Daniel's Prayer Life

Daniel’s Prayer Life. Dan.6:10

One of the great men of prayer in the Bible was Daniel.

He was such a great man of prayer that he was arrested for praying.

We have an account of his prayer life in Dan. 6.

The key verse is v.10.

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Underline it! Write in the margin of your Bible, “Key Verse on Prayer.”

Question – If you were arrested for being a person of prayer, would there be enough evidence to convict?

Daniel prayed when it was against the law to pray.

Why do you think he continued his daily prayer regimen even when He knew it could be dangerous?

Do you have a daily prayer regimen?

Daniel prayed in secret, but he did not keep it a secret that He was a man of prayer.

Everybody knew that Daniel was a man of prayer, even his enemies.

Does anybody know that you are a person of prayer?

What were some characteristics of Daniel’s prayer life? All the basics of prayer are right here in this one verse that describes Daniel’s prayer life.

1. He was committed to prayer. How committed was he? Notice that it was after he knew that the law against praying to God was signed and put into effect that he continued to pray just as he had already been doing. Rather than stage a protest, he prayed. Steve Brown, Approaching God, “…before you begin the hard work of prayer, you must make a commitment to prayer, no matter what, so that it becomes an essential part of your life…Prayer, if one is going to be successful at it, must constitute a major commitment.” P.43,45.

2. Prayer was an expression of his personal devotion to dependency upon His God. Notice that it says that he gave thanks to his God (v.10) and that he was making supplication to his God (v.11).

Daniel had been loyal to King Darius. But he had a higher loyalty to God. God is personal and he hears the prayers of His people. Other characteristics of the Prayer hearing God in this chapter. He is personal. He hears and answers prayer. He is the living God (v.20). He is able to deliver His people (vv.20-21). He endures forever (v.26). Note – “the God of Daniel” v.26.

3. Daniel devoted specific time for prayer. There was a consistency in his prayer life. 3 times a day. See Ps.55:16-17. Jesus taught that we ought always to pray and not give up (Lk.18:1). Paul said that we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thes.5:17).

4. Daniel prayed with thanksgiving. See Phil. 4:6-7, 1 Thes. 5:16-18.

5. Daniel had a particular place for prayer. Why did Daniel pray 3 times a day facing toward Jerusalem? See 1 Kings 8:4-45. Do you have a place for prayer? Where is it?

6. Daniel knelt when he prayed. Why do you think he knelt for prayer? What’s important is not the position of the body but the posture of the heart before God.

People look around and they ask, “Where is the God of Daniel?”

But God looks around and asks, “Where are the Daniel’s of God?”

Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to be a Person of Prayer.