Of the many heroes of faith in the Bible, one of the most highly regarded is Daniel. Why not? Daniel experienced the blessing of God and lived a life of excellence in his spirit, mind, and body. He remained strong in the Lord even in the face of adversity. He was an example who showed great integrity, wisdom, and faith.

Take a look at some of the esteemed comments written about Daniel. The Bible tells us God brought special favor upon him in the eyes of the officials of the land. He was “filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom” (Dan. 5:14, NLT). In fact, even his critics could find nothing wrong with him. “Then the other administrators and princes began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize. He was faithful, honest, and always responsible” (Dan. 6:4). Wouldn’t we like to have such statements spoken about us?

So what made Daniel so special? Interestingly, a look at the way Daniel lived his life reveals why he enjoyed such remarkable success. You see, Daniel practiced a lifestyle of worship, and that was one of the greatest keys to his strength.

In Daniel 6:16, King Darius addresses Daniel with these words: “May your God, whom you worship continually, rescue you.” The king’s remark revealed that worship formed the very foundation of Daniel’s lifestyle. He worshiped his God so genuinely that even others took notice. The intimate relationship he maintained with God was the secret to his success.

Earlier in chapter 6, we see that a decree had been signed outlawing any citizen to pray to anyone besides King Darius for thirty days. Anyone who disobeyed the law was to be thrown into a den of lions. Verse 10 says, “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”

Notice some key phrases in this passage. Daniel prayed “as usual” and “just as he had always done.” You see, Daniel did not just go to the Lord in desperate situations, on special occasions, or when he was in a good mood. No, Daniel conducted a “lifestyle” of worship to God. He made fellowship with God a priority in his life, and so should we!

Daniel’s actions highlight an extremely important key to Godly living: he was “abiding” with the Lord. Jesus explained, “He who abides in Me, and I in him bears much fruit” (John 15:4, NKJV). Daniel’s victorious life shows the abundant fruit that comes from abiding with the Lord.

The good news is that we don’t have to just admire the life of Daniel; we can experience the same blessing of God! If we will abide in the Lord by worshiping Him continually, we too will draw consistent strength from God to succeed. So, let’s all learn to turn to Jesus, not just in storms or on special days, but every day! If we abide in Him, and He abides in us, we’ll bear much fruit.