(10 Easy Yet Powerful Steps) How to Pray Like Daniel

Some days, when I find myself in moments of reflection and contemplation, I can’t help but to sign and say something like, “Man, I wish I knew how to pray like Daniel.”

The story of Daniel, a remarkable person of biblical history, resonates with those who aspire for wisdom, honor, and above everything else a profound connection to God through prayer. 

I also aspire to become like Daniel when I want to be bold- not just in my prayer life, but in my actions as a result of prayer. 

Daniel’s unwavering commitment to prayer was more than just a religious ritual; it was a way to unlock wisdom, knowledge, and guidance from God above. Through prayer, he sought understanding, direction, and peace in the midst of trials. 

God heard His earnest words, as well as the words from His friends, and his devotion did not go unnoticed. 

God came in and interweaved throughout Daniel’s life. It did not mean that Daniel was without challenges, but rather that through prayer, God was with Him throughout every challenge.

In our increasingly fast-paced world, the need for strong, vibrant, and bold prayers are needed now more than ever. We too must strive to become men and women of prayer. 

Fortunately, we can get inspiration from Daniel’s life as well as each and every single one of Daniel’s prayers. 

In the following sections, we will walk through 10 easy-to-understand steps on the biblical principles Daniel used to stick with God and become closer to Him through prayer. By repeating his approach to prayer, you can create a journey and deepen your connection to God as well. 

You can use any of these principles for a Daniel bible study, 

Let’s dive in and begin to see the mercy of God unfold through the power of prayer. 

How To Pray Like Daniel

We know that the word of the Lord is God (John 1:1), so praying His words are extremely powerful. In the Book of Daniel, Daniel does not simply show how to pray though through his words but also through his righteous acts. 

1. Decide To Pray

A life of prayer comes about by making the decision to spend time in prayer. Daniel purposed in his heart to obey the Lord in everything he did and that included spending time in prayer. We must make the decision to spend time in prayer.

We have an awesome God who can make anything happen with His mighty hand, yet He chooses to be incredibly intricate in our lives. That intricacy only grows through prayer and the decision to make a commitment to praying.

2. Make a Schedule

Daniel prayed to God three times a day every day (Daniel 6:10). As a blogger and a full time social worker, I understand that life gets busy.

It doesn’t matter how busy life gets, we need to make sure we carve out time to pray. If it helps you to remember, you can schedule out specific times to pray during the day.

3. Be Consistent

Sometimes I make a schedule only to let it sit on my nightstand and gather dust. Can you relate to that?

Making a schedule is nice but we must follow through with it. Like Daniel, we need to be consistent in our prayer life.

Don’t start off doing well in prayer only to lose motivation in the end. Keep praying until you see God move and then pray to thank him for working everything out.

Be Bold In Prayer!

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4. Know Your Identity

When Daniel was taken into exile, the king tried to change his identity by giving him a new name.

Daniel knew that God had created him and set him apart. He knew that his identity was not in the ways of the Babylonian gods but in who Jehovah made him to be.

We need to know who we are and what we were made for like Daniel did. If we know our identity, we can pray with power.

5. Stand Firm In The Faith

The devil does not like it when we start to get closer to God. He will use every attack he can to try to keep us from praying because when we pray, we receive power from God.

When the enemy realized that God had favor on Daniel because of his life of prayer, he used men to try to attack his prayer life. Daniel was told that if he did not stop praying, he would be thrown into a den of lions.

However, Daniel stood firm in the faith even in the midst of fear and God brought him out.

6. Look to Jesus

The Bible encourages us to “look to Jesus” who is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). When Daniel prayed, he would open his window and look to the East which many believe will be the direction Christ comes from.

If we look to God, he will hear our words, and he will help us out of any situation we face just as he helped Daniel out of the lion’s den.

7. Be Humble

The Bible says that since the first day of being held captive in a new land, Daniel set his mind to “gain understanding”. He also humbled himself before God (Daniel 10:12).

When the King offered to give Daniel gifts if he could interpret his dream, Daniel declined. He said he would do it just so God could get the glory (see Daniel 5:17).

God’s word promises us that if we humble ourselves before God and resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7). Stay humble in prayer knowing that if you receive an answer, it is from God and not because of how well you prayed.

8. Confess Your Sins

Daniel took the time to confess his sins and the sins of his people (see Daniel 9). The Bible encourages all those who follow the Lord to “confess their faults to each other” and to “pray for one another that you may be healed” because God hears and answers the prayers of the righteous (see James 5:16).

The Bible says that if we “confess with our mouth” that Jesus is Lord then he will forgive us (see Romans 10:9). When you are praying, take the time to confess your sins. Confess both those you know about and those you may not.

Take the time to pray for your country too. If you humble yourself and pray for your country, God will heal it (see 2 Chronicles 7:14). No matter where you lean in politics, make sure you also cover your leaders in prayer as well.

9. Pray Without Ceasing

The Bible talks about a woman who cried out to a judge who didn’t respect God or anyone else for that matter.  This woman would cry out to the judge night and day begging him to give her justice against her enemy. 

For a while, the judge was able to refuse to do anything but eventually he became so annoyed, he decided to give her the justice she deserved before she attacked him.  You can read the story in Luke Chapter 18:1-8. 

The Bible says that if this evil man who hated God and other people could do this thing for her, how much more could the Lord who loves us do if only we will pray to him. 

We must pray without ceasing and make our requests known to God.  It may seem like God is not answering our prayers but it may just be delayed for a time. 

10. Pray Believing

Jesus said that “all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). In Matthew 17:20 he says that if we speak to a mountain with mustard seed size of faith it will be moved.

Have you seen how small a mustard seed is?! If you haven’t, look it up. It makes this scripture all the more impressive!

He says that “whatever you ask in prayer you will receive if you have faith”. (Matthew 21:22). Whenever we pray, we need to pray believing that God is hearing us and that he will answer.

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Can You Learn How to Pray Like Daniel?

Prayer is an integral part of our Christian walk with God. I have a confession to make to all of you. Too many times I pray out of obligation rather than out of a desire to share my concerns, get to know my father’s heart, and out of an act of worship to a King who died to save me.

We need to strive to remember how important prayer is and how privileged we are to be able to pray to our Creator.

Daniel prayed with power, with victory, and with results. We need to learn how to pray like Daniel did so that we can cultivate a flourishing prayer life. Remember, prayer is your life-line to Jesus.

The Bible says that God is the vine and we are the branches. If we spend time with him, others will be able to see it (see John 15:5).

How do you cultivate a life of prayer? What prayer strategies work best for you? Let me know!

Do you have something that you struggle with when it comes to prayer? You are not alone. I’d love to hear what your biggest struggle is when it comes to cultivating a life of prayer.

Want to give your worries to God in prayer?

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