How did Daniel remain faithful to God from his teens to his eighties while living in Babylon pressured every day in every way to dishonor, disobey, and disregard his God? One secret to Daniel’s success was his prayer life.
Daniel knew God and knew how to talk and listen to God. Daniel’s prayer life is highlighted throughout the book and a prime cause of his fortitude and wisdom. In fact, Daniel gets into trouble with the demonic leadership in Babylon because of his immovable prayer life.
We read in Daniel 6:10 that he prayed three times a day on his knees openly and publicly as a form of nonviolent protest against false gods and praise to the real God. In 2:17-23, he asked friends to join him in prayer and was emboldened to risk his life interpreting the kings dream. Daniel 9:1-27 is a long explanation of his prayer life, complete with fasting and prayer answered by an angelic visit from Gabriel who would later visit Jesus’ mother Mary.
To live in a world filled with the spirit of Babylon, the only way to navigate all the landmines is with wisdom. Throughout life, both Daniel’s and yours, there will be difficulties, days, and decisions that are so complex and challenging that knowing what to do is incredibly difficult to determine. The Spirit-filled example of Daniel is that we need to be humble enough to pray, asking the Lord of specific wisdom and courage, and then acting in faith upon what He says without trying to control the outcome but leaving those details in His hands.
How is your prayer life? How can it be improved? What kind of decisions have you made in the past when you failed to pray?
In addition to this introduction to and overview of Daniel, you can find the corresponding sermons, daily devotions, men’s ministry resources, and hundreds of additional sermons and Bible teaching resources for free at markdriscoll.org or on the Mark Driscoll Ministries app.
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