Jun. 14, 2026

Background:

• God will protect us from hidden traps
• We do not have to face burdens alone, God is always there on our behalf
• Whatever we might be going through understand that God is there with his protective angels watching over us (Psalm 91:3)
• God will deliver us one way or another, if we know the Lord as our personal Saviour
• When we have favor with God, he will put us in places where we never imagined we would be
• When you walk with God and live your life out for Him he will favor you and bless you

Key Sermon Points:

1.  Daniel's unwavering prayer life

• Daniel knew about the writing but did not care
• Daniel had remarkable discipline, courage, and no fear
• When it was prayer time for Daniel he would not let anything get in his way
• Even under the threat of death his steadfast devotion remained
• If you are faithful in your prayer, God will show up
• We pray until He answers our prayer; then it turns into praise
• The enemies checked Daniel's life out looking for fault; but could not find anything crooked in Daniel
• All they knew was Daniel was a praying man and his faithfulness to God
• They knew he would be true to God in the time of trouble
• Daniel knew they did not like him because he had favor with the king, but before that he had favor with the King of Kings
• No earthly commandment could prevent Daniel from doing his heavenly duty
• We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29)
• We always obey God, the law or the government unless it conflicts with God's law
• What we may be called upon to face in the future no one knows
• We have to understand there are people that just do not like us because we have a relationship with Jesus and we wear it well
• Daniel and the three Hebrew boys always had favor in God because they trusted Him
• What made Daniel's prayer life unwavering?
  • He gave thanks to the Lord
  • Thanks is a sincere expression of gratitude towards God
  • He has the prayer of supplication
  • Supplication includes three major elements: humility (bowing before God and complete dependence on God), passion and persistent (seeking His intervention), his vulnerability (uncovering the mass or heavy burdens in you heart)
• Sometimes he will deliver us out of the lions den, but not out of the trouble we are in

2.  Daniel's enemies sprung their trap

• There are people who will puff us up with one hand and have a dagger in the other hand
• The Pharisees and Sadducees did not get along but had one common enemy, Jesus
• If the enemy can not get us alone they will bring in some people that do not like each other but do not like  us more
• Traps are designed to lure us away from our core value
• They do not want us to praise God
• The enemies could not find fault in Daniel's work
• When we set up a trap for someone that very trap will be for us and we may bring others down with us  (Esther 7 & Jeremiah 38)
• David frequently wrote about his enemies setting traps (Psalms 142:3)
• The king is trying his best to find a way to spring Daniel- he cannot sleep, rest, or dance
• Even though the enemy tried to trap Daniel, Daniel was resting in God
• Don't always panic when trouble comes, but pray and ask God to show us
• Find rest in a place that we would not find it
• He will deliver us
• Daniel lived through a lot of kings- Nebuchadnezzar
• Daniel had a relationship with God
• Sometimes people need to know things about us in order to praise God

3.  Daniel's accusers punished and his God praised

• When we sin we do not sin to ourselves
• The accusers families were thrown into the lions den as well
• The lions did not eat Daniel but they did eat the accusers
• We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7)
• Saying that the lions were toothless and not hungry would take away from God's glory that is due to him
• Sometimes in life we will not be delivered from our problem but we will be delivered in heaven
• This judgment from God was important to his miracle
• God is worthy of all glory from humanity- willing or unwilling
• God inhabits the praise of his people
• Praising God calms the spirit and reminds us of His sovereignty
• Shows us that he loves us in spite of ourselves
• Draws us closer to Him where His presence is felt powerfully
• It fosters joy of gratitude  
• All of us that believe in God should have a testimony
• We might be in a storm right now but in the midst he is there with us even to the end
• We believe it more when we go through it and we become a witness for Him
• When God has done something for us do not sit on it, we must give Him the Praise
• Sometimes God will have someone speak for us to show us we are truly living for God