Daniel came into exile knowing who God was. He knew of the laws and the prophets. He knew why they were in exile. He knew that the Israelites were deserving of such a fate. Therefore, it stands to reason that he also knew the prophecies period of the exile was coming to an end. He had used scripture and the word of the prophets to expertly navigate his time at Babylon and he would do so again to manage a new exodus for the Jews. This time, it would be a continued recognition of the power of God’s promises, and a wholehearted pleading for their fulfillment. In every case, he would continue in fervent prayers that God’s will be done. In this case, that prayer was for the pleasant thought of return. Yet, he also had been forewarned that return to the land of Israel wouldn’t remove their enemies. In fact it would bring more persecution. Nevertheless, Daniel models the life of a prayer warrior for us. He meditated on scripture, took the rods of God’s revelation seriously, and prayed for his will in his times by. He did this with open eyes at what would come. With it, he accepted the hood and the bad with God’s future. This is a blueprint for how we should face the future. Daniel used it from a young age till he was old. So should we.