Friday, March 21

Patient Prayer

Friday, March 21

Daniel 6:10

Taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel ended up in Babylon, when Judah was overrun, according to numerous prophecies of God’s fulfilled retribution on His people’s unfaithfulness. (Daniel references Jeremiah more than once in his book.) Daniel and his young Jewish friends were conscripted to learn the language of the Chaldeans and were taught much of their history and culture. Eventually, Darius the Mede, ended up as Daniel’s boss. Both captors had agents in their government who were envious of Daniel and his friends.

In the case of Darius’ regime, the king’s pride was Daniel’s weak link. Thinking the idea to direct worship away from other deities was a worthy idea, Darius agreed to permit exclusive worship of himself, for a time. He did not know Daniel as well as the satraps who set a trap for Daniel did.

Daniel maintained his exclusive and active prayer life. We realize that this was most likely a primary reason why he had so many deliverances, dreams, and royal devotees. (To this day, Daniel has no less than 6 memorial sites scattered throughout the Middle East, from Iran to Iraq to Turkey.)

Knowing full well about the new 30 day prohibition and its companion punishment, Daniel continued to pray: “Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.” (Dan. 6:10)

As you may recall, the penalty for placing any deity above Darius was spending the night in a lion’s den. I find it a bit humorous that the new “deity” Darius was powerless to change a man-made moral code. Lacking veto power of his own law, Darius made a decision: it was off to the lion’s den for Daniel.

Our prayers often vacillate. A challenging diagnosis brings passionate and persistent prayer. Sunny weather, actual or metaphorical, brings the distraction of ease and entertainment. But Daniel patiently kept a three-times-a-day prayer life. Like his three friends whose goose could not be cooked (Dan. 3), Daniel knew very well that God could have not kept the lion’s mouths closed and claws pursed, leaving the attending angel in heaven. In either case, the fear of pain and death was real.

How do we remain steadfast and patient in our prayer life?

In all of the Old Testament, Daniel has one of the clearest passages about the resurrection of the faithful: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:2, 3). Our destiny as raised children of God – is life now… and later, forever! (John 5:24, Dan. 12:2)