Daniel—A Man of Prayer
//Lynette Hagin
Daniel was a mighty man of prayer. Although he was a captive in the land of Babylon, he always knelt by his window three times a day and faced toward Jerusalem as he prayed to the Lord his God. He was faithful and consistent in his prayer life. Whatever else was going on in Daniel’s life, he always took time to pray.
One day King Darius signed a decree that no one could pray to anyone besides the king for 30 days. When Daniel heard about the decree, he did not change his routine. He had no intention of compromising his relationship with the Lord.
Daniel was not ashamed of his relationship with his God. As far as he was concerned, it was just business as usual. After the decree, he went to his upper room and prayed, as was his custom (Dan. 6:10). Daniel knew the Lord in such a way that he was absolutely certain He would take care of him.
Daniel must have prayed loudly, because the presidents and princes heard him. And those tattletales couldn’t wait to tell the king.
King Darius was terribly upset when he heard the news, because Daniel was his favorite among all the rulers of his kingdom. He tried desperately to find a way to change his decree. But according to the law of the Medes and Persians, a decree signed by the king could not be reversed. The king was forced to order that Daniel be arrested.
But King Darius had complete confidence in Daniel’s God, even though he himself didn’t serve the Lord. The king said, “Daniel, your God Whom you serve continually will save you” (Dan. 6:16). Notice that Daniel didn’t wait until he was thrown into the lions’ den to pray. He didn’t wait until he was in the middle of a crisis to call upon the Lord. No! Daniel served God continually.
A Night in the Lions’ Den
Daniel wasn’t the least bit disturbed by the predicament he found himself in that night. Even though he was surrounded by ferocious lions, he had no fear. He knew that God would deliver him from every lion. He remained confident and at peace in the lions’ den because he had an intimate relationship with his God.
When you have a close relationship with your Heavenly Father, you can be in the midst of any lions’ den—any type of trouble or predicament—without fear. You can speak God’s Word, stand onHis promises, and know that those promises are not going to fail you. And you can refuse to camp in the valley of trouble and distress, because you know that God is going to deliver you out of all your distresses and troubles.
Do You Know Him?
How well do you know your God? Do you know Him the way Daniel knew Him? Do you know Him so well that you can rest in confidence no matter what befalls you, knowing that He is on your
side?
Of course, knowing God intimately doesn’t mean that you will never go through tests, trials, or tribulations. You will experience those as long as you’re here on this earth. But if you will boldly rise up and declare, “My God will deliver me! My God will do exceedingly abundantly, above all that I can ask or think,” then the Lord will rescue you. And like Daniel, you will rise to the top!
Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from Lynette Hagin’s book, Talk to Me: Connecting With the Heart of God.