What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Could Daniel have shifted his fixed prayer times to avoid his enemies, as long as he continued to pray to God?"
Answer
Daniel would not have changed his prayer times or the manner of his prayer to avoid his enemies, because he placed his loyalty to God above his own life. He regarded any deviation from his accustomed prayer habits as a disruption of his connection to heaven and as a denial of his God before men. His steadfastness served as a testimony that no earthly power has the right to stand between the soul and God.
No Change of Behavior Despite Life Danger
»He knew exactly that the decree had been drafted and the writ signed by the king. He knew that this was now the law of the realm—a law that could neither be changed nor altered. Yet he went into his house, and when his regular prayer times returned three times a day, "he prayed and gave thanks to God as he had done before." And since his windows happened to be open, the imperial law did not have enough room or weight in his mind to prompt him to take the precaution of even closing the windows.«
Faithfulness to Principle Rather Than Excuses
»Daniel foresaw the conspiracy against him, but took no measures to thwart it. He simply trusted God and left the outcome to His providence. He did not leave the realm under the pretext of business, nor did he perform his devotion with extraordinary secrecy; rather, when he knew the writ had been signed, he knelt, just as before, with his face toward his beloved Jerusalem three times a day in his chamber and poured out his prayers and pleas before God.«
The Importance of Public Witness
»Why should he now cease praying where he needed prayer most? He would rather give up his own life than abandon his hope in God's help. ... He did not try to hide his deed. Although he knew exactly the consequences of his fidelity to God, his spirit did not waver. Before those who plotted his ruin, he did not even wish to give the appearance that his connection to heaven was severed.«
The Spiritual Necessity of Prayer Hours
»Daniel was aware of his enemies' intention to destroy his influence and his life; he knew of the decree, but it made no difference in his daily life. ... Daniel had a special place of encounter and a set hour in which he met the Lord, and these appointments were kept. ... Interrupting communion with God would have been for Daniel as painful as being stripped of natural life.«
No Place for Cowardice
»One might today call it excessive piety to kneel three times a day before the open window for prayer, while knowing that curious eyes were watching him ... but Daniel would not tolerate an earthly power placing itself between him and his God, even in the face of death in the lion's den. ... Through cowardice or the fear of making known that we are a people who keep God's commandments, nothing is gained. To hide our light, as if we were ashamed of our faith, will only end in disaster.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
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