Daniel 9:20-24 - “While You were Praying”

I.        The Setting of the Prophecy (20)

II.      The Delivery of the Prophecy (21a)

III.     The Timing of the Prophecy (21b)

IV.     The Purpose of the Prophecy (22-23)

V.      The Content of the Prophecy (24)

1) Do we truly believe that God is at work even though He may not answer in a dramatic fashion like He did with Daniel? (See Matthew 6:8; Psalm 139:4). Are there any examples that you can think of where the answer to your prayer was already on the way, while you were praying?

2) Daniel was considered highly esteemed in heaven. What kind of people does Heaven pay attention to? (Isaiah 66:2; Job 1:8) Are these the same people who capture your attention? What is different about the criteria the world uses?

3) Daniel scheduled his prayer time during what would have been the evening offering in Jerusalem (Exodus 29:39), even though it was not currently being offered (21b). What does this tell us about Daniel’s desire for corporate worship? What kind of commitment do we have for corporate worship?

4) Read Daniel 9:22-23. How many synonyms for “understand” can you find? What does this tell us about God’s desire for our us as it relates to prophecy in the Bible? How might you need to change your attitude toward Bible Prophecy?

5) What practical benefits are there to understanding prophecy beyond satisfying our curiosity? (Acts 17:31; Isaiah 46:9-10; 1 John 3:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).  

6) Consider Daniel’s prayer in verse 16 and the answer he receives in verse 24. What does this say about God’s commitment to His people and God’s care for Daniel? In what specific ways has God demonstrated faithful love toward you? How does this encourage you to be faithful in prayer?