Daniel, The Lion Tamer

A few weeks ago, our pastor preached on “Jesus at the Watering Hole.” When I realized it was about Jesus talking with a woman at the city well in Samaria, I had to smile. The off-beat title got my attention.

That’s why I decided to write about “Daniel, The Lion Tamer.”

As a young man, Daniel was a captive carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon. He and other promising young men were put into a top-notch training school. Graduates were presented to King Nebuchadnezzar for private interviews. He would decide how they could best serve him.

As a graduate in service of the King, Daniel was known to go to his room and pray toward Jerusalem three times a day (Daniel 6:10).

Later on, the Persians overcame Babylon. Daniel rose to the top in service to King Darius, and jealous peers concocted a scheme to pull him down.

Their plan worked. Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den, but God sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths. It’s a great story. Read it for yourself in Daniel, chapter six. The power of prayer cannot be discounted.

Prayer is never out of season, but people seem more drawn to prayer in hard times. Today we hear much about the call to prayer in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

God said He would hear prayers and have mercy if His people would do three things: 1) humble themselves before Him, (2) pray and seek His face and (3) turn from their wicked ways.  

Daniel said a prayer like that for his people. Read it for yourself in the Old Testament Book of Daniel, chapter nine.

The Apostle Paul wrote that the weapons of our (spiritual) warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty (2 Corinthians 10:4).

James, another apostle, declared we show our faith by our works (James 2:17-18). Each of these men would have found in Daniel a fellow believer.

Today’s threats are not lions, but prayer still makes a difference.

Are you a person of faith? How do you show it?