21 Days of Prayer
DAY 8 - Daniel 6:9-11
9 So King Darius signed the law.
10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel's house and found him praying and asking for God's help.
CONSIDER THE CONTEXT
King Darius made it law. No prayers are to be offered except to him - you can't pray to any god or person for the next 30 days or death will be the penalty. Daniel just couldn't stand for such craziness. Not only did Daniel continue his prayer ritual he continued to pray in such a manner that his enemies would see him praying and report his disregard for the King's edict. And report Daniel is exactly what his enemies did. Much to the King's dismay (he really liked Daniel) off to the lion's den he went. Sure death awaited Daniel but God intervened. Daniel spent the night sleeping in the lion's den and King Darius happily released him the next day. So impacted by the protection God gave Daniel, Darius made it an edict that all people under his vast power would worship and serve this God of Daniel's.
CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS
Have you ever felt embarrassed or less than confident to pray in public? It is not an easy thing to do to stop in a public place and pray with or for someone. But the impact on those around you can be beyond anything you could ever think or imagine. Daniel could have never envisioned that this totally pagan nation that had conquered Israel would ever consider bowing down to the Lord, God Almighty. And yet through the willingness of Daniel to pray in public, even at the risk of his own life, God changed the entire known world. Prayer is a powerful thing. Your commitment to pray changes the very nature of how this world operates.
CONSIDER THE PRAYER
Lord, I have to admit, I'm not the most confident pray-er. Yet today I want to pray with the conviction of Daniel. I look for those opportunities today to pray for your presence in my life, in the lives of those around me and in the life of my Church. Today I trust that it doesn't really matter what I pray, it is the fact that I am willing to pray that makes all the difference. Please God open the doors to opportunity for me and my Church to pray in our community today. Make us more like you. Make us willing and able to do the things you place on our hearts. Bring us together, under the banner of your name, through prayer and make us a powerful force for change in our world. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment