Freely Speaking - Devotional by Susan Hales

Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts and trust God for transformation.

 Today’s devotional is written by Susan Hales, and narrated by Angela Gray.

 “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” (Daniel 6:10 NIV).

Do you struggle to find time for prayer? I know, me too. However, the familiar story of Daniel in the lions' den teaches us how to make prayer a priority.

Daniel was a highly regarded official during the rule of King Darius of Babylon. Because other officials were envious of Daniel's position, they advised the king to issue a decree that anyone praying to a god or man other than the king would be thrown into the lions’ den. Therefore, the king had no alternative but to throw Daniel to the lions.

Let’s examine how Daniel prepared to pray in our key verse. First, he goes to a certain place, an upstairs room facing Jerusalem. Second, he prays at a set time, three times a day.

Finally, Daniel's regular practice of praying three times daily is a habit, as scripture states, “Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

How should you prepare for prayer? Decide on a place and have everything readily available, such as your Bible, a pen, and a notebook. Then, choose a time and make a habit of it.

How do we make a habit? Stack a new habit of prayer on top of an existing one, this is called habit stacking. For example, I drink coffee every morning and pray while sitting in my backyard. I added prayer to my daily coffee habit. Maybe you like to pray at night? Associate prayer with a bedtime ritual, like reading or brushing your teeth.

How did Daniel’s story end? God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths, so Daniel was unharmed.

Will you follow Daniel's example in making prayer a priority?

Thank you for joining us today. To learn more about OhSoFree Ministries & Gracelight Collective, please visit us at www.gracelightcollective.org.