Keep that Same Energy

Prayer

Give Honor

Text: Daniel 6:3-10

Daniel 6:3–10 (ESV)

Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Keep That Same Energy

I think we’ve all heard the phrase "Keep that same energy."

It’s a phrase that we’ve probably seen on social media

We’ve probably heard it a time or two in conversations at the beauty salon or barbershops,

Or We’ve probably what we said to someone who was acting a certain way when we were not around physically.

However we’ve heard it, or come to know it,

I think we can all agree… that

“Keep that Same energy, would simply mean,

“Don’t change how you’ve been acting because of new developments.” or In other words, “Don’t switch up.”

and the truth is, while “Keeping that same energy can very well be placed in a negative context,

I’d like to argue, that when it comes to the conversation of excellence, “Keeping that same energy” is also necessary.

It’s important that we learn today that Excellence on Purpose is not just a one-time decision.

It’s not something we choose to do occasionally or only when it’s convenient.

Excellence on Purpose is a lifestyle….It’s a daily commitment to live in a way that reflects consistency and dedication.

Excellence on Purpose transcends all areas of life

Be it in our work, our relationships, our faith, or our studies,

Excellence should be evident in how we approach everything we do, not just in the easy moments, but especially when life gets challenging.

and it’s in this text, where Daniel paints the perfect picture of showing us how to keep that same energy.

As we’ve discussed before in Verse 3, we know that Daniel had an excellent spirit on him,

But I want to also note that Daniel also KEPT and excellent spirit on him.

Because excellence on Purpose is not situational or Circumstantial,

But Excellence on Purpose, requires us to make daily decisions “To Keep That Same Energy” of Excellence that we have always had or desire to have.

and the question that I want to try and answer to day is How did Daniel keep that same energy?

1. Daniel Kept the Same Devotion (10)

10. When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed.

Daniel was a young man of amazing qualities.

He became respected and held in high regard by King Darius.

at this point in the text, He had risen to a position of influence in a foreign land, so much so that the text says, And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom

However, as Daniel climbed the ranks, there were those who were not pleased.

There were some officials that were filled with jealousy, that tried to conspire against Daniel.

They could not find any fault in his character, so they created a plan to trap him by targeting his devotion.

These people convinced King Darius to issue a decree: that for thirty days, no one could pray to any god or man except the king himself. Those who disobeyed would face the deadly consequence of being thrown into the lions’ den.

The bible says that, when Daniel learned that the decree had been signed, Daniel does something bold.

He does not hide, nor Did he compromise his faith.

The first thing he did was go to his house, where he had windows open toward Jerusalem and he prayed.

This wasn’t just a simple act; it was a bold declaration of his faith.

Daniel under the risks,

yet he prayed three times a day with his windows wide open.

This act shows that Daniel is commitment to God even when society’s views shifted and the pressures became evident.

Daniel Kept his devotion.:

Daniel’s choice to pray in this moment, despite the danger, shows that his relationship with God was more important than any earthly decree.

He understood that prayer was his lifeline, his source of strength, and his connection to God.

He understood, that the only way he got to this point that he got to, is doing the very thing he was doing at this point.

He understood, that adversity would not be a tool that would stop his lifestyle of excellence.

Church, we must embrace the same truth that Daniel lived by…and it’s this:

if we want to live a life of excellence, we cannot change our devotion to God based on external pressures.

We must stand firm in our faith.

Do not let what society thinks about you dictate how you act.

Do not let the pressures of this world stop you from what you know to be true.

When attitudes shift and the culture around you changes,

When your circles shift, and your semesters change,

remember who you are.

You are a child of God, called to reflect His glory in all that you do.

and Our devotion must lead US to prayer, especially in challenging times.

When Daniel’s back was against the wall,

Daniel does not hesitate

—he went straight to his knees.

Before the ink on that decree had even dried, he was already in prayer.

Because Daniel understood what it meant to “Rejoice always and pray without ceasing”

I believe Daniel understood that “If God’s people who are called by God’s name humble themselves and pray, seek God’s face and turn from OUR wicked ways, that he would hear from heaven, God would forgive his sins, and God would heal his land.”

AND LIKE DANIEL, WE MUST LEARN TO KEEP THAT SAME ENERGY BY KEEPING THAT SAME DEVOTIONAL LIFE.

BECAUSE OUR Excellent Devotion Leads to Excellent Decisions.

OUR Excellent Devotion Leads to Excellent Direction.

OUR Excellent Devotion Leads to Excellent Development.

OUR Excellent Devotion Leads to Excellent Discernment.

OUR Excellent Devotion Leads to Excellent Deliverance.

ALL IM TRYING TO TELL YOU IS KEEP THE SAME DEVOTION

NOT ONLY DID DANIEL KEEP THE SAME DEVOTION,

BUT,

2. Daniel Kept the Same Discipline (10) THE BIBLE SAYS, He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed

I think it’s important that we don’t just brush past that.

Three times a day, Daniel lifted his voice to heaven

three times a day, Daniel sought God’s guidance and strength!

Three times a day, Daniel poured out his heart in prayer

three times a day, Daniel surrendered his worries to the God the father!

Three times a day, Daniel found his refuge in the Lord

three times a day, Daniel reminded himself of God’s faithfulness!

Three times a day, Daniel turned his eyes toward Jerusalem

Three times a day, Daniel anchored his faith in the promises of God!

church,

This is not merely Daniel going through the motions; THIS IS discipline!

Here it is, in a time, when Daniel’s life was on the line,

when threats were real and the lions were hungry and waiting,

Daniel could’ve easily allowed the pressures of his life to become undisciplined

But Daniel didn’t shrink back.

Daniel didn’t decommit,

Daniel didn’t even waver,

But Daniel, he stood firm in his commitment!

He didn’t let the worries of tomorrow shake him

. He kept on praying—

over and over again—

because he knew where his strength came from.

and that’s discipline, family

He didn’t miss a prayer.

He didn’t taken a mental day from prayer.

He didn’t go on sabatical from prayer, no Daniel was discipline enough to keep on praying.

and I can only imagine the weight on Daniel’s shoulders.

He had to be thinking about what was next,

wrestling with the reality that he could be thrown to the lions at any moment.

But in the midst of that turmoil, he maintained his discipline.

Because A LIFESTYLE THAT LACKS DISCIPLINE, IS A LIFESTYLE THAT LACKS EXCELLENCE.

Because discipline is the engine that drives the car of excellence!

It keeps us moving forward, even when the road is bumpy and uncertain.

It keeps us grounded when life just seems uncertain,

if you want to maintain a life of excellence, you must learn you must not allow the problems of the life cause you to be undisciplined

Keep being disciplined.

Keep being disciplined in your studies!

Keep being disciplined enough to pray!

Keep being disciplined enough to read God’s Word!

Keep being disciplined enough to plan your week, and months out. Keep being disciplined enough to say NO

Keep being disciplined enough to keep your mouth closed.

Keep being disciplined enough to not react impulsively

Keep being disciplined enough to wake up a little earlier!

Keep being disciplined enough to go to bed earlier!

because if excellence is not a one-time decision, then neither is discipline.

The enemy’s JOB is working overtime to distract us and to pull our focus away from God’s plan.

But our job is to keep that same energy, to hold on to our discipline no matter the storms around us

Daniel Kept the same devotion,

Daniel Kept the same Discipline

but lastly,

3. Daniel Kept the Same Dedication (10)

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed. as he had done previously.

When Daniel learned that the decree had been signed, he didn’t hesitate.

The Bible says he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem.

He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed—as he had done previously.

Now, let’s pause right there.

The Word tells us he prayed “as he had done previously.”

That’s a powerful statement!

It means Daniel didn’t waver in his dedication.

He was dedicated to God, and nothing was going to change that!

He didn’t change his routine.

He didn’t let fear dictate his actions.

DANIEL he kept doing exactly what he always did—faithfully seeking the Lord in prayer.

HE WAS DEDICATED.

HE DID WHAT HE ALWAYS DO.

IN V. 4 WHEN THEY TRIED TO CONSPIRE AGAINST HIM,

THE BIBLE SAYS, they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him

DANIEL IS NOT NEW TO THIS, DANIEL IS TRUE TO THIS.

HE WAS DEDICATED.

Now, what does dedication really mean IN THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE?

Dedication is that unwavering commitment to pursue excellence and to honor God in all things.

You must be dedicated to your life of excellence!

You must be dedicated to your excellent God!

But here’s the kicker: sometimes dedication comes with a cost.

It may even affect your reputation.

You might find yourself standing alone but you gotta learn to keep that same energy,

You might find yourself doing a lot of things for a lot of people

but you gotta learn to stay dedicated

You might find yourself wondering “What am I doing this for?”

but you gotta learn to stay dedicated ,

You might have moments where you’re overworking but underappreciated,

but you gotta learn to stay dedicated,

because if you stay dedicated to God….he will stay dedicated to you

as the story goes, Daniel was thrown in the lions den

And when the king woke up the next morning he said Daniel did your god deliver you?

and Daniel said God shit the mouth of the lion

Keep that same energy, even when they do you wrong!

Keep that same energy even when they lie on you!

Keep that same when they scandalize your name!

Keep that same energy when you’re ready to give up!

And if anyone asks you why you should keep that same energy, you tell them:

some folk

would rather

have houses

and land

“I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.”

“Though none go with me, I still will follow; Though none go with me, I still will follow; Though none go with me, I still will follow; No turning back, no turning back.”

“The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.”

Jesus: The Ultimate Example of Dedication:

And let’s not forget there’s another who kept that same energy—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, dedicated from the very beginning. He faced betrayal, rejection, and ultimately, the cross. But did He waver? No! He remained dedicated to His mission—to seek and save the lost, to offer us salvation.

He kept that same energy, even when the world turned against Him. So, Church, as we strive for excellence and remain dedicated to our God, let us look to Jesus as our ultimate example.

Let’s hold on to our dedication, knowing that it is through Him that we can overcome any challenge.