No Praying for 30 Days... Daniel's Dilemma

Daniel was told he could not pray for 30 days. The mandate or decree told to him may not seem like THAT big of a deal… But the motive behind this decree was greater than the majority realized. It was a decree that Daniel was not willing to adhere to and put his life at stake.

My thoughts have been on Daniel Chapter 6 this past week. But are the stories in the Bible too extreme or even relevant for today?

Let’s find out.

Daniel was a high official in king Darius’ court. He exuded integrity and his passion for the True King bled from his life. Because he was a man of high standing, he was also a target for jealousy amongst other officials. And this jealousy drove them to try and take Daniel down; a man unwilling to bend when it came to his relationship with YAWEH.

Then these officials came up with a plan to kill him in chapter 6 of Daniel beginning at verse 6:

6So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9So King Darius put the decree in writing. (emphasis added)

30 days Daniel was told he could not pray to God, the True living King.

30 days Daniel was told he was to pray only to king Darius and no one else.

30 days Daniel was to bend his knee to someone else.

So what did Daniel do?

10Now 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. (emphasis added)

Daniel could have prayed in his heart.

He could have prayed in secret.

He could have kept his lips from proclaiming God’s goodness through his prayers.

He could have closed the windows and hid his prayers to God from others.

But he didn’t.

Instead -

He kept the windows open, not hiding his devotion to God.

He opened his mouth and verbally and vocally prayed to the living King. He bent his knee ONLY to the True King.

He prayed, JUST AS HE HAD DONE BEFORE.

Daniel chose not to bend to what the officials and authorities had asked of him for just 30 days. He didn’t go to his room in defiance to “show them.” He prayed in obedience to God. He also knew what that meant for him: death.

The Pulpit Commentary states Daniel’s actions like this:

The action of Daniel is here that of a man of true conscientiousness; he does not obtrude (become noticeable in an unwelcome or intrusive way) his religion now that the practice of it implies danger, as did some Christian fanatics in the persecution of the three first centuries; nor, on the other hand, does he hide his acts of worship - he simply continued his previous habits.1

We are going to face trying times like Daniel. Our circumstances may look different than Daniel’s and the world may have different consequences for obeying what God has set in place in regards to worshipping Him. But we will all have one choice, bend to what the world is asking of us or honor the True and Living King.

When Daniel chose to defy king Darius’ decree, he did not do it flippantly in defiance to him. Daniel did not go back to his room saying, “I’LL SHOW DARIUS!”

No, he humbled himself before the Lord and prayed to Him like he had always done before. He did not alter or change his prayer life for any man. Daniel had a holy reverent fear for God and not a fear of what man could do to him.

When I read the Book of Daniel, I look at his courage and pray, “God give me faith like Daniel. Faith that even if I am thrown into a pit with lions or fill in the blank, I do not waiver for any man or decree.”

But here is what is beautiful in Daniel’s choice, he did not know that God would rescue him. He did not know the outcome of what would take place, but he stood firm anyways. He chose to worship and pray to God and valued that over his life.

16So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

19At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

21Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

23The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. (emphasis added)

Are you willing to trust God with the outcome of serving Him?

It’s easy to read the Bible, read examples of those giving their lives for Truth and think, “Yeah, but that scenario was so different than today.” Moments like this one for Daniel may seem so extreme in what was being asked of him.

Or was it?

Extreme or not, when it really comes down to it, are you willing to trust God with the outcome of serving Him? Are you willing to go to jail for Truth? Are you willing to take a stand when others around you are doing the opposite? Are you willing to do right in the eyes of God when the world around you hurls insults and stones at you? Are you willing to trust Him with EVERY aspect of your life? EVERY aspect?

This question I cannot answer for you.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:15