Daniel 6:16

Lord, who fulfilled your promises made by the prophets, and had mercy on Zion and compassion on Jerusalem, by exalting the throne of David, your servant … by the birth of Christ, who was born of his seed according to the flesh, of a virgin alone; please, O Lord God, accept the prayers that proceed from the lips of your people which are of the Gentiles, which call on you in truth, as you accepted the gifts of the righteous in their generations. In the first place you respected the sacrifice of Abel … of Ezra at the return; of Daniel in the den of lions; of Jonah in the whale's belly.

Let not, therefore, any one that works signs and wonders judge any one of the faithful who is not granted the same: for the gifts of God that are bestowed by him through Christ are various; and one person receives one gift and another another.… For neither did the wise Daniel, who was delivered from the mouths of the lions, nor the three children, who were delivered from the furnace of fire, despise the rest of their fellow Israelites: for they knew that they had not escaped these terrible miseries by their own might but by the power of God did they both work miracles and were delivered from miseries. Wherefore let none of you exalt himself against his brother, though he is a prophet or though he is a worker of miracles.

For what shall we say? Was Daniel cast into the den of lions by those who feared God? Were Ananias and Azarias and Mishael shut up in a furnace of fire by those who observed the great and glorious worship of the Most High? Far from us be such a thought! Who, then, were they that did such things? The hateful, and those full of all wickedness, were roused to such a pitch of fury that they inflicted torture on those who served God with a holy and blameless purpose [of heart], not knowing that the Most High is the defender and protector of all such as with a pure conscience venerate his all-excellent name.… But they who with confidence endured [these things] are now heirs of glory and honor and have been exalted and made illustrious by God in their memorial for ever and ever.

From Syria even unto Rome I fight with beasts, not that I am devoured by brute beasts, for these, as ye know, by the will of God, spared Daniel, but by beasts in the shape of men, in whom the merciless wild beast himself lies hid, and pricks and wounds me day by day. But none of these hardships "move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself," in such a way as to love it better than the Lord. Wherefore I am prepared for [encountering] fire, wild beasts, the sword or the cross, so that only I may see Christ my Saviour and God, who died for me. I therefore, the prisoner of Christ, who am driven along by land and sea, exhort you: "stand fast in the faith," and be ye steadfast, "for the just shall live by faith;" be ye unwavering, for "the Lord causes those to dwell in a house who are of one and the same character."

Then accordingly, Darius, not being able to further contradict the satraps, said for Daniel to be brought and they cast him into the den of lions. And the king, answering said to him, "Your God whom you serve perpetually, he himself will rescue you" urging him to be of good cheer. "For since, even though I wish to help, I am not able even though I am king, but God whom you serve will rescue you," [Daniel 6:16] in order to show that what is impossible for men is possible with God. [Luke 18:27]