The Heart of Daniel

~ Daniel – A Role Model ~  

The secret to Daniel’s life was his heart’s desires. The secret of his heart’s desire was his prayer life. We read about at least five aspects of his heart and how it was tuned to God. 

Daniel Prayed ~ Throughout the book of Daniel we find that his heart was tuned to God through prayer (discussed more below).   

Daniel Purposed ~ Daniel lived a purpose driven life. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8). Daniel had a pure heart in the sense of a lifestyle of desiring to please God.

Daniel Prospered ~ Because of the two previous factors God allowed Daniel to prosper. “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (Daniel 6:28).  

Daniel Praised ~ He understood the source of his blessings. “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the king's demand” (Daniel 2:23). 

Daniel’s heart was what causes him to be a role model for subsequent generations. “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b).

The psalmist also knew the secret to true success was a pure heart. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). If we truly seek God, His righteousness, and His plan for our lives He will instill the right desires in our hearts. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Because

Daniel’s heart was tuned to God it affected his actions throughout his life. Daniel’s heart was right because he was a man of prayer!

Crisis Prayer ~ During a time of emergency Daniel called his friends to prayer. “So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret” (Daniel 2:16-18a). Notice that Daniel didn’t just pray—he did what he could in concert with his prayers—Daniel enlisted others to pray.

Gratitude Prayer ~ Daniel gives thanks and praise to God for answered prayer. “Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: ‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His’” (Daniel 2:19-20).

Scheduled Prayer ~ A key reason why Daniel responded appropriately in times of crisis was his regular routine of prayer. He knelt down to pray three times a day every day. “And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (Daniel 6:10b).

Meaningful & Effective Prayer ~ Notice also that largely because Daniel lived a life saturated with prayer we find him uttering one of the most outstanding prayers in all of the Word of God as he prayed on behalf of his people (Daniel 9:1-19). 

Can God count on you during a crisis? Do you have a heart of gratitude? Do you maintain a habit of scheduled prayer? Are your prayers meaningful and effective?

In summary, are you living the kind of life that God might desire to turn to you during a crisis?  Jim Elliot once wrote, “Forgive me for being so ordinary while claiming to know such an extraordinary God!” 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW