Praying from a Strong Identity

Even though cultural currents are strong, our identity in God must be stronger. Daniel and his friends didn’t respond to Babylon by throwing in the towel and assimilating, but neither did they try to take over the whole empire from the ground up. In fact, Yahweh spoke to the exiles through Jeremiah, saying, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7).

Their strength of identity in God enabled them to stand on their convictions and not allow themselves to assimilate into the Babylonian way. What does identity have to do with it?

Our identity informs our convictions

Daniel’s whole life story is marked out by how he stood tall when everyone else bowed to cultural pressures and compromised their convictions. They knew when to seize the opportunity to be set apart, in the areas of food, training, and prayer.

An important thing to note is that Daniel’s identity would have centred on his Jewish identity and God’s promise to the Jews. Much like how our identity mustn’t revolve around “me” but be anchored deeply in how Christ identifies us as the Body of Christ, a part of the family of God.

But you [plural] are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
- 1 Peter 2:9-10

Prayer for today

Lord, I thank you that my identity is formed in being a child of God, part of God’s people and the body of Christ. Like Daniel, I pray that I would pray out of the strength of my identity in you.