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This article was originally published in Edition (5) of Prayer Magazine, Jan-Mar 2006. 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. The officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. So they went back to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to Your Majesty—will be thrown to the lions?” “Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is a law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is paying no attention to you or your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.” Hearing this, the king was very angry with himself for signing the law, and he tried to find a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty knows that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.” So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you worship continually, rescue you.” Daniel 6.10-16 NLT This incident from the life of Daniel could be entitled “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” A royal decree had ordered that anyone praying to the Lord would be thrown to the Lions. Daniel faced a tricky dilemma. Up to this point, his regular prayer and fellowship with the Lord Almighty had kept him safe from the corrupting influence of the Babylonian culture, and had actually given him the strength and guidance to be a positive influence on that culture himself. To remain as an influential leader in the government he would either have to stop praying or pray secretly. Imagine being in a situation where simply just to pray could be life threatening! Once Daniel gave it some consideration he realised that his decision was going to be a simple one, because there was no way be could compromise his faith in the Lord. So he went home and prayed as he always did- facing Jerusalem. It’s then that Daniel was caught by government officials and reported to King Darius. In the eyes of the officials Daniel has been disobedient to the King rather than devoted to the Lord. King Darius was distressed about this, because he had seen Daniel’s faithfulness and wanted to try saving him. With the greatest of reluctance Darius ordered that Daniel should be thrown to the lions, but even then acknowledged the relationship Daniel had with the Lord God. The next day everyone expected to see a slaughtered body, but instead the Lord had protected Daniel. His faithfulness in prayer had been rewarded, even though the lions were ravenously hungry. The incident even showed to King Darius that Yawheh was indeed Lord. Daniel shows the value of being obedient, consistent and persistent in prayer even when everything and everyone around you screams out for you to be the opposite. So often our complete trust and reliance on the Lord can be compromised for position and reward. The notes on the book of Daniel from The Message translation explain to us; “Daniel has shot adrenaline into the veins of God-obedience and put backbone into God-trust.” The leadership pressure that Daniel faced was a temptation to act in a way that signalled the Lord didn’t exist or that speaking to Him would be futile. Daniel succumbed to neither, and his prayer life remained strong. If you like this article, why not subscribe to Prayer Magazine - Click here to Subscribe {LINK : https://www.prayermagazine.
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