Mensa Otabil - Humble Yourself (10/27/2025)
Welcome to day number two of our 40 days of power, and I trust the first day went well for you as you join us in prayer wherever you are. I pray that God will do mighty works for each one of us during these days of seeking His face.
Today we talk about humbling ourselves because when we fast, we don’t come with arrogance, we don’t come with pride, and we don’t come trusting in ourselves as if we are some powerful person who believes that God has to hear us for our own sake. We come with humility, and that’s what Daniel did in Daniel chapter 10, verse 12. Then he said to me, «Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I’ve come because of your words.»
This is an angel of the Lord speaking to Daniel. Daniel was in a place where he needed God’s help, so he started to fast, engaging in a 21-day fast. He didn’t eat things that were very sweet and all of that; it’s a Daniel fast. He put away some kinds of food from his meals, and after 21 days of this kind of fast, the angel of the Lord came to him and spoke to him. There are a couple of lessons we learn from Daniel here. The first thing is that Daniel, in his fast, set himself, or set his heart, to understand. This means that when we are fasting, we can have an agenda for the fast. " Lord, I want to know Your will. I want to know Your purpose. Open my mind; teach me what to do.»
So, Daniel’s fast was, «Lord, I want to understand.» That’s what he was praying for during the 21 days of fasting. What is the thing that you have set on your heart that you want to see in these 40 days of power? Not only that, the passage says that Daniel humbled himself before God. He was saying, «God, I want to understand,» but he wasn' t saying it arrogantly; he was saying it humbly. He came before God, he confessed his sins, and he knew that everything he received from God was because of God’s grace.
We humble ourselves during a time of fasting, and what is the result? Two things: the passage says first that Daniel’s words were heard. In other words, during the fast, as he was praying, and when we pray, we use words. We talk, and we say, «Lord, do this for me. Lord, do that for me.» The angel says, «Daniel, you were speaking here on Earth; it seemed like you were just talking, but God heard you.» I pray that will be our story throughout these days of power-that God will hear us, our words will be heard. When you say " Lord,» He will hear; when you say «help me,» He will hear; when you say «open doors for me,» He will hear.
Our words will be heard, and it came because he humbled himself. If he was proud, then God would not hear him. The second thing the passage says is that his prayer provoked supernatural activity -supernatural intervention. When God hears our prayer, He doesn’t just hear for hearing’s sake; He’s not just listening to a conversation. God hears so He can do something, so He can act in a way on our behalf. When God heard Daniel, He began to do things for him; He performed supernatural works for him. God will hear you; our words will be heard.
When our words are heard, there will be supernatural interventions on our behalf. So in these days, as we seek the Lord in prayer, determine what you want from the Lord. For Daniel, he said, «Lord, I want to understand.» You have to also pray and say, «Lord, I want to be humble before You. I don’t want to come with arrogance and pride,» and then you want to trust that God will hear your words and that God will intervene on your behalf.
Let’s pray. Sit with me: Heavenly Father, thank you that Your ears are inclined to my prayer. As I call on Your name, may my prayer rise like incense before You. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.