The Perfect Prayer – Part 2: A God-Saturated World

We are concluding our summer Putting Green look at prayer with a 3-part study of what I call the perfect prayer: Daniel Chapter 3. I call it the perfect prayer because it contains all the elements of a perfect prayer: 

Respond in faith not react in fear 

Abandon the outcome to God 

Facts 1st -Faith 2nd -Feelings a distant 3rd  

“Thank you now, Lord, before I see how you are going to work this out, because I know I will be thanking you later.” 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are faced with an impossible situation when King Nebuchadnezzar builds an image of gold, and commands everyone in his kingdom to bow down and worship it. The three refuse to do so, and the king angrily threatens them with a horrific burning-alive death, ending his threat with this taunt: 

“Then what god will be able to rescue you from …  my hand?” 

But the three men are undaunted in the face of this scary and brutal threat. With reckless abandonment – “abandoning the outcome to God” – they respond in faith, not react in fear, with the facts. 

Obviously, they know they live in a God-saturated world, one in which Jesus’ guarantee at Matthew 10:29 reigns supreme: 

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. … 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father’s will. …  31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” 

“Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father’s will.” 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego understand that nothing, not one thing, can happen without their Heavenly Father’s knowledge and, don’t miss this, his permission. Therefore, they can pray and state confidently that they are fine with whatever happens because they know their Father is in control and has allowed it for a greater purpose. 

Consider this: 

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.”  

This echoes Jesus’ response to Pilate when he threatened Jesus’ life with a similar boast of his power: 

“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” (John 19:10-11) 

I sense the same calm, relaxed response in both these crisis situations, don’t you? It is almost as though they are all saying, “Thank you now, Father, before I see how you work this out, because I know I will be thanking you later. And, therefore, I will abandon the outcome to you, Father.” 

These are the facts – not feelings – upon which their trust is based. 

Perhaps now is a good time to challenge ourselves as to whether John Ortberg’s brilliant observation applies to us: 

“You may believe in Jesus, but you don’t believe what Jesus believed?” 

Next Week: React in Fear or Respond In Faith