The Trademarks of God's Leaders - Daniel Consistent in Prayer

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders. 

Today we continue to explore some of the leadership characteristics of the Old Testament prophet Daniel.  Today we look at chapter 6, the story of Daniel in the lions’ den.  

At the time this occurred, Daniel was serving under his third Babylonian king.  There were Nebuchadnezzar, followed by his son, Belshazzar, and now Darius. Bible historians estimate that by this time Daniel was in his 70s or 80s.   

Government officials who were jealous of Daniel because the king planned to set him over the entire kingdom (verse 3) persuaded Darius to make a decree that anyone who prayed to any god or man during the next 30 days, except to Darius, would be thrown into a den of lions.  

I appreciate and admire Daniel’s response.  We read about it in verse 10.  “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” 

I have several observations about this situation.

• Those who were jealous of Daniel must have known about his practice of prayer.  That is why they conspired to persuade Darius to make the decree. 

• The king’s edict had no effect upon Daniel’s prayer life.  He continued to pray three times per day … with the windows open! 

• The prayer habit that got Daniel into difficulty is also what rescued him from his difficulty.  

My pastor recently preached a sermon on Jesus’ School of Prayer from the Luke 11 account.  His main points were these: 

1. The Content of Prayer – (verse 2) He said to them, “When you pray, say, Father …”  We can pray because God is our loving Father, because Christ is our mediator giving us access to the throne of the universe, and because the Holy Spirit himself indwells us.  We worship and pray to a God who is approachable.  

2. The Attitude of Prayer – (verse 8) “yet because of the man’s persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.”  We must not give up when our prayers aren’t answered when, or how, we expect.

3. The Heart of God for Us in Prayer – (verse 13) “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” 

4. The Power Encounter of Prayer – (verse 20) “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.”   

Let us be like Daniel and commit ourselves to a consistent discipline of prayer.  

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.