Daniel in the Lion's Den
Daniel 6
The Story
Jealous officials tricked King Darius into making a law forbidding prayer to anyone but him. Daniel continued to pray to God three times a day, just as always. He was thrown into the lion's den. The king sealed the stone and spent the night fasting, unable to sleep. At first light, he ran to the den: "Daniel! Has your God been able to rescue you?" Daniel answered: "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions."
Did You Know
Daniel was over 80 years old when he was thrown into the lion's den. This was not the impulsive defiance of a young man — it was the settled conviction of a lifetime of prayer. His habit of three daily prayers had been unbroken for more than six decades.
Takeaway
Daniel's safety came not from avoiding the lion's den but from the God who went in with him. His consistency in prayer — maintained for decades before the crisis — carried him through it. Spiritual depth is built in ordinary days, not crisis moments.
Context
Darius appears to have genuinely admired Daniel and was devastated when forced to execute the law he had signed. After Daniel's rescue, Darius issued a royal decree commanding all people throughout the empire to fear the God of Daniel. A pagan king's edict about Israel's God — triggered by one man's faithfulness in prayer.