Sunday, October 7
Daniel 6:3-11
Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So King Darius put the decree in writing.
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. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.
Devotional
Daniel was clearly a man of prayer. So much so that even a bogus law designed to bring him down could not stop his devotion to seeking the true God. For Daniel, prayer was much more important than compromise. Daniel prayed no matter what!
And we all know how the story ends – Daniel is thrown into a den full of ferocious hungry lions, but God gives them lockjaw and Daniel emerges victorious. Is this not God’s way of encouraging us to pray, and to pray no matter what?
What are you willing to compromise your prayer-life for? Would you pray even if it were against the law? Do you pray no matter what?
Prayer helps us stand strong in the face of opposition. Just like with Daniel. So set aside some time today to seek God in prayer. Ask Him to meet you here. Ask Him specifically to help you grow in your prayer life and to pray no matter what.
Pastor Ken