Day Thirteen

“Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks
to his God, just as he had done before.” (Dan. 6:10)

Scripture Reading: Daniel 6

We’re tempted to think of heroes like Daniel as supermen with powers unattainable to the average Joe. We cheat Daniel when we don’t picture him as he was: a fragile man of flesh and blood, prone to run, and tempted to conform—just like the rest of us. But Daniel didn’t run, even when faced with hungry lions licking off his flesh before doing the favor of killing him. What gave Daniel his courage? How did he maintain his integrity in matters of life and death? I think Daniel 6 reveals a few answers.

1. Daniel was already in the HABIT of prayer. Look at verse 10: he prayed “just as he had done before.” He didn’t just dial 911 in emergencies or 1411 for more information. He was in the habit of walking with God daily. I want my voice to be one God is accustomed to hearing every day. I don’t want only a crisis relationship. I don’t think you do, either. We derive tremendous security from knowing that the same God who met our needs yesterday will meet them today.

2. Daniel trusted in the sovereignty of God. Verse 10 says, “he got down on his knees.” He submitted himself to God’s authority, trusting Him to override anything contrary to His will. I’ve tried to instill in my children the once-a-day habit of getting down on their knees to pray. The physical posture of bending the knee to God’s authority reminds us He is Lord. This practice doesn’t degrade me; it gives me great security.

3. Daniel cast himself entirely upon God. The word prayed in verse 10 translates a Hebrew word rarely used in Scripture. It means “to limp as if one-sided.”7 In his own strength Daniel knew he was too handicapped to walk the path before him. Through prayer he cast his weight on God and took one step at a time.

4. Daniel unashamedly asked God for help. I believe he was scared to death. He had no intention of turning his back on God, but he was understandably frightened of the impending sentence. My favorite part of the story is that Daniel didn’t receive the sort of help he anticipated. He probably asked for the edict to be overturned or for God to change King Darius’s decision. Maybe he simply asked for courage to die with dignity for the glory of God. I doubt that he specifically asked God to shut the lions’ mouths. But God showed that it wasn’t Daniel’s courage, King Darius’s change of heart, or the group’s guilty conscience that saved him. It was God. He doesn’t always provide the sort of help we anticipate—but His method always provokes the most glory.

Beloved, we’re living in the lions’ den. Victory is ours when we walk with God daily in habitual prayer, when we know His Word well enough to trust His sovereignty, and when we cast ourselves on Him and make an honest plea for help. He derives great satisfaction from shutting that lion’s mouth.