Daniel 6:10-11 (NLT)
“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. Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help.”
Daniel was living in a hostile land, where the king signed a law forbidding prayer to any god except the king. Kingship and god-like status went together in ancient cultures. Here in Babylon, Daniel is a young Jewish man who is devoted to God and refuses to stop praying even when it becomes illegal to do so.
Notice that Daniel has a very predictable daily routine. He prays three times a day — in the same place, at the same time. The description of the start of his prayer is “giving thanks to his God.” By the time the authorities arrive, he’s continued on into asking for God’s help.
Prayer isn’t always easy, and you may have trouble knowing where to start. Giving thanks is a way to start the conversation, which will help you move forward into deeper places with God in prayer. Take a moment right now to say, “God, I want to give you thanks for…” Don’t worry about having the perfect thing to be thankful for. Don’t even say the things you “should” say. You might not be thankful for all the socially “right” things, but there is something that is meaningful to you in this day. Start there and just let the prayer journey of thanksgiving take you into new places.