Daniel 4
Day 1
- Pray - By now you realize that we have no understanding of God's Word apart from the Holy Spirit. Ask God to preside over your study through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Preview Daniel 4 - Read the whole chapter without stopping. This is your opportunity to take a quick look.
- Apply - What are your first impressions of the book? Who are the main characters and what roles do they play? Who is the good guy? Who is the bad guy?
- Comment - Let us know your first impressions of the book.
- Pray - Ask God to illuminate His truth as you submit yourself to the study of His Word.
- Read Daniel 4. Choose a different translation today. Remember, www.biblegateway.org is a great resource for looking up various translations.
- Reread Daniel 4:1-3. Comment on the change that has happened in Nebuchadnezzar since we first met him in Daniel 1. Also, think about his praise of God in verse 3.
- Apply - Try reading verse 3 aloud. Preach it to yourself. What feelings overcome you as you read these words of praise? Do you believe what you're reading?
- Comment - Share your heart about verse 3.
- Pray - It's critically important that we ask God to move and speak during our time with Him.
- Read Daniel 4.
- Reread Daniel 4:4-18. - Take this reading nice and slow. Meander along the path of God's Word, taking it all in stride.
- Apply - Put yourself in Daniel's position. Have you ever felt a total reliance on God, like Daniel must be feeling? Think about it. You know that he must be fighting the temptation to fear that God won't come through in providing the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Do you ever fight the temptation to fear?
- Comment - Share a personal experience in which you trusted God to help you fear not.
- Pray - Praise God for allowing us the freedom that comes from His Word.
- Read Daniel 4.
- Reread Daniel 4:19-27 - Take a few minutes to really consider the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar's dream.
- Apply - Consider the enormous responsibility that comes with interpreting dreams for a king. It really puts the teller of truth (Daniel) in a sticky situation, particularly if the dream's meaning is bad news. Have you ever been in a situation in which you had to be the bearer of bad news? How did (or how could) God make telling truth doable?
- Comment - Leave a comment to share your insights.
- Pray - Praise God for teaching you new things about Him this week.
- Read Daniel 4 with a sense of accomplishment! You should be very familiar with this chapter by Day 5.
- Reread Daniel 4:28-37. Really walk slowly through these verses. We don't want to miss a single lesson that the Lord has for us.
- Apply - Do you see evidence of the gospel in this portion of Daniel 4? Remember the gospel message runs throughout scripture, not just in the life of Jesus. How do you see the saving power of God in this story of Nebuchadnezzar's loss and redemption? Have you felt this same saving power in your own life? How have you continually experienced the gospel since first trusting God with your life?
- Comment - Share your story with us.
