Daniel 6
“When Conviction Costs You”
1. Faithfulness in a Foreign Land
📖 Read: Daniel 6:1–3
A new empire rises, but the pressure on God’s people remains. Exiled Jews were tempted to give up, assimilate, or despair. Yet Daniel—now in his eighties—remains steady, excellent, uncorrupted, and deeply faithful. Even when the external structures of faith are gone, Daniel’s devotion stands firm.
Key Insight:
Even when spiritual systems collapse, access to God does not.
Discussion Questions:
• Where do you feel pressure to fit in or simply “go along” spiritually?
• What makes Daniel’s long-term faithfulness so compelling?
• What practices help sustain integrity over decades, not just moments?
2. When Conviction Becomes the Target
📖 Read: Daniel 6:4–10
Daniel’s enemies cannot find corruption, so they attack the one thing they can find—his devotion to God. They weaponize prayer, turning faithfulness into a crime. Daniel responds not with protest, but with consistency: he prays “as he had done previously.”
Key Insight:
Conviction is shown not in dramatic acts, but in habits formed long before the crisis arrives.
Discussion Questions:
• What daily habits in your life would remain visible even under pressure?
• Where might God be calling you to strengthen spiritual rhythms?
• How does long obedience prepare you for unexpected tests of faith?
3. The World’s Hostility Toward God’s People
📖 Read: Daniel 6:11–18
Behind human schemes lies a deeper conflict: the kingdom of the world against the kingdom of God. Scripture calls this “the world”—the spiritual rebellion shaped by Satan and expressed through cultural pressure, false ideologies, and hostility toward truth. Jesus said this opposition is “on account of My name.”
Key Insight:
Opposition is rarely personal—it's spiritual. The world resists the God you represent.
Discussion Questions:
• Where do you feel hostility, distance, or tension because of your allegiance to Jesus?
• How do Jesus’ words about persecution reshape your expectations of Christian living?
• What helps you distinguish between suffering for Christ and suffering for un-Christlike behavior?
4. The God Who Delivers — and the God Who Reigns
📖 Read: Daniel 6:19–23
The true hero is not Daniel but Daniel’s God. His deliverance foreshadows Christ—faultless, condemned, sealed away, yet victorious. Jesus’ resurrection confirms His authority over Satan, sin, death, and every earthly power. His kingdom is unshakable, and His people share in that hope.
Key Insight:
Our confidence is not in avoiding trials, but in belonging to the King who has overcome the world.
Discussion Questions:
• How does Jesus’ victory give you courage when conviction costs you?
• What does it practically look like to “take heart” in a hostile world?
• How might God be inviting you to trust His power in a difficult situation?
5. A Sobering Ending and a Gracious Invitation
📖 Read: Daniel 6:24–28
Judgment falls on the accusers—a harsh Persian law, not God’s. Yet it points to a sobering truth: rejecting God is rejecting a Person. Jesus said that His words, miracles, and presence leave humanity without excuse—but also open the door of mercy wide for all who will come.
Key Insight:
The gospel comforts the faithful and confronts the resistant—inviting repentance, hope, and new life.
Discussion Questions:
• How does this passage deepen your understanding of God’s justice and mercy?
• Where might God be calling you—or someone you love—to repentance?
• How should believers respond to those who oppose them?
6. A Call to Students and the Young in Faith
📖 Read: Romans 12:1–2
“Small seeds become big trees.” Conviction in chapter 6 is built in chapters 1–5 of your life. Resolve early. Build habits of wisdom now. The path of discipleship may be costly, but it is the path of freedom, peace, and life.
Key Insight:
Faithfulness later is formed through decisions made now.
Discussion Questions:
• What “small seeds” are you planting today?
• Where do you need to choose wisdom over comfort or conformity?
• What helps you resist being shaped by the world around you?
🙏 Prayer Prompts
Confession:
“Lord, show me where I have compromised or grown fearful.”
Courage:
“Give me strength to follow Jesus when conviction costs me.”
Perseverance:
“Help me walk faithfully in the small, unseen decisions of life.”
Hope:
“Fix my eyes on the unshakable kingdom of Christ.”