For Kids · 5 min with a grown-up
Daniel was an old man with a big job — and he kept praying even when it was illegal. His story is one of the bravest in the Bible.
Today's Story
Daniel had been the king's most trusted helper for a long time. He was so good at his job that the king was about to put him in charge of everything. The other helpers did not like that one bit.
So they made a sneaky plan. They went to the king and said, “Your majesty, you're so wonderful — let's make a new rule. For thirty days, nobody can pray to anyone except YOU. If they do, they go in the lions' den.” The king liked that idea, and he signed it.
Daniel went home. He went up to his room. He opened the window. And he got down on his knees and prayed to God, just like he did every single day.
The sneaky men were watching, and they ran straight to the king. “Daniel is praying to God! Throw him to the lions!” The king was sick about it. He had been tricked. He liked Daniel. But he had signed the rule, and he couldn't un-sign it.
So they took Daniel to the lions' den. As they shut the door, the king called down, “Daniel — may the God you serve rescue you!”
The king couldn't sleep all night. At sunrise he ran to the den and shouted, “Daniel? Are you there?”
And Daniel called back, “Your majesty, my God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths! They didn't hurt me at all.”
The king was so happy he made a new rule for the whole kingdom: Everyone needs to know about Daniel's God.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- Daniel knew the rule, and he opened his window and prayed anyway. What's something hard you might have to do because it's right, even when other people don't want you to?
- God didn't take the lions away — He made Daniel safe IN the den. When have you been scared and felt God with you anyway?
- The king couldn't sleep all night. Do you ever lie awake worried about something? What's one thing you could pray about tonight before bed?