Many decisions that ought to be taken are not taken due to one of the following reasons:
1. we try to rationalize the situation assuming that our finite and limited human minds has infinite comprehension and abilities or
2. we think of the consequences of the decision and are paralyzed for fear of life or fear of being ridiculed.
In today’s text, taken from Daniel 6:1-28, we will look at Daniel, who chose to pray NO MATTER WHAT.
Many of us are probably familiar with the story of Daniel in the lion’s den, but for the benefit of those who aren’t, as a backdrop to this character, Daniel was cast into a den of lions by king Darius, who was tricked by jealous conspirators, into signing a foolish decree that no one should make petition (pray) unto anyone else, except the king for a period of thirty days. These evil men knew that Daniel was faultless and fervent in his allegiance to the one true God, Jehovah, and sought to have him killed, for they knew that he would not compromise when it came to the matters of God or his commandments, the first being, you shall have no other gods before Jehovah, a.k.a., you shall not worship or pray to anyone else , except Jehovah. The law in the kingdom of Darius, a Medo-Persian kingdom was unchangeable, once ratified and sealed and so when the king was informed of Daniel’s continuance in prayer to Jehovah, not once but thrice a day, the king who favored Daniel, was now in a quandary and had to follow through with the decree. Daniel is thrown into the lions den, but miraculously, the mouth of the ravenous lions are held shut by the angel of God sent for his protection among the beasts. What the conspirators or the king had failed tor realize was that while the law of unchangeable, the lions were not. When juxtaposed between choosing life by not praying or choosing death by praying to God, Daniel chose to pray to God, NO MATTER WHAT. In other words, Daniel was not willing to refrain from praying, even if that meant, it would cost him his life.
If Daniel would had rationalized or thought of the consequences, he would have probably ended up like the majority, refraining from praying to God, and breaking His commandments, by praying to a man (the king Darius). This might have saved his life for a short while longer but in the end he would not have gone down in history as someone who had the privilege of spending a night with lions and living to tell its tale. His act of courage and faithfulness not only did it deliver him from the lion’s den, but also proved to the heathen kingdom, that the God whom he served is far more than able to deliver the righteous one out of any trouble, even from seemingly dire and deadly situations. Our acts of prayer can prove unto the unbelieving world that the God whom we pray to, is in deed able and is a personal, prayer answering God, unlike any other.
Points to ponder:
- What is God asking you and me to pray for?
- Can we take the step to pray to God, without rationalizing or thinking of the consequences, NO MATTER WHAT?
