"But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God" (Daniel 6:10, NLT).
We need to ask ourselves, “How important is prayer in my life? If praying to God were suddenly outlawed, would I be a Daniel and pray as he did? Is my prayer life worth being thrown into a den of lions?
Daniel’s time with God was apparently worth losing his life (Dan. 6:7-10). It must have been tempting to pray only once, don’t you think? But Daniel, a man greatly esteemed and beloved by God, never missed a beat. His daily habit was to pray three times a day, and that’s what he continued to do, even when threatened with death. It was the Jews’ habit during their days in exile to open their windows toward Jerusalem when they prayed. I must admit that if I had been Daniel, I would have been tempted to close the window while I had my devotions! But Daniel didn’t care who saw him or what the repercussions would be.
What can we learn from Daniel? We must pray regularly – no matter what. Prayer links us to God, who can keep us safe both in and out of the lions’ den. Prayer not only helps us grow in our trust in God (Dan. 6:23), it also helps others grow (Dan. 6:25-27). The end result of Daniel’s daily prayers was testimony to Daniel’s God by King Darius himself.
Can we be like Daniel? Do we pray heartily in the difficult circumstances of life? We could start even now! Who knows who will be touched by our prayers?
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for taking the honor praying to You and approaching Your throne lightly. Help me to be disciplined to pray to You and listen for Your direction daily. Work through me so that others will be blessed by the answers to my prayers. Amen.
