Daniel . . . Who Refused to Close His Windows

By Rev Tan Eng Boo

“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”

(Daniel 6:10)

The photo at the top is the modern Jerusalem which Daniel the prophet would not have seen.  He was a faithful servant of the Lord who spent much time in prayer, as he opened the window, facing the direction of Jerusalem from Babylon. What was Daniel like?

A man of integrity

When Daniel was in Babylon (present day Iraq), after the fall of the Babylonian empire to Medo-Persia,  (present day Iran) King Darius signed a document and “injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to the king, shall be cast into the den of lions” (Dan. 6:7, cf. Dan. 6:9). This evil scheme was devised by some bad palace officials who were jealous of Daniel being given a high position in King Darius’ court (Dan. 6:3).

We read that they tried to find fault with Daniel’s character, but they could not do so. Daniel was a man of integrity. So, the next thing they did was to go after his religious beliefs.

Dan. 6:4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Dan. 6:5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? You see this type of problem in your workplace, school, army camp, and even in the church.

“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice” (James 3:16).

It may be good to ask yourself: Am I jealous of

anyone?” “How  can I uproot  jealousy in my life this week?”

Be forewarned:

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).

A good lesson to learn from Daniel’s life of integrity.

We see a man who was a model of excellence and integrity in his profession but who nevertheless suffered unjust hatred and attack. This account of  Daniel   facing nasty people  mirrors the real life experiences of Christians. We should therefore, 

“Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed” (2 Corinthians 6:3 KJV).

May we be encouraged to live lives of integrity, knowing that our actions reflect our faith and can be a powerful testimony to others.

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us” (Titus 2:7, 8)

A man of prayer

When Daniel knew about the decree, he went into his house, where he had his window open towards Jerusalem, and prayed (Dan. 6:10). This man could have protested to the king, but he did not do anything until he had first drawn near to God.

 Why did Daniel choose to pray in a posture facing Jerusalem? This man had a deep knowledge of Scriptures. Look at the words of King Solomon in I Kings 8:48-49:

1 Kings 8:48 if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 1 Kings 8:49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

Daniel did what the Scripture said. He was a man of the word and prayer. Praying towards Jerusalem was for the children of Israel.  Today, unlike Daniel, we can face anywhere and pray to God.

Look at the posture of his prayers. He went on his knees three times a day and prayed (Dan. 6:10). I have seen my fellow Indian brothers, during my Operation Mobilization days on the M/V Logos ship, kneeling for hours, reading the Bible and praying. Although Daniel prayed three times a day, this is surely not a rule.. Instead, the Bible says,

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

We do not know what he prayed, but we can catch a glimpse of his prayer in Daniel 9. We can also read of his prayer of thanksgiving (Dan. 6:10). Daniel could still give thanks to God despite the perilous situation he was in.

Lessons from Daniel, who refused to close his windows:

“Whatever our personal pattern of devotional life, it is worth asking the questions – How does my life of prayer relate to the everyday real world of secular life and work? Let us make sure the windows of our prayers are “opened towards Jerusalem,” that we daily re-orientate our lives in the direction of God’s name, God’s will, God’s mission, God’s direction, and God’s standard” (“Hearing the Message of Daniel” by Christopher J. H. White)

Prayer is our lifeline to God, Who provides strength, guidance, and peace in every situation.

Illustration of believing prayer:

“I once looked through the window of my church to see a small boy banging on the front door knocker of his door. What I saw fascinated me, for the lad was using one hand to continue knocking while his other hand, held up the flap of the letter-box. He knew his mother would respond to his call and was actually looking through the opening to see her coming. In some senses that, even now, seems to be my most vivid illustration of believing prayer. It is insufficient merely to ask God to come; we should be looking for His appearance even while we ask” (“Bible Highways” by Ivor Powell)

“O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come” (Psalm 65:2)

May we be like how Cedarmont Kids (a Christian company, starring children who sing some great classic songs) described Daniel with regards to his boldness in prayer:

Dare to be a Daniel

Dare to stand alone

Dare to have a purpose firm

Dare to make it known