Part 2 of 7 in the series Appointment With God
Young man, this one is for you.
Daniel was a young man in a strange land. New name, new food, new language, new king. Everything in Babylon pushed him to blend in. But before any decree was written, before any lion was fed, the decision was already made. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.” (Daniel 1:8)
Years later, Daniel stood high in the kingdom, and the men around him were jealous. They searched for a fault and found none. Then they said, “We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” (Daniel 6:5)
Think about what that means. They could only build the trap because his prayer was predictable. They knew when he prayed. They knew where. He kept an appointment so faithfully that his enemies could set their watches by it.
The decree did not change the schedule
The king signed a law. For thirty days no one could ask anything of any god or man except the king (Daniel 6:7). Daniel heard the news and went home.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Daniel 6:10
He didn’t pray louder to be seen, and he didn’t hide to be safe. He opened the window and did what he had always done. That is what a settled habit looks like.
The king later said to him, “Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.” (Daniel 6:16) The word is continually. Daniel’s God was served in the ordinary days, so He was found in the hard one. In the morning Daniel said, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me.” (Daniel 6:22)
Where is your open window
Your pressure may not be a lions’ den. It may be friends who laugh at your faith, a phone that never stops, a career that wants all of you, or a private battle nobody sees. The habit you build now is what you will stand on when it comes.
- Pick three anchor points. Morning before you touch your phone, midday, and night before sleep.
- Keep each one short at first. Five minutes kept is better than an hour planned.
- Tie each to something you already do, like waking, lunch, or brushing your teeth.
- Give thanks every time. Daniel “gave thanks before his God” even under a death threat.
“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” (Psalm 55:17)
Build the habit before the decree. Open your window.
Prayer: Lord, give me the heart of Daniel. Let me purpose in my heart before the pressure comes. Teach me to pray at the same hours, in every season. In Jesus’ name. Amen.