Dare to Be Like Daniel

Free Sunday School lesson for pre-teens and teens on the Biblical figure Daniel using the King James Bible.

Open the lesson by asking students what they know about Daniel.  

(Optional) Play a True / False game to test their knowledge of this famous Biblical figure. 

• Daniel was married. (False – Daniel 1:3 KJV)  

• Daniel was a prophet. (True – Daniel 4:19-24 KJV) 

• Daniel was friends with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (True – Daniel 2:17-18 KJV) 

• Daniel died while still quite young. (False – Daniel 6:28 KJV) 

• The king was happy about throwing Daniel into the lions’ den. (False – Daniel 6:14 KJV) 

• Daniel was one of the most righteous people in the Old Testament. (True – Ezekiel 14:20 KJV) 

Our lesson text is Daniel 1 KJV.

Ask a series of questions:  

• What is Daniel most known for? (Surviving the Lions’ Den) 

• Why did he get thrown to the lions? 

Daniel was older when he was thrown into the den of lions, but how did Daniel become such a devoted prayer warrior? He got to that point by devoting his life to God while still young. He did not wait until he was old to serve God. 

Who was Daniel?

Daniel was an Israeli captive, a prince. (2 Kings 20:18 KJV; Isaiah 39:7 KJV) 

If the devil can change the best, he can change the rest, which is why the best of the Israelites were taken captive and forced to change everything about themselves to fit in with the world (Daniel 1:3 – 4 KJV). Young Christians are under attack today by the world, the flesh, and the devil for them to fit in with everyone else.

What made Daniel special? 

Daniel was not bitter. He had been kidnapped while young – his family most likely dying, and he became a eunuch, meaning he could never have a family. 

In Daniel 1:8 KJV, Daniel purposed in his heart not to be defiled.  

He was a positive influence on his friends. Though he had been the one to purpose in himself to not be defiled, he made sure that his friends also had the same opportunity to do right (Daniel 1:12-15 KJV). 

 In Daniel’s situation, there was no other way to resist but within – like us. There was no hope of being rescued and no chance of escape. He was living in an ungodly nation with an ungodly culture that wanted to change him, but he purposed not to be changed. 

2 Corinthians 10:4 KJV tells us: “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)”

We can’t fight back against this world with swords, guns, or other weapons. Remember when Jesus was tempted by the devil? He did not fight back with a sword, but he used scripture. Christians don’t go out witnessing using a sword or weapon, forcing others to listen to us. We use scripture. 

How did Daniel resist this ungodly culture?

When conquering, the world goes after how you communicate (Daniel 1:4 KJV), knowledge, sustenance for life (verse 5), and finally, your identity (verse 7). 

Where did Daniel get the discipline to be different? 

Daniel resisted by controlling his appetite. (Daniel 1:8 KJV) 

• The best way to control yourself is by resisting exposure – you can’t partake if you’re not near it. The best way to counter drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking, etc. Is to never go near it to begin with. 

Daniel resisted by persistent dependance on God in prayer (Daniel 6:10 KJV) and scripture (Daniel 9:2 KJV). 

• Prayer and reading the Bible are how to build a relationship with God. When we go to God in prayer, we are talking to him, but through reading the Bible is how God speaks to us. 

Daniel resisted by confidence in God (Daniel 9:4 KJV) that God would be faithful in his promises. 

• Because he read the scriptures and spent time in prayer, Daniel trusted God. Similar to when his friends faced the fiery furnace in Daniel 3 KJV, Daniel knew that God could deliver him when he faced the lions in Daniel 6 KJV. However, he knew, most importantly, that God did not have to deliver him. Like New Testament martyrs and Christians who are persecuted for Christ’s sake, Daniel bore witness that his relationship and devotion to God was more important than his life. 

Daniel was able to be different because he did what he could to follow God.

Because Daniel chose to follow God, he was one of God’s favorites, an angel even addressing him as a “man greatly beloved” in Daniel 10:11 & 19 KJV. He was also listed as one of the three most righteous men in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 14:20 KJV). However, Daniel did not become this type of man overnight. He purposed in his heart to serve God while still young, and his faith only grew from there. 

Daniel is an excellent example of 1 Timothy 4:12 KJV (“Let no man despise thy youth…”) and Ecclesiastes 12 KJV (Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth…”).  

He is also a testament that human opposition is often overcome by kind solicitation (Daniel 1:12-13 KJV). Daniel is a prime example of what Christ meant when he said to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16 KJV) when it comes to resisting evil from within. 

The world’s crowd will be unbearably vicious, angry, loud, and cruel with words when they want to argue. Christians are called to be the opposite. The next time you are in an altercation with someone over beliefs, politics, etc., remember that we are representing Christ, and “a soft answer turneth away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1 KJV) and “a soft tongue breaketh the bone” (Proverbs 25:15 KJV).

If someone pushes you down or calls you a nasty name, your natural reaction will be to push them back or insult them. Christ calls us to do the opposite, to be peacemakers, and not go with the flow, doing what everyone else is doing, or reacting how everyone else would react. 

Finally, Daniel is a testament that God will take care of those who take care of him.

God gave Daniel understanding in dreams (Daniel 1:17 KJV) and saved him from destruction on multiple occasions (Daniel 2:14-19; 6:21-22 KJV).

Because Daniel was willing to have this close relationship with God, he became God’s mouthpiece or witness to the ungodly kings of his day, just as we are called to be witnesses to the ungodly of our day. 

Daniel was a prayer warrior, meaning he prayed often and was able to get in contact with God. He was close to God. Three powerful kings believed in Daniel’s God because he prayed. There should be no doubting the power of prayer and Daniel’s example to us as New Testament believers. 

For more information on the power and purpose of prayer, check out this Free KJV Sunday School Lesson on Building a Stronger Relationship with God: The Power and Purpose of Prayer.

If you enjoyed this Bible lesson “Dare to Be Like Daniel,” be sure to check out other lessons here.