Daniel lived a holy life – a life separated from everything of the ungodly world that surrounded him and separated unto Almighty God. Daniel was taken into captivity with his three friends Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego from Judah to Babylon in 609 BC and Daniel died there in 534 BC. He served under many kings but from an early age he sought to be a man of God no matter what. It almost cost him his life but he would not be deterred.
Though Daniel lived a long and prayer filled life we only read about the high points. In the first six chapters of the book we hear about Daniel’s amazing gift of revelatory discernment to interpret signs and dreams. We hear of Daniel and his three friends’ uncompromising stand against the devil’s schemes which led the three friends into the fiery furnace and Daniel into the lion’s den. God delivered these Godly young men from all of it. In between these times though there are many years when we know nothing of what Daniel was doing other than he was a man of prayer and ‘exceptional qualities’. He was in administrative charge of large parts of the Babylonian and later the Persian Empire but he never held back from his prayer life despite his extremely responsible and demanding career.
Daniel prayed Jeremiah’s prophecy of the Jewish nation being in exile for 70 years to fulfilment. Prophecy is amazing but just prophecy until it is prayed into being. Daniel fasted and prayed for the nation to be released according to the word given to Jeremiah. Gabriel was sent to instruct him (Daniel 9) and Daniel and his companions continued to pray and seek God until a mighty angel again came to strengthen him (Daniel 10: 18 – 19). These angels gave Daniel amazing revelations of what was to come which have subsequently been incredibly fulfilled. Daniel’s life was a life of service and prayer. Through his prayers the Jewish nation returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple and it was a pagan king, Cyrus, who sent the Jews back and even paid for the work. He even returned the holy objects taken from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel’s uncompromising life is such a source of huge encouragement for all of us. He determined to live for God from an early age no matter the cost. His amazing prayer life led him to be able to interpret dreams and signs at the highest level in the land. His exceptional qualities were used to serve in a pagan empire again at the highest level. He had the most amazing visions and dreams and all coming from a determination to live a holy life; a life separated to God and to his service. Today our nations need as many Daniels as are willing to pay the price to be the shining lights that our countries are desperate for. Imagine Godly and God fearing men and women serving the nation at the highest levels and imagine a passionate church bringing the Kingdom of God to every area of our lands. It doesn’t take many to pray this into being but it does take determination. We are a holy people (I Peter 2: 9) – let’s live holy lives.
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