Daniel Week Six, Day Two Read Daniel 6:6-12 I’ve gotten into a bad habit of signing up for 5K’s and other similar races a couple of months in advance having every intention to train for the big day. Unfortunately, I get lazy or distracted and typically wait for the last minute to even bust out the trusty running shoes. I’ll try to run a few times the week before the race, but that only makes me sore and doesn’t prepare me for the race. If I would just get in a routine of training, then race day would be a much better experience. After the other officials realized that the only way they were going to be able to take down Daniel was through His faith, they devised a plan. The officials went to the king and, by using flattery and the king’s conceitedness, convinced him to issue a law that anyone who prayed to or worshiped anyone or anything other than the king for the next 30 days would be punished by being thrown into a den of hungry lions. The officials weren’t messing around. They wanted Daniel dead. When Daniel heard the decree, the first thing he did was go home to the open window in his room and prayed to God three times a day. This was what Daniel did. Praying to God three times a day was his routine, and no law made by the king was going to keep him from his relationship with God. Unsurprisingly, the other officials were watching Daniel, and, when they caught him praying, they immediately went to rat Daniel out to the king. The interesting thing about this story is that Daniel continues to do exactly what he had done before. So many of us wait until things start to go sideways in our life to turn toward God. It takes pressure packed, Gut Check moments for us to turn to God and really pray. When things started getting tough for Daniel, he didn’t have to turn to God because he was already close to God. His routine had already prepared him for the situation he was about to go through. Don’t wait until you’re facing a struggle to turn toward God. Make a daily routine with God your reward. It will help prepare you for whatever life throws your way. REFLECT: What has impressed you the most so far about Daniel’s life? His faithfulness, his trust in God, courage, prominence in the kingdom, or something else? Why? PRAY: Whether you’ve wavered lately in your relationship with God or you’ve been consistent in spending time with Him lately, ask God to help you become closer to Him and more consistent in spending time with Him. // TWO-A-DAYS // GO A LITTLE FARTHER WITH YOUR DAILY DEVOTIONS // Go through these questions with your spouse, kids, or friend, or you can even journal about the answers to these questions:
- What was the best part of your day?
- What was the toughest part of your day?
- Where did you mess up today?
- Where did you see God today?
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