Scripture
6So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! 7We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. 8And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” 9So King Darius signed the law.
10But 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. 11Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. 12So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?”
“Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”
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.
What would you do if you were banned from praying and threatened to be thrown into a den of lions for disobeying that order? Would you pray in secret? Would you stop praying for the time being? Would you pray as usual? Although this scenario is hypothetical for us today, it was real for Daniel. King Darius had decreed that anyone who prayed to God would be thrown into a lion's den, and Daniel was left to decide how to respond.
Daniel was stuck between a rock and a hard place in Daniel 6. Jealous of Daniel's success and favor with the king, some of the members of the king's administration had tricked the king into enacting a policy that made prayer to anyone but the king illegal. They tricked the king into enacting this order because Daniel was a man of faith who prayed to God often. They hoped that this policy would lead to Daniel's demise. Daniel could have decided to pray silently when he heard about this policy. He could have prayed privately so that no one would know when he was praying. Instead, Daniel 6:10 tells us that he immediately went home, opened his windows, and prayed (verse 10). Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Daniel courageously chose his faith in God over his life. He refused to let this new order affect his relationship with God. He was indeed a man of unwavering faith.
What if each follower of Christ lived with the courage and faith of Daniel? Imagine the impact that we would have for Christ. Imagine the places we would go to share our faith and the people we would share our faith with. This courage and faith must begin with us. What step of courage and faith is God calling you to take today? Will you boldly step out and take that step?
Moving Toward AcTION
After reading the verses in the Going Deeper section below, pray. Pray to God for courage. Ask Him to give you the same courage Daniel had that focused on Him and His power over his current circumstance. Ask Him to give you the courage to stand up for your faith regardless of your circumstance.
Going Deeper
Daniel 6:6-12
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