Lessons From The Story of Daniel
The Story of Daniel has many powerful lessons for your child. As you know, Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den. But his story is much bigger than that. Orange County Catholic schools has created a list of lessons drawn from this Bible character’s life. Apply these to your family’s lives every day.
Don’t Compromise Personal Standards
Daniel refused to eat the food provided by Nebuchadnezzar. The food being offered was something Jews were not allowed to eat. These dietary restrictions considered certain foods unclean. Everyone around him may have felt like they could do whatever they wanted, but he chose to hold his religion above all else. Among all of the captives, Daniel and his three friends were the only ones who rejected the king’s offerings. Your child may experience peer pressure at some point in his life. But Daniel acts as a role model, someone who didn’t compromise his principles, despite what others were doing. Pleasing God and living up to His standards are important.
God is the Center of Everything
Part of Daniel’s routine was to kneel towards Jerusalem from his window and pray to God three times a day. This is why he was placed in the den. God was the most important thing to this young boy, and He was the center of Daniel’s life. Teach your child the same values — that his life needs to revolve around God. We don’t go to God only when we need Him; we can’t be too busy for His graces. As illustrated in Daniel’s story, we must love God with every piece of us, and make Him the forefront in all parts of our lives.
Be a Positive Influence
The power of influence is inside all of us. Your child influences his classmates and his friends at church. Everything starts by example. Daniel actually influenced the King of Babylon in chapter two. Additionally, in chapter six, when King Darius witnesses Daniel survive the lions, he says no one should worship anyone but Daniel’s God. Daniel used his influence for a positive and powerful outcome. We may not be able to change laws, but we can still use our power to maintain God’s glory.
Don’t Give Up
Daniel ended up being the king’s and governor’s favorite. King Darius’ other administrators became jealous of the young boy. Because of this, they were looking for ways to punish him and diminish the favoritism. Clearly, because Daniel was so faithful, they couldn’t find anything to charge him with. So they used his daily prayer as a reason to put him in captivity with lions. Despite his hardships, he remained faithful to God and never gave up — a lesson your child can greatly benefit from.
To teach your child the powerful lesson about trusting in God’s protection, here are activities to tell him The Story of Daniel. For more than 50 years, Orange County Catholic schools have been helping children grow to their fullest potential and become leaders within their communities. We offer unique and dynamic learning environments that engage students and encourage them to become confident and responsible adults. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us today.