Dan. 6:10
But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and
knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward
Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day,
just as he had always done, giving thanks to God.
Daniel did not let his circumstances dictate his
faith. He knew that things weren’t going
to be easy for him if he were to continue being bold about his faith, but that
did not matter to him. He unashamedly
did what he always did, he prayed openly and he did care what others thought
about it. His allegiance was to God, he
needed time alone with God, and he made sure that he got that time.
When he prayed, Daniel often gave thanks. He understood that he was who he was because
of God’s favor on him. He appreciated
the life he lived and made sure that God knew his appreciation. He was not concerned what others thought; he
was determined to acknowledge God’s hand on his life, both past and
present. We can learn much from Daniel’s
heart.
I wonder how bold we are about acknowledging
God’s hand on our lives and unashamedly giving Him thanks. So many of us do not take the time to offer
the Lord our thanks for His blessings of life.
I see so many professing Christians who do not pause to give thanks in
public before a meal. I hear so many of
us who take far more credit than we deserve for the blessings of our
lives. I hear so many prayers that are
geared to what we want from God rather than thanks for what we have
received. A lack of gratitude for God’s
blessings is a sin.
God deserves our gratitude. We don’t deserve to be children of God. We don’t deserve any of the blessings He bestows
on us. It is shameful the way that we
often act around those who do not share our faith. We should never hide our faith. We should not care what others may
think. It is far more important what God
thinks than it is man. Dare to be a
Daniel. Let others see your faith at
work in you and hear your words of gratitude unto the Lord.
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