Reignનમૂનો

Sometimes, keeping God first in your life means getting into trouble. Daniel knew that’s exactly what it meant when he heard King Darius had outlawed prayer to anyone but himself for thirty days. Daniel wasn’t about to pray to King Darius. He decided to head home and pray to God—with the windows open for all to see—just as he had always done. Now, we might look at Daniel and think that wasn’t the smart thing to do. After all, he could have prayed in secret, and no one would have been the wiser. He would have remained safe, no fear of death-by-lion.

But Daniel loved God! He wasn’t about to keep his conversations with his divine Friend a secret—plus he needed help. (When Daniel’s sneaky coworkers found him, Daniel was asking God for help—see Daniel 6:11.) And heaven listened. When Daniel came out of the lions’ den unscathed, he reported that God had sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths. God directed an angel in response to His friend’s prayers.

It means so much to God when we stand up for Him. Not only that, but heaven pays attention when we pray. What if the heavenly scene went something like this, “Gabriel, our friend Daniel is asking for help.” No wonder Daniel wasn’t going to bend to the king’s command. He was already friends with the King.