Daniel 6:1-9

Daniel is seen praying in the second chapter when he is a young man, and he is still praying in the sixth chapter when he is elderly. At least four things mark Daniel’s prayer life:

1. Personal Faith. Some scholars believe that Daniel had a prayer chamber built on top of his house with the windows permanently open toward Jerusalem. It was an act of faith on the part of an exiled Jew to pray three times a day toward the land from which he had been taken captive.
2. Piety. He prayed toward Jerusalem in response to the Word of God (1 Kgs. 8:35-36). He got on his knees and prayed, a sign of reverence and humility. Daniel could have become arrogant as the chief administrator of the whole Medo-Persian Empire, but he recognized that he was merely a servant in the hands of an omnipotent God.
3. Petition. Daniel’s accusers found him “praying and making supplication.” Daniel made no vague requests – his prayers were specific, applicable, and passionate.
4. Praise. This is one of the most unusual things in the text. Daniel knew the king’s prayer edict had been signed. So what did he do? He expressed his thanks to God.

Imagine what could happen if God’s people developed such consistency and continuity in their lives. “As was custom since early days,” Daniel continued in his devotion so that when he was 24, when he was 40, when he hit the golden years, and into his nineties, he was still a mighty weapon in the hands of God. May the Lord help us take Daniels’s example as our own.

6:1-4 | The only continuity between chapters 5 and 6 is Daniel himself. He had outlived the Babylonians and was about to serve with a second dynasty, that of kings Darius and Cyrus. This second world kingdom was established in 538 BC. To administer such a large empire, the king divided it into regions to be overseen by satraps. Daniel was appointed one of the rulers of governors over these officials.

6:4-11 | Daniel was so faithful that his opponents could predict his activities. He prayed to God three times each day. When the crisis came, Daniel did not change anything. He kept right on doing what he had always done.