Will You Leave the Window Open?

“The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.”

What was the first thing Daniel did when the decree went out that no one should pray to any God or any man for 30 days? He went home and prayed. And not only did he pray, but he did so next to an open window that faced Jerusalem. As he did every day.

We are told he did this everyday - 3 times a day. So those who were jealous of him and the plans that the king had for him KNEW that he did this. Why do you think they insisted on that very decree? They knew where they could find him and where and how he could be heard praying.

Daniel didn’t’ change his commitment to prayer. He courageously went straight to his prayer room and continued to pray to God. He could have hidden in his closet to pray. He could have stopped praying for the duration. Did he change how he honored God with prayer? No. He went back to that window and prayed; again, and again, and again.

Without faith, Daniel would have closed that window. Without faith, Daniel would have feared the consequences. Without faith, Daniel would have fought his way out as he was being taken to the Lion’s Den. But Daniel had faith. Abundant faith.

Daniel’s entire life was lived by faith. His name meant “God is my judge”. He lived his life believing that whatever God thinks and does is more important that what anyone else thinks or does. He never once gave a thought to fear. He lived purposely as a man that loved God and trusted Him for every aspect of his life. But more than that – he put God first – even if it meant that harm might come to him. He built his entire life around prayer and the belief that God was in control of every aspect of his being. You can live without fear if you truly believe that.

It is remarkable really when we realize that Daniel was so righteous that his enemies could come to no other conclusion than; “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God” (Dan. 6:12)

Daniel purposed in his heart at a very young man to honor God. Are we willing to put God above all else – without fear of consequence or rejection? Are we brave enough to leave our window open and expose the depth of our faith to others?