Corporate Daniel in a babylonian world
“We will fast, pray, and worship God in the midst of a Babylonian world, as we set our gaze on the New Jerusalem that is to come.”
Living a fasted lifestyle means choosing to deny ourselves of the pleasures and options that the world around us brings, as we long for the restoration of Jerusalem when Christ returns to reign. We will not settle for the comforts of the culture nor give in to the floods of persecution. Like Daniel and his friends, we resolve to pray and worship even when it is costly to do so. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, models how to trust the Father’s evaluation of reality more than our own perceptions. We overcome the intimidation of the beastly kingdoms and the Babylonian system by willingly laying down our lives like Jesus.
Scripture: Daniel 1-12, Matthew 16:13-28, 26:36-45.
Reflection questions:
Do you have a local community that lives with the corporate Daniel reality? How does having such a community strengthen your faith? How does not having one affect you? What can you do about the situation you are in?
Does working in the marketplace equate to being part of the Babylonian world/ society? How can you live a life like Daniel and his friends in your school, workplace, or sphere of influence that you have been placed in?