Read Daniel 5

Remember in school when you would read something and answer standard questions? Well, from this narrative, answer the classic WWWWW questions:

• Who:
• What:
• When:
• Where:
• Why:

The knowledge that my days are numbered is very sobering to me. Especially knowing that I do not control the numbering of them.  Pause and listen to one of the following songs:

Teach Us to Number Our Days (The song is old style- but the lyrics are incredible)

Blink (this one is more modern!)

Spend some time asking the Lord to give you some global perspective on your life.To show you how your days have been ordered until now. Prayer for the days going forward that you might life with wisdom.

Read Daniel 4

Explain what happens in this chapter?

Why do you think God delays a year (vs 28) in the fulfillment?

What were Neb’s “sins”?

From verses 35 and 37 specifically – what can we learn about who God is?

Are there things that trouble you as you think about “God doing as He pleases”? Do you feel able to trust Him in this?

Spend some time seeking the Lord and specifically asking if there are areas of mistrust in you towards Him.

Have there been times you were angry about His ways?

How have you seen Him to be “right and just”? Thank Him for those things.

Read Daniel Chapter 3

Now we get to learn a bit more about Daniel’s three friends and what stuff they are made of. I always think it’s interesting that Daniel gets to be the “famous one” and have the book in his name. But he is surrounded by some cool men.

What do you learn about the character of these three young men?

What do you learn about God and who He is from this chapter?

How do you think that the community of the four of them (including Daniel) there in Babylon impacts how they live?

What does community look like for you right now? Who are your “three friends” (figurative – you don’t have to actually a specific number!) that surround you with strong witness and courage?

Spend some time thanking the Lord for the list above.Thank Him for His provision of people in your life. Ask Him if there is a void or people in your life. Search your heart about the person you are to the people around you.

Pray for our community of believers at Riverside.

Read Daniel Chapter 2

Daniel 2:17-18 show Daniel asking his friends to pray for understanding the mystery of the dream. We also need understanding- so pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and heart to the text today.

I think it’s funny that Nebuchadnezar ‘resolves” in verse 5 to not reveal the dream. He and Daniel both making resolves!

What do you learn about Deniel’s character from this chapter?

What do you learn about God from this text?

Spend some time praying about how, in your daily life, you could be a witness that causes someone to exclaim, “surely your God is the God of gods…” Ask God to give you the desire for that to be true in your life.

Hopefully, watching the video yesterday gave as all some context for what Daniel and his three friends were dragged into.

Read Danel Chapter 1

From the narrative in chapter 1, describe Daniel’s character? What do we learn about him?

What from Daniel’s character stands out to you, or pops out as something you would like to be said about you?

The word “resolve” means: to decide firmly on a course of action; resolute; single-minded; a firm determination to do something. In your life, what are your “resolves”?

Stop, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to impress on your heart/mind things that He would want you to resolve spiritually in the next few weeks.

As Keith preached from the book of James on allowing/conforming our actions to accurately reflect our words of faith, I was reminded of Daniel in the Bible.

Daniel is thrust into an extremely hard situation where he could have had many reasons to just fall in-line with those around him instead of continuing to worship God with his heart and actions.

Head to the link below and watch the video explaining the book of Daniel. It will be a great overview before we launch into reading some chapters during the week.

https://thebibleproject.com/explore/daniel/

After watching the video, pray… Pray to God based on what you learned from this overview of the book of Daniel.

Write out the 14 verses from Ephesians 1:1-14 on a sheet of paper. (This will also help with you memorize the passage!)

Spend some time praying and thanking God for the phrases and actions that pop out to you. Use a sheet of paper to write them down as they come to you.