What lions' mouths....

I was listening to Chuck Swindoll preach this morning on the life of Daniel and something struck me that had never occurred to me before. I have always thought of Daniel as one of those people who is just in a category all his own. I can only think of one other man in the Bible who lived a high-profile. political life and never ever buckled, not once--Joseph. But these two have always seemed to be the exception to me of how people can truly live--not the rule. They never gave into moral decay, they never compromised who they were even when it got them thrown into prison or worse....

The thing that occurred to me today though, was that Daniel was who he was because he prayed-- three times a day without exception. Prayer punctuated his life. Daily. Consistently. So much so that when his fellow advisors were looking for a way to discredit him, they could find only this as his "weakness". The only point of attack into his life. Not that there is something magical about praying three times a day for us, or that its some kind of formula. I think what strikes me is the fact that THE non-negotiable, everyday, integral part of his very, very busy, very important, politically demanding life was prayer. 

He was never too busy to pray. There was no such thing as not having enough time, or having too many demands on his schedule. Nothing was ever more urgent.  It was never up for negotiation; even when his life and career depended on it.  He was defined by this unwavering commitment to pray. His life, his habits and his time reflected his mindset of looking to God. He didn't try to conceal it; he didn't try to flaunt it. It wasn't a political decision, it was who he was. A man who prayed. 

He accomplished rare and unusual things.  Things that happened because he never lost sight of whose he was and who his God was.  The consistency of his integrity and his obedience didn't happen in a vacuum. It was a result of the consistency of his prayer life. And why was he so dad-gum consistent?  I venture to say that it was of his view of God.  A view that gave him the staggering confidence to dare to put his life, his career and his reputation on the line and tell the king that God could reveal the dream. He put it all on the line because of one surety--his God would hear him, and his God would answer him. What in the crazy world would my life look like if I had such confidence in my God who hears and answers prayer? Woah.  I wonder what God would accomplish through me if my faith and my prayers were that bold.  Wouldn't that be something. I wonder what lions' mouths would be shut in this generation if we were up to such a challenge.