Darius’ prayer being answered made him a believer! Darius made a decree that everyone under his control would worship Daniel’s God. As mentioned earlier this week on Monday. Darius, as King of Persia, controlled the whole world. That means the whole world was to tremble with fear before the living God!

Questions for further thought:
1. How can our faith in the “impossible” help lead others to Christ?
2. How do you tremble with fear before the living God?

​Challenge: Teach the power of the living God to the pre-Christians in your life. If we believe in our God, the pre-Christians in our life will become Christians!

When Daniel was in the lions’ den, we learned that prayer is what saved Daniel. But it was not Daniel but Darius that prayed. Verse 18 says Darius went home and fasted. Darius was so concerned for Daniel, that he could not sleep. He was so anxious about Daniel’s fate, that he went as soon as possible to the den to see if Daniel was saved.

Questions for further thought:
1. What impression do you get when you see that Daniel was not the only one praying?
2. How have you seen prayer do the “impossible” in your experiences?

​Challenge: What is the “impossible” thing in your life (or someone else’s life) that you need to pray for?

Daniel was caught red-handed, praying to his God. Daniel followed his convictions, even though it was illegal. Darius tried to show mercy to Daniel, but the other leaders convinced Darius to follow the law and punish Daniel by sentencing him to a lions’ den.

Questions for further thought:
1. Have you ever been persecuted for doing something you should be doing?
2. Have you ever been prevented from being merciful like Darius was?

​Challenge: Sometimes we are given a choice of doing what is right when others think it is wrong and sometimes, we are given a chance to show mercy. Determine an area where you need to do each of these things.

Daniel’s peers did not like his methodology, so they approached King Darius about creating a law banning prayer to anyone other than the king himself. Of course, this massaged the ego of Darius, so Darius signed the law. Daniel did not give in; he knew his God was bigger! 

Questions for further thought:
1. If someone attacks your integrity, how do you persevere?
2. How has God shown you his power when your integrity has been attacked?

​Challenge: Build a fortress of prayer warriors. Start with yourself, then expand to your family and confidants and build outward from there. No matter what, don’t give up on prayer like Daniel did not.

The whole world (including Israel) was under Persian control, and their king, Darius, had chosen three leaders to lead. Daniel was the most effective, as he “was faithful, always responsible and completely trustworthy.” (v. 4). The other leaders were envious but struggled to find fault with him. They decided to try to bring Daniel down to their level, instead of rising to his level.

Questions for further thought:
1. Who is a peer you envy because of their abilities?
2. Do you aspire to reach that person’s level, or do you try to bring them down to your level?

​Challenge: Work on character traits that will help you reach the level of your peer. If you are not sure, ask your spouse, a friend, or your boss for an honest assessment.

Isn’t it interesting that even in the Garden, with Jesus in close proximity, the threat of temptation was alive and well in the disciples. Jesus used Peter’s drowsiness to warn him about the kinds of temptation he would soon face. The way to overcome temptation is to keep watch and pray, just as Jesus had commanded. Watching means being aware of the possibilities of temptation, sensitive to the subtleties, and spiritually equipped to fight it. Because temptation strikes where we are most vulnerable, we can’t resist alone. Prayer is essential because God’s strength can shore up our defenses and defeat satan’s power. 

Questions for further thought:
1. In what area of life do you find yourself most vulnerable to temptation? 
2. What steps are you taking to prepare yourself for the next time that temptation arises?

Challenge: Consider this… Like the disciples, we cannot put our hope in our faithfulness to Christ. Our security comes from the faithfulness of God to us, despite our fickleness. Prayerfully consider whether you are basing your confidence on your abilities to serve God, or on Christ’s ability to help you.

God sternly warns of judgment and gives us the opportunity to repent. In fact, no matter what sin confronts us, God faithfully provides a means of escape from the temptation – a promise that encourages us to resist to the uttermost of our ability. It may not be easy, but we can trust that God will help us to “endure” temptation. The million dollar question is whether you and I will trust Him and take the exit ramp He provides. 

Questions for further thought:
1. In times of temptation, how have I seen God provide a way of escape?
2. In what ways has God humbled you in times of temptation? In what ways has He led you to victory?

Challenge: Consider the times when you took Satan’s bait and forsook the exit ramp that God provided. How could the outcome have been different? What steps might you take to ensure you will take the exit ramp next time?

In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul calls believers to be courageous and strong. The psalmist says the same thing when he tells Israel to “wait for the Lord” for strength. (Ps. 27:14; 130:5). As God strengthened His people in ancient times, He now enables Christians to “stand firm in the faith”. In verse 14, we see that this courage goes hand in hand with loving relationships. Even here we may detect the power of Christ’s cross, where courage and love drove Jesus to boldly give His life for us.

Questions for further thought:
1. In what ways have you been living courageously for Christ?
2. Are you finding it hard to be courageous in your own strength? Why or why not?

Challenge: Our ability to love others is fueled when we consider Christ’s love for us. You will find strength in Christ to love both your friends and enemies by spending time in prayer. Watch as He changes your heart through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Suffering will come. “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). All will be persecuted? Yes, all. Because God loves us, He warns us that pain is coming so we aren’t blindsided by it. If you’re driving down the freeway, a car cuts in front of you, and you see a collision coming, you brace yourself. If you stumble down a flight of stairs, you instinctively throw out your hands to break the fall. God’s Word repeatedly, lovingly warns us that suffering is God’s number one tool for chiseling our character so that we have realistic expectations and can brace ourselves for what’s to come. Often when we’re going through difficult times, we are more vulnerable to sin. We stand at a crossroads and either get bitter or get better. Either we move forward/upward, or we drift backward/downward. Trials present a watershed moment.  During a time of real hardship, you become a target. Peter warns, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8b). Satan sees God’s children going through hardship, and he’s waiting for an opportune time to pounce.  Though temptation to sin can sometimes be heightened in trials, suffering can also make you more focused in your walk with Christ. You get the mind-set of a warrior, not wanting to carry anything extra into the battle. “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3). Arm yourself like a warrior.

Questions for further thought:
1. For many of us, our default is not a warrior mentality. What’s your natural response to suffering?
2. What temptation are you facing now? Are you getting bitter or better? Are you falling prey to old sin patterns, or are you more focused in your walk with Jesus?

Challenge:Consider your relationship with Jesus Christ… Confess and repent of all known sin and be sure He is rich in mercy to forgive!

Faith is as practical as you can get. It’s not ivory tower, abstract, feel-good thinking. Faith is for real life in the trenches. Let’s look together at the life of Jesus and see how Christ Himself used faith at the point of temptation to gain victory. Some people argue that as God, Jesus couldn’t experience true temptation to sin. False. The Bible teaches that Jesus was severely tempted. Hebrews 4:15 reassures us that Jesus gets it: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” When facing temptation, Jesus didn’t use His divine powers to say no. In fact, using His deity is exactly what Satan was tempting Him to do, but Jesus refused. Jesus exercised faith in the Word of God to repel the attacks of the evil one. As each temptation presented itself, Jesus used only one weapon to fight it: faith in the Word of God. Three temptations. Three Biblical answers. A perfect example of the power of faith in God’s Word.

Questions for further thought:
1. Why is it comforting to know that Jesus was tempted just as we are?
2. What are some common temptations you face? 

Challenge: Think of some verses from God’s Word that address those temptations you referenced in question #2, and arm yourself.