11/24/2022

Daniel was in a predicament because of the devious new law that forbade anyone from praying to God for thirty days. If Daniel talked to God, he would be found guilty before the king and punished with death. 

What should Daniel do? What would you do?

It would have been easy for Daniel to skip his prayer time for one month. Most, if not all, would have understood and probably agreed with him. The problem, Daniel knew what was right before God. Yes he could abide by the world’s foolish law for a month, but this would oppose the God he loved. 

So Daniel prayed. 

Correct

Was Daniel right in praying? Was it okay for him to break the law of the nation he lived in? Those are good questions that must be considered.

The law defied the LORD and His Word. By establishing the king as the only one to be petitioned, the decree effectively made the king a god. It exalted the king while minimizing the LORD. For thirty days everyone was required to look to the king in place of God. Darius would be honored while the LORD would go without praise or worship.

The Bible makes it very clear that the LORD alone is worthy of worship. So prayers should be directed to Him and nobody else. To put a person in the place of God is a terrible sin. 

Daniel had a choice, follow the direction of the world or live unto God. For a man that loved the LORD the answer was easy, he would continue to pray. The kingdom could oppose God, but Daniel would not. 

Daniel prayed because it was the correct thing to do. 

Consistent

Daniel did nothing new. He did not pray to make a point or to stir up a violent rebellion. He prayed that day because that’s what he did every day. It was not a demonstration of his rights but devotion due to a righteous heart. Daniel always prayed. 

It seems that Daniel followed David’s pattern. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. You see, Daniel did not begin to pray that day, but he continued to pray on that day.

Unfortunately, many people view prayer as an escape mechanism rather than a constant line of communication with God. They pray because they need help and not necessarily to honor the LORD. If it takes a trial to get you to your knees before God, then something is wrong with your prayer life. 

Daniel’s prayer life remained consistent.

Courageous

The temptation was great. Why pray and die? Why take a chance with your life? It’s only thirty days, you can pray later. Not Daniel, he gave thanks before the LORD.

Daniel’s love for God produced a courageous heart that had no fear of the world.

To Daniel, praying was like breathing, just part of life. How about you? Do you pray to the LORD? Do you talk to God?