Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. [Daniel 2:17]

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. [Proverbs 13:20]

No one can do it all alone. As an adage goes, “No man is an island.” Daniel was one man who knew the power of corporate anointing and the wisdom in keeping wise and godly company. He knew and appreciated the benefits of true and godly friendship. Throughout the book, Daniel was always found in the company of a certain group of people – Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego. Together they refused the food from the king’s table; together they prayed to know and understand the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

Together they weathered the storms of life in captivity amidst a strange people and culture, and together they made it to the top. Thus, lending credence to the saying, “The company you keep will determine your achievements in life.” Your friends will have an impact on you either negatively or positively; they never leave you neutral. So, they influence your choices and decisions in life.

This is one of the reasons champions are few. True leadership is scarce and difficult to come by, not because God has ordained it to be so, but because many by their choices have consciously or unconsciously embraced mediocre company and influences.

Daniel carefully chose his company and in making his choices, we find the following patterns.

1.    He chose people with similar pursuits as his. Destiny determines life interests. And interests inform the choice of friends.
2.    Daniel knew that every friendship you make constitutes a new beginning on your journey to destiny. It will either enhance your on-going pursuit, retard or totally distract you from your course.
3.    Like any other person, there were times in Daniel’s life when he found himself at the crossroads. Choices then become a careful venture in order to avoid going in the wrong direction. An example was when the king ordered the execution of the wise men and astrologers for failing to interpret his dream. We saw Daniel going back to his company “…that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision….” (Daniel 2:18-19 NKJV)

In the company of the righteous, you will always communicate with the Father and find a divine direction. In one night of petition to heaven, that which had troubled the king and sent his wise men to the gallows was revealed to Daniel and his company. The death sentence hanging over them was cancelled and the king rejoiced at the much-needed solution.

This is just a part of an entire message. Read the rest of the chapter from the book...THE PORTRAIT OF A CHAMPION  by Pastor Taiwo Odukoya