Practicing Prayer in the Lion's Den

Introduction

How does the practice of prayer look in your life?

Is it a vibrant experience communicating with God? Or is it one of the many things on the list of items you ought to do but struggle to get around to? Or maybe prayer isn’t something you even ever think about.

As we read Daniel 6 today and the story of Daniel practicing prayer in the Lion’s Den, I believe you may find your prayer life transformed into something more vibrant bringing, through putting God’s word into practice.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word. We pray that our hearts will open and we will find in Scripture an encouragement that guides us into a deeper relationship with you through prayer.

We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Scene 1: The Trap

Context

Our Scripture this morning is Daniel chapter 6. You may have heard this story, or seen pictures of a young boy Daniel and some cuddly lions.

Daniel starts in chapter 1 with that young boy and his friends brought into captivity in Babylon. But these first 5 chapters jumpforward through time over sixty years.

Here in Chapter 6, Daniel is now in his 80s, I don’t want to call that old, but it’s certainly past the teenage years you may have seen depicted in children’s stories, and Babylon has fallen to the Medo Persian empire, and the lions are both hungry and violent.

Daniel 6:1–9 HCSB

1 Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, 2 and over them three administrators, including Daniel. These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded. 3 Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit, so the king planned to set him over the whole realm. 4 The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.” 6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever. 7 All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.” 9 So King Darius signed the document.

<Point: Prioritize Prayer>

There is a lot in this section we could explore, but to keep things quick, I just want to explore just one idea. Why did they pick this trap for Daniel?

Question: If someone wanted to set up a trap to guarantee you got in trouble, what would they make illegal?

For me, not eating meat.

Not seeing Caleb if he was sick.

For Daniel, it was prayer. Why, because of what he prioritized.

Scene 2: Daniel’s Response

Daniel 6:10–18 HCSB

10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. 12 So they approached the king and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for 30 days any man who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable.” 13 Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.” 14 As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel and made every effort until sundown to deliver him. 15 Then these men went to the king and said to him, “You as king know it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.” 16 So 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!” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and he could not sleep.

Daniel as the Hero of the Story

<Point: Remember the true Hero>

Daniel's exemplary prayer life provides us with many valuable lessons.

But it's easy to mistakenly think of Daniel as the story's hero. To not only learn from him, but to make being like him the whole point of the story. Maybe we ask, “What’s your lion’s den?” or preach “Dare to make a difference by doing what Daniel did.”

Or we start off the New Year with a resolution “For 30 days I’ll pray like Daniel.”

This can be frustrating because most of us, including myself, don't actually live up to Daniel's example.

Daniel was challenged to NOT pray for 30 days and he lost on day one. How long do we make it into our 30 day challenge trying to pray like Daniel?

Trying to follow the “hero” Daniel can be frustrating, but the real problem isn’t how difficult it is. Many difficult things are worth doing. The real problem is that it’s not true. Daniel is not the hero.

God is!

If we actually want to pray like Daniel this is the most important lesson. We pray to a living God who is the hero. A God who has created everything. A good and holy God, a living God.

While a captive in a foreign land, God was there with Daniel. Daniel as an old man had seen God move in his life and the lives of others. He wasn’t praying because he, Daniel, was so good he was praying God is so good.

To the Israelites in captivity, waiting for restoration they prayed to the God who sustained them in suffering and who promised to restore them and send a savior.

To the New Testament church and us today we pray to the God who took on flesh and died for us that we can be reconciled to God and who on the third day rose again. We pray to a living God!

Don’t fix your eyes on Daniel, daring to be like him, no:

Hebrews 12:2 HCSB

2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

Fix your eyes on Jesus. If you want a vibrant prayer life, pray to the living God, the hero of Daniel’s story, the hero of your story.

Scene 3: The Final Outcome

Daniel 6:19–22 HCSB

19 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. 22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths. They haven’t hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king.”

<Point: Pray to the God who saves>

Daniel’s God, the living God did rescue him. This is not a promise that God will rescue us from all hardship or a commentary on how powerful Daniel is.

It is testament to the power of God, that HE not Darius is the true king of kings, that God, not these sneaky satraps is the righteous ruler, and that God not Daniel has power over life and death.

What’s more, it points us forward to the salvation that God promises you, that freely He freely offers all people.

All of us need a savior. Unlike Daniel who was innocent, we are guilty of sin.

We can’t stand before the real king of kings and like Daniel did and say “I was found innocent,” because all of us have sinned. We need to be made righteous. We need a savior.

Romans 3:23 HCSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23 HCSB

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And Jesus is that sinless savior who died for you.

2 Corinthians 5:21 BSB

21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

When we pray to the God who saves he offers forgiveness for our sins in Jesus and He transforms our life through the Holy Spirit, and we can stand before the King of Kings and innocent.

As we close out this sermon, as we close out 2023, I invite you to turn to Christ in prayer as your savior and to make 2024 a year where you prioritize practicing prayer.

That’s the power of prayer, that’s what it looks like to have a vibrant prayer life. We prioritize prayer, we remember that God is the hero, and we come to God for salvation in prayer and we continue to pray to the God who saves.

For a time of response, we are going to invite everyone down to the altar to practice prayer, nd I want to make this invitation specific.

Unbelievers

If you have not accepted Christ as your savior I’d invite you to give your life to Christ this morning and receive by his grace, forgiveness, and eternal life. How do you do that? By simply praying to God acknowledging your sin and need for Jesus to save you. Believing in your heart in Jesus and repenting and turning to him.

God I know I’m a sinner and need you as my savior. I turn to you Jesus, I believe in you, I will follow you as my Lord. Save me God and make me alive in you. Thank you for hearing my prayer. Amen.”

John 1:9 tells us:

1 John 1:9 CSB

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Believers

And if you are already a follower of Christ, I invite you to pray to the living God with thanksgiving and joy remembering how he has saved you, how he has made you alive, how he is the hero of the story. Pray that the living God works in your life, in your family, in your church through prayer and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

At this time I want to invite you to stand. And if you are willing and able, to come and pray.