Daniel and the Lions' Den

Daniel loved God, and everybody in the kingdom knew it. Three times a day he went to the window of his room, knelt down where the sunlight came in, and prayed. He prayed when things were going well. He prayed when things were hard. It was as natural to him as breathing.

Some men in the palace were jealous of Daniel. They could not find anything wrong with the way he worked, so they went to King Darius with a clever, unkind idea. “Make a law,” they said, “that for thirty days no one may pray to anyone except you.” The king liked the sound of that, and he signed it.

Daniel heard about the new law. Then he went home, opened his window just as he always did, and prayed to God.

The men were watching, and they ran straight to the king. Darius was very upset. He liked Daniel. He tried all day to find a way out. But the law had been signed, so that evening Daniel was put into a den of lions and a heavy stone was rolled over the opening.

The king went back to his palace and could not eat, and could not sleep.

That night, God sent His angel into the dark den, and the lions lay down quietly beside Daniel. Their mouths stayed shut. Daniel was not scratched or hurt at all.

“My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me.”

Daniel 6:22

At the first light of morning, the king hurried to the den and called out in a worried voice, “Daniel, are you all right?” And Daniel answered him from inside.

Daniel was lifted out safe. The king told everyone in his kingdom about the living God who rescues and protects, and Daniel kept praying at his window, just as he always had.