As you consider Daniel’s story, how do you think it compares to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? How do you think Daniel’s story might point to Jesus?
How has Daniel been faithful to God through the first five chapters of the Book of Daniel?
King Darius is impressed by Daniel and desires to place Daniel in command of the Kingdom of Babylon (Dan. 6:1-3). Unfortunately, others who work with Daniel in the kingdom seem to be jealous of him and want to cause him to fall.
Have you seen similar types of situations in the workforce? How should a Christian handle something like this?
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. —Daniel 6:10–11 (NIV)
Daniel’s habit was to pray three times a day. Do you have any spiritual discipline habits that help connect you to God? If so, what are they?
Has your faith ever been tested? How so?
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you … 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. —Daniel 6:16, 18 (NIV)
Why do you think the king cared so much about Daniel?
What kind of impact did Daniel’s faith and God’s deliverance have on King Darius? (See Daniel 6:23-28)
Has the faith of anyone else ever had a profound impact on you? Who?
Philip Yancey, in his devotional book, Meet the Bible says this about Hebrews 11:
“The picture of faith that emerges from this chapter does not fit into an easy formula. Sometimes faith leads to victory and triumph. Sometimes it requires a gritty determination to ‘hang on at any cost.’ Hebrews 11 does not hold up one kind of faith as superior to the other. Both rest on the belief that God is in ultimate control and will indeed keep promises—whether that happens in this life or in the next. Of such people, Hebrews says, ‘God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
Look at Hebrews 11. What do you think about Yancey‘s comments above?