As he did aforetime
“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”Daniel 6:10
Reflection
The scene is dramatic. Daniel, a high counselor of the empire, was the target of a trap: his enemies persuaded the king to sign a decree forbidding, for thirty days, any prayer to any god or man other than the king, on pain of being thrown to the lions. Daniel knew of the decree. He could have prayed silently, hidden, waited for the dust to settle. But the text says: "he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."
Notice the last expression: "as he did aforetime". Daniel did not create a scene of heroism; he simply kept the routine. There was no provocation and no spectacle, only faithfulness. The windows were open as always, the hour was the usual, the direction was the usual. His courage was not born that day: it was built over years of habit. Whoever prays three times a day for decades does not need to prepare in a special way for the crisis, because the crisis only reveals what is already routine.
This challenges the way we think about faith and courage. We expect that, in the hour of pressure, a special strength will take hold of us. But the Bible shows that, in general, what sustains us on hard days is what we practice on ordinary days. Daniel faced the threat with the instrument he had: a life of communion with God, trained, routine and quiet. Spiritual habits (prayer, Word, gratitude, fellowship) work like an invisible musculature: no apparent effort today, but decisive when the loads grow heavy.
How is your rhythm of prayer? You do not have to copy Daniel's, but build a simple and sustainable rhythm: a prayer on waking, a pause at midday, a thanksgiving at night. Choose realistic times and keep them, even on tiring days. Perhaps you do not yet face a decree against the faith, but you will face pressures and hard times. When they come, your habit will speak for you. Begin today to form the custom that, on the bad day, will simply be "as you did aforetime".
Prayer
Lord, give me Daniel's constancy. Help me build a rhythm of prayer and of the Word that sustains me on ordinary days and on hard ones. May my faithfulness not depend on circumstances, but on a heart trained in You. Make me someone who prays, as I did aforetime. Amen.
Put it into practice
Set three small moments of prayer for today (on waking, at midday and at night), even if one minute each. Choose a realistic time for each and keep them for a week, as a simple and steady habit.
To reflect on
What habits of prayer and of the Word are you building today that will sustain you when the crisis arrives?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).