Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
Daniel's enemies watched him for a whole day and found him openly praying to his God three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem, just as he had always done, in disregard of the royal decree forbidding prayer. That decree had been secured through jealousy against his faithfulness by making it a crime punishable by the lions' den for thirty days to ask any petition of any God or man except the king. For his steadfastness he was cast to the lions, but God did not forsake him and sent His angels to shut the lions' mouths and deliver him unharmed. His faithfulness and deliverance placed him where the king could witness and proclaim that his God is the true and living God alone worthy of worship. In every perplexity and persecution steadfast loyalty to God above human authority finds in Him a present helper and deliverer, and the same unbending integrity is required now of all who would honor God even at danger of death.
Setting and Prayer Observed
Darius the Mede took the throne formerly held by the Babylonian rulers and reorganized the government by setting one hundred and twenty princes over the kingdom and three presidents over them, of whom Daniel was first so that the princes would give account to them and the king would suffer no damage. Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king intended to set him over the whole realm. The honors bestowed upon him excited the jealousy of the leading men of the kingdom, yet he was faithful and neither error nor fault could be found in him. His enemies were therefore forced to admit they could find no occasion against him except concerning the law of his God, and moved by envy and hatred they made his prayers the snare.
The snare was a decree arranged against prayer and signed in the courts of Babylon that for thirty days no one could ask a petition of any God or man except the king. Whoever broke it would be cast into the den of lions, so that prayer to God was made punishable by death. Daniel knew of the decree, yet he continued just as he had done before it was made, without concealing or abandoning his purpose. He kept his custom of going to his chamber and tent three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem to pray and make earnest supplication to the God of heaven. He prayed openly rather than in secret, refusing to treat praying in secret or praying openly as a small matter or to accommodate himself to circumstances for convenience.
These men and princes watched him for an entire day and found him praying and pleading with God and asking for help from Him. Three times they saw him go to his chamber and three times they heard his voice lifted in earnest intercession to God. This open, repeated prayer in disregard of the royal decree gave them the proof they sought. The next morning they used it to complain to the king and accuse him before the ruler as having set the decree at defiance.
Deliverance and Witness to God
Daniel's courage to stay true with the lions' den before him had not appeared suddenly, but had grown out of firm adherence to principle cultivated from youth and out of steadfastness in the lesser trials faced each day. His open devotion in continuing to pray despite the royal command was both integrity and determination to honor God above human authority, and it was sustained by strength from heaven. Because of that faithfulness he was cast into the den of lions, yet God did not forsake him but sent holy angels to minister to him and to shut the lions' mouths so they did him no harm. That deliverance out of the power of the lions proved the value of communion with God and that earnest prayer is answered. When trial is met in the path of duty God's protection is sure, in contrast to courting temptation by associating with the servants of Satan, which leads sooner or later to falling.
His faithfulness brought him to the rulers' attention and placed him where a king could witness and proclaim the supremacy of his God. It gave him opportunity to testify that the God of heaven alone deserves worship and praise. His deliverance from the lions' den then showed that the God he worshiped was the true and living God. That vindication of His servant helped spread knowledge of the true God throughout Babylon.
Because he did not yield and let no man come between him and his God, he kept the living God exalted as the giver of wisdom and power and showed all whence came his strength. For standing firm to principle for the honor of God whatever the result, God let His blessing rest upon him in remarkable degree. God honored him with wisdom and understanding above all the astrologers and magicians in the palace, and God works the same way for others who stand the same way.
Call to Steadfast Faithfulness
In every perplexity, opposition, and even persecution, steadfastness to principle finds a present helper and deliverer in God. Now is the time to cultivate integrity of character. Daniel continued his custom of going to his chamber three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem to pray to the God of heaven even after the decree that for thirty days whoever asked a petition of any God or man except the king would be cast into the den of lions. His prayer came from firm adherence to principle cultivated from youth, and wicked men moved by envy and hatred could find no fault in him except concerning the law of his God, so they used the decree as a snare. Because of his faithfulness he was cast into the den of lions, but God did not forsake him and sent holy angels to minister to him and close the lions' mouths so they did him no harm, and his daily prayers when praying put him in danger show firmness of religious principle that fear and threats could not turn from loyalty to God.
Daniel's example demonstrates integrity and determination to honor God above human authority even at danger of death. His open devotion, continuing to pray and make supplication to God in his tent and chamber after prayer was forbidden and to ask God for help despite the royal command, was a confession of faith sustained by strength from heaven. He refused to treat praying in secret or praying openly as a small matter or to accommodate himself to circumstances for convenience, but stood firm to principle for the honor of God whatever the result, with the gaping lion's den open before him, choosing to lose his life rather than dishonor the God of heaven in any way. As God's representative he kept the living God exalted above all as the One who gives wisdom and power, showing all from whence came his strength and letting no man come between him and his God, and because he did not yield God let His blessing rest upon him in remarkable degree and honored him with wisdom and understanding more than all the astrologers and magicians in the palace, and God works the same way for others who stand the same way. His remaining loyal through prayer and supplication even when the king's requirements put him in danger of death led to God's vindication of His servants and helped spread knowledge of the true God.
The same strict integrity is required now. The test coming to all who will enter the city of God is whether they will keep God's commandments and His honor before them or make faith convenient and serve the powers that be. To dare to be a Daniel is to dare to stand alone in Jesus Christ as a channel through which God can impart His grace. Those who follow his example turn from self to seek to enrich poverty-stricken souls starving for an example of righteousness, and the treasure of God's love, the golden oil from the two olive trees, is poured into the heart, so that those who impart heaven's riches are themselves enriched. Ministering angels wait longing to communicate heavenly treasures through such men and women, and only by cooperating with Jesus Christ, learning His methods, accepting His Holy Spirit, and laboring together with Him do they reach the highest stage of mental and moral development and gain a full complement of influence in self-denial and cross-bearing.
His steadfast prayer when pressure was brought against his witness for God condemns yielding to pressure to receive and publish literature that unsettles faith in Christianity. Such literature introduces Satan and his sophistry and gives a wrong tendency to minds. Work of that character must be refused because it is work that God condemns.
Daniel's enemies watched him for a whole day and found him openly praying to his God three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem, just as he had always done, in disregard of the royal decree forbidding prayer. That decree had been secured through jealousy against his faithfulness by making it a crime punishable by the lions' den for thirty days to ask any petition of any God or man except the king. For his steadfastness he was cast to the lions, but God did not forsake him and sent His angels to shut the lions' mouths and deliver him unharmed. His faithfulness and deliverance placed him where the king could witness and proclaim that his God is the true and living God alone worthy of worship. In every perplexity and persecution steadfast loyalty to God above human authority finds in Him a present helper and deliverer, and the same unbending integrity is required now of all who would honor God even at danger of death.
Setting and Prayer Observed
Darius the Mede took the throne formerly held by the Babylonian rulers and reorganized the government by setting one hundred and twenty princes over the kingdom and three presidents over them, of whom Daniel was first so that the princes would give account to them and the king would suffer no damage. Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king intended to set him over the whole realm. The honors bestowed upon him excited the jealousy of the leading men of the kingdom, yet he was faithful and neither error nor fault could be found in him. His enemies were therefore forced to admit they could find no occasion against him except concerning the law of his God, and moved by envy and hatred they made his prayers the snare.
The snare was a decree arranged against prayer and signed in the courts of Babylon that for thirty days no one could ask a petition of any God or man except the king. Whoever broke it would be cast into the den of lions, so that prayer to God was made punishable by death. Daniel knew of the decree, yet he continued just as he had done before it was made, without concealing or abandoning his purpose. He kept his custom of going to his chamber and tent three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem to pray and make earnest supplication to the God of heaven. He prayed openly rather than in secret, refusing to treat praying in secret or praying openly as a small matter or to accommodate himself to circumstances for convenience.
These men and princes watched him for an entire day and found him praying and pleading with God and asking for help from Him. Three times they saw him go to his chamber and three times they heard his voice lifted in earnest intercession to God. This open, repeated prayer in disregard of the royal decree gave them the proof they sought. The next morning they used it to complain to the king and accuse him before the ruler as having set the decree at defiance.
Deliverance and Witness to God
Daniel's courage to stay true with the lions' den before him had not appeared suddenly, but had grown out of firm adherence to principle cultivated from youth and out of steadfastness in the lesser trials faced each day. His open devotion in continuing to pray despite the royal command was both integrity and determination to honor God above human authority, and it was sustained by strength from heaven. Because of that faithfulness he was cast into the den of lions, yet God did not forsake him but sent holy angels to minister to him and to shut the lions' mouths so they did him no harm. That deliverance out of the power of the lions proved the value of communion with God and that earnest prayer is answered. When trial is met in the path of duty God's protection is sure, in contrast to courting temptation by associating with the servants of Satan, which leads sooner or later to falling.
His faithfulness brought him to the rulers' attention and placed him where a king could witness and proclaim the supremacy of his God. It gave him opportunity to testify that the God of heaven alone deserves worship and praise. His deliverance from the lions' den then showed that the God he worshiped was the true and living God. That vindication of His servant helped spread knowledge of the true God throughout Babylon.
Because he did not yield and let no man come between him and his God, he kept the living God exalted as the giver of wisdom and power and showed all whence came his strength. For standing firm to principle for the honor of God whatever the result, God let His blessing rest upon him in remarkable degree. God honored him with wisdom and understanding above all the astrologers and magicians in the palace, and God works the same way for others who stand the same way.
Call to Steadfast Faithfulness
In every perplexity, opposition, and even persecution, steadfastness to principle finds a present helper and deliverer in God. Now is the time to cultivate integrity of character. Daniel continued his custom of going to his chamber three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem to pray to the God of heaven even after the decree that for thirty days whoever asked a petition of any God or man except the king would be cast into the den of lions. His prayer came from firm adherence to principle cultivated from youth, and wicked men moved by envy and hatred could find no fault in him except concerning the law of his God, so they used the decree as a snare. Because of his faithfulness he was cast into the den of lions, but God did not forsake him and sent holy angels to minister to him and close the lions' mouths so they did him no harm, and his daily prayers when praying put him in danger show firmness of religious principle that fear and threats could not turn from loyalty to God.
Daniel's example demonstrates integrity and determination to honor God above human authority even at danger of death. His open devotion, continuing to pray and make supplication to God in his tent and chamber after prayer was forbidden and to ask God for help despite the royal command, was a confession of faith sustained by strength from heaven. He refused to treat praying in secret or praying openly as a small matter or to accommodate himself to circumstances for convenience, but stood firm to principle for the honor of God whatever the result, with the gaping lion's den open before him, choosing to lose his life rather than dishonor the God of heaven in any way. As God's representative he kept the living God exalted above all as the One who gives wisdom and power, showing all from whence came his strength and letting no man come between him and his God, and because he did not yield God let His blessing rest upon him in remarkable degree and honored him with wisdom and understanding more than all the astrologers and magicians in the palace, and God works the same way for others who stand the same way. His remaining loyal through prayer and supplication even when the king's requirements put him in danger of death led to God's vindication of His servants and helped spread knowledge of the true God.
The same strict integrity is required now. The test coming to all who will enter the city of God is whether they will keep God's commandments and His honor before them or make faith convenient and serve the powers that be. To dare to be a Daniel is to dare to stand alone in Jesus Christ as a channel through which God can impart His grace. Those who follow his example turn from self to seek to enrich poverty-stricken souls starving for an example of righteousness, and the treasure of God's love, the golden oil from the two olive trees, is poured into the heart, so that those who impart heaven's riches are themselves enriched. Ministering angels wait longing to communicate heavenly treasures through such men and women, and only by cooperating with Jesus Christ, learning His methods, accepting His Holy Spirit, and laboring together with Him do they reach the highest stage of mental and moral development and gain a full complement of influence in self-denial and cross-bearing.
His steadfast prayer when pressure was brought against his witness for God condemns yielding to pressure to receive and publish literature that unsettles faith in Christianity. Such literature introduces Satan and his sophistry and gives a wrong tendency to minds. Work of that character must be refused because it is work that God condemns.