Daniel 9-10
“Peace”
1. Advent Peace in a Troubled World 🌍
📖 Read: Daniel 9:1–3; 10:1–3
The Bible tells one long story of peace—from Genesis to Revelation. God is the God of peace, the Gospel is the message of peace, and Scripture repeatedly promises peace to God’s people. Yet when we open to Daniel 9 and 10, the scene feels anything but peaceful. Daniel is fasting, grieving, and laboring in prayer while his people remain in exile. God speaks—but His word is troubling and weighty.
This is where God’s promise of peace collides with real life.
Key Insight:
✨ Biblical peace is not the absence of conflict, but confidence in God’s faithfulness in the middle of it.
Discussion Questions:
• Where does the promise of peace feel hardest to believe right now?
• Why do you think Scripture presents peace alongside suffering and waiting?
• How does Advent challenge shallow or sentimental ideas of peace?
2. Shalom: Peace That Defies Circumstances 🌿
📖 Read: Daniel 9:4–6; Isaiah 26:3
Biblical peace—shalom—is not the removal of difficulty. It is wholeness, rest, and trust rooted in God’s promises. Daniel’s peace is forged while he waits, prays, and wrestles honestly before God. Advent peace is cultivated in exile, not escape.
Key Insight:
🛡️ Shalom is defiant peace—resting in God while circumstances remain unresolved.
Discussion Questions:
• How do you usually define peace? How does Scripture redefine it?
• Where are you tempted to believe peace means “everything going right”?
• What does it look like to fix your mind on God when answers are delayed?
3. Peace Begins with Repentance 🙏
📖 Read: Daniel 9:7–14
Daniel does not defend Israel or distance himself from their sin. He confesses fully and humbly: “We have sinned… we have rebelled… we have turned away.” Daniel understands peace begins not with self-justification, but repentance. Before a holy God, he simply says, “Lord, You are in the right.”
Key Insight:
🕯️ Peace begins where repentance replaces self-defense.
Discussion Questions:
• Why is repentance often resisted as a pathway to peace?
• How does unconfessed sin quietly rob us of rest and joy?
• What might honest confession look like in your life this season?
4. From Guilt to Mercy ❤️
📖 Read: Daniel 9:15–19; Hebrews 10:10–14
Guilt weighs heavily on every human heart. We ask, “How am I doing?” and measure ourselves against God’s standards. Daniel reminds us that guilt is real—but it is not meant to lead us to despair. God responds to repentance with mercy. In Christ, forgiveness is full, final, and finished.
Key Insight:
💔➡️💝 Repentance opens the door to peace; God’s mercy completes it.
Discussion Questions:
• How do guilt and shame affect your experience of peace?
• Why is it hard to accept forgiveness once God has given it?
• What does it look like to stop punishing yourself for forgiven sin?
5. Peace Strengthened by God’s Nearness ✨
📖 Read: Daniel 9:20–23; 10:18–19
Before Daniel finishes praying, God answers. A heavenly messenger reminds him, “You are very precious to God.” Weak, overwhelmed, and undone, Daniel is strengthened not by explanations—but by God’s nearness. Peace is spoken over him: “Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”
Key Insight:
🤍 God’s peace is given to the weary, not earned by the strong.
Discussion Questions:
• How does knowing you are “greatly loved” reshape your prayers?
• Where do you need God’s strength rather than clearer answers?
• What keeps you from believing God draws near in your weakness?
6. Advent Peace Restores Our Awe 👑
📖 Read: Isaiah 26:3; Luke 2:8–14
The holy God whose power overwhelms Daniel is the same God who comes near—born in a manger. Advent peace is completed as our awe is restored. We fix our eyes on Jesus, the Lamb of God, who will one day put an end to sin and bring everlasting righteousness.
Key Insight:
🌟 Advent peace grows as our awe in Christ is restored.
Discussion Questions:
• What does it mean to “fix your mind” on Christ this Advent?
• How does Jesus’ first coming strengthen hope for His return?
• Where do you need awe—not answers—to experience peace?
🙏 Prayer Prompts
Confession:
“Lord, show me where sin or self-reliance has robbed me of peace.”
Mercy:
“Thank You for forgiveness purchased fully by Jesus.”
Strength:
“Meet me in my weakness and speak Your peace over me.”
Awe:
“Fix my eyes on Christ—born for me, reigning now, and coming again.”