10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.
11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.
13 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.
15 He declared to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel.
16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.
17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,
18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.  Daniel 2:10-18

Daniel and his friends were given very good jobs in the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, but they were not yet of high enough position that they were even told about the king’s problem. More important people had been called to solve the king’s dream, while Daniel and his friends were elsewhere doing their assignments. But when the king was angry with his advisors, the punishment of death now included Daniel and his friends.

God had given Daniel a wonderful gift in a man called Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard. As soon as the king charged him with the task of killing all his advisors, Arioch immediately told Daniel what he had been told to do. Rather than becoming angry at Arioch, Daniel simply asked him what had happened, and Arioch told him. Daniel then asked for an immediate meeting with the king so the opportunity of satisfying the king’s request would be given to him. The king granted Daniel’s request.

Daniel did not beg the king to be spared the judgment of death; he only asked to be given an opportunity to answer the king’s request. He then immediately rushed home to gather his friends together to ask them to pray with and for him – that God would give him the answer for the king.

*Thought questions: How often do we seek human advice or wisdom for the impossible situations in our lives?
Do we ever see God as waiting for us to understand that He is wanting to give us an answer that will deepen our trust in Him?
When was the last time you asked someone to pray with you so you would be able to wisely help another person?