Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭10‬
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Why did Daniel pray three times a day? These were not just casual prayers but purposeful prayers on his knees. I think the answer is that he wanted more than to obey the Jewish traditions or the law; he wanted to know God.

So when the rules of the kingdom were changed, forbidding him from praying, he prayed all the same. He was not worried about the consequences of praying to God, because he considered this practice critical to true life.

This leads me to an important takeaway: spiritual disciplines that honor God are sacred and need to be guarded no matter the cost.

Many times we are tempted to pull back and spend less time with God the busier we get. But instead, we should be all the more determined.

Daniel lived in a pagan world and devoted himself to following God. This devotion developed into a depth of relationship with God that was considered too valuable to lose. He trusted God to provide for him.

James encourages us to humble ourselves, repent, be grieved over our sin, and draw near to God. If we do these things he will draw near to us.

The way we do this is to plan for prayer before and with more importance than our daily plans. Submit our plans to God and plan to spend time understanding the heart of God.

Lord, prayer matters. Help me stand firm of the daily disciplines of prayer. I need you every day. Bring me to the table of spiritual life, so I can eat of your goodness. Fill me and use me for your glory!