October 10, 2026 Devo

October 10th, 2026

Powerful Words from the Prophets
But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. – Daniel 6:10 (NLT)
“An ‘As Usual’ Faith”

The story of Daniel in the lion’s den is one of the most famous stories in the Bible. The conniving officials trick the king into signing an order that he can’t rescind. The order is that for 30 days, no one can worship anyone but the king himself. Though the officials presented it as a way to honor the king, it wasn’t. It was a way to have Daniel executed. The king really liked Daniel and would have never agreed to it if he had known what they were up to. Now he was stuck.
But Daniel wasn’t afraid. Nor was he willing to back off of his commitment to worshipping the One True God. So when he went to his times of prayer, the officials told the king and made the king stay true to his decree. Daniel was going to be fed to the lions. But here’s what I don’t want you to miss. Our passage tells us that Daniel went “as usual” to his upstairs room to pray. “He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done.” The officials knew they could catch him because they knew his routine. What they DIDN’T KNOW was that his “routine” was the secret to his incredible faith in God!
When you walk with God in the day, you don’t have to be afraid in the dark. Daniel trusted God because Daniel KNEW God. He drew near to God frequently, so he felt God near constantly. When his time of testing came, Daniel was well prepared. Like his three friends who got thrown into the furnace, Daniel didn’t know what his earthly outcome would be. But of this he was sure: The Lord would never leave him or forsake him. Whatever might happen, Daniel rested in the abiding presence of God. His life was a daily preparation of faith, so when it came time to TEST that faith, Daniel was ready. Will YOU be?
Many of us don’t hit our knees with passion and brokenness until our time of testing comes. So we’re unprepared. Our time with God has been little, so our faith is small. Listen very carefully to this: It is the consistency of our “usual” times with God that prepares us for the unusual crises of life. In a moment when the faith of others would have failed, Daniel’s faith stood strong.
Let’s not wait until the crisis comes to become strong in our faith in the Lord. Let’s make being with God an “as usual” trait so we’ll be ready for those unusual moments life brings. “Last-minute faith” is a slippery rope to hang onto. Let’s develop some “as usual” faith starting TODAY! That’s God’s Word for you today. (For those of you who might be interested, I’m preaching on Deep Faith tomorrow. Feel free to join us at shartelchurch.org. Love you guys!)