Today's week of prayer focuses on the witness of Daniel. His habits of prayer were known to the people around him. He practised his rituals of faith openly before his community. There was no question of where Daniel's allegiance centred. In Daniel 6, The King commented about the God whom Daniel continually served.
Rituals can get a bad name, as empty routines that have no meaning or worse, as showy demonstrations of spirituality. But they can also be helpful disciplines and powerful practices to reorient our hearts to God amid life's chaos. Regular routines are helpful for keeping us centred on God. Neglecting prayer and the study of God's Word results in spiritual depletion. Rather, we need a break from busyness and more quiet time with God, to help us reconnect with him as the source of our strength and encouragement.
Today, as mentors, we can share how God is still working on us. We can demonstrate the value of time in prayer and in God's Word that shapes us into the people God has called us to be. However, we need to be consistently connected to the vine, Yahweh, if we are going to see fruit develop in our lives.
Let's Reflect
What spiritual habits are you engaging in to keep your life focused on God? How have you been blessed by routines of nurturing faith?
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).
Let's Pray
Yahweh, help me establish regular prayer habits, worship habits, and consistency with You and Your Word. May my habits of faith draw others, including my enemies, to you. In Jesus' name, Amen.