King Darius chose 120 satraps to help rule his great kingdom. Over them, he placed three leaders. One of those leaders was Daniel.
Daniel was now an old man. He was honest, wise, and faithful in everything he did. The king saw that Daniel served better than all the others, so he planned to place Daniel over the whole kingdom.
The satraps watched from the edges of the royal court. They were jealous. They searched for something Daniel had done wrong, but they could find nothing. Daniel did not cheat. He was not careless. He could be trusted.
At last, the jealous men made a plan. They crowded around King Darius and praised him. Then they asked him to make a new law. For thirty days, no one could pray to any god or person except the king. Anyone who disobeyed would be thrown into a den of lions.
The king did not see that their plan was a trap for Daniel. He signed the law and sealed it. According to the law of the Medes and Persians, it could not be changed.
Daniel heard about the new law. Still, he went home, just as he always did. His upstairs windows were open toward Jerusalem. Warm light filled the room as Daniel knelt down and prayed to God. He thanked God and asked for help three times each day.
Daniel did not hide his prayers. He did not stop praying. From the shadows, the jealous men watched him. Then they hurried to tell the king.
King Darius was terribly upset. He cared about Daniel and tried all day to find a way to save him. But the law could not be changed.
At dusk, Daniel was taken to the lions’ den. The king said, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
Daniel was lowered into the den. A great stone was rolled across the opening and sealed with the king’s own ring. Then the king returned to his palace. He ate no supper, refused all entertainment, and could not sleep.
At the first light of dawn, King Darius hurried to the lions’ den. With a worried voice, he called, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God able to save you from the lions?”
Daniel answered from below. He was alive!
“My God has sent his angel,” Daniel said, “and has shut the lions’ mouths. They have not hurt me.”
The lions were near, but their mouths stayed shut. Daniel was completely unharmed because he had trusted God.
The joyful king ordered his servants to lift Daniel out of the den. They searched him carefully and found no wound at all. The men who had trapped Daniel were punished.
Then King Darius sent a message throughout his kingdom. He told everyone to honor Daniel’s God. Daniel’s God is the living God, the king declared. His kingdom will never be destroyed. He rescues and saves.
Daniel’s quiet faithfulness had been seen by the satraps, the king, and the whole kingdom. And Daniel continued to prosper under King Darius.
What kids learn
- Regular prayer helps us trust God when frightening days come.
- We can choose what is right even when others make it difficult.
- God stays with his people in every danger.
Memory verse
“My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me.”
Daniel 6:22
Talk about it together
- Why did Daniel keep praying after the king signed the new law?
- What do you think helped Daniel trust God inside the lions’ den?
- When have you chosen to do the right thing even though it was hard?
- How could your family make prayer a regular habit?
People and places in this story
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