6 Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows : "King Darius , live forever ! 7 "All the commissioners of the kingdom , the prefects and the satraps , the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides e you, O king , for thirty days , shall be cast into the lions' den . 8 "Now , O king , establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed , according to the law of the Medes and Persians , which may not be revoked ." 9 Therefore e e King Darius signed the document , that is, the injunction . 10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed , he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem ); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day , praying and giving thanks before his God , as he had been doing previously .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Daniel 6:6-10
Commentary on Daniel 6:6-10
(Read Daniel 6:6-10)
To forbid prayer for thirty days, is, for so long, to rob God of all the tribute he has from man, and to rob man of all the comfort he has in God. Does not every man's heart direct him, when in want or distress, to call upon God? We could not live a day without God; and can men live thirty days without prayer? Yet it is to be feared that those who, without any decree forbidding them, present no hearty, serious petitions to God for more than thirty days together, are far more numerous than those who serve him continually, with humble, thankful hearts. Persecuting laws are always made on false pretences; but it does not become Christians to make bitter complaints, or to indulge in revilings. It is good to have hours for prayer. Daniel prayed openly and avowedly; and though a man of vast business, he did not think that would excuse him from daily exercises of devotion. How inexcusable are those who have but little to do in the world, yet will not do thus much for their souls! In trying times we must take heed, lest, under pretence of discretion, we are guilty of cowardice in the cause of God. All who throw away their souls, as those certainly do that live without prayer, even if it be to save their lives, at the end will be found to be fools. Nor did Daniel only pray, and not give thanks, cutting off some part of the service to make the time of danger shorter; but he performed the whole. In a word, the duty of prayer is founded upon the sufficiency of God as an almighty Creator and Redeemer, and upon our wants as sinful creatures. To Christ we must turn our eyes. Thither let the Christian look, thither let him pray, in this land of his captivity.