Preparing for Sunday - Daniel 1-12

August 29, 2013 by Bret Capranica Preparing for Sunday

Read Daniel 1:1; 2:1; 5:1, 30, 31; 6:1; and 10:1. Where is Daniel? How many kings does he interact with?
Read Daniel 1:1-20; 2:26-28; 6:1-10. Why is Daniel where he is and how would you characterize his character?
Glance through the headings in your Bible of Daniel 1-6. Make a list of the sort of events recorded about his life.
Glance through the headings in your bible for Daniel 7-12. What are these chapters primarily about? Read 12:5-13. What era of human history is being described in these events and when will they be completed?
Read Daniel 2:20-23; 4:2-3, 34-35; 6:25-27; 7:9-10, 13-14. What is emphasized about God in these chapters?

What do you learn about Daniel, his friends and what commitment to God looks like in the midst of opposition?
Have you every experienced opposition from those outside of Christianity to your faith? When? How? How would Daniel be a helpful example to you? How could Daniel's overt, God-centered life-style instruct you and how you conduct yourself at work, in your neighborhood, or in our culture generally?
Read Daniel 9:1-19. How could this be a helpful prayer to model your own (or congregational) confession of sin?
What is the primary purpose behind revealing the events of the end time in Daniel 7-12? What effect should understanding our future and the end have on us now?

Pray for God to raise up Daniel-like witnesses to the greatness of God in our congregation.
What areas of your life do you see exposed that you should pray for God's gracious help?
Use Daniel 9 as a means of confession of sin.
Use the passages listed above as a means of expressing your praise to God in worship.
Pray for non-Christians who may be with us Sunday that they would be influenced by what is preached from God's word and by the worship of God's people as we gather together.
Pray for Christians to be encouraged, confronted, and to grow from our gathering this Sunday.
Pray for those who will be leading our gathering this week: Dawson Bryant, music; Mark Krystyniak, Elders' Prayer and Scripture Reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.
Listen to the songs we will be singing this Sunday and meditate on the lyrics to flavor your heart and prepare yourself to sing with the church this Lord's Day.