Pastor John is beginning a series of three sermons on prayer as modeled by Daniel.

And so I invite you to turn to Daniel Chapter 6 verses 1 to 13. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 say traps to be throughout

the whole kingdom and over them three presidents of whom Daniel was

one to whom these say traps should give an account so that the king might suffer no loss.

Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps

because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

Then the presidents and the satrap saw to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom.

But they could find no ground for complaint or any fault because he was faithful and no error or fault was found in him.

Then these men said,

We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel,

unless we find it in connection with the law of

his God.

Then these presidents and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him,

O King Darius, live forever.

All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the saetraps,

the counselors and the governors,

are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict.

That whoever makes petition to any god or man for 30 days except to you, O King, shall be cast into the den of lions.

Now, O King, establish the interdict and sign the document so that it cannot be changed according to the law of the Meads and the Persians

which cannot be revoked.

Therefore, King Darius signed the document and interdict. When Daniel knew that the document had been

signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem, and he got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he had done previously.

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