. Daniel loved the Lord and served Him day and night. God mightily used him because of his faithfulness. He fasted and prayed and mourned for his people and God’s glory. Are we doing the same thing for our brethren?

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:10-12 (NASB) 

There is a great deal more going on in the spiritual than those of us in the temporal know about. All in Christ who still live and breathe are in the world, but are not part of it. Some, of course, live as if they are part of it, but we are called to be separate from the fleshpot world while being filled with the Spirit. Why? Of course if we are in love with this world, this present age, we will become encumbered and distracted from what we should be doing. Also, the world system, its things and its ways are all controlled by our enemy and his rulers, authorities, cosmic powers who do all they can to keep people blind in this present darkness. When believers are temporally focused they are being influenced by evil, if not controlled by it.

1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision.
2 In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed.
Daniel 10:1-3 (NASB) 

We now move two years after the time when Daniel received the vision of the Seventy Weeks we read in Chapter 9. In Chapters 10,11, and 12 we read of the last vision Daniel received. We will concentrate on Chapter 10 in this post. Prior to receiving this last vision, Daniel was mourning for three weeks. He ate no delicacies. He ate no meat and did not drink any wine. He let his body take on a position of abject mourning springing from a humble and broken heart. Why would he do this? He was fasting and praying. We will see in v12 and following that Daniel was praying for wisdom, knowledge and discernment about the Jews their place in the coming empires and the end times.

4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. 7 Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. 9 But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Daniel 10:4-9 (NASB) 

Who is this “man” dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz..[who’s]..body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze? What was his voice like? The sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. Again, who is this? It isn’t Gabriel. This description is far greater than his. Read this:

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. Revelation 1:12-15 (NASB) 

We know that this passage from Revelation is John’s description of our Lord Jesus Christ in His glorified state. Do you see the similarities? What was Daniel’s response to seeing Him compared to John’s at seeing Christ? They both fell as dead men. Notice also how the men with Daniel were so terrified that they fled. Is this the pre-incarnate Son of God Himself or another angel?

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