Just As He Had Always Done~

Tuesday greetings,

Daniel was a godly young man who was so smart and so good at his job as supervisor over an entire kingdom that the jealous guys who worked for him plotted to overthrow him. The Bible says, however, that they could not find any scandal to use against him.  Daniel was “totally exemplary and trustworthy.”

They came up with another plan:   “We’re never going to find anything against this Daniel unless we can cook up something religious.”

They all went to the king and convinced him to issue a decree that “For the next thirty days no one is to pray to any god or mortal except you, O king. Anyone who disobeys will be thrown into the lions’ den.” And just like that, “King Darius signed the decree.”

What on earth would we do at this point?  I hope we never have to find out.  Daniel, on the other hand, “when he learned the decree had been signed and posted, continued to pray just as he had always done.”

JUST AS HE HAD ALWAYS DONE…

Daniel was a man of prayer before the ridiculous decree, and nothing – not even the threat of being thrown in a lion’s den – would stop him from being a man of prayer afterward.

It occurs to me that maybe the reason he was such a great guy to begin with is because he spent time with God on a daily basis.  In fact, “Daniel’s house had windows in the upstairs that opened toward Jerusalem.  Three times a day he knelt there in prayer, thanking and praising his God.”

I wonder what this world would be like if all the men on planet earth took time, three times a day, to kneel in prayer and thank and praise our Lord?

Nevertheless, an important point for us all to embrace is that prayer must become a daily habit.  When we come under fire, when we are stressed, when others come against us, when we are threatened, when we are weary, we keep on praying.  The time to start praying is not after the problem, but way before, even when times are good.  Daniel was already in the habit of praying as he enjoyed a position only second to the king.  By the time that decree was issued, Daniel had already discovered that God is awesome and that he would trust Him over what those mere mortals were planning.

Powerful truth of the day: Prayer prepares us for problems. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We admire Daniel!  No wonder his name means “courage”.  It takes guts to keep on praying when you know you’re going to be punished.  But it would be worse to turn away from the very means that has brought peace, joy, hope, and guidance into our lives.  May we always stay true to You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~