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Volume 1, Issue 2
Dear Friends,
Recently, the Lord has been challenging me again with the story of Daniel. Several areas have had great meaning for me personally, but the place I keep going back to is the sixth chapter of Daniel, a very familiar story to most people. The depiction of the lions den has always been very fascinating, but something earlier in the story leaped off the page during my study time, and I want to share it with you.
Daniel was a great man of God, and by the time we reach the sixth chapter, he had been promoted in the kingdom numerous times. Now Darius, the new king, also promoted Daniel. Darius divided his empire into 120 provinces and over each province he put a governor, and over all the governors, he put three presidents. Daniel was one of the presidents. But we find in verse three that Daniel had such an excellent spirit, Darius was going to promote him again and set him over the whole kingdom. He was no longer going to be just a president, but now he would be like a prime minister, right under King Darius himself.
This recognition caused Daniel’s peers to be very angry with him. It could have been possibly because of jealously, discrimination because he was a Jew, or maybe it was because they were so corrupt, they knew with his uprightness that they would have to begin operating in integrity themselves. Whatever the reason, they began to very carefully investigate him to try and expose some wickedness in his life. But what they found was that Daniel was the same man everywhere. Whether in private or in public, whether he was at the office or at home, whether he was in the pulpit or with his friends, he was consistent in his life. He lived his life to glorify God and because God is everywhere, Daniel was the same everywhere. I wonder if someone investigated us today, would they find us to be like Daniel…faithful, consistent in our walk with God at all times?
Because the men couldn’t find anything to charge Daniel with, they decided to deceive King Darius and convince him to ban prayer. They knew if the king would do this, it would incriminate Daniel because he was always faithful in his prayer life...three times a day, everyday. If people at your job were trying to make things difficult for you, would they know to attack your faith? Would they realize your faith would be the one area that you would not back down? Let me pose another question to you. How confident are your enemies of the consistency of your Christian witness? |
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So the men went to Darius and persuaded him to issue an irrevocable law that prohibited prayer to anyone other than King Darius himself for 30 days. King Darius was so proud that the men would want to honor him in this manner that he agreed to their wishes. The enemy knew that they had now trapped Daniel. What would we expect Daniel to do at a time like this? The Book of Daniel, chapter six, verse ten gives us the details: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”
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| Couldn’t he have said, “God, I’ve prayed for 80 years, my entire life. I need 30 days off and then I’ll start praying to you again.” Or maybe, “I’ll pray, but I’m going to keep the windows closed for the next 30 days.” Or even, “I’ll continue praying, but can I just pray with the lights off while I’m lying in bed?” No doubt, Daniel knew what this would cost him, but he got back down on his knees, opened the windows and called out to God again! He was faithful, he was consistent, even when he was faced with danger! What about you? If you know someone is watching you and it could mean you do not get the job promotion, would you continue to do what God has called you to do? |
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Would you continue to be faithful and consistent? Even when Daniel was facing death, he was faithful to God.
I am not sure if his accusers stood outside his window and heard him praying or if they broke into his home to catch him in the act. Either way, verse eleven gives us the details. “Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.” How did they find Daniel? Was he in the closet somewhere praying? Was he hiding out in the dark? No! They found Daniel praying on his knees with the windows wide open!
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Will you be taking medication to calm your nerves, or will you continue doing what God has called you to do…will you be praying? Will you be calling people to discuss the issue, or will you be praying? Will you be forming a committee to fight for your rights, or will you be praying? Oh God, in these dark and last days, keep prayer our focus!
When the disciples looked at the life of Jesus, they could have asked Him to teach them how to preach. They could have asked that He teach them how to heal. But they knew where His power came from to do the mighty acts that they witnessed, so it should be no surprise to us that they inquired of Jesus to teach them how to pray! Many of you desire to have a great ministry. Many of you want to operate in the gifts of the Spirit. Many of you want to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. The only way to have these things is not a course in theology, but instead taking the example from both Daniel and Jesus Christ and having a consistent, faithful life of prayer. Even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, recognized the great need to pray. |
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Daniel gave us a great example as he set aside three times everyday to pray. Just like we schedule our doctor appointments, let’s begin putting prayer on our agenda. When you do, you will be amazed at the promotions and blessings that you will begin to see in both you and your family’s lives.
May the Lord always find you faithful in your prayer life!
In Christian love, Pastor Beth |
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