I've watched a lot of nature videos. I've watched how lions stalk their prey. They look for the young, vulnerable, weak or those not close to the herd. The stealthy lion quietly walks in the underbrush shadowing their quarry. Then the predator runs up on on the unfortunate victim and strikes it with fury. If the intended prey detects the approaching lion and is able to escape and run the lion will pursue, but usually not for a long time. The Bible cautions us to, "Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up." i Peter 5:8 Message Bible
Our enemy Satan, is looking for one of us to be his next victim. When he comes looking for us where will we be? Will I be napping, ill prepared and weak? Here are three examples from the Bible of how we are pursued. We could be pursuing our normal life, or it could be an employment issue. or it could be a betrayal in a friendship. There are many different ways in which we can be victimized.
My first example is Job. This man made prayer a daily duty and practice. He admitted that he prayed a just in case prayer for his adult children. He does not want to presume or to say that they wouldn’t sin. He doesn’t pry or try to find out about his adult children's conversations or actions. As an ancient patriarch Job required that they appear for themselves. He prays for them in case they have done something offensive against God. Job's adult children respected him so much that they came and let their father pray for them.
Job is a great model for parents. In my job as a principal and a teacher I don’t know how many times I‘ve heard a parent say my child would never do this or that. This may be even after I offered incontrovertible proof that their child did a particular deed. Job understood that even our adult children sometimes behave in ways that baffle us. I’ve been that parent, so I can’t point fingers. I couldn’t believe what the teachers said about one of my children. It took a look at report cards from several schools to see a pattern. Please take my free advice. Don’t ever say my child would never, because they just might have or may do it.
My second example is Daniel. He was a high government official when the devil came looking for him. This story is actually begins with an employment issue. Daniel’s enemies were his colleagues, other government executives in the same building. These were the men all presumably making in the same six figures as he was making. They were scared of Daniel. Most likely they were jealous and scared because the King was going to make Daniel their boss. The king had seen Daniel's returns on his investments for the king were much higher than those other executives. If Daniel became their boss he would look at their record keeping and see that they had been skimming profits for themselves. They knew their positions were in jeopardy if Daniel was promoted over them.
Daniel 6:3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
These government officials had secret exclusionary meetings to plot and plan how to destroy Daniel, a man of excellence. A lesson to me is that just because people are in authority doesn't mean they are using their authority in the right way. This passage tells me if you are a standout on your job some people will want to put you out. Do good anyway. When you do your job in an excellent manner it can make mediocre performers feel threatened. They didn’t just want to tarnish his reputation, they wanted Daniel dead and gone.
After they had secretly scrutinized and audited Daniel’s books and balance sheets they couldn't find one penny missing from his accounts. They probably got one of the judges to authorize a search warrant for his home to check from top to bottom to see if anything belonging to the king was in there. Nothing. They checked houses of prostitution to see if he used their services. Nothing. They looked at his reading material. Nothing. They looked to see if he had cheated anyone. Nothing. He was clean as a whistle, nothing. There was not a hint of wrongdoing in his life.
These Executives had to move to plan two. By using cunning and deceit they deceived the king into signing an order that specifically targeted Daniel. This order made everything nice and legal. The order said that there was to be no praying to any god. Citizens could only pray to the king, In order to get Daniel they had to have proof. So they spied on him in his house. Here's my imagination in play. They had the Persian version of the FBI rent the house across the street with a higher balcony and set a watch to surveil Daniel's house. Was Daniel worried. No!
"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Daniel 6:10
Well it wasn’t long. Daniel was just following his normal practice. They saw Daniel praying to God. When they had their eyewitness evidence they pounced. Daniel was found praying when the devil came looking for him. When they came looking for you where will you be? Just in case you are not familiar with the story this led to Daniel being put in the Lions' Den. God delivered Daniel and the lions did not harm him. However those double dealing deceitful executives and their families were destroyed by the lions.
The third example is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This story is betrayal by a friend. We know the story. Jesus was in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas knew Jesus’s habits. He’d traveled with Jesus. He knew where Jesus spent time with his disciples. Judas put his plans in place. When the devil came looking for Jesus in the person of Judas and the others, Jesus was just finished praying.
The commonality in these three examples is prayer. Each of these three examples had an vibrant, active prayer life. Jesus, Daniel and Job were in frequent contact with our Heavenly Father. Now here we are in this present age in 2025. The Bible says Satan is on the prowl. He’s looking for the vulnerable ones. On the day that Satan shows up on your doorstep or peers in your window what will you be doing? Will you be in prayer, just finished praying, and be in your armor girded with prayer to God.
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens.
This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
I Thessalonians 5:17
If you'd like to more about these stories you will find them in Job 1; Daniel 6 and Matthew 26:14-29
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