Daniel: habits of faith – 18 August 2021

Whenever I think of Daniel and his faith, the image that comes to mind is one of him sealed in the lions’ den, calling out to God to save him.

Today I want to picture another version of Daniel. It’s not nearly as dramatic or action-packed. Just a man, on his knees in front of the window, praying to God, the same as he did every day.

Spiritual habits are an important part of our finding God through the fog of our lives. That’s what helped sustain Daniel in his faith.

There are many different spiritual habits people develop to deepen their relationship with God. Prayer, Bible reading, and perhaps meditation or journaling. Other spiritual disciplines may include joining together for worship on a Sunday or studying the Bible in a small group. Fasting can help us rediscover what really feeds us, and tithing can help us recall who really pays our bills.

Often it may feel like you’re simply going through the motions but what you’re really doing is practising finding God. It’s hard to find God in a moment of panic, but it’s much easier if we’ve already developed a daily pattern of focusing on him through our personal quiet time. It’s easier to release our worries to God at the end of a tough day if we’ve learned to release every other day to him in an evening prayer. And it’s a lot easier to remain steadfast to God’s call when you’ve been serving him in a deliberate way for months or years.

Daniel was able to call on God in the lions’ den because he called on him three times a day, every day. Spiritual disciplines help to reorient us so we can find God’s strength and peace, even in the thickest fog.

Prayer: God, help us to practice finding you. May our day begin and end with you. Amen.