DANIEL’S PRAYER

Bible: Daniel 6: 10-13

Main verse: PSALM 145: 19 – He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.

*******

Every Christian knows Daniel’s story, particularly his constant praying. In difficult times as the world is now infected with the coronavirus, Christians should remember Daniel’s prayer so that we can be encouraged in seeking God by earnestly praying to Him to have peace.

Daniel’s life is an example of determination to live by God’s way. Daniel was a captive when he was taken to Babylon and had no freedom, but he still insisted to live by God’s way. Daniel was chosen to be trained as a servant of king Nebuchadnezzar.

DANIEL 1: 3-4 – And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

Daniel and the other chosen ones were provided a portion of the king’s food and wine to make sure that they were fit enough to be his servants:

DANIEL 1: 5 – And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

According to ancient practice, those food had always been dedicated first to idols, so that the king could be blessed by them to be healthy and strong. That practice made the food unsuitable for Israelites to eat. That’s why Daniel refused it and wanted to eat only vegetables.

Daniel’s determination to live by God’s way was the main reason that made him pray three times a day to God, as his ancestors had done before him:

PSALM 55: 17 – Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.

PSALM 119: 147 – I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in Thy word.

PSALM 42: 8 – Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

Praying three times a day is not hard, but doing it consistently is harder, almost impossible, especially when doing it under the risks of persecution, like in Daniel’s case.

DANIEL 6: 10 – 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.

Christians have been threatened and persecuted throughout history for living by God’s way. There are cases in which Christians had to worship the Lord secretly to avoid being caught and imprisoned. There are cases in which Christians had to pray and read the Bible in secret to avoid being identified and persecuted.

In Daniel’s case, he already knew that he would certainly get the death sentence if he prayed to the Lord because the king’s decree had been signed to forbid it for thirty days.

Anyone else would ask the Lord for an excuse not to pray to Him within that period, but Daniel determined that he would continue to pray to God with an open window toward Jerusalem as usual. For him, life or death was not important. What was important to him was to please God and living by His way.

Other people who loved God had the same attitude, like Paul, who lived many centuries later:

ROMANS 14: 8 – For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.

Daniel’s attitude in prayer is a good example for Christians. By his consistency in prayer, Daniel was saved in the den of lions

DANIEL 6: 16 – Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel: Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee.

Daniel being in the den of lions is an illustration of dangerous situations that Christians are facing at the end of times as the world is suffering from wars, famine and pandemics. The lions that Daniel came to face was visible danger. The coronavirus that Christians are facing is an invisible one.

Those dangers are nothing compared to the power of God. He is still in control of every thing and He has plan for every Christian. As in the case of Daniel, as Christians consistently pray to God in this difficult time, we will be protected and saved according to God’s plan for us.

Christians will be comforted in difficult times as we read Psalm 91.

PSALM 91: 1-7 – He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Christians will experience safety and peace of mind as we try to pray consistently to God. Everyone in this life is so busy nowadays and Christians are no exception, but we should put prayer to be our first priority.

Daniel was the third most important official in the king’s court but he managed his time to keep praying three times a day. There was nothing that was so important to him as his prayer to the Lord.

DANIEL 5: 29 – Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom

By treating his prayer as the first priority in his life, Daniel achieved what was impossible to others, which is to be saved from the den of lions. If we could also prioritize prayer as the most important thing in our lives then we will be saved from danger.

According to the Bible the world will have many disasters and pandemics before Christ’s return. Wars, famine, pestilences and natural disasters will happen more often from now on, but we will be saved by praying consistently to God.

May God help us to have determination in living God’s way everyday. May God listen to our prayer and keep us safe from danger. May He bless us with the peace of mind and victory over pandemics while we wait for the day He comes back to Earth. Amen.