“Oh, man of desires” (margin) (Dan. x. 11).
This was the divine character given to Daniel of old. It is translated in
our version, “O man, greatly beloved.” But it literally means “O man of
desires!” This is a necessary element in all spiritual forces. It is one
of the secrets of effectual prayer, “What things soever ye desire, when ye
pray, believe that ye receive them.” The element of strong desire gives
momentum to our purposes and prayers. Indifference is an unwholesome
condition; indolence and apathy are offensive both to God and nature.
And so in our spiritual life, God often has to wake us up by the presence
of trying circumstances, and push us into new places of trust by forces
that we must subdue, or sink beneath their power. There is no factor in
prayer more effectual than love. If we are intensely interested in an
object, or an individual, our petitions become like living forces, and not
only convey their wants to God, but in some sense convey God’s help back
to them.
May God fill us to-day with the heart of Christ that we may glow with the
Divine fire of holy desire.