‘Pray Big – Week 3’ – 1.18.2026

January 18, 2026
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DANIEL WAS FAITHFUL AND IMPACTFUL.

1 Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. 2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. 4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.” Daniel 6:1-5 NLT

  • Daniel is an old man by this point—decades in exile, still faithful.
  • His integrity is so consistent his enemies can only attack his faith.
  • Exile didn’t make him bitter—it made him better.
  • Manipulators always play the ego.
  • What pressures tempt us to tone down our faith?

PRAY BOLD PRAYERS EVEN WHEN THE OUTCOME IS UNCERTAIN.

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 his God. 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. Daniel 6:10-11 NLT

  • Bold prayer isn’t demanding—it’s dependent.
  • Daniel was trusting God with the outcome.
  • He doesn’t change his habits when the pressure increases.
  • He prays to God knowing the consequences.
  • Pressure reveals what discipline has already formed.
  • Faithfulness in obscurity prepares us for faithfulness under fire.

GOD’S DELIVERANCE IS UNMISTAKABLE AND UNDENIABLE.

12 So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?” “Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.” 14 Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. 

15 In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.” 16 So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night. 19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”

23 The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.  Daniel 6:12–23 NLT

  • Faith says, “God can deliver,” not “God must”.
  • Are we letting hardship refine us or harden us?
  • Are our prayers shaped more by fear or by faith?

 

The same God who shut the lions’ mouths still honors faith that refuses to bow.

 

Next Steps:

  • Keep praying when it’s unpopular.
  • Keep trusting when the outcome is unclear.

 

Next Steps

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