INTRODUCTION
OPENING TITLE SLIDE
• If prayer were suddenly outlawed tomorrow, would anything on your calendar need to change?
• Not: “Would you still believe?” —most of us would say yes.
• The question is, would your routine need to change?
• Would alarms need to be deleted?
• Would a window need to be closed?
• Would kneecaps get a break?
WALKING THROUGH VALLEYS SLIDE
• Many of us are walking through valleys right now—diagnoses, bills, criticism, loneliness, and that knot of anxiety in the middle of the night.
• We want to thrive, not just survive.
• We say, “I know I should pray,” but if we’re honest, prayer can feel like the last thing we reach for instead of the first.
• Perseverance sounds noble until it’s 2 a.m. and the lions of fear are pacing.
• These times and seasons are the moments that test our faith and character.
• But what if the goal isn't just to get through the valley but to thrive in it?
• The life of Daniel in the Old Testament offers a powerful blueprint for doing just that.
• He was a man who faced an impossible situation, yet he didn't just survive; he emerged stronger.
• Life teaches us that adversity exposes our ingrained habits.
• When Daniel faced one of the deepest, darkest valleys of his life, what did Daniel do?
DAINEL PATTERNS SLIDE
• Daniel didn’t “rise to the occasion”; he returned to his patterns—and God met him there.
• Daniel isn’t a teenager anymore—he’s an older man serving under a new administration.
• Darius sets 120 satraps over the empire and puts three administrators over them; Daniel outshines them all.
• Jealous colleagues can’t find any corruption, so they weaponize his faith:“Make prayer illegal—except to the king—for 30 days.”
• It’s political maneuvering with teeth.
• The law of the Medes and Persians can’t be revoked.
• This isn’t a bad day at the office; it’s a den full of lions with a stone waiting to be rolled over the opening.
• This message is titled “Thriving Through the Valleys: Prayer and Perseverance.”
• Because thriving isn’t about escaping hardship—it’s about encountering God in the midst of it.
• And if you’ve been walking through a valley lately, this message is for you.
• Let’s see what Daniel does in the midst of the oncoming valley.
• If you’re in a valley, you are not disqualified from thriving; you are perfectly positioned to discover the faithfulness of God.
• Let’s turn to Daniel 6 and watch how prayer and perseverance carry a servant of God through the night—and how they can carry you, too.
• We will begin with verses 1-5.
Daniel 6:1–5 NET 2nd ed.
1 It seemed like a good idea to Darius to appoint over the kingdom 120 satraps who would be in charge of the entire kingdom.
2 Over them would be three supervisors, one of whom was Daniel. These satraps were accountable to them, so that the king’s interests might not incur damage.
3 Now this Daniel was distinguishing himself above the other supervisors and the satraps, for he had an extraordinary spirit. In fact, the king intended to appoint him over the entire kingdom.
4 Consequently the supervisors and satraps were trying to find some pretext against Daniel in connection with administrative matters. But they were unable to find any such damaging evidence because he was trustworthy and guilty of no negligence or corruption.
5 So these men concluded, “We won’t find any pretext against this man Daniel unless it is in connection with the law of his God.”
SERMON
MAIN POINT 1 SLIDE
I. Daniel, the man of faith.
• In the opening verses of Daniel 6, we find Daniel in a position of influence and favor, even in a foreign kingdom.
• Darius the Mede is setting up a new administrative structure for the empire, and Daniel is appointed as one of three administrators over 120 satraps.
• Moreover, Daniel distinguishes himself among the other administrators due to his exceptional qualities, prompting the king to consider appointing him over the entire kingdom.
• This is remarkable when you consider Daniel's background.
• He is a Jewish exile, a foreigner, living in a pagan land, yet his faithfulness, work ethic, and integrity elevate him above his peers.
• His excellence is not rooted in political ambition but in spiritual devotion.
• He doesn’t compromise his convictions for the sake of advancement.
• Daniel thrives because he brings the same faithfulness to his job as he does to his walk with God.
• Verse 3 says, “Daniel distinguished himself...because an excellent spirit was in him.”
• His faith wasn’t just private—it shaped his public life.
• We're told that faith is a private matter and that it should not be put out in the public arena.
• Maybe we are afraid to display our faith in public because of the scrutiny or even the ridicule that could hit us as a result of people knowing we follow Jesus.
• Let me tell you, I can relate to this thought.
• When I worked at Square D, I had been working there for a couple of years before I became a Christian.
• I was afraid to let people know I was a Christian.
• I feared I wouldn't live up to the hat's meaning, so I wouldn't wear a First Christian hat.
• Over time, those fears left me.
• It was a struggle at first.
• Verses 4-5 show us the response of the others around him.
• They become jealous of Daniel's favor and try to find accusations against him.
• But they can find no corruption or negligence in him. He is trustworthy, neither corrupt nor careless. The only area where they feel they can trap him is his faith—because that is the only thing he holds more dear than position or safety.
• When you look at Daniel, three things stand out that are applicable to ours lives today
• A life of faith and integrity will stand out even in a godless culture.
• Daniel’s character set him apart, and God gave him favor because he stood firm.
• Consistency in character and faithfulness in the small things will pave the way for divine assignments.
• Daniel was not seeking status; he was simply faithful—and as a result, God elevated him.
• Opposition often comes when your commitment to God is clearly visible, but the people of God can remain faithful, even when faith is tested.
• Therefore, the satraps devised a trap to ensnare Daniel.
Daniel 6:6–7 NET 2nd ed.
6 So these supervisors and satraps came by collusion to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!
7 To all the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors it seemed like a good idea for a royal edict to be issued and an interdict to be enforced. For the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than you, O king, should be thrown into a den of lions.
THE TRAP IS SET SLIDE
• King Darius signed the decree, and according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, this law could not be revoked under any circumstances!
• It looks like Daniel will need to make a decision.
• We need to be careful not to make decisions out of fear.
• What will he do?
Daniel 6:10 NET 2nd ed.
10 When Daniel realized that a written decree had been issued, he entered his home, where the windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem. Three times daily he was kneeling and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously.
MAIN POINT 2 SLIDE
II. Daniel being Daniel.
• The law was a political trap, a decree designed specifically to prevent Daniel from praying to his God for thirty days.
• The consequences were clear and deadly.
• His enemies couldn't attack his professional life, so they attacked his spiritual life.
• They crafted a law that, on the surface, looked like a decree honoring the king, but in reality, was a direct assault on Daniel’s core identity.
• This shows us that opposition to our faith can come in many forms—sometimes it’s a direct confrontation, but other times it’s a cleverly disguised law or social pressure meant to force us to compromise.
• This verse is the heart of Daniel's spiritual resilience.
• When Daniel learns that the decree has been signed—an irreversible law that anyone who prays to any god or human apart from King Darius over the next 30 days will be thrown into the lions' den—he does not panic, argue, or react in fear.
• Instead, he simply continues in his regular practice of prayer.
• Verse 10 tells us he entered his home, where the windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem. Three times daily he was kneeling and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously.
• What did Daniel do?
• Daniel was being Daniel.
• Notice that Daniel's actions are not new to him.
• This phrase, 'just as he had done before,' is key.
• Daniel didn’t begin to pray because of the crisis, and he didn’t stop praying because of the threat.
• Prayer was not a reaction to hardship; it was a way of life.
• In moments of challenge, he was simply being who he always was—a man of prayer.
• Here are three keys we can pull out of verse 10.
THREE KEYS ANCHORS SLIDE
• Spiritual habits are anchors.
• Daniel’s prayer life was so ingrained that even a death threat couldn’t shake it.
THREE KEYS CONSISTENCY SLIDE
• Second, we see that consistency is courage.
• Daniel didn’t need a new strategy—he just needed to stay faithful.
THREE KEYS PRESSURE SLIDE
• The third key we can see is that public pressure reveals private priorities.
• Daniel’s response was shaped by years of quiet devotion.
• “What do I do instinctively when pressure hits?
• Do I panic, post, or pray?”
• When I was in school, we did period fire drills.
• You don’t learn what to do in a fire during the fire—you practice beforehand.
• Daniel had rehearsed his response for years.
› Daniel’s consistency didn’t keep him out of the lion’s den—but it prepared him for it. And now, we see what thriving in the valley really looks like.
Daniel 6:16–23 NET 2nd ed.
16 So the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into a den of lions. The king consoled Daniel by saying, “Your God whom you continually serve will rescue you!”
17 Then a stone was brought and placed over the opening to the den. The king sealed it with his signet ring and with those of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel.
18 Then the king departed to his palace. But he spent the night without eating, and no diversions were brought to him. He was unable to sleep.
19 In the morning, at the earliest sign of daylight, the king got up and rushed to the lions’ den.
20 As he approached the den, he called out to Daniel in a worried voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God whom you continually serve able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever!
22 My God sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths so that they have not harmed me, because I was found to be innocent before him. Nor have I done any harm to you, O king.”
23 Then the king was delighted and gave an order to haul Daniel up from the den. So Daniel was hauled up out of the den. He had no injury of any kind, because he had trusted in his God.
MAIN POINT 3 SLIDE
III. Daniel, thriving in the valley of the lion’s den.
• Daniel is cast into the lion’s den—not as a consequence of wrongdoing, but as a result of his righteousness.
• Verse 16 shows King Darius reluctantly giving the order and consoling Daniel, saying, “Your God whom you continually serve will rescue you!”
• Even the king recognized Daniel’s unwavering devotion.
• Verse 22 is the turning point.
Daniel 6:22 NET 2nd ed.
22 My God sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths so that they have not harmed me, because I was found to be innocent before him. Nor have I done any harm to you, O king.”
• Daniel didn’t just survive—he thrived.
• He came out untouched, and his testimony led to a royal decree honoring the God of Israel.
• Sometimes God allows us into the valley to reveal His power and presence.
• Daniel wasn't spared from the lion's den.
• God didn't prevent the crisis, but He preserved Daniel through it.
• This reminds us that faith doesn’t guarantee avoidance of hardship—it guarantees God’s presence in the midst of it.
• Daniel thrived, not because he escaped the lions, but because the lions didn't overcome him.
• Thriving is not about the absence of trouble but the presence of trust.
• There is no indication in the text that Daniel was frantic, fearful, or resistant.
• He likely entered the lion’s den with the same confidence he had when he went to pray.
• His safety came, not from the king, not from a legal loophole, but from his God.
• This is what it means to thrive in the valley—resting in absolute trust that if God is with us, no lions, no threats, and no schemes can prevail.
• God uses the valley as a platform for His glory.
• What happens the next morning is not just about Daniel’s deliverance—it impacts everyone around him.
• King Darius spends a sleepless night fasting and rushes to the den at dawn.
• When Daniel answers him from within the den, it is another undeniable testimony of the power and faithfulness of God.
• Your valley can become someone else's revelation.
• Darius issues a new decree recognizing and honoring the God of Daniel, declaring that He is the living God who endures forever.
• What an incredible testimony that through faithful perseverance and constant prayer, an entire kingdom is introduced to the sovereignty and power of the Most High God.
• Daniel’s valley didn’t just glorify God in his own life—it became a witness to the watching world.
• Before we close, let’s not forget the poor hungry lions.
Daniel 6:24 NET 2nd ed.
24 The king gave another order, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives. They did not even reach the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
• A happy ending.
CONCLUSION
• Daniel reminds us that thriving doesn't mean ease or comfort—it means standing firm in faith and allowing God to work through that faith, even when others oppose us.
• Daniel's life challenges us to be people of exceptional spirit by God's grace, shining even in places of difficulty and exile.
• His story is a powerful reminder that our response to trials is rooted in our preparation before them.
• His perseverance was a product of his consistent prayer life.
• We can also thrive in our valleys when we make prayer a consistent, non-negotiable part of our lives, no matter the circumstances.
