Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. (Dan. 6:10)
Expanded Passage: Daniel 6:10
I lost my jobs. I lost my hair. But I didn’t lose my faith.
The college where I’d taught for almost a decade closed suddenly in mid–school year—right at Thanksgiving! The stress caused bald patches to appear in my hair. Then another college hired me, only to close a year later. Throughout those difficult days, what kept me going were the holy habits God had helped me to develop over the years: daily prayer and Bible reading and weekly church attendance. When the crises hit, I could rely on these spiritual rhythms and find the grace to make it through.
Daniel was far from home, exiled in a pagan land. He was also in a position of great power in the government of the vast Persian Empire (Dan. 6:1–3), with all the temptations to become corrupt and all the pressure of his massive responsibilities. What kept his relationship with God strong was the holy habit he practiced: praying and thanking God three times a day on his knees with his face toward the ruins of Jerusalem, where God’s temple had once stood. Now, when his political enemies had just passed a law to destroy him (Dan. 6:4–9), Daniel stuck to his rhythm of grace.
He’d lost his homeland. He could lose his job and life. But he didn’t lose his faith.
Pray and give thanks today, tomorrow, and every day.
Jerome Van Kuiken is a missionary kid, a Wesleyan minister, and professor of Christian thought at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
