Daniel prayed morning, noon and night
There’s an old poem: ” Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone, Dare to have a purpose firm, Dare to make it known.” Let’s take a look at that historic man and his life.
The time was around 539 B.C. The place was ancient Babylon. Daniel’s nation had been conquered by the Babylonians some 70 years previously; Daniel was a captive, as were the rest of his nation. Babylon was a place of false gods and idol worship. Daniel had managed to keep his faith in the one true Living God. The king noted that Daniel was special. Daniel had an ‘excellent spirit’. He was wiser than all the magicians, astrologers and sorcerers of Babylon. The king promoted Daniel to a high administrative position. Other officials wanted to get rid of Daniel. They found no error or fault with him. They drew up a law that stated that whoever would make a petition to any god or man for 30 days except to the king himself would be punished. He’d be thrown into a den of lions. The king passed the law.
“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, ,just as he had done before.” (Daniel 6:10)
Daniel’s enemies told the king that Daniel wasn’t obeying the new law and Daniel was put into the den of lions for the night.
“At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” (6:19-23)
Daniel’s enemies and all they had were then thrown into the den and “before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”
“Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: “May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end. He rescues and He saves; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” (6: 25-27)
Daniel’s uncompromising devotion to God impacted an empire. His daily habit of praying morning, noon and night was what kept him close to God, confident in HIs ability to rescue him. You might say Daniel was like a friend to God.
I believe this remarkable event with God’s chosen man Daniel has been recorded here to help us today. As people of God, we shine as lights in a dark world. By God’s grace, we can live lives of integrity and find blessing even amid our ‘lions’ den’ experiences. Daniel found freedom though he spent 70 years as a captive when the foreign army conquered his country. Daniel kept on clinging to God and never did compromise or fall into the temptations of the false gods and idols everyone around him were honoring. This event is a picture of resisting temptations that steal heart and mind from God and also a picture of triumph over evil.
Jesus taught us to pray: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Peter wrote about an enemy we all have to watch out for:
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5: 8, 9)
Jesus taught that there is one who seeks to steal, kill and destroy. There is comfort at the end of His teaching as He declares: “I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.”(John 10:10)
All of us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord have a Good Shepherd watching over us. Jesus has absolutely demonstrated all victory over the evil one. As Jesus walked this earth, He cured all manner of sickness and disease and infirmity. The blind were given their sight, the lame empowered to walk, the lepers cleansed of their skin disease. One man with a withered hand had it completely made new again. Even a few dead people were raised to life. The grave couldn’t hold our Jesus either.
In addition to these demonstrations of abundant life out flowing, we see Mary Magdalene, set free from the evil spirits that held her in prostitution. She became a new person, one faithful to follow our Lord.
Our enemy at times tempts us from our walk with God, seducing us with the worldly and ungodly things around us. Other times he may distract us while in prayer, keep us from fellowshipping with other believers, cause us to doubt, or fear, or lack necessities.
Recalling Daniel’s rescue from the lion’s den, he was a man who stayed connected to God. He prayed morning, noon, and night. He wasn’t swayed by the godless culture around him, even though he had been in Babylon for 70 years. We may have seen pictures of Daniel in the lion’s den. He’s pictured as a young man. Historically, he would have been in his eighties when this event occurred. We can take this man as a good example of how to live a life trusting firmly in God, knowing Him to be all sufficient to rescue us, to protect us and keep us every day of our lives as we stay connected to Him.
God’s love abounds to His people. Let us take Daniel’s example and speak to our God morning, noon and night. We can ask for help to not get drawn into the evil things about us, we can ask for strength, the ability to forgive others, for forgiveness for our own sins, and for rescue from evil. We can simply give Him thanks and praise. God longs to know each and every one of us more.
