But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. Daniel 1:8
Heavenly Father, the older I get, the more I see Daniel as a model of gospel-saturated living. Your sovereign grace was at work in every season and circumstance of his life. Daniel’s love for you is both greatly encouraging and deeply convicting. May the gospel bring me greater freedom to live and love as this man did—with passion, conviction, wisdom, and hope.
My first exposure to the Book of Daniel, however, didn’t make the gospel very apparent at all. It was presented to me as a survival manual for life in a scary, godless world. There was a lot more emphasis placed on solving the mystery of the 70 weeks than seeing your hand at work in every day and every place. I heard more about “being a Daniel” than trusting in Jesus.
I now realize that Daniel is primarily a testimony to your commitment to redeem your people from every nation—not by a new generation of committed Daniels, but by the work and presence of the greater Daniel, Jesus, himself. You intend to bring the transforming power of the gospel to bear wherever you send your people, including Babylon; for a Day is coming when the knowledge of your glory will cover the whole earth—not a single square inch excluded.
With a better understanding of the gospel, here’s my prayer: Father, help me and my friends make the kinds of commitments Daniel made so we can live as an instruments of your transforming presence wherever you’ve placed us. You’re not asking us to do anything for Jesus, but everything with Jesus. Deepen our worship. Enrich our communion. Whether it’s in secular academies and fiery furnaces, or in the “safe” precincts of our local churches and own homes, all we need to know is that Jesus is with us and for us.
And keep us wise to the particular “defilements” that wage war against our hearts and your story—not just the things in “Babylon,” but also the things in the dark continent of our hearts. We don’t just need the gospel to protect us from the alluring temptations outside of us, but also from the residual foolishness inside of us. Make the wine and bread of King Jesus’ table so satisfying that every other buffet will seem like cold okra and sour milk. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus merciful and mighty name.
