WTM JOURNAL
by Yuri Solomon 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) Yuri Solomon holds degrees from Gospel Ministry Outreach Theological Institute and the College of Biblical Studies. He is author of the book Biblical Masculinity. More info @ www.wordtalkonline.orgThe Daniel Discipline vi
4/04/2011 / Devotionals
Daniel is in the second empire and under his third administration since being led captive from Judah, and he always rises to the top, not because he smart, wise, or gifted, but simply for one reason: "because he believed His God". Daniel gets all the favor of the world by taking none of the world: No packs, no compromises, no angles and backroom bargaining; He did not buy his way to the top He didn't play the "it's-who-you-know" game He didn't make any back-scratching deals. Whenever a Christian reaches for what he wants he will lose what he has. It is ours to wait on God to place what we are due in our hand.
Daniel has the favor of God, the heart of the King, and a position of authority. Yet he had another key indicator of God's favor: he was targeted by his enemies. You can't have the favor of God and freedom from tests and trials. I've heard people say "I'm blessed and highly favored" as a type of colloquialism. Well I don't know what they meant by that, but I do know what blessed and highly favored meant for the Virgin Mary; it meant that she was disoriented about the message, distressed about the situation, displaced from her home, distrusted about her purity, and almost divorced from her husband. Favor is a prescription for fiery trials.
His enemies first examined Daniel's doings and only found an excellent spirit and a blameless life. Thus they decided to design a law against the law of Daniel's God. Abiding in the character of Christ will ensure and assure that your enemies are always fighting God and never fighting you.
Constant and consistent devotion to God is indeed to live in preparation for every situation. The fact of the matter is if you are not devoted to God before the Lion's den, you cannot be devoted despite the Lion's den. Daniel shows us that deliverance is foster by devotion to God: devotion is how you win against your enemies every single time.
The conspiracy of his enemies did not distract Daniel. This enormous weight, intense trouble and severe threat, required no adjustment in his normal routine. What more in life does one need then devotion to God? What more can be done then absolute reliance and hope in God alone? Daniel, three times a day he went down on his knees in prayer and praise before his God, as he had done before.
Let me tell you why Daniel prayed anyway because his time, his relationship and his history with God was more pressing, dictatorial, important, assuring, and securing than anything going on around him. The paradox is that while the threat of the Lion's Den was meant to restrict prayer, for Daniel it demanded prayer.
The answer to every problem is devotion to God. The only thing that the enemy wants to do is distract you from devotion to God. I've been there, where the counsel was, "Doc you better watch her" or "Man, you better keep your eye on him; because, he does not mean you any good." And thank God, the Holy Ghost said to me in that moment, "You better keep your eye on God." You can't take your eye off of God to watch your enemy. You've got to keep your enemy behind you and your eye on the prize before you. Your enemies are God's business and not your business.
Daniel was in a crisis, but he did not pray a crisis prayer. When Daniel was praying about this law that had been passed, let me tell you what God told Daniel that day, (and I am not using my spiritual imagination either). He said, "Daniel you've been with me long enough; you've talk to me every day -- three times a day. Listen, Daniel don't worry about those guys down there in administration. Don't worry about that lion's den. If they want you to go on in it, just walk on in. You know I can handle all of this; so just let me handle it. You'll be alright!"