Why Great Men in the Bible Prayed: Miracle Stories of the Power of Prayer - Daniel
Have you asked yourself why great men and women in the Bible, powerful as they were, still prayed?
We’ll share stories from three prayerful characters in the Bible:
- Joseph
- Daniel
- Esther
Daniel - From A Captive
Daniel and his three friends were among the Israelite captives of Babylon (Daniel 1:1-7, ESV).
In the palace, they underwent training to become good servants of King Nebuchadnezzar. They also had the privilege to taste royal food and wine.
Unfortunately, the king’s food was unclean in God’s sight. More so that it was being sacrificed to idols, Daniel and his friends refused to eat (verses 8).
If you were these young men, could you stand up for what is right despite the temptation?
Going back, they requested the king to feed them vegetables and water for ten days. Surprisingly, after the test, they looked healthier and stronger than the rest of the trainees.
Can you imagine how handsome they looked?
Continuing their healthy diet, they even proved themselves ten times wiser (verses 9-15).
To A Trusted Adviser
One morning, King Nebuchadnezzar woke up from a bad dream (Daniel 2:1-16). He consulted his wise men, but they couldn’t interpret it.
Hence, the king ordered the execution of all wise men. Meanwhile, Daniel volunteered to interpret his dream, telling that he had God to give him wisdom.
If you were in this dangerous plot, would you also dare to do this?
Daniel and his friends prayed all night. Later, God revealed the meaning of the king’s dream (verses 17-30).
The following morning, he told the king he dreamed of a gigantic statue (verses 31-45). Its body comprised different metals representing different kingdoms. Then, a rock destroyed the statue.
Here, Nebuchadnezzar was the head made of gold. According to Daniel’s interpretation, the kingdom of Babylon would someday fall.
How do you think it made a difference in the king’s decision?
Fortunately, Nebuchadnezzar spared all the wise men. Significantly, Daniel made a good impression and thus became governor of Babylon (verses 46-49).
Based on what you’ve seen from this story, how has prayer impacted Daniel’s life?
Why did these great men and women feel the need to pray?
Joseph, Daniel, and Esther are just a few of the Bible’s best examples of prayer and faith.
In the case of Joseph and Daniel, you can see that prayer was significant in interpreting dreams. As humans like us, they had no power to determine their prophetic meanings.
Hence, they needed God’s wisdom because only He knows the future. He is in control of the universe and everything that happens in it.
Meanwhile, Esther knew she had no power to control her king’s decision. Neither could she convince Haman to take down his deceitful plan.
Thus, prayer was all that she had to get through the trial. As you have seen from her story, she did her part and surrendered the rest to God.
Heroes Bible Trivia Guest Blog Post
Heroes 2 is a Bible trivia game released by the Hope Channel. It is a sequel to the game, Heroes, which was released in 2013. The latest game version is on 3D graphics and animation, enhanced with unique features and more challenging Bible questions. It comes in four languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. The game is available on both iOS and Android.
