Dan 6:10 | KingComments | STEP | When Daniel hears of the injunction, he is not afraid. He does not submit a request for exemption to the king. He also does not seek the conversation with his opponents. He goes home immediately. Back home, he goes to his roof chamber to pray according to his habit, leaving the consequences to God. Praying is not something special for him, it is part of his life. For him it is as natural as breathing. Prayer is not something for special events, an escape valve for when the pressure gets too high. It is not a spontaneous religious burp when suddenly a difficulty arises. When Daniel prays here, it is the continuation of something he is used to. For us it is also important to make prayer a habit that we will not allow to be robbed of or forbidden. This approach to prayer is completely different from praying out of routine. No instruction is given to us as to how often we should pray. However, we are told several times that we must persevere in prayer ( ; ; ; ). We are not prescribed an attitude of prayer either. We do find clues. We can kneel, stand or lie down. Our attitude will fit with what is in our hearts to pray for. When we are in great need, it is conceivable that we are kneeling or even lying stretched out on the ground. If there is gratitude and praise to God it will be done more standing up. Whatever attitude it is, it will be a respectful attitude. After all, we are approaching the holy God. Certainly, we may call Him Father, be close to Him and speak with Him in a confidential way. But that doesn’t mean we’re dealing with Him in a popular way. Confidentiality does not exclude respect. Daniel does not only pray, he also gives thanks. He finds reasons to give thanks, despite the very threatening situation. According to Solomon’s prayer he prays, with the windows open, in the direction of Jerusalem ( ). He is used to praying with open windows and did not close them for this occasion. He wants to keep his clear view on heaven, as it were, and he also wants to keep the connection with heaven open in practical terms. Through his dealings with God, Daniel comes to do what is forbidden to him. Here he cannot obey the government. He wants “to obey God rather than men” ( ). He refuses to address Darius instead of God, because God has said that He does not give His honor to anyone else. For the first commandment is: “You shall have no other gods before Me” ( ). Daniel has to deal with this in the first place and to be obedient to it, and therefore he refuses the king’s injunction. Our personal prayer may also be an open and visible matter to all. We do not have to do that secretly. Prayer for eating in a restaurant or at work is a testimony. Even during a business trip it is important to openly show that you are different from the rest. This is evident not only from not participating in wrong talk and activities or not going to wrong places, but also from praying and reading God’s Word. Daniel refused any compromise for himself and we must do so as well. Daniel kneels on his knees. His attitude is in line with what he does. He could also have done it standing or walking, so that no one would notice that he was praying. He does not adjust his prayer attitude so as not to be noticed. Nor does he change the times of his prayers. As always he prays three times a day, perhaps following the example of David ( ). For example, he will not pray at night during those thirty days, so as not to be seen. There is another important aspect to Daniel’s prayer and that is that he does not pray before the eyes of the people, but before the eyes of God. People are allowed to see him pray. But he does not do it for the people, but for God. With the Pharisees it is different. They pray to be seen by men ( ), ignoring the fact that God does not pay attention to their prayer, yes, their prayer is even an abomination to Him. Instead of praise from people, Daniel is confronted with the enmity of people. This proves the genuineness of his prayer. Any hypocrisy is alien to it. Our serving of God is only proven to be real when it takes place under the pressure of enmity.

‏ Daniel 6:10

Daniel Prays to His God

When Daniel hears of the injunction, he is not afraid. He does not submit a request for exemption to the king. He also does not seek the conversation with his opponents. He goes home immediately. Back home, he goes to his roof chamber to pray according to his habit, leaving the consequences to God. Praying is not something special for him, it is part of his life. For him it is as natural as breathing. Prayer is not something for special events, an escape valve for when the pressure gets too high. It is not a spontaneous religious burp when suddenly a difficulty arises. When Daniel prays here, it is the continuation of something he is used to.

For us it is also important to make prayer a habit that we will not allow to be robbed of or forbidden. This approach to prayer is completely different from praying out of routine. No instruction is given to us as to how often we should pray. However, we are told several times that we must persevere in prayer (Lk 18:1; Eph 6:18; Col 4:2; 1Thes 5:17). We are not prescribed an attitude of prayer either. We do find clues. We can kneel, stand or lie down. Our attitude will fit with what is in our hearts to pray for. When we are in great need, it is conceivable that we are kneeling or even lying stretched out on the ground. If there is gratitude and praise to God it will be done more standing up.

Whatever attitude it is, it will be a respectful attitude. After all, we are approaching the holy God. Certainly, we may call Him Father, be close to Him and speak with Him in a confidential way. But that doesn’t mean we’re dealing with Him in a popular way. Confidentiality does not exclude respect.

Daniel does not only pray, he also gives thanks. He finds reasons to give thanks, despite the very threatening situation. According to Solomon’s prayer he prays, with the windows open, in the direction of Jerusalem (1Kgs 8:48). He is used to praying with open windows and did not close them for this occasion. He wants to keep his clear view on heaven, as it were, and he also wants to keep the connection with heaven open in practical terms.

Through his dealings with God, Daniel comes to do what is forbidden to him. Here he cannot obey the government. He wants “to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). He refuses to address Darius instead of God, because God has said that He does not give His honor to anyone else. For the first commandment is: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exo 20:3). Daniel has to deal with this in the first place and to be obedient to it, and therefore he refuses the king’s injunction.

Our personal prayer may also be an open and visible matter to all. We do not have to do that secretly. Prayer for eating in a restaurant or at work is a testimony. Even during a business trip it is important to openly show that you are different from the rest. This is evident not only from not participating in wrong talk and activities or not going to wrong places, but also from praying and reading God’s Word. Daniel refused any compromise for himself and we must do so as well.

Daniel kneels on his knees. His attitude is in line with what he does. He could also have done it standing or walking, so that no one would notice that he was praying. He does not adjust his prayer attitude so as not to be noticed. Nor does he change the times of his prayers. As always he prays three times a day, perhaps following the example of David (Psa 55:17). For example, he will not pray at night during those thirty days, so as not to be seen.

There is another important aspect to Daniel’s prayer and that is that he does not pray before the eyes of the people, but before the eyes of God. People are allowed to see him pray. But he does not do it for the people, but for God. With the Pharisees it is different. They pray to be seen by men (Mt 6:5), ignoring the fact that God does not pay attention to their prayer, yes, their prayer is even an abomination to Him. Instead of praise from people, Daniel is confronted with the enmity of people. This proves the genuineness of his prayer. Any hypocrisy is alien to it. Our serving of God is only proven to be real when it takes place under the pressure of enmity.