River Oaks Church
Series: My Heart’s Delight (A Devotion from Daniel 6)
Title: My Heart’s Persistence
Introduction
Think of a time when you had to be persistent about something. It may be a monotonous activity, it may be a goal that you sought out over a long period of time, or it may be just part of your routine that you have to keep doing. You got it? What was it and why did you do it? Was it required?
Was it because you desired it? Was it something you didn’t want to do?
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Today, we are going to look at Daniel who was persistent in prayer. It was a pattern in his life, a habit that he got into doing, it was something that was important to him and he wasn’t ever going to give it up.
Let's get a little background. Daniel was taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar while he was a youth. He was trained in the ways of the culture, but refused to allow the culture to get into his heart, “Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank” (1:8). He remained faithful to God even though it could have cost him his life. God blessed him and allowed him and his three friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) to rise to positions of influence and power in the Babylonian kingdom. However, the beginning of chapter six a new kingdom was beginning to reign over Babylon. Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, he was the king who saw the writing on the wall that Daniel interpreted for him, was killed on that very night by the Medeo-Persian Kingdom. Now the Persians have taken control of Babylon and Darius begins to rule the city. Daniel is no spring chicken, he is around 80 years old at this time.
Read Daniel 6:1-5.
1. Why do you think Darius chose Daniel to be one of the three high officials?
Satraps were like governors over areas and reported directly to the king. The high officials were to watch the Satraps to make sure the king’s interests were protected.
2. What did Daniel do to distinguish himself from the others? (v.3)
a. “excellent or extraordinary spirit” indicates what character quality?
Something to discuss: What kind of character qualities do you display to others?
Are you enjoyable to work with at school or work? Are you agreeable or disagreeable? Would your employer or school friends say, “I love to be around them.” Do you hold grudges, feelings of resentment or have envious thoughts about others? The Lord wants us to be of such a
good spirit and an excellent attitude in whatever we do, so that people know we are faithful followers of Christ.
b. What do you think Daniel had to do (over the course of those 80 years) to have a character like that?
3. What problem did Daniel’s pending promotion cause with the other two high officials and the satraps? What did they do about it?
a. How did they try to trap Daniel?
b. What area did they look at in order to find some sort of accusation against him?
- “regard to the kingdom” ______________________
Note: Some scholars believe that when it says in v.4, “no error or fault was found in him”that they were also looking at the purity of his personal life, not just his work ethic.
Something to discuss: Daniel’s integrity was found to be completely intact. There was no area in his life which he could be accused of doing any wrong or of being found at fault in. How are you doing? at work? at school? at the gym? in the neighborhood? Someone once said, “Integrity is
something you have to give away, no one can take it from you.” Have you ever given your integrity away? (May need to explain that to the younger folks). Working hard to be a man, woman or young person of integrity is worth the hard work, because when something goes wrong, you
want them to be able to say, “I know them, they would never do that.”
c. What area of Daniel’s life did they try to entrap him by? (v.5)
1) Why would they choose that area of his life?
2) What did they know about Daniel that would cause them to focus on that area?
3) What does that tell you about Daniel’s life? His past? His routine? His faith?
Something to discuss: Christians live in a fish bowl. People are always looking at us and judging what we say by how we live. It isn’t fair, but often true. What does your life say? If someone looked at your routine and your faith would your life speak volumes about your devotion to God? The goal of the Christian is not only to share Christ by telling them the good news, but to back up the good news by the way we live out our lives. What can you change to enhance or help your witness for Christ with your family, friends, class mates and others?
The high officials and the satraps get together and scheme in order to entrap Daniel in his faithfulness. In verses 6-9, they trick the king to sign a law that says for 30 days you can only petition the king. If they sought any god or man other than the king, they would be thrown into the lion’s den. Darius didn’t know they did it to get Daniel to break the law and “suffer” the consequences.
Read Daniel 6:10-13
4. How do you think they knew Daniel would be praying?
a. Verse 10 says, “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed.” What did he do?
1) Why do you think he went about his normal routine?
Note: Synagogues are always pointed to Jerusalem, because of 1 Kings 8:30. Solomon when dedicating the temple said, “Listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place.” This is no doubt why Daniel faced Jerusalem.
2) What options could Daniel have taken once he heard that the document was signed? (he could have not prayed, he could have prayed silently, or he could have closed the
windows and prayed secretly) Why do you think Daniel’s windows in his upper chamber were open?
3) What do you think was going through Daniel’s mind when he got down on his knees to pray?
Something to discuss:What would be going through your mind? What would you have done? How hard would it have been for you to keep the windows open and pray, knowing that your life was literally hanging in the balance?
Something to discuss: Do you meet with God daily, or only during emergencies? Have you made prayer and your relationship with God the number one priority in your life? Are you seeking to know God better and serve Him more faithfully?
b. How do you think Daniel got to a position in his faith that caused him to keep on praying as normal?
Conclusion:
If you have ever been in a VBS, then you know how the story ends. Daniel is throw into the lion’s den, but God shuts their mouths. Darius spends a nervous night waiting to see if God would save Daniel and when he found out he was still alive he pulled him out and threw the other men and their families in. Sorry to ruin it, if you haven’t read it. ;)
Daniel chose to develop and maintain a consistent walk with the Lord, he did not panic when his faith and life were put on the line. Rather, he turned to God as he had done countless times in the past and laid his burdens down, being ready and willing to accept whatever the Lord desired. We don’t know how long Daniel prayed three times a day. Did it start in his youth or later in life. What we do know is that Daniel believed that his time in prayer was worth being thrown in the lions den, even if it meant the lions would have a light snack. He didn’t know how it would turn
out. He didn’t know God would save Him. He was content with whatever the Lord chose.
That sort of contentment doesn’t come without a persistent time with God. You don’t develop that deep faith without spending day after day with Him in His Word and in prayer. Daniel’s life is a testimony to us of what it means to have a heart that delights in God.
I pray that you are encourage to spend time in prayer. You don’t have to face Jerusalem, you just have to go before God and seek His face.
