Daniel's Prayer - Daniel 6:6-7

"So the administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and govenors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lion's den."" Daniel 6:6-7

There is a difference between "standing up" and "standing out" when practicing our faith. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for saying flowery prayers on the street corners to receive praise from men. I imagine those same street corners would have been deserted if uttering those same prayers had meant imprisonment or death. The Pharisees were eager to "stand out" for the sake of recognition but unwilling to "stand up" for their faith if it meant going against the crowd. Sometimes though, like Daniel, we are required to both "stand up" and "stand out" for our faith. What were Daniel's options when the king issued his edict?
1. Stop praying
2. Pray in a hidden location
3. Continue praying as usual.
Why did he choose option 3? It could be that even though God sees what is done in secret it doesn't mean that our faith should be kept a secret. It was no secret to Daniel's enemies that he prayed 3 times a day. Praying was not the issue. The real issue was Daniel's faith, and his willingness to practice his faith in the face of fearful consequences. By "standing up" for his faith Daniel was also "standing out", not for his glory but for the glory of God.

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