How would you feel if you were a prisoner of war in a foreign land? I have been overseas many times and was as homesick as I could be. Once I had scheduled myself to be gone 40 days in Poland and Ukraine, but I became so homesick that I came home ten days early. I cannot imagine how bad it would be to be a P.O.W. and be away from your country and countrymen. But that's where Daniel found himself in Babylon (Iraq).

"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before" (Daniel 6:10 NIV). Seven things in this text impress me. (1) He prayed in spite of the ban against prayer. (2) He opened his upstairs windows toward Jerusalem, the City of God. He was maintaining contact with his spiritual base, though far from home. (3) He prayed three specific times each day. (4) He humbled himself and got down on his knees to pray. Prayer does that - humbles us. (5) His prayers included thanksgiving. What's there to thank God for when you are a P.O.W? Daniel found reasons for thanksgiving. (6) Prayer was his daily practice - "just as he had done before." (7) Going back to the open windows, Daniel was open in his faith and practice. I might have kept the windows shut, but he kept them open for all the world to know. O dear Lord, help me to be like Daniel!

Hymn: "Standing by a purpose true, heeding God's command. Honor them, the faithful few! All hail to Daniel's band! Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone! Dare to have a purpose firm! Dare to make it known!" (Philip P. Bliss)