THE DAY WHEN PRAYER WAS OUTLAWED
(Daniel 6)
…In the 1960s Mrs.
O’Hare sued the Abington School District and won the case removing Bible reading
and prayer from the public schools. She claimed that she was an atheist and
such an activity offended her. Thus daily prayers were outlawed. We have lived
to see the terrible results of this.
…There was another day when a prideful king allowed himself to be __tricked__ and
outlawed, not only public prayers, but also private ones. How would you as a
Christian have responded to this? Would you simply have skipped your devotions
for a month, or maybe prayed in your bed before sleeping? Not Daniel!!!
…Daniel 6 is the best known part of this book. Daniel is an __old__ man and faces
the greatest trial of his life. In this there are many things for us to learn
as we too face “the roaring __lion____ who would devour us.”
FOUR LESSONS
FROM DANIEL’S DEN THAT HELP US IN OUR TIMES OF TROUBLE.
I. As God Grows You Into His Likeness, Your __Blamelessness___ May Pave The Way To
Your Den Experience. (vv1-5)
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Babylon
is now under a new administration. Darius recognizes Daniel’s character and his
abilities and planned to make him the president, or chief administrator. (v1-3)
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The
other government officials were jealous of Daniel. They did a thorough __check__
of his public and private life to find dirt, so that they might discredit him
before the king. They could not find a thing. He was not corrupt or
negligent. (vv4-5)
…They concluded that the __only__ place they would find something would be with the
law of his God. (Would to God that this could be said about all of us!!)
…It is one thing to have a friend check your file, it is quite a different
matter to have a foe looking for corruption. What a testimony of God’s __grace__
in his life.
II. Don’t Be Surprised To Have __Enemies__, When The Only Thing You Did Was To
Live For The Lord. (vv6-10)
A.
These men plotted against Daniel wanting him __dead__. They did their scheming
behind the scenes.
B.
Their plan involved tricking King Darius through his __pride__. It worked. He fell
for it.(vv6-7)
C.
The king made a new law; no one was allowed to pray to any god for 30 days.
(vv8-9)
…This was unchangeable, it was the law of the Medes and the Persians.
III. The
Habits Of A Godly Life __Guide__ Us Through The Dark And Trying Times. (vv10-16)
You
see, age is no protection against temptation or trials…
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Daniel
knew of the new law. It did not faze him, for he continued to do what he had
done all his life. He made no attempt to __hide__ his devotion or dependence on
God. His disciplines guided him now. “he did just as he had done before.”
Even as a __busy__ executive…
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He went home at his regular
time, got on his knees and prayed to the Lord with the windows opened. He faced
Jerusalem... (1 Kings 8:46-50)
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He gave
__thanks__ to the Lord. (v10) This is the response of a godly person.
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He asked
the Lord for help. (v11) He knew he was in danger…
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He was
__not__ depending on the king. He learned to trust the living God!
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Daniel
would rather die obeying God’s Word, than live __outside__ of God’s will.
IV. Our God Is Able To Control Every Circumstance And __Deliver__ Us. (vv17-28)
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God did
not want the king to deliver Daniel, for He was saving this for __himself__. (v17)
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What a
contrast; the king in the palace with __no__ peace, and Daniel in the den with
perfect peace. Daniel was at peace with himself, the Lord, and even the
__lions__.
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The Lord
sent an angel to shut the mouth of the lions…this was __total__ deliverance, not a
half-eaten man praising God. “because he trusted in his God.” V23 God is
able…
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God
received praise from this pagan king because of Daniel’s deliverance. He is
alive…
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Tomorrow
we may have “dens” of disappointments, tragedy, __pain__, and financial reversal…
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God is
able to control circumstances and deliver those who __trust__ in Him.
LESSONS FOR OUR LIVES:
1. We
need more Daniels, people willing to open their windows and honor God before a
watching world.
2. Strive to
build a consistent walk with the Lord.
3. Remember
the safest place to be is right in the middle of the will of God, even in a den
or fiery furnace.
4. You do
not need to compromise your character to succeed. It is never right to do
wrong.
5. Perhaps
you lack a prayer life, which may mean you're not saved. Turn to the
savior and trust Him. Be saved today.
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