The new king Darius appointed Daniel as one of his top administrators. And because Daniel was trustworthy, the king wanted to put Daniel over all his empire. Out of jealousy, other magistrates plotted against Daniel and tried to trap him by persecuting him for his faith. They tricked the king into decreeing that everyone must pray only to him for the next 30 days. Anyone who violated the king’s order would be thrown into the lion’s den.

When Daniel learned of the law, he went home to his upstairs room and with his windows open, he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to God just as he had done before. Daniel did not hide his faith. But he came to the Lord praying and thanking him (Ph 4:6-7). He did not live a double life based on the situation to save himself.

Daniel’s enemies caught him praying to God for help and reported him to the King. Though the king wanted to protect Daniel, they put pressure on Darius to keep the law. Likewise, we face high pressure situations where our faith in Jesus gets us in jeopardy. The persecution is real, and there is no one who can save us. We must faithfully pray to God and ask for his help (Is 41:10). We must not be afraid, but trust in God’s love. (1 Jn 4:18)
Application: Father, please strengthen me to pray to you in the face of persecution and seek your help.
One Word: Faithfully pray and seek God’s help