Daniel in the lions’ den

Teacher background

The story is in Daniel 6. The first six chapters of Daniel tell how Daniel and his friends, young Jews taken from Jerusalem to Babylon, stayed faithful to God while serving foreign kings. Jealous rivals of Daniel, now a trusted official of King Darius, trick the king into making a law that for thirty days no one may pray to anyone except the king. Daniel goes home and prays at his open window “three times a day … as he did before” (Daniel 6:10). He is thrown into the lions’ den, the king spends a sleepless night, and at dawn Daniel tells him, “My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel 6:22).

The main idea for children is that Daniel kept praying and trusting God when it was hard, and God was with him. We can talk to God anytime, and God is with us when we are afraid. Tell the lion part gently, with sleepy, calm lions, since some children are afraid of animals or of the dark. Avoid promising that people who pray never get hurt; the story promises that God is with us.

The lesson leaves out verse 24, where the king punishes the accusers and their families. If a child asks, say that the king punished the men who tricked him, and that the Bible’s own law says children must never be punished for what grown-ups did (Deuteronomy 24:16).

For more background, read Daniel in the lions’ den.

Welcome activity

Every day (5 minutes). As the children arrive, act out something you do every day, such as brushing your teeth, eating breakfast, or getting dressed, and let them guess what it is. Then let the children take turns acting out their own everyday things for the group to guess.

Then gather in a circle and ask:

• What do you do every single day?
• What do you do in the morning? What do you do at bedtime?
• When do you like to talk to God?

Say: “Today we will meet a man named Daniel. He did something special three times every day. Let’s find out what it was, and what happened when someone tried to make him stop.”

Telling the story

10 minutes. Open your Bible to Daniel 6 and show the children where the story is. Then read this version aloud, or tell it in your own words. Pause where the notes in italics suggest.

Long ago, a man named Daniel lived far from his home in Jerusalem. (Point far away.) He lived in a big kingdom with a king named Darius.

Daniel loved God. Every day he talked to God. In the morning, at noon, and at night, he knelt down and prayed. (Kneel and fold your hands.)

Daniel also worked for the king. He was a good helper. He told the truth, and he did his work well. King Darius liked Daniel so much that he wanted to put him in charge of the whole kingdom! (Spread your arms wide.)

Some of the other leaders were jealous. (Cross your arms and frown.) “We want to be in charge,” they grumbled. “Let’s find something wrong with Daniel.” They watched him very closely. Daniel was kind and fair, so they found nothing wrong at all!

Then they had a sneaky idea. “Daniel always prays to God. Let’s use that!”

They went to the king. “King Darius, you are so great! Make a new law. For thirty days, people may pray only to you. Anyone who prays to God will be put in the lions’ den.”

The king liked hearing how great he was. (Puff out your chest.) So he signed the law. In that land, once the king signed a law, nobody could change it. Not even the king!

Daniel heard about the new law. What do you think he did? (Let the children answer.)

Daniel went home. He went up to his room and opened his window. (Pretend to open a window.) He knelt down and prayed to God, just like always. He said thank you to God. Morning, noon, and night, Daniel kept on praying.

The jealous leaders were watching. “Aha! Daniel is praying to God!” They hurried off to tell the king.

King Darius was very upset. He liked Daniel! All day long he tried to find a way to help him. (Walk back and forth and rub your forehead.) The law could not be changed.

So when the sun went down, Daniel was taken to the lions’ den. A den is a home for lions, like a big cave. The king said, “Daniel, your God, the God you always pray to, will save you.”

Daniel went into the den. Some men rolled a big stone over the door. (Pretend to push a heavy stone.)

The king went home to his palace. He did not eat his supper. He did not want any music. He lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. (Rest your head on your hands, then open your eyes wide.) He could not sleep. He worried about his friend Daniel all night long.

Early in the morning, as soon as the sun came up, the king jumped out of bed. (Jump up.) He ran all the way to the lions’ den. (Run in place.) He called out in a worried voice, “Daniel! Daniel! Did your God save you from the lions?”

Then a voice came from inside the den. (Cup your hands around your mouth.) “O king, live forever!” That was a polite way to say hello to a king. “My God sent his angel. The angel shut the lions’ mouths. The lions did not hurt me!”

The king was so happy! (Clap your hands.) “Lift Daniel out!” he said. Daniel came out of the den without one scratch. Not one! Daniel had trusted God, and God had been with him all night long.

Then King Darius wrote a letter to everyone in his whole kingdom. (Pretend to write.) It said, “Daniel’s God is the living God! God helps and saves!”

And Daniel kept praying, every day, just like always.

Daniel trusted God when things were hard. We can talk to God anytime too. We can pray in the morning, at noon, and at night. We can pray whenever we feel afraid. God hears us. And God is always with us.

Wondering questions

5 minutes. Wondering questions have no wrong answers. Ask one at a time, wait in silence, and welcome every answer without correcting it. Repeat back what a child says so they know you heard them.

• I wonder which part of this story you like best.
• I wonder what Daniel said to God when he prayed.
• I wonder why Daniel kept his window open.
• I wonder how Daniel felt in the den all night.
• I wonder what the king thought about while he lay awake.
• I wonder when you like to talk to God.

After the wondering questions, play the quiz on the slides, or ask the questions aloud and let the children call out the answers.

Craft: a sleepy lion

10 minutes. Each child makes a sleepy lion with a closed mouth, to remember that God shut the lions’ mouths and was with Daniel all night.

You will need a paper plate for each child, yellow and orange construction paper, crayons or markers, safety scissors, glue sticks, and pencils.

1. Color the paper plate yellow or tan for the lion’s face.
2. Draw a sleepy lion face: two curved lines for closed eyes, a nose, and a closed, smiling mouth.
3. Cut the yellow and orange paper into strips about 1 inch wide and 4 inches long. For a younger group, cut the strips before class.
4. Glue the strips around the edge of the plate to make a mane. Roll the end of each strip around a pencil to make it curl.
5. On the back of the plate, write, “God was with Daniel!”

When everyone is done, hold up the lions together and give one big, sleepy lion yawn.

Game: sleepy lions

7 minutes. Clear an open space on the floor. Choose one child to be Daniel and give the teacher or a helper the paper crown to play King Darius. Everyone else is a lion.

1. The lions crawl around on hands and knees and give soft, friendly roars.
2. The teacher says, “God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths!” The lions lie down, close their mouths, and pretend to sleep.
3. Daniel walks carefully among the sleepy lions, kneels in the middle, and folds their hands to pray.
4. King Darius calls, “Daniel! Did your God save you?” Daniel answers, “My God sent an angel. The lions did not hurt me!”
5. The lions wake up, stretch, and everyone cheers. Choose a new Daniel and play again.

If a lion giggles or snores, that is fine; sleepy lions do that. Nobody is out, and every child who wants a turn as Daniel gets one. Ask the lions to crawl slowly and leave room for each other.

Memory verse

3 minutes. Teach the memory verse with motions.

He had trusted in his God.

Daniel 6:23

• “He had trusted”: put your hand on your heart.
• “in his God”: point up.

Explain that to trust someone means you believe they will take care of you. Daniel trusted God. Say the verse together in a big lion voice, then in a normal voice, then in a sleepy lion whisper. The memory verse coloring page lets children color the words in bubble letters.

Snack idea

Optional. Make a lion face on each plate: a round cracker or rice cake in the middle, clementine slices around it for a mane, and two raisins for sleepy eyes. Before eating, say together, “God was with Daniel!” Check for food allergies before class, and serve water or juice.

Closing prayer

Ask the children to fold their hands or open them on their laps. Read each line and let them repeat it after you.

Dear God,
thank you for being with Daniel
in the lions’ den.
Thank you that we can talk to you
anytime, anywhere.
When we feel afraid,
help us trust you like Daniel.
Thank you for always being with us.
Amen.

Take-home note for families

Send this note home with the activity sheets and the sleepy lion. It also prints by itself on the printables page.

Today in Sunday school

Today your child heard the story of Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6). Daniel loved God and prayed three times every day. When jealous leaders tricked the king into making a law against praying to God, Daniel went home and prayed just like always. He was put in a den of lions, and God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths. In the morning the king found Daniel safe. The children talked about how we can talk to God anytime, and how God is with us when we are afraid.

Talk about it

• What was your favorite part of the story?
• How do you think Daniel felt when he prayed at his window?
• When is a good time for our family to talk to God?

Try this at home

Read the story together in Daniel 6 or in a children’s Bible. This week, try praying three times a day like Daniel: a short prayer at breakfast, one at lunch or after school, and one at bedtime. You could open a window or the curtains when you pray.

Pray together

Dear God, thank you for hearing us whenever we pray. When we are afraid, help us remember that you are with us. Amen.

Adapting for younger or older children

Younger children (ages 4 to 6). Tell the story with a stuffed lion or two and a blanket for the den, and keep it short. Skip the crossword and the word search, and use the maze, the coloring pages, and the sleepy lion craft with the strips already cut. Teach only the memory verse motions.

Older children (ages 10 to 12). Read Daniel 6:1–23 together from a Bible, taking turns. Talk about how Daniel did his job well and stayed faithful to God at the same time, and compare the story with Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Ask when it is hard to do the right thing when others are not. Use the crossword without the word bank, and invite the children to make a morning, noon, and night prayer chart for the week.