Dare to Be a Daniel: (Lessons from the Life and Ministry of Daniel: a Model for Youths and Adults)

By Amos Olutola Fadiran

An awakening call to all Christians to prove the omnipotence of our God to the world as we manifest excellent wisdom, provide solutions to teething national and international problems and carry out spectacular exploits that would compel unbelievers to fear God, acknowledge His sovereignty, bow down to worship His majesty and come to the realization that the Most High God rules in the kingdom and affairs of men. This is the challenge that the life and ministry of Daniel pose to Christians today.

Imagine a scenario where the king of the most powerful and dreadful nation of that time fell down prostrate, before the young captive Daniel. The king literally idolized him, ordered that an offering of incense be made to Daniel, and exclaimed reverently; “Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings and the Revealer of Secrets”. All these happened because to the utter dismay of king Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, through prayer and God’s gifts revealed and interpreted the king’s untold dream. By this feat, Daniel and his friends were greatly promoted while God’s name was highly glorified and honoured. God made them to excel far above their colleagues.

This book further makes us to appreciate that with an adequate knowledge of our God, a readiness to please Him by keeping ourselves pure, a rugged faith, and an unwavering loyalty to Him, there is no limit to which God can use our lives and ministries to prove His majesty, just as He did through Daniel and his companions. By manifesting these traits, the burning furnace was turned to an air-conditioner and the mouths of dreadful lions were locked.

This book encourages Christians from all walks of life to prayerfully demonstrate these traits as Daniel did, so that we can impact the world around us positively for God. This book is an expository on how Christians can receive divine guidance regularly and specifically as it carefully unveils the requisite processes, e.g. through God’s Word, by Spirit-filled Counsellors, and overwhelmingly by the Holy Spirit. The author shares his own practical experiences in these regards. It reveals how parents can develop intimacy with their children that would enhance winning them for Christ and help them to fulfil destiny. This is an inevitable book for all who desire excellence in life and ministry as it systematically details the divine steps for the attainment and maintenance of excellence in these respects. The book should be a hot-cake for genuine result-oriented intercessors, as it uses Daniel’s life to expound on how to become an excellent intercessor. Through rugged faith in God, coupled with unrelenting prayers, a Christian can always emerge victorious over fierce trials and enemy gang-ups, to bring glory to God’s Name.

This book can be rightly described as a handbook for Christian youths as well as an important guidebook for all Christians. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, it offers in-depth details on: how Christian youths can positively use their energy without manifesting youthful exuberance, conduct themselves wisely in the fear of God, do exercises towards righteousness, be on fire for the Lord and yet be humble and obedient. It shows how they can choose godly companions, become responsible and respectable in the community and in the Church, soar into prominence, and fulfill their God ordained destinies in life. A reviewer described it as a ‘book that is conceived from the womb of the Holy Spirit, timely, apt, and heart-warming.’ Another reviewer referred to it as, ‘an exquisite treasure, a compendium of sorts, from being a Bible study material, a book replete with life cum personal experiences, a prayer manual, and a visibly recognized Holy Spirit inspired Ministry Instruction Manual.

The prayer box at the end of each chapter provides a set of prayers, which if thoroughly applied would surely transform the reader into a Daniel in his or her operational base, be it at home, school, work place

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664221390

Amos Olutola Fadiran

Pastor Amos Olutola Fadiran holds a Ph. D degree in Chemistry from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. His love for God and passion for youth ministry made him to work tremendously with the Scripture Unions Pilgrims Fellowship both in Nigeria and Swaziland. During his nineteen and a half years full-time lecturing engagement with the University of Swaziland, he served simultaneously as the National Chairman of the Scripture Union for two and a half years and as the National Coordinator of the Redeemed Christian Church of God for fourteen years. He is currently a Chaplain in the Redeemer’s University, Ede, Nigeria. He is married to Abiodun Dolapo and they are blessed with children.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-2140-6 (sc)

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WestBow Press rev. date: 06/18/2021

This is a book conceived from the womb of the Holy Spirit, and it is timely, apt and heart-warming. As I began reading the manuscript, I sensed God re-emphasizing on my spirit the strategic role of prophets and professionals like Daniel in the Last Days. According to my spiritual instructor, this group of people have been positioned by God to partner alongside full-time ministers in harvesting souls for God’s kingdom. They are pastors without a pulpit, clerics without collars, but quiet apostles on a mission for the Lord and who wield the same influence and unction as someone on the field, yet operating via a plethora of career platforms. As the Great Day draws near, there is a dire need for Christians to throw away the encumbrance of mediocrity in their workplace and take the Lord’s mandate seriously. It is high time, God’s children invaded the world’s system, polity and economy with God’s principles and power. Remember, Daniel was relevant in the political system of Babylon and his service spanned the reigns of six kings. Joseph of Arimathea used his influence to negotiate with Pilate for the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul, a trained lawyer defended the gospel before Agrippa, Festus and other nobles. This book is an awakening from a minister of the Gospel and former academic imbued with God’s urgent message to the Church. There is no height God cannot promote a person in the workplace who makes the Lord’s priority a life purpose. Therefore, I challenge you to devour the kingdom truths, wisdom and keys embedded in this book for necessary equipment as a Daniel to your generation.

-Dr. Ayo Ojebode.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the Almighty God, who made its publication possible through His love, mercy and grace, which He bountifully bestowed on me. To Him be all the glory, and praise forever and ever.

Contents

Appreciation

Foreword

The Background

Chapter 1   An Uncompromising Stand for Purity

Chapter 2   Seeking God’s Guidance and Revelation for Crucial Decision-Making

Chapter 3   A Man’s Gift Makes Room for Him ……Before Great Men

Chapter 4   An Excellent Spirit

Chapter 5   If We Die, We Die

Chapter 6   An Intercessor Par Excellence

Chapter 7   A Man Greatly Beloved

Chapter 8   The Most-High Rules in the Kingdom of Men

Chapter 9   Let No One Despise Your Youth

Chapter 10   Dare to be A Daniel Indeed

Appreciation

I wish to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to the Almighty God for granting me the grace to write this book. To Him alone be all the glory and praise forever and ever.

I also wish to thank the Lord for my father and mother-in the Lord, Pastor E. A. Adeboye (the General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God), and Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye (Mother-in-Israel), whose lives, ministries, and challenging leadership examples have been great sources of inspiration in the gospel ministry. I sincerely appreciate their prayers for me as one of their spiritual children. May the Lord continue to uphold and empower them for the fulfilment of the ministry committed unto them in Jesus’ almighty Name.

I want to specifically acknowledge, with deep gratitude the highly sacrificial inputs of Prof. Ayo Soyoye (H.O.D., Foreign Languages, OAU, Ife), Dr. Ayo Ojebode (Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Nigeria), and Dr. Ernest Durugbo, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Nigeria), in carefully going through the draft of the book, and making useful recommendations for its improvement. I am equally very grateful to Pastor Samuel Olugbenga Akosile (Deputy Registrar and Head Chaplaincy/Counselling, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Nigeria), for taking time out of his tight schedule to work on the draft of the book, make useful suggestions and write the preface for it. I pray that the Lord will bless them all and grant them help whenever they need it in Jesus’ almighty Name.

I also wish to acknowledge the tireless efforts of Deacon Chiedu E. Marvels who did the typesetting. The inputs, through prayers, guidance, and encouragement of the late Pastor E. O. Daramola (former A.G.O., Doctrine, RCCG), Pastor J. F. Odesola (A.G.O. Admin/Personnel, RCCG) and Prof. Odugbemi (Provincial Pastor, RCCG) in our settlement to our spiritual assignments on our return to Nigeria, are greatly acknowledged and appreciated.

In the same realm, the prayer support and encouragement of our very close family friends namely Prof. E. O. Odebunmi and Elder J. O. Fatokun are deeply appreciated. May the Lord always remember them for good in Jesus’ Name.

Finally, I wish to immensely and deeply appreciate the cooperation, encouragement and prayer support of my family members, namely my darling wife; Pastor (Mrs.) ‘Dolapo Fadiran, our children; Mr. and Mrs. Bolaji Abodunrin, Engr. and Mrs. Nathaniel O. Fadiran, Dr. and Dr. (Mrs) David O. Fadiran, Dr. and Mrs. Gideon O. Fadiran, and Engr. John I. O. Fadiran; who also joined in painstakingly going through the draft and made quite useful suggestions. May the Lord bless you all bountifully, cause you to fulfill destinies and uplift you to levels beyond your highest imaginations in life in Jesus’ almighty Name. Amen.

Foreword

With a high sense of responsibility, I consider this opportunity to do this Foreword, a very great honour and awesome privilege especially for a highly respectable and respected man of God, a Christian colossus who has had the privilege of having a personal encounter with the lordship of Jesus Christ, and remaining His battle axe consistently for about five decades, and still going strong; our dearly Beloved Pastor and Elder Amos Olutola Fadiran; the author.

With the author’s very strong antecedent as a very ardent Bible student, having pioneered some Scripture Union fellowships after his University days, and grew consistently into various leadership levels as an active Believer; teaching, counselling, interceding, and engaging in various forms of feeding both the lambs and sheep of God’s flock under him at various points within and beyond the Nigerian shores; makes the author an encyclopedia of some sorts, in the Christian walk and service. Over these years, the author rose to the position of being the Redeemed Christian Church of God country Coordinator in Swaziland for several years, before coming home to give additional value to growing the spiritual capacity and outlook of the students of Redeemer’s University, Ede, through the Chaplaincy and Counselling Directorate. So, having such a highly read, exposed, a diligent practitioner of the Christian Faith, a sound Believer in the sanctity and efficacy of the Word of God, and a believer in the total Gospel; author a book against the painted background, should ordinarily make the reader of this beloved Christian material put in proper perspective, the worth and value of this exquisite treasure!

DARE TO BE A DANIEL, is simply put, a compendium of some sorts, from being a Bible Study material, a book replete with life cum personal experiences, a Prayer manual, and a visibly recognized Holy Spirit inspired Ministry Instruction manual; will qualify the book not just as a piece but more appropriately easily describable as ‘A book of books’, since it has been set out by the Holy Spirit through the author to be likeable to a beautiful multi-coloured, multilayered, heavily encrusted iced cake. A beauty to behold from the cover page, to the layout of the pages, and ultimately the back page and the finishing. Having read through it I make bold to say, using the same cake metaphor, that reading through the book makes a most delicious take, that will tempt you not to desire parting with it at all, since it serves as a great reference material any day for further consultations and personal library usage.

The Background

The Person of Daniel

Daniel means God is my Judge. Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were born into noble Judean families and were teenagers when they were carried out of their land as captives in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, King of Judah (Daniel 1:1). Daniel’s life and ministry spread through the seventy years of Babylonian captivity. In the whole realm of the kingdom of Babylon, Daniel and his three friends were among the carefully and specially selected young men by King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree (young men in whom was found no blemish) who could be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans. They were good looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand. They had the potentials to serve in the king’s palace (Daniel 1:3-4). These young men were to be exposed to three years of intensive training, with the best of nourishment and welfare so that they might serve as the king’s ministers, governors or representatives both in the king’s palace and other realms of the kingdom (Daniel 1:5). For Daniel and his three friends to have been among those selected for this specialized training programme (in spite of their being foreigners and captives) tells us that they were not mediocres, instead they must have been very diligent and serious-minded young men who stood up to distinguish themselves among their mates in the society.

Through the divinely endowed gifts of wisdom, prophetic revelations manifested through dreams, visions, and interpretation of dreams, Daniel became God’s mouthpiece, not only to his fellow Jews but also to six reigning kings in Babylon in whose administrations he served. Indeed, these gifts enabled him to provide solutions to sensitive, critical and provocative issues as well as divine guidance for the respective leaders then, and the gift also brought him into limelight and prominence during the reigns of these kings (Chapters 2-6 of the Book of Daniel). Daniel was one of the few Biblical characters who had no account of negative reports. His life epitomized courage, faith, prayer, consistency, lack of compromise, selflessness, humility, righteousness and sacrifice. God Himself testified of him as ‘being righteous’ (Ezekiel 14:14), the Lord Jesus Christ referred to him as a Prophet (Matthew 24:15) while the Angel of God called him ‘the man who was greatly beloved’ (Daniel 9:23; Daniel 10:11, 19).

Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, had absolute trust in God, hence like Paul the Apostle, we can perceive them echoing this statement: For this reason, I also suffered these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to him until that Day. (2 Timothy 1:12). No wonder, they served God fearlessly and were unshakeable by the threats of death by King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:8-18), and refused to bow to a golden brazen image set up by the king. Likewise, Daniel prayed three times daily to the Almighty God as he was accustomed to since his youth, instead of praying to an earthly king (Daniel 6:4-12), and was undisturbed by the danger of being thrown into a den of lions based on a royal decree.

Furthermore, Daniel acknowledged the Almighty God as the One who granted him the enablement and the gifts through which he was able to achieve great things and thus in genuine humility returned all the glory and praise to God. He was very careful not to have made the fatal error of sharing in the glory that belongs to God alone (Daniel 2:19-23). And because he was humble before the Lord, being grateful to God for all his achievements in life and ministry, God endowed him with more grace to do greater exploits for Him with deeper and more futuristic prophetic revelations and visions (Daniel 7-11).

According to James 4:6, But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Daniel and his three friends enjoyed great promotions during the reigns of different kings in whose cabinet they served because of their unwavering commitment to serve God faithfully and fearlessly. This was coupled with a determination to please God alone, above all others, even at the cost of their lives. Through their commitment and faithfulness plus sacrifices in serving God, the Name of the Lord God Almighty was highly revered and glorified by the gentile kings. If you and I can dare to be like Daniel and his three friends then our lives shall bring glory and honour to God’s Name. God being the same faithful and unchanging God (Hebrews 13:8), will also prove Himself as the great and mighty God in our lives. He will promote us and endow us with more grace to do greater and higher exploits for Him in all areas of our lives and ministries in Jesus’ name. Now, dare you and I to be a Daniel?

Chapter One

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An Uncompromising Stand for Purity

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies nor with the wine which he drank therefore he requested of the Chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself (Daniel 1:8).

The Importance of a Godly Foundation for The Upbringing of Children

The essence of giving children a solid, God-fearing foundation cannot be overemphasized. The Holy Bible in Proverbs 22:6 says: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The core behaviour of a child, which equally spreads into his/her adult life, is majorly a consequence of the influence of the society or environment where he/she grows up. This starts from the immediate nuclear family environment, of which the contents, characteristics and features are defined mainly by the parents. It is very rare for a child to manifest traits that are not peculiar to those of the immediate family system of his upbringing, and to a lesser but also significant extent, the wider society of the child’s early stages in life. In this respect, the biological parents or guardians of a child have vital roles to play by being consciously involved in the training of the child so as to help the child imbibe character traits that are considered normal in the immediate society, thereby growing to be a responsible adult. In like manner, it is the God-ordained responsibility of Christian parents to formally, informally and deliberately train their children in the way and fear of God right from infancy. This is the only way the legacy of godliness with contentment can be established in our homes and society at large. For the Christian home such training would include teaching the children the Word of God on a daily basis, teaching them how to pray, emphasizing the importance of fellowship and genuine followership of Christ as Lord and Saviour. This is why God commanded the children of Israel to diligently teach His commandments to their children; And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart, you shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).

This imposes a huge and inevitable responsibility on Christian parents. It should be noted that parents cannot teach what they themselves do not know. Hence, the teaching and general upbringing of children in Christian homes have to be more by the parents’ practical example rather than by precepts. Indeed, that is why in Deuteronomy 6:6-9, God commanded that the words He commanded them should first and foremost be in their own hearts, after which they could then effectively teach them to their children. Children brought up in this way ultimately grow to become God-fearing and responsible adults in the society. The Lord repeated these words of command to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 11:18-21, with the promise of longevity of life coupled with His blessing if they do so. The upbringing of children in the fear of the Lord by Christian parents is so vital that the Almighty God said that He would bring to pass what He promised Abraham provided that he (Abraham), command his children and his household after him; that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice: that the Lord may bring to Abraham, what He has spoken to him. (Genesis 18:18-19).

The standard of God has not changed even up till now. That is why Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:4b, enjoined Christian parents to bring them (children) up in the training and admonition of the Lord. It is obvious that the bold, challenging and highly sacrificial stand of faith taken by young Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshack) and Azariah (Abed-Nego), was a consequence of the solid God-fearing training given to them from their infancy by their Judean parents. Their parents must have obeyed God’s commandments to teach them as provided in Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Deuteronomy 11:18-21, and Proverbs 22:6, considering the fact that Daniel and his friends were just teenagers by the time they were carried into captivity in Babylon. This serves, not only as a good example, but equally a challenge to Christian parents. We desire that children from Christian homes should become God-fearing, responsible and successful citizens, who should also be the ones we can be proud of as able family representatives and Christ’s ambassadors. For these desires to be fulfilled, there is a price to pay – like the Judean parents of Daniel and his three friends did, vis-à-vis; solid, godly, sacrificial, and prayer-backed training of our children. To achieve these goals, the Christian parent should acknowledge certain antagonistic social factors that will undermine their Christian parenting efforts. Such factors include work demands, social functions, sleep, indiscipline, tendency to over-pamper children, etc., and prayerfully work on them. Real parental love for the children is that which trains and disciplines them despite the associated pains, so that the children can ultimately be stories of success in life. (See Proverbs 13:24; 19:11; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).

A Sacrifice for Purity in Honour of God’s Name

From Daniel 1:8-13, we can appreciate the extent to which these young men went in order to keep themselves undefiled, by refusing the wine drunk by the king himself. This is a faith-based decision that is not only courageous but enviable as well as risky. This is so because if this decision got to the king’s hearing, it could arouse his anger, which could result in punishments such as being blacklisted from the training programme. This will translate to stopping them from continuing with the training and barring them from enjoying this scholarship that came on a seeming platter of gold. Imprisonment and torture might also follow this decision, with the consequences of public and national shame or disgrace. The decision of Daniel and his three friends was a highly sacrificial decision for the sake of purity because it involved a special kind of fasting – vis-à-vis; taking just vegetables and water only, not for just ten days or one year, but for the entire three years as scheduled for their training in Nebuchadnezzar’s palace (Daniel 1:3-5, 16).

Their decision was enviable and greatly sacrificial in the sense that the things they gave up (the king’s delicacies and his wine for mere vegetables and water) must have been highly tempting to the eyes for attraction and watering to the mouth for consumption, especially for young men of their age. Their decision was made on the basis of great faith. This clearly showed in the confidence with which they spoke when they were requesting to be fed with vegetables and water only and afterwards be tested and compared with those who were eating the king’s portions. The observation after ten days confirmed their assertion (Daniel 1:11-13; Daniel 11:32). Today, there are numerous examples and equivalents of the ‘king’s delicacies’ and the wine that he drinks being dangled by the devil to innocent but ignorant youths in our institutions (high schools and tertiary institutions) and the global society. These delicacies of temptation include pre-marital sex, alcoholism, smoking, drugs, watching pornographic movies, cultism, wild parties, worldly dressing, disobedience and lies to parents and institutional authorities, etc. As a Christian, how are you responding to the modern delicacies being flashed to your admiration, temptation and potential fall? I challenge you to dare being a Daniel; refuse to join the masses to do evil (Exodus 23:2a) but purpose in your heart to stand out for purity and godliness, just like Daniel and his friends did.

There are lots of pressures around you as a Christian youth or Christian adult. These pressures come from friends, people of the opposite sex, and people with distorted form of sexuality like lesbians and gays. They want to lure you into sexual immorality, non-sexual immorality, and other associative sinful habits such as smoking, drinking, etc. Like Joseph did to Mrs. Potiphar by resisting her continuous pressure to lure him into sexual immorality with her (Genesis 39:1-10), the Christian youth or Christian adult also should determine to resist such sinful pressures and stand to please God at whatever it may cost you (Proverbs 1:10). If indeed, you desire to belong to God, then you must determine to please Him as a youth, and as such, you have to decide to hate the world and the sinful delicacies packed in it (1 John 2:15-17).

In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, God’s will, is for you to abstain from sexual immorality