This week, during the weekend message, we were reminded that everything will rise and fall on our integrity. We also learned that integrity is about being consistent and undivided. This means being people who do what we say we will do and live out what we claim to believe, both in public and in private. Our integrity, or lack of it, will impact every area of our lives, for better or worse. As followers of Christ, one of the most important callings we have been given is to be people deeply committed to our integrity so that we will honor God in all we say and do. Today in our study, we will learn from a man in Scripture named Daniel, a man of deep integrity who was fully devoted to His faith and being undivided, both in public and private.
Who is someone you know who demonstrates integrity? What stands out to you about their example?
1. Read Daniel 1:1-7. What was Nebuchadnezzar trying to accomplish with the young Israelite men in Babylon, and how was this plan a threat to the young Israelite men’s integrity?
Daniel 1:1-7
During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god. 3Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4“Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” 5The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. 6Daniel Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego.
2. Read Daniel 1:8-16. How might you have responded if you had been in Daniel’s situation? Is his response similar or different than how you might have responded?
Daniel 1:8-16
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. 9Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. 10But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.” 11Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12“Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13“At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” 14The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days. 15At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 16So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.
3. Read Daniel 6:1-12, a passage of Scripture that takes place when Daniel was a much older man. What does Daniel’s example in this passage of Scripture teach us about what it means to live with integrity?
Daniel 6:1-12
Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. 2The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 3Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. 4Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.” 6So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! 7We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. 8And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” 9So King Darius signed the law. 10But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down 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. 11Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. 12So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?” “Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.”
4. Read Daniel 6:16-28. According to this passage of Scripture, how does living with integrity impact the people around us?
Daniel 6:16-28
So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” 17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. 18Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night. 19Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” 21Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” 23The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. 24Then the king gave orders to arrest the men who had maliciously accused Daniel. He had them thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. The lions leaped on them and tore them apart before they even hit the floor of the den. 25Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world: “Peace and prosperity to you! 26“I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end. 27He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” 28So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
1. Daniel and his three friends refused to compromise their integrity by conforming to the Babylonian culture. In what ways are we today tempted to compromise our integrity by conforming to our culture?
2. What is at stake if we compromise our integrity and live for ourselves and the things of this world?
3. When it comes to Daniel’s example of integrity, what stands out to you, and why?
Think for a moment about how you can take a step this week to follow Daniel’s example of integrity. Share with your group members one step you can take this week to grow in that area. After everyone has shared, break up into groups of two or three and pray together. Pray that God would give you all the courage to take the steps you shared to grow in integrity, and ask Him to help you all as you seek to do this.
One thing we learn from Scripture about Daniel is that, as a man of integrity, he was a man of prayer. He was so committed to prayer that he refused to stop praying or even hide during his prayer time, even when his life was on the line. We learned a helpful acronym during the weekend message that helps us know what and how to pray when we talk to God. The acronym A.C.T.S. stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. For the next few moments, we are going to dive into what Scripture teaches about these four components of prayer so that we can grow in our own prayer lives.
When we pray, the place we must begin is with “adoration.” Adoration comes from the word “adore.” When we begin our prayers with adoration, we tell God how much we love Him and adore Him, praising Him for who He is, the God of the universe. We also remind ourselves of Whom we are praying to, our all-powerful God, Who is in control over everything.
1. Read Psalm 150:1-6.
Psalm 150:1-6
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! 2Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! 3Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! 4Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! 5Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. 6Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
2. What does the Psalmist in this passage of Scripture praise the Lord for?
3. When you pray, do you often think about beginning with adoration, praising God? Why or why not?
4. Why do you think beginning our prayers with adoration is important when it comes to our prayer lives?
Throughout Scripture, we are called to confess our sins to God rather than keep them to ourselves. None of us is perfect. We all mess up and give in to temptation and sin at times. When this happens, we are invited to confess our sins straight to our merciful, gracious God.
1. Read 1st John 1:8-10.
1st John 1:8-10
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
2. What does this passage of Scripture reveal about our sin nature?
3. What is the result of confession, according to this passage of Scripture? How have you experienced the impacts of confession in your own life?
4. Why do you think confessing our sins is such an important aspect of our prayer lives?
When we pray, we must not forget to express our gratitude to God for all that He does for us. After all, He has done so very much for each one of us. The only proper response to God’s goodness to us is, “Thank you.”
1. Read Psalm 100:105.
Psalm 100:1-5
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! 2Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. 3Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
2. Why is God worthy of our thanksgiving and gratitude, according to this passage of Scripture?
3. How do you think having the attitude described in this passage of Scripture would impact your prayer life?
4. What is one thing that you are thankful for that God has done in your life this week?
Because God is our Heavenly Father who loves us and cares about us, we are invited to ask Him for what we need. He wants to hear from us, and He cares about what is on our minds. As it has been said, “What concerns you concerns Him.”
1. Read Philippians 4:6-7.
Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
2. How do you think having an attitude of gratitude impacts us as we present our needs to God?
3. What is the result of talking to God about our needs?
4. What is one need or request you are currently praying for? How does the Scripture you studied today encourage you?
Now that you have taken a deeper look at what Scripture teaches about each portion of the A.C.T.S. acronym, get alone and take a few minutes now to pray using this acronym as a guide. Pray through this acronym, taking time to express your adoration to God, confess your sins, thank God, and tell Him what you need. After a few minutes, your group leader will close your time by praying for your group.
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