"Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to...his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret..." Daniel 2:17-18, NKJV

It was the first homework assignment for my first seminary class, Biblical Spirituality.  It seemed strange at first but turned out to be life-changing.  The assignment?  Find a "spiritual companion" -- one classmate to keep a one-hour, weekly appointment for the remainder of the semester taking turns asking and responding to four simple questions:  How have you sensed God's presence?  How have you sensed God's absence?  What are you seeking from God?  What are the next steps?  That semester-long journey with one classmate turned into an accountability group of four -- a group God used to stir spiritual revival in my heart through the remainder of my seminary experience...and beyond!  As we each took pastoral calls in different parts of the country, we consistently gathered by phone over the next 6 or 7 years for united prayer and encouragement.  My heart warms with joy just reflecting on these precious friendships.  They left an indelible impact on my life, teaching me that

personal spirituality is best sustained in godly community.

It's that kind of spiritual companionship that strengthened Daniel and his three friends in the land of their captivity.  The term translated as “companions” in Daniel 2:18 is related to a Hebrew word (chabar) that depicts a relationship of unity, being tied together like a knot.  In other words, these young men weren’t just loosely associated by common heritage, nor were they mere acquaintances with similar dietary preferences.  Daniel and his friends were bound together, knotted together, the kind of friends who shared life experience, spiritual values, and eternal purpose. 

There's a difference between people with whom we’re friendly and people we can lean on as chabar companions.  Those are the friends that we make an effort to weave into our life story because their presence and influence makes us stronger.   We tie knots to secure things, fasten things, or to make sure we don’t lose things.  Whenever Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael found themselves in trying situations -- whether because of the king's delicacies  (ch. 1), midnight dreams (ch. 2), or coercive worship demands (ch. 3) -- they were like strong knots for each other.  No slipping, just strengthening.  Ever ready to keep a firm hold on God alone.  

God blessed Daniel with a small group of spiritually strengthening friends, and I believe God wants the same for us as well.  How different would your spiritual vitality be if you had two or three friends you regularly united with in prayer?  How much deeper could your walk with the Lord be if you had an inner circle of friends who spurred you on to identify and keep pressing toward your spiritual goals?  I wouldn't be surprised if, even as you read those questions, a name or two came to mind.  Why not take that as an invitation from the Spirit to take steps toward spiritual community?  May God grant us grace both to seek chabar companions for ourselves and also to be those kinds of steadying friends for others in our sphere.