https://odb.org/2026/08/26/on-our-knees
Daniel 6:3–7 (NIV): 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.
Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington encouraged a group of young actors to begin each day with prayer, suggesting they “put your shoes way under the bed at night” to ensure they “gotta get on your knees in the morning.”
Developing a regular habit of prayer might take some thoughtful and even creative planning, but it’s a practice that has sustained God’s people throughout history—especially in difficult times. We see this in the life of Daniel, who served in King Darius’ administration. He quickly distinguished himself as the top government advisor, which angered local officials (Daniel 6:3). Out of jealousy they plotted to oust the prophet, but quickly realized the only charge that would stick was related to Daniel’s devotion to the “the law of his God” (v. 5). Even after the officials tricked the king into making it illegal for Daniel to pray, Daniel still “got down on his knees, and prayed . . . just as he had done before” (v. 10). (Lisa M. Samra, Our Daily Bread 26th August 2026)
We are all aware of the power of prayer as prayer is our direct communication with our Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit made possible by the death and resurrection of Christ at the cross of Calvary. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son to the world that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16) Thus, the relationship of mankind with God is restored and through that birthed the power of prayer of the believer in Christ Jesus. We may move mountains with our faith and prayer as prayer moves the hand of God!
But what I like to highlight this morning is something even more powerful than prayer itself and that is the power of regular prayer. We know prayer speaks to the heart of God but do we pray on a regular basis? Do we spend 5, 10, 20 or 30 minutes praying every day? If not, we should start doing so now. Even Daniel did so 3 times a day and in full public sight even though a law was decreed at that time prohibiting bowing down to other gods other than King Darius of Persia. Daniel prayed despite the threat of law against him and we know the story – he was thrown into the lion’s den, but he was not harmed.
Regular prayer life does a few things. One, it strengthens us spiritually. So as we strive against issues affecting our lives, prayer gives us the courage and strength to take authority over demonic attacks and torments including the spirit of infirmities possibly causing weakness and sickness in our bodies. We are thus able to regularly bind and deflect unwanted spiritual attacks and interference. Secondly, prayer allows us to be intercessors for others, enabling us to be the bridge for God’s power to flow. We get to help others through prayer as often there are issues can only be solved through prayer. Finally but not the least, prayer is good for our relationship with God as it draws us closer to God. We are in constant touch with God – living in the centre of His will, in response to His calling and fulfilling His plans and purposes for our lives!
