If You Couldn’t Pray for Thirty Days is a quote by Paige Benton I read in Nancy Guthrie’s book The One Year Book of Hope, and I’m pondering it with you today.
For Lent 2025, I’ll be writing new blog posts every day. I’m writing for just five unedited minutes on a quote of the day to deepen our faith in this Lenten season.
Day 25 of Lent 2025 – March 29
I read this quote in Nancy Guthrie’s book, “The One Year Book of Hope.” It has been my morning devotional for several months, and you can buy a copy of the book HERE. It’s the only book I’ve quoted twice in this series of Lenten posts, and I thought the quote was too good not to share.
If You Couldn’t Pray for Thirty Days
As mentioned in Nancy’s book, here’s the context for this quote by Bible teacher Paige Benton. Because Daniel was a righteous and prayerful man in the time of King Darius, ungodly kingdom administrators were envious of his influence. They devised a law prohibiting anyone from praying to other gods besides Darius, who was believed to have divine powers. For thirty days anyone caught breaking the law would be thrown to the lions.
What did Daniel do when he heard about this law against prayer? Let’s look at Daniel 6:10 NIV to find out:
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.
Paige Benton adds that Daniel was only asked to give up prayer for thirty days. He was not asked to renounce his faith in God. She said, “We give up prayer so quickly and easily because we don’t get any public credit for it.”
Considering your current prayer life, would it make any difference if you couldn’t pray for thirty days? I think this may be the most provocative quote I’ve found in this Lenten series, and that’s why I want to explore it with you today.
If I Couldn’t Pray for Thirty Days
In this Lenten series, I’ve mentioned that the past three years have been extremely difficult for me. My faith has been shaken to the core with all kinds of severe trauma and resulting complex PTSD. I have gone through a long, challenging dark night of the soul. Sometimes, the struggle was minute-to-minute, especially after a stalker approached me.
However, in that whole time of suffering, I prayed every single day. Prayer was the unbreakable cord that tethered me to God. My prayers were not pretty. At times, they were angry rants. Other times, they were heartbroken cries. I questioned God, yelled at him about the unfairness, and desperately pleaded for justice and deliverance. Those wild, emotional prayers were the way I bore my heart to God in my suffering, and I don’t regret a single word I spoke during that time.
Another type of prayer I prayed was intercessory prayer. Praying for others gave me a sense of purpose when everything else around me didn’t make sense. I also chose to praise God despite my suffering, mostly through songs that expressed my feelings better than spoken prayers. The song Defender became my anchor in my darkest moments, and God, Turn It Around became my frequent petition.
The bottom line: I could not have survived the past three years without prayer. It was as essential to me as breathing. If I had to go thirty minutes without prayer, my life would have been insufferable. Thirty days without prayer would not have been liveable. If I had been under the same pressure as Daniel, I would have prayed anyway – that’s how important it is to me.
The Great Gift of Prayer
Today’s quote has moved me to praise God for the great gift of prayer. It has been a treasure to me, not just in the past three intensely painful years but for my whole life. It’s the channel through which I have developed an intimate relationship with the Lord.
In my days at Covenant College, we would use one day per semester as a Day of Prayer. All classes were cancelled for the day, so we had time to pray over our futures. This beautiful practice stuck with me as a way to stop everything, connect with God, read his Word, and seek his direction. I haven’t taken a whole day of prayer for a long time, yet I’m glad I can stop anytime during the day for a few minutes, connect with God through prayer, and gain a greater sense of peace.
I’m grateful God has taught me to seek him in prayer ever since I was a child. I pray today that if you’re reading this, you will also recognize the great gift of prayer and be moved to pray more. Since prayer can be a confusing and challenging topic, I’ve compiled the best books to help you on this journey HERE.
Join me again tomorrow for another reflection on a different quote.
'If you couldn't pray for thirty days...' - ponder this quote with me. #quote #quoteoftheday #lent #spiritualgrowth Click To Tweet
Find all my additional resources for Lent on this page.
Are You Looking for a Book Launch Manager or Virtual Assistant?
If you’re launching a book in 2025 or beyond, be sure to book a call with me HERE to discuss your book launch. I’ve had over 50 clients since 2022, and I’d love to speak with you soon. I’m also taking on new VA clients. You can learn more and book a call with me on THIS PAGE.
If you liked this post, I would appreciate your shares on social media!
Also, if you make a purchase from any of the links on this post, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
I send my weekly newsletter Tea on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. Central time every Tuesday. I write an exclusive devotion for you each week that I share with you first.
To receive the newsletter, please subscribe below. I can’t wait to share personally with you each week!