- Daniel prayed three times a day. - In the Old Testament era the hours of prayer were also known as the hours of oblation or sacrifice (Daniel 9:21, II Kings 16:15). It is recorded that the prophet Daniel prayed three times a day (Daniel 6:10). Daniel did not pray three times a day just because he felt strangely inspired to do it. He prayed three times a day because it was part of his Godly Judaic heritage. It was a meaningful component of his daily prayer system. Although this prayer practice was established in the Old Testament, as it rightly should be (Hebrews 10:1), it is more often mentioned in the New Testament. These hours of sacrifice, or Hours of Prayer (particularly the third and ninth hours) were prophetic in nature. Jesus our supreme sacrifice was crucified in the third hour of the day (Mark 15:25). His witness of darkness at noon day occurred in the sixth hour (Mark 15:33-34; Matthew 27:45). Finally at the time of the evening oblation being the ninth hour Jesus gave up the ghost and died for the sins of the world (Luke 23:44-46). These hours of prayer are Memorials of Him who made it possible for you and me to enter the Holiest of Holies (spiritually for ourselves) coming boldly before the throne of God in prayer, making our petitions known (Hebrews 10:19). What greater motive would the Church need for recognizing and giving at least occasional honor to these Hours of Prayer than bringing honor to Jesus? The New Testament is filled with glorious accounts of how God has honored these special hours by responding to prayer in a significant way. Here are some examples: It was the third hour on the memorial day of Pentecost, when the one hundred and twenty disciples were in the upper room praying for the promise of the Father when cloven tongues of fire sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3, 15). Not only was it the prophetic day (Pentecost) but also the prophetic hour. The New Testament Church customarily went to the temple at the hours of prayer. Evidence of this is revealed in the account of a miraculous event which occurred at a particular time when two of the disciples of Jesus were entering the temple shortly after the day of Pentecost: Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the HOUR OF PRAYER, being the ninth hour (Acts 3:1). On this occasion a lame man was gloriously healed when the apostle Peter took him by the hand and said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk...and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength (Acts 3:6-7). They were not at the temple by happenstance nor randomly entering the temple but very deliberately doing so at the Hour of Prayer. Not to be overlooked is the story of the apostle Peter and Cornelius of Caesarea (Acts 10). In effect, it is a reenactment of the Day of Pentecost. The only major difference is that it was happening to a body of Gentiles on this occasion rather than a body of Jews. God began to set the stage for a dispensational change. The thrust of the Gospel from this point on, would be focused on the Gentile nations. The unique circumstances of this story were divinely orchestrated. Cornelius, though a soldier in the Roman army, was a devout man who prayed to God alway and was very liberal in his alms giving. He was in prayer about the ninth hour when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a vision and instructed him to send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. The next day as Cornelius servants came to Joppa, Peter was also having a spiritual experience. Peter went up upon the house top to pray about the sixth hour. Suddenly he fell into a trance and saw a vision of a great sheet let down from heaven full of all kinds of unclean beasts. God proceeded to instruct Peter to accept these Gentiles because they had now been cleansed. It was simply an object lesson to prepare Peter for ministry to a people (Gentiles) whom he considered unacceptable for the kingdom of God. His obedience to God resulted in a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the house (family) of Cornelius and consequently the Gentile nations. It is obvious that observing the memorial Hours of Prayer was a vital part of the spiritual value system of both of these great men of God.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 12:02:47 +0000
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