Order Of Service

Daniel 6:10

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Introduction

We often hear from the news media the phrase, “Let’s get to the rest of the story’’ or, “We’ve talked about the main event, now, let’s hear the backstory.” Sometimes, the rest of the story comes before the conclusion, and sometimes, the backstory is the reason things had a successful conclusion. Sometimes, when we read familiar Biblical stories, we rush through them to get to the well-known victorious climax – and that is good - but sometimes, we need to go a little slower and see the backstory. Such is the case of Daniel’s deliverance from the lions’ den. There is one important fact in the backstory that can easily be overlooked.  Daniel was a fervent prayer warrior. Let’s look again at this familiar story through the prism of Daniel’s prayerful piety.

Exposition

1. A Path To Prominence Paved By Excellent Performance.

(At This Time, Daniel Had Served Under Two Kings.)

(He Served Under Nebuchadnezzar And Darius.)

(He Served Under The Babylonians And The Persians.)

(He Did Not Let Being In Exile Keep Him From Doing His Best.)

(A Slave Became One Of The Top Three Men In The Empire.)

(He Was Like A “Walk On” Athlete Who Became A Starring Starter.)

2. A Plot Initiated By Envy And Jealousy.

(When They Could Find No Fault In Him, They Set Him Up With A Malicious Scheme.)

(They Played On Darius’ Pride And Ego-Centeredness.)

(Darius Signed An Immoral Law – Which He Later Regretted.)

(He Could Not Retract The Decree.)

(He Could Not Put The Tooth Paste Back In The Tube.)

3. A Prayer Life Based On Faith And Thanksgiving.

(Daniel Prayed As He Had Always Prayed.)

(There Was No Need To Intensify His Prayer Life.)

(His Prayer Life Was Already At Its Peak.)

(He Prayed With Consistency.)

(He Prayed With Confidence.)

(He Prayed With Thanksgiving.)

(He Prayed Openly – Not In Secret.)

(He Opened The Window So All Could Hear Him Pray.)

4. A Precarious Predicament Perpetrated By Evil People.

(Daniel Was Cast Into The Lions’ Den.)

(It Looked Like The Malicious Scheme Was Working.)

(You Will Be Put In The Lions’ Den When You Are In Conflict With Worldly Standards.)

5. A Providential Deliverance Produced By The God Who Cares.

(Daniel Was Delivered From The Lions’ Den Without A Scratch.)

(Godly Behavior Will Get You Into The Lions’ Den, But God’s Grace Will Get You Out.)

(If You Are Faithful To God, He Will Be Faithful To You.)

(After This Incident, Daniel’s Influence Was Far-Reaching.)

(King Darius Decreed That Everyone Under His Jurisdiction Should Worship Daniel’s God.)

(None Of Us Know How Great Our Influence Is Or Will Be.)

(God Continued To Bless Daniel Long After The Incident In The Lions’ Den.)

(Daniel Lived Long Enough To Serve Under A Third King, Cyrus.)

Closing Statements

The story of Daniel is a beautiful picture of a man who lived out his commitments in troubled times. His story should be an inspiration for us today.  It certainly was an inspiration for our foreparents. Can you imagine them singing this spiritual in the cotton fields and in the slave quarters under the most atrocious conditions?

“Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel?

Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel, and why not every man?

He delivered Daniel from the lions’ den.

Jonah from the belly of the whale,

And the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace,

And why not every man?

Why not every man? Why not every man?

Why not you, my brother?

Why not you, my sister?

Why not you and me, blood-bought children?

Why not every man?”

Our ancestors knew the answer to this rhetorical question: why not every man? They believed that just as God delivered Daniel from the lions’ den, He would deliver them from slavery and oppression in His own time. Their faith was solid as a rock, because it was built on “The Rock.”

Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!

Related Scriptures

Daniel 6:1-28; Psalm 55:17

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