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How can facing trials bring you joy and strength? On today’s Jaime Luce Podcast, we journey through the powerful biblical stories of Daniel and his three Hebrew friends to uncover how faith can be cultivated like muscle, growing stronger with consistent effort, especially amid life’s toughest challenges. Drawing wisdom from the book of James, we learn to view our trials through the lens of joy, as they are the forge in which our spiritual endurance is crafted.

Join us as we revisit the dramatic events of Daniel chapter two, where Daniel’s unshakeable faith and divine wisdom not only save lives but also manifest miraculous outcomes. We discuss the significance of remaining steadfast in your beliefs, even when faced with extreme adversities, as exemplified by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s defiance against King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree. This episode brings the timeless lessons of these narratives into today’s context, addressing modern challenges like job insecurities and health crises, and emphasizing the necessity of trusting in God’s guidance.

As we conclude, I encourage you to share messages of hope and strength with those around you. By uplifting one another and collectively nurturing our faith, we can navigate life’s trials with resilience and emerge more powerful. Listen in for an inspiring conversation that not only explores these enduring biblical stories but also provides practical advice on cultivating faith in today’s world. Tune in to strengthen your spiritual journey and support others in theirs.

Where to dive in:

(0:00:01) – Thriving in the Test of Faith (17 Minutes)

This chapter focuses on understanding and exercising faith, likening it to building muscle through consistent effort. We discuss the importance of steadfastness during trials, referencing the book of James, which encourages counting trials as joy because they produce steadfastness. I also highlight the story of Daniel and his three Hebrew friends from the book of Daniel, emphasizing how they thrived in the face of trials. By examining these biblical narratives, we explore how trials can be opportunities to strengthen our faith and experience blessings that come through perseverance.

(0:16:50) – Seeking Wisdom Through Faith (8 Minutes)

This chapter focuses on the dramatic events in Daniel chapter two, where King Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream leads to a life-threatening crisis for his wise men. We explore the intense demand from the king for his dream to be both recounted and interpreted, a seemingly impossible task. When the wise men fail, Nebuchadnezzar decrees their execution. Amid this turmoil, Daniel responds with remarkable calm and wisdom, seeking an explanation for the urgency and ultimately requesting an appointment with the king. Demonstrating profound faith, Daniel then gathers his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, to pray for divine revelation, trusting that God will provide the necessary wisdom to save their lives.

(0:24:29) – Navigating Trials With Faith (15 Minutes)

This chapter explores the biblical story of Daniel interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, emphasizing the importance of unwavering faith and seeking divine wisdom in times of trial. We reflect on how Daniel’s steadfast belief in God’s ability to reveal the unknown led to miraculous outcomes, including the saving of lives and promotions. By drawing parallels to modern-day challenges, such as facing job insecurities or health crises, we underscore the need to cultivate and exercise faith like a muscle. The narrative encourages us to stand firm and trust in God’s guidance, demonstrating that genuine faith can lead to extraordinary results.

(0:39:35) – Facing Temptation Strongly (6 Minutes)

This chapter explores the pressure many people face in the business world when authority figures demand unethical actions, using the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as a parallel. I discuss how these figures stood firm in their faith against King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to worship a golden image, despite the threat of being cast into a fiery furnace. Drawing comparisons to modern situations, such as job threats related to taking a vaccine, I emphasize the importance of standing by one’s beliefs and trusting in God’s provision. Additionally, I introduce my new book, “You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God,” which offers practical guidance on relying on divine support amidst economic and societal challenges.

(0:45:35) – Standing Strong in the Face (9 Minutes)

This chapter explores the significance of standing firm in one’s convictions, even in the face of direct threats or societal pressures. We discuss how avoiding conflict can lead to resentment and the importance of learning to confront difficult situations to mature spiritually and personally. Drawing parallels to biblical stories, we reflect on how courage and steadfastness in the face of adversity can inspire others or provoke jealousy and resentment in those who lack the courage to stand up. We also touch on the broader societal implications, such as the impact of dependency on government support during the COVID-19 pandemic and the demotivation of hardworking individuals, ultimately likening forced economic redistribution to a form of modern-day slavery.

(0:55:07) – Firm Faith in God’s Will (9 Minutes)

This chapter focuses on the powerful lesson of faith and surrender drawn from the story of the three Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel. We explore how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego declared their unwavering allegiance to God, stating their belief that God could save them from the fiery furnace, but also accepting that if He did not, it would still be God’s will. This act of faith challenges us to embrace a similar mindset, where true faith is not measured by getting what we pray for, but by our trust in God’s will even when things don’t go as expected. We discuss the concept that real faith involves complete surrender to God’s will, just as Daniel demonstrated in the lion’s den. The chapter also examines King Nebuchadnezzar’s furious reaction to the Hebrew boys’ defiance, illustrating how human anger fails to produce the righteousness of God.

(1:04:18) – Triumph Through Faith’s Fiery Trials (10 Minutes)

This chapter delves into the spiritual journey of standing firm in faith amidst trials and tribulations. Reflecting on the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we explore the inevitable challenges that arise when committing to God’s calling. We examine how the enemy seeks to disrupt and discourage, symbolized by the fiery furnace, but also how unwavering faith leads to miraculous deliverance. Highlighting the importance of surrendering to God’s will, we underscore that faith is proven through trials, encouraging listeners to trust God’s plan and live boldly for Him. The story culminates with the recognition and promotion of those who stand firm, showcasing the power and faithfulness of God in overcoming adversity.

(1:14:01) – Sharing Encouragement and Strengthening Others (1 Minutes)

This chapter emphasizes the importance of sharing encouraging and uplifting messages with those around us. I discuss how I make it a practice to share positive and strengthening messages with my husband, kids, family members, and friends. By recognizing when someone might benefit from a particular message, we can minister to them and support their emotional and spiritual well-being. The act of sharing is presented as a way to care for others and to help heal parts of the collective body that are hurting. We end with a call to action, encouraging listeners to share the message with those who need it and to continue this practice in their daily lives.

About your host: Jaime Luce’s testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

Free chapter of Jaime’s new book: You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God: https://jaimeluce.com/book/

Connect:

– Website: https://jaimeluce.com

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– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaime_luce/

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-luce-00395691/

Full Transcript

This transcript is auto-generated and not perfect. We hope it blesses you.

0:00:01 – Jaime Luce
What path do you want me to take? Where do I need to exercise my faith and bring it all before the Lord, who gives liberally the wisdom that we need? But our trust has to be worked out. You know, you can’t be somebody who has never worked out, go into the gym and lift hundreds of pounds. You just can’t do it. And faith is very much like a muscle If you’ve never exercised faith before and you don’t really know who God is or that he comes through for you. Because the minute there’s a test that comes, you actually are the double-minded person who’s unstable and you flip-flop and you would just rather take the easy road and you would rather do what we’re going to read about next and fall into the trap that Satan sets and fall to the temptation to not stand in faith. Then we end up losing. We truly do lose everything and we never build a faith muscle. We never get to the point that we have great faith.

Welcome to the Jamie Luce Podcast. Thank you for taking some time with me today. I’m very happy to be with you. I’ve been anxious to talk about this with you today because, if you listened in to last week’s podcast, we spoke about having joy in the midst of our test, which comes from the book of James, and he says count it all, joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. And as we went through that portion of scripture, I let you know that today is basically a hand-in-glove type of situation. I’m not speaking about joy today. Today we’re going to be talking about thriving in the test in the fire. You have to understand the trial of fire and you have to understand the test that that is so that you can thrive instead of being in fear of that test. And we’re going to be looking at the book of Daniel and talking about Daniel and his three Hebrew friends. Sadly, we call them by their, the names given to them while they were in exile and the Chaldean names, but we should be calling them by their actual names. We’ll talk about that in a minute, but sadly that’s how we know them. So Shadrach, meshach and Abednego. And I want to mention I’m not going to teach on the story prior to Daniel 3, but I am going to talk about it for a little bit. So we are going to spend quite a bit of time really dissecting Daniel 3.

But I wanted to kind of give you a recap, just in case, so that you understand where we’re going. When James is speaking, he’s speaking to the Jewish brothers and sisters who have been dispersed out of force due to the climate and the governmental systems at the time. They are being forced to leave, they are being greatly persecuted and they are many of them. Many of them have lost their lives. This is during the time of the martyrdom where, over the next several decades, we see that all of the disciples, aside from John, end up. Though they attempted to kill John, he didn’t die from that attempt, but they were all martyred, and so this was a very difficult time and the reason I wanted to just kind of reiterate that and please, if you haven’t listened to last week, please go listen to that counterintuitive and it seems strangely difficult and almost harsh for James to say to this group of people who have lost everything, who are under great persecution, who are many of them are starving. You know, paul’s journeys all over were to collect funds wherever he could to take back to the church in Jerusalem and to care for these believers who are dispersed and make sure that they all have their needs met, that Paul emphasizes that we are the body and if one part of us hurts, we all hurt, and so there’s this great care about the people of God. It’s just that Paul was speaking to those who were converts because they were outside of the household of faith, meaning they were not Jewish, they were Gentile, and James is speaking to those who are Jewish brothers. So it seems like it’s a hard thing for him to say to them, in the midst of their struggle and in their pain, that they are supposed to count that joy, count it all joy. So we talked about why he did that and it’s actually an encouragement to them.

It may seem hard, but the hard thing is often what produces the biggest blessing, and so I’m going to go ahead and reread to you a little bit of scripture in James, and then we’re going to jump into Daniel, and the reason I want to do this is because I want you to see, throughout the book of James, james gives several instructions, all having to do with this first command. It all ties back to this first command and in the explanation of why we are to have joy and how that is supposed to be seen and the things that we are to ask for and what is afforded to us. The reason he does that is because he’s trying to let them know there is blessing that you won’t receive any other way If you want to be able to lay hold of true joy, if you want to be able to have what you ask for. You know we were taught through the gospels. Jesus said that we could ask what we will and it will be done for us, that we could touch and agree on anything and we would be able to receive what we prayed for. We hear all through the Psalms and the Old Testament how God always heard their prayers and answered their prayers. And here we see in James, right after he says in verse 2, to count it all joy, because he says when you meet these trials, you know. So we should already know this. If we don’t know this, we’ve got some learning to do. We’ve got some more investigating to do into the word of God, into the ways of God. But this was an assumption. He assumed that these brothers knew what he was talking about, that they know that the testing of their faith produces steadfastness. So it produces something. It actually makes something come about.

Verse four and let steadfastness have its full effect. That you may be perfect and complete and lacking in nothing. I don’t know about you, but that speaks volumes to me. I don’t want to be lacking in an area, I want to be whole and complete. I want to be perfect, so to speak, in God’s eyes. I want to be able to do the thing that is in front of me, the task that he has called me to, to fulfill the purpose that he has given to me. But in order to do that, in order to accomplish that this scripture is letting me know I must gain that steadfastness necessary for those things by going through the testing. And here he says that we’re to have joy when we do it.

But let’s go to verse five. It says if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all, without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind, for that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Now I wanted you to.

Here’s the tendency we tend to memorize scriptures as Christians and remember the things that you know. I need to remember that Whenever I don’t know. I need to remember that whenever I don’t know, I can ask for wisdom, and God gives liberally. But what we forget is that that this scripture comes on the heels of if you go through the test of faith, you end up producing steadfastness, which means you lack nothing, but if you lack wisdom? So this is not a verse unto itself, this isn’t a new thought. He’s continuing this current thought. So he’s saying if you are going through this testing time and you lack wisdom, because you need to get through it, you need to be able to become steadfast. You need to know how to have joy in the midst of your trial. You need to know how to have joy in the midst of your trial. You need to know how to survive this and do it well. You want to thrive.

And he says if you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all, without reproach. You’re never in trouble for asking a question. My mother used to tell us all the time when we were growing up, going to school there is never a stupid question. It doesn’t matter what the question is. If you don’t know the answer, the smart person asks the question. That’s how you learn. So we ask the question. Let him ask in faith, with no doubting. So he’s giving us the prerequisite. He’s saying if you lack this, if you don’t know how to do this, if you need help with this and you don’t have the wisdom, you ask God. But there is a prerequisite to this asking. But you have to ask it with no doubting. He says ask him in faith, with no doubting. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind, for that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.

I don’t think we realize how much we ignore this part of the verse, that we just think it’s okay to not grow in our faith, to not be strengthened in our faith. We tend to instead now hear me out on this we tend to run to others and say will you pray for me? And we expect the faith of someone that we think has greater faith than we do to pray for us and to ask for us. While we remain without faith. Our faith is more, that somebody else has more faith. That’s what we have faith in. And so, instead of having actual faith, growing our own faith, learning that test of steadfastness, we end up throwing that responsibility off and thinking that we’re okay and that we can still get what we’re asking for. Now I’m not saying we don’t go and ask for help and ask people to pray with us. Of course we can. Of course we do, but we have to be responsible for our faith.

And he says let that person not think that he will receive anything. He’s just, he’s just blowing in the wind, he’s just being tossed around every time there’s a wave. He’s just, he’s just crashed on and pummeled by the waves. And it doesn’t one day he’s this, the next day he’s that. I mean, it doesn’t take. I should be careful with this.

In our political climate right now, you have political candidates who one day tell you they are standing for this, they’re going to move and put in all kinds of policies and they’re going to make all these promises to do this one thing. And yet when we look at their record, if they’ve been in politics for very long and we see previously they actually said and did the very opposite. They flip-flop back and forth Whatever they think someone wants to hear or whatever the cultural push is for that moment. Okay, we flip-flop, we just change it. And what does the Bible call that kind of mentality?

It says that man is not to suppose he will receive anything from the Lord because he is a double minded man and he is unstable. First of all, he’s unstable. Somebody who constantly flips back and forth about what they believe and they don’t take a stand on something. They just flip around like a fish out of water. This kind of person is unstable. That’s not me saying that, folks, that’s God, this is the word of God. And he’s saying to this group of believers you should already know all this. They are unstable in all their ways, not just on this one issue. Folks, if you are a double-minded person and you flip-flop all the time between how you serve God and if you go to church sometimes and you don’t other times, and today you’re a Christian and tomorrow you’re not, today it’s okay to do this one behavior and tomorrow it’s not.

The continual flip-flopping means that we are unstable in all our ways, not just in that area, in all our ways. This is why this message is so important. If we could get a hold of how we are to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. If we understand, like he spoke to Joshua, to be very strong and courageous Folks. If we want to see God truly move on our behalf to do the impossible, it means we have to believe that him doing the impossible is possible, that we actually believe it takes great faith, because to take the faith that it needs to counter what is impossible, if you are not standing truly in faith, if you don’t really believe that, you’re going to be shaken and you will not stand at all.

So I want us to now go to Daniel. Let’s go to Daniel, chapter three. And I want you to keep this in mind, because we just read in James that if any man lacks wisdom, that he is to ask and God will give it to him liberally. He will not come against him, or or um, what was the word he used? He will not condemn him. Reproach yeah, he will not bring any reproach upon them for not asking. If any man likes wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously. It doesn’t just give. He gives it generously to all, without reproach, and it will be given him. So we go to Daniel Now.

In Daniel, chapter two, the story is that King Nebuchadnezzar has already in chapter one. He brings the Hebrew boys to be taught in his court and Daniel stands up and says I don’t want to defile myself with the king’s portions that he has allotted to us for eating, which went against their Hebrew what’s the word for that? Their dietary ways, that they followed scripture. And he asked, and God gave him favor, that they did not have to do that. And they proved and showed themselves wiser, stronger, healthier than all those who followed the ways of the Chaldeans.

And we go to chapter two and in chapter two Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that troubles him so bad that he is irate and he goes to all the magicians and the what did he call them? All the wise men and all the ones he had who he would normally turn to in order for them to interpret his dreams. That was very common. They believed heavily in what they dreamed, they had a sense, they knew if this was somehow a message to them. And it was common for not just for the Israeli kings, but it was common for just other nations for them to call in their soothsayers and all these ones, the diviners, to come in and give them the interpretation of their dream. That’s how we know the story of Joseph, because Pharaoh had these dreams and they need to know the answer.

And it was so troubling and he couldn’t sleep and he’s angry and he calls everybody and he says I’m expecting you this is upsetting him so bad that he is expecting them to not just interpret the dream but to actually tell him what he dreamed. So I mean, that’s impossible, folks, I don’t know about you. It seems plausible, very plausible, to think that if someone gave us a dream even if we are not gifted in interpreting dreams, we could sure come up with something. We sure could come up with something clever. And these men are saying you’re asking us to do the impossible. Just tell us the dream and we will tell you the interpretation. But Nebuchadnezzar understood this was so important that he said no, because you could lie to me. You could all conspire together and say this is what your dream means and you could be wrong.

He was determined he was going to get this right. And so what does he do? He makes a threat to them and he says if you can’t tell me the dream and the interpretation, I’m going to kill all of you. He basically says I’m ripping all of you limb from limb and I am destroying your homes. I’m taking everything from you. You lose everything. You die, you. You have to do this. Your life is at stake. And they could not. So the order goes out to kill them all. So then you have one of these men going to find Daniel and the Hebrew boys.

It says so that in verse 13 of chapter two. It says so. The decree went out and the wise men were about to be killed and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them. Then Daniel replied this is so good. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Ariok, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon, of the king’s guard who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. So the king is irate. The king has sent a message. He wants everyone killed. Now they are on the hunt to gather them all to kill them.

When Daniel is confronted because they’ve come to take them, he says wait a minute. And with great peace and without emotional irrationalism, without going into a tirade and saying what do you mean? I didn’t even hear about this. This is the first time I’ve heard of this what are you talking about? What are we going to do? We’re all going to die. I didn’t do anything.

I mean, instead of any of that, you have Daniel saying to this man with prudence and discretion, just those words. Let you know that he was calm, cool and collected, so to speak. And he says to him verse 15, he declared to Ariok, the king’s captain why is the decree of the king so urgent? So he hears what the decree is, he understands what’s at stake, but he says why is this so urgent? Daniel is using great wisdom here. He is truly asking for this man to calmly. Have you ever watched the TV programs?

And you have one person on the other, on one end, and they’re something horrible has just happened, and they’re yelling and they’re talking so fast and you can’t understand what they’re saying. Everything’s going crazy. And the person on the other, on the other end, says slow down, slow down. Okay, just calmly, tell me what has happened. This is what Daniel’s doing. He says now, wait a minute. Okay, I understand, and the king has made this decree, but why does he need to do this right now? Why is he so upset that he is not only going to kill everybody, but he wants to kill us all immediately. What’s going on? So Daniel’s looking for the wisdom.

And to Ariok um, then Ariok made the matter known to Daniel and Daniel went in. Look at, this is a complete act of faith I mean so calm, so trusting his God that Daniel immediately, without we’re going to see, he went to his friends afterwards. But look what he did. First, daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, meaning he asked for an appointment. He wants to get on the calendar with the king that he might show the interpretation to the king. Daniel doesn’t have the interpretation yet. Daniel doesn’t know what the dream is yet, but he goes in faith to make an appointment to put a stop to this. Right now he goes to the king to make an appointment to talk about this so that this whole thing can be settled. Okay, verse 17,.

Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, mishael and Azariah, his companions, that’s, shadrach, meshach and Abednego, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men in Babylon. So what did Daniel do? He did exactly what we just read in James he who lacks wisdom can ask God, who will give generously to any who ask. This is exactly what they believed would take place. Don’t worry, king, I’m going to go pray and ask God and God’s going to give me the answer. Boy, that’s. Do you have that kind of faith?

Have you ever had a situation come up and you said that’s all right, god is in control of this and I’m going to ask him and he’s going to tell us what to do? If you’ve never known what to do, if you’re in a situation you’re thinking there’s too many things to think about, there’s too many options and I don’t know which one to take. And so many times, folks, we get trapped in thinking about all those things and we never stop to say, lord, I’m going to lay this before you, here’s all of my options. What would you have me to do? What is the right answer? Because we can make the wrong decision with a right heart, a heart that says I’m living my life to please the Lord. You’re not against God, you’re not wanting something against his will, but do you realize that you’re not asking him for his wisdom? You could have, you know you could.

The game show years and years ago was do you want what’s behind curtain number one, curtain number two or curtain number three? Well, there was either a good prize, a so-so prize, or a terrible gift. You could have a donkey standing behind the thing and a car standing behind the other. So you needed to choose wisely, as they say, and this is what they were up against, but they totally went to God. That’s why the scripture tells us that we are to ask the Lord about everything. Lean not on your own understanding, but in all thy ways acknowledge him. He will direct your path. That goes hand in hand with asking for wisdom.

What do we do in this circumstance? This is an impossible task. This isn’t just Daniel having faith. He’s asking for something that’s impossible To know what the man dreamed. Have you ever had a crazy dream? You can’t even figure out your own dream. It makes. They make no sense. Things that you see, things you do you know. You could have live halfway in a shoe and not a house and see people coming in, going, and there’s a concert going on at the same time that it’s pouring rain on the. I mean things that don’t make any sense and they’re going on at the same time that it’s pouring rain. I mean things that don’t make any sense and they’re all happening at the same time in a place they shouldn’t happen. This is an impossible thing to ask, and yet the king is determined. And if you can’t do it, you all die because it is so troubling to him. And Daniel believes that God can tell him. He doesn’t only believe that he can, he believes he will. He goes and makes an appointment with the king. Okay, after he does this, what do we read in verse 19?

Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. So, basically, god let Daniel dream what the king dreamed, so that Daniel could explain the dream. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might? He changes times and seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with him. To you, o God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter. Now he ends up telling the king, and the king is blown away and says, yes, he promotes Daniel. And Daniel asks that he also promote the three Hebrew boys. So all of them received these wonderful gifts.

And so I’m wanting you to see the package deal here of what it means to have joy in the trial because you have faith. That is immovable. You have to go through the trials because it produces the steadfastness, and without that steadfastness, when you have a steadfast heart, you are secure, you don’t get shaken and moved, you are steadfast, you are holding still, you are in that position of not letting go, and in that position you learn how to go through with joy because you know it’s producing great reward. Well, the reward for Daniel and the three Hebrew boys was that they all received promotions and they didn’t die. All these other men died. It was Daniel who said whoa, whoa, whoa. This is not necessary. God is God and he will give us the answer. And so, folks, we have got to take this word and take these stories not as great. You know, we kind of sometimes look at these stories, especially these really amazing stories in the Old Testament and we tend to make them into cartoon stories that we tell children and we don’t take them at the power and the value that they hold for us to learn to walk through circumstances that, for us, are just as dangerous.

You could have to go and speak before your boss and your job is on the line. You could have to, you know, pass a test. I have a friend who needs to take certain tests in order to. If they pass these tests, they are able to then run an entire business, and so sometimes it’s life and death stuff, really serious stuff. Sometimes it’s your health, literally, where you feel like I’m being torn limb from limb. I’m going to lose everything. You can need to know what to do. You could have a diagnosis and say, lord, what should I do? What path do you want me to take? Where do I need to exercise my faith and bring it all before the Lord, who gives liberally the wisdom that we need?

But our trust has to be worked out. We, you know you can’t be somebody who has never worked out, go into the gym and lift hundreds of pounds. You just can’t do it, and faith is very much like a muscle If you’ve never exercised faith before and you don’t really know who God is or that he comes through for you, because the minute there’s a test that comes, you actually are the double-minded person who’s unstable and you flip-flop and you would just rather take the easy road and you would rather do what we’re going to read about next and fall into the trap that Satan sets and fall to the temptation to not stand in faith. Then we end up losing. We truly do lose everything, and we never build a faith muscle. We never get to the point that we have great faith.

I look at those great men of faith over the centuries and boy you just when you read what they went through and the faith they stood in and the things they were able to accomplish. That motivates me. I want faith like that. I want to see amazing, miraculous, impossible things happen in my life. But that means that I can’t run every time there’s trouble. I have to be someone who stands steadfastly, holding to my faith that God will answer my prayer. I know it’s not easy. I know it’s not easy. That’s why it takes genuine faith. But those who are willing to do it. But those who are willing to do it, those who are willing to say Lord, I’ve chosen to serve you because I truly do believe you are who you say you are. I’m going to believe that you are not only able, but you are willing to do this for me, because I have asked you and I am not going to waver in my faith. I will see you answer that prayer.

Some of you may have children who are prodigals and they are as far from God as anybody you could think of, and it seems impossible. But if you allow the word of God to speak to you, if God quickens to you a particular passage and you realize he’s speaking to you, it brings to mind your child and you realize God’s talking to you about that child. You hold on, you put your fingernails into that. You know, get a grip on that scripture and you proclaim that scripture. You don’t beg the scripture, you proclaim that scripture. You don’t beg the scripture, you proclaim the scripture. You stand in faith and you say I will see this answer, I will see this with my eyes, but we have to be those who are willing to work this out. So this is the, the, this is the real message.

Right now, go to Daniel three and I’m going to show you, cause this is a breakdown I brought. Uh, if you’ve got something to write with, you’re going to, or to type with or with your thumbs on your phone, you’re going to want to write these down, cause you’re going to see this pattern that happens over and over again when it comes to standing and making it through, thriving through the fiery furnace, thriving even though you’re in a fiery have to deal with a fiery furnace. Okay, being threatened by the fiery furnace, going through the fiery furnace, whatever it is. There’s a pattern we can see, and I actually just showed you, without explaining it to you, the pattern of these Daniel and the Hebrew boys having to deal with giving the king this interpretation, this dream and interpretation. But now I’m going to show you very clearly, in Daniel 3, this breakdown.

So let’s go to Daniel 3. I’m going to start reading in verse 1. And it says King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold whose height was 60 cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So at first, in fact, let me give you this breakdown now, because I want you to see it as I read it You’re going to see that first there is a trap, then there comes the threat, next is the temptation, Followed by the decision, then comes the declaration, and then comes the fire, the test, the trial, followed by the deliverance and finally the testimony.

The trap, the threat, the temptation, the decision, the declaration, the fire, the deliverance and the testimony. There are eight sections here and you’re going to see these each play out in this story, but I want you to see them because if you can actually understand the trial from this higher, 30,000 feet high perspective, then you can actually look at the trial that you’re facing right now. And you can actually look at the trial that you’re facing right now and you can pinpoint where am I at, where do I need to make the adjustment, what’s the next thing I need to do, how do I need to look at this? And if you can do that, then you can do like we talked about last week. Last week, we talked about being able to see whatever it is that we need to see, even if it is ahead of us, even if it is, knowing that this is producing something, that I’m able to have joy in the midst of my trial. But I want you, right here, to be able to see that you can thrive and not be moved and watch the supernatural of what God does in the midst of a fire while you’re actually going through the fire, what God is doing in that fire.

Okay, so he’s got it all set up. Everybody’s getting ready to do this dedication, this dedication, this setup, this um, this monument, this, all this preparation for this event. This is the trap, and none of these people understand that it’s a trap. Yet All they know is that King has been building this statue, but the statue is a monument to himself, is a monument to himself. So anything that is um, this is an idol. This is glorifying something other than God. So this is idol worship, giving homage and paying tribute to.

But it also shows that this. It shows the heart of Nebuchadnezzar, the pride that this man is lifted up in. He almost takes what we just saw in chapter two how he understood that his dream was actually the vision of this giant statue, and Daniel explained to him what part he actually played in that statue. And it’s almost as if Nebuchadnezzar takes this imagery and now thinks of himself as this great God and this powerful God. Pride causes him to twist what he has known and understood and the gift that God gave him to simply tell him what’s coming in the future. It truly was a gift and yet it’s twisting. It’s being twisted. It’s not bringing honor and glory to God. He’s wanting to turn and bring glory to himself. So the trap is laid, this monument to himself has been built and he’s getting ready to dedicate it. It’s time to reveal what you’re going to have to worship.

So let’s go into verses four through six. Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up and the herald proclaimed aloud you are commanded, oh peoples, nations and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe and every kind of music, you are to fall down, get on your knees and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning, fiery furnace. Okay, that’s the threat. You have the trap. It’s been laid. This is the expectation. I’m expecting you to do this. You better do what I’ve told you to do.

How many people in the business world have had a boss or somebody, an authority over them, try to get them to do something underhanded, or manipulate a situation, or fudge numbers or do something, and they say if you don’t do it, then comes the threat. So you just now received the trap and the threat. The next thing that happens is there is a temptation. There is a temptation. Let’s look at verses seven to 15.

Therefore, as soon as all the people, all the the people heard this not just Daniel and three Hebrew boys, this is all the people, all the peoples of the nations were commanded. This is a threat to everybody, just like it was a threat in chapter two to every wise man. This is a threat to all the people. Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bat pipe and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Therefore, okay, so all the people are falling for this. All the people are doing what they’re commanded to do. They’re being told to do this, they’re being threatened to do this threat of life. So they say, okay, I’ll do whatever you say. If this is, you threaten me. It’s like um, the threat that went out. If you do not take the jab, then you can’t keep your job. The threat went out.

Most people whose job was on the line, they didn’t stand in faith. They didn’t say God, you’re going to provide a better job for me or you’re going to give me favor and you’re not going to let this happen to me. Instead, they took the jab. They fell down and worshiped what they were told to worship. Now, if you got the jab, I am not condemning you. That’s your. That’s between you and the Lord. I’m simply explaining how this works.

A government says and puts out a proclamation and an edict and says you’re going to do it. And there were people who said no. There were people who said this goes against what I believe. No, I’m not doing. Not, it may not have went against what you believe, so be it. But for some it went against what they believe. So they stood in faith. Let’s continue reading Verse eight.

Therefore, at that time, certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar O King, live forever. You, o King, have made a decree, and every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe and every kind of music shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning, fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon Shadrach, meshach and Abednego. These men, o king, pay no attention to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in furious rage, commanded that Shadrach, meshach and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them is it true, o Shadrach, meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now, if you are ready. So he is again relaying the foundation for them. He’s going to give them another opportunity. He’s going to say okay, here’s the trap and here is the threat. Now, if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe and every kind of music to fall down and worship the image that I have made, then, well and good, like I’ll forgive it all. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands?

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I, folks these are direct threats. If you’ve ever had a direct threat, even if it wasn’t spoken, even if you knew. Some people live in situations where, if they don’t behave a certain way, they know somebody else is going to act a certain way and they’re going to pay the price for that. And instead of standing up, they choose to just okay, I’ll. Just, I’ll, just I’ll, I’ll do what you ask. I will not stand up, I won’t take a stand. In my own, my own um journey with the Lord, there have been things I’ve had to learn that I have to stand, regardless of whatever pressure, regardless of who’s going to be upset, regardless of what’s going to happen. To mature, I had to be able to work those muscles.

If you’re someone who doesn’t like conflict, you have to learn to be okay with conflict. You have to. You have to be able to deal with it, and that can be hard for people. So this isn’t just. You know, the temptation is to say, well, I’m not going to be thrown into a furnace and actually die, and so then we don’t take the principles that are being taught here and apply them to our life. Folks, this can be in relationships. This can be how you deal with a spouse and children. This could be with coworkers and friends. You could be someone who does not like to confront, and because you don’t like to confront, you end up being the person who carries around a lot of resentment towards people, because you’re mad at them that you had to do something you didn’t want to do and it’s not their fault. They asked you, you just didn’t say no, and we push the blame off on other people instead of taking the responsibility to grow and mature ourselves, to go through those fiery trials, whatever they are, and to come out stronger on the other side. So, whether you’re going through something small or something very great and difficult, this applies. I would venture to say that this same pattern happens no matter how big or how small the trial is.

And there was the temptation. The king has basically made a double threat and we are standing right in front of him. He’s going to either kill us or we’re going to do this. He’s going to throw us in the fire. If we don’t, should we bow? The temptation is there us in the fire. If we don’t, should we bow? The temptation is there. You know, it’s amazing to me when someone stands up and and is determined to do what God has called them to do. Cause, what? What did we see here? There were, at that time, chaldeans who came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. And they go, and you know, brown nose up to the king and say, oh king, live forever and you’re so great and we’re doing everything you asked. But you have people in charge, these Jews, and they’re not doing what. I mean. Little tattletales, like children.

People get mad when you have the guts to stand up and not do something and you have the fortitude and the steadfastness to not be moved by the culture and you stand up. People who are afraid to stand up will get mad at you for standing up. They are mad because they don’t have the guts and instead of them dealing with themselves and being upset enough to grow themselves so that they too would stand up. Because there are two kinds of people, as my pastor likes to say either that’s going to motivate you to be like the person to stand up, or you’re going to be the person who gets mad at those people and then bows and does what everybody wants you to do and doesn’t do it and doesn’t stand up. You’re one of two people. You’re it’s. This is either going to motivate you to stand up, because you see someone else stand up that gives you strength. You’re going to stand up too, or you’re going to get mad at them because you don’t have the courage to do it and you’re not going to muster the courage to do it. So, instead, you’re going to be mad at them for standing up, because it points out the weakness in you. We all do this in some form or fashion, no matter what it’s about.

People with jealousies deal with this all the time. They’re mad at somebody for having something and because they don’t have it, instead of working to have it. I mean, we have an entire culture right now that is saying that those who work should pay for everything that of those who don’t work. Well, what does that actually produce in people? To someone who’s working really hard? You are demotivating them to work because they don’t get to have the fruit of their labor, what they’re working for. They aren’t able to see the producing, they don’t get to see the crop, they don’t get to see the finished product. Bless their life. So why work?

When COVID hit and in 2020, everything shut down really horribly. In 2021, you saw people quitting their jobs left and right. Now maybe some people should have quit their jobs, but the majority of people were quitting their jobs because they heard hey, I don’t have to work, someone’s going to give me free money, but that free money isn’t free. Somebody’s working and paying taxes for that money, and now we’re punishing the person who’s working so that somebody can decide to stay home and not work. Folks, the money will run out and you will demotivate everybody who’s working because nobody wants to work to pay somebody else. That’s slavery, with all the yelling going on about slavery and how, and it is horrible, but you can’t say that you’re going to take from one and give it to the other and make that person keep working so that the one who isn’t working can keep living. Or the way that we are handing all of our money over to other countries to fight their wars or to allow illegal immigration into the country.

People pouring in who actually are hurting our communities. People are being killed, people are being hurt, things are being hurt, things are being stolen. The value of people’s life and the blessing of their communities is greatly decreasing at rapid paces. The quality of life is being diminished greatly and because of that, you have people, then, who are basically having to work, enslaved to a job, to make ends meet. They are, they’re trying to feed their family and instead we’re watching others be able, with free money, to go, get free housing, free food, free phones, free everything, free transportation on airlines. And you have people who can’t afford their next set of boots for work, who are working very hard.

That is a demotivator, that is not a motivator. So we have to understand this ability to stand in the face of opposition and threat is a current, right now, now, temptation for everyone. So what comes after the temptation? The decision. You have to make a decision. You’re being tempted. What do you decide? What kind of person are you? Who are you going to be? Let’s look at verses 16 through 18. Let’s look at verses 16 through 18.

Shadrach, meshach and Abednego answered. So the king says I’ll let you bow now. You still have an opportunity. It’ll all be good. You can go back to your jobs, everything will be fine, just do what I tell you.

And Shadrach, meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king oh Nebuchadnezzar, listen to the difference between their response to the king versus these men who were malicious, who said oh king, lived forever. You, oh king, have made a decree and we’re all going to follow it. Listen to that tone. And now listen to what these men say. These boys, oh Nebuchadnezzar. They don’t even say oh king, they call him by his name. We have no need to answer you in this matter. Wow, that is such a wild thing to say. We don’t even have to give an answer to you. They’re saying we don’t even answer to you. I know we work for you, king, but we don’t answer to you. We have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so like if what you’re saying and you’re going to do, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace, and he will deliver us, they’re so confident they’re able to say this. I mean, they’re able to say this to the king he will deliver us out of your hand, o king. But if not this is where we all have to grow and learn, all of us. But if not, be it known to you, o King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. They’re saying, even if we die and our God does not come through and deliver us out of your hand. We are not going to bow.

My pastor, pastor Kerry Robinson, taught using some of these things. He was talking out of the book of Daniel and talking about the three Hebrew boys and he made a statement and it spurred me on. It was one of the reasons why I dove headlong into these last two. I had two things that God spoke to me and this was one of them, and he put it this way, talking about the Hebrew boys declaration. They had made a decision and they just declared it. They made the decision. We’re not bowing. They declared it to the king.

And this is what my pastor said they would not have regarded their deaths as failures of faith, but rather an indication of God’s will. I’m going to read that again. If they’re saying, they’re declaring God’s going to save us, we believe he’s going to save us, he’s able to save us. But even if he doesn’t, we’re not bowing. Even if he doesn’t that, even if he doesn’t now hear this, they would not have regarded their deaths as failures of faith, meaning they don’t think well, we didn’t have enough faith. That’s why God didn’t deliver us. He’s saying no, that’s not what, that’s not how they would have thought about this If they would not have been delivered. They would have rather looked at this as an indication of God’s will, meaning it must have been God’s will. It was time for us to he wanted to bring us to eternity. Now that it was God’s will that we go through this fire and perish in the fire, they literally would have been okay with that.

That challenges me. Does that challenge you? That I will have so much faith in my God that I’ll say I believe you’re going to do it, I’m confident you’re going to do it. I’m standing up and declaring to the very thing or person or situation that can take me out. I am declaring that God’s going to deliver me and even if he doesn’t, then so be it. It’s God’s will, I’m ready to go. That is real faith, because you’re saying I believe God’s will is the best will, that God’s way is the best way, no matter if I get what I want or not.

I said this last week that real faith is seen when we don’t get what we prayed for, when it doesn’t go the way we thought it should go. That’s when faith becomes seen for people. How are you going to act when it doesn’t go that way? Are we supposed to believe that it will. Yes, absolutely. We see it clearly in this passage my God’s able and my God will. But even if he doesn’t and that wasn’t a um, that wasn’t a caveat for them to say, just in case you know, just in case God doesn’t hear this prayer, then it’s God’s will. No, they’re saying it in a declaration to the king. They are saying we believe this about God and we are absolutely okay with this.

God’s will is what we want. We have laid our lives down already. That’s why we didn’t eat the king’s food and drink the king’s wine. That’s why we didn’t um, um, have to die when everybody else was having to die, because we knew that God would bring the answer. Folks, it’s the same way. You’ll see it again.

If, when Daniel has to face the lion’s den, he’s going to do what he was, he’s already laid his life down. No, I pray three times a day. That’s what I do. It doesn’t matter what your decree says. I’m not changing, I’m not bowing, I’m not doing what others want me to do. I’ve already laid my life down. And, folks, that’s what real faith is. We have to come to the point where we say I have surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. His will is what I want, and I will declare in faith that God is not only able, he will do exactly what I’m asking to do, but even if he doesn’t, so be it, so be it. That means I’m going to say it again they would not have regarded their deaths as failures of faith, but rather an indication of God’s will. Oh, that just is such a powerful, a powerful understanding. All right, let’s go back to the scripture. Let’s go to verse 19. So they’ve stood up. They said, they’ve declared their allegiance to God and god.

Only the nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury. Filled with fury. He did this before. He was full of wrath when he didn’t know the dream’s interpretation, and he’s filled with wrath now that they’re not doing what he says. This man is throwing major temper tantrums. It’s like what we read in James. I believe it’s um James, chapter one. I believe, yes, In James one, verse 20,. It says for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. So we’re going to see that evident very much so as we read this.

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury and the expression on his face was changed against Shadrach, meshach and Abednego. He went from saying it’ll be well and good, just do what I ask. Just, I’m giving you another opportunity. Everything’s good, don’t worry about it. Just do what I tell you to do. You’re going to be all right. And now he’s furious and his face changes toward them.

He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated, and he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, meshach and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace because the king’s order was urgent. Again, why is? Why is the king’s decree so urgent? Because it was so urgent and the furnace overheated. The flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, meshach and Abednego. And these three men, shadrach and Abednego, and these three men, shadrach, meshach and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. So this fiery trial they went through, they also went through before they were sent in a binding. They were bound up, they were tied up.

And so many times our trials can be like that that we are just bound by things. There are things tying us up. We feel trapped. We physically are able to fight out of this. Because of the binding, your mind can be bound, your thoughts, your emotions can be all bound up, your heart can be all bound up, your body can be all bound up. You can have things tying you up in knots and you’re going to be literally. The binding is so that you can. You have no way to resist. It’s a tactic of the enemy. It’s why we have to attack the things and understand how to take thoughts captive and to not allow things to come into our minds that will affect our emotions and our thoughts and our decisions. We have to be vigilant about guarding our hearts. There are so many things that we should be doing as soldiers for Christ and for the kingdom, for his body, that if we stay vigilant, if we stay surrendered and truly are those who stand up, we not only grow in our faith but we’re able to keep those things off of us that the enemy would use as traps to keep us bound up, to make the fiery furnace worse. And so they’re bound, and they literally are so bound up that they fall. The fire kills the men tossing them in, and so they fall into the furnace. They literally fall.

Have you ever fallen into a trouble? You just fell into it. It wasn’t even. It wasn’t like you were, um, choosing wrong things. You fell into this. This wasn’t. This was a trap set for you. You fell in. It wasn’t something that you intended to do. These boys were doing nothing wrong. They were being tempted to do wrong and they stood against it and because of standing, they fell into trial. And this is happening all around us. I’m sure you have experienced this in your life.

But when you choose to do right and do what God calls you to do, it’s almost a given that you end up getting fought like right afterwards, like you do something great for God. You know you. God calls you to sew into a ministry and to to help build something for God and you say yes, and you, whether it’s your time or your finances and your whatever your your giftings that you pour into it and all of a sudden, you get hit left and right by all kinds of things. That’s what’s going on here. The enemy’s trying to bind you up and throw you into the fire. He’s trying to take you out because you’re standing and doing it’s. You’re making a difference. You’re not allowing the things and the temptations of this world. You’re not being conformed to the world. You’re being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and the enemy wants to take you out. He wants to stop you. That’s what the fiery furnace is for to stop you. But let’s look at what happened. They’re thrown in right Then in verse 24, here comes the deliverance. So we’ve had the trap, the threat, the temptation, the decision, the declaration and the fire. Here comes the deliverance, verse 24,.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. You could just see it. He declared to his counselors did we not cast three men bound into the fire? They answered and said to the king true, o king. He answered and said but I see four unbound walking in the midst of the fire and they are not hurt, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace and he declared Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out and come here. Then Shadrach, meshach and Abednego came out from the fire and the satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair on their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed and no smell of fire had come upon them. Folks, that’s what happens, and we’re getting ready to finish reading.

This is part of the testimony, but this is what happens. I said it last week, I’ve mentioned it today already, I’m going to mention it again your faith is made seen when you go through the trial. Your faith is made seen and evident when you go through the fire. Evident when you go through the fire. These men all gathered around, these ones who were weak and did exactly what the king wanted them to do, and they all bowed and they all worshiped this thing. These same men that gathered for the dedication, these same men who brought accusation, are now all gathered around. It reminds me of the Psalm that tells us he sets a table before me in the presence of my enemies, and here they all are. But the king has called us out of the fire.

Now here is the deliverance. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said blessed be the God of Shadrach. Blessed be the God of Shadrach, meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him and set aside the king’s command. Who set aside the king’s command and yielded up this is total surrender, yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any God except their own God. Therefore, here’s the testimony. I make a decree any people, nation or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, meshach and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other God who is able to rescue in this way.

Then the king promoted Shadrach, meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Oh my gosh, this is so amazing because in the chapter two this was the threat he made if they could not answer him in his dream and interpretation that they would be torn limb from limb and their houses laid in ruins. Limb from limb and their houses laid in ruins. And instead now he’s making that threat to the very people who had turned their attention maliciously against God’s people. Now the threat is against them and you can’t say anything against their God. And I’m promoting them. A table set before them in the presence of their enemies. There’s no greater testimony to the power of God.

Folks, this is the way to get through our trials, like last week. First, with joy. Count it all. Joy, my brothers, when you face these, any kind of fiery trial, all kinds of fiery trials, and here they are, facing a fiery trial, and they are able to do it because they understand and truly believe who their God is, whether they live or die. Their faith was such that they had fully surrendered to the will of God.

We have got to get there If you want to see your prayers answered, if you want to see big, amazing, impossible things happen in your life. Folks, it takes big faith. It takes a decision. It takes refusing the temptation, looking the threat and the trap in the eye and saying I have no need to answer you in this matter. You’re able. I’m telling you you’re able.

Even if you’ve gotten it wrong in the past, you can change it today. You can make a new decision today. Even if you fell yesterday into temptation, today you can stand up and say no. Today I’m going to trust God. I believe that he has a good plan for my life. I trust his will for my life and I will do whatever he commands me to do. I will live for him, not myself and not for the culture. I will live for him and if you do that, you will see God do the miraculous in your life.

Let me pray for you, father. We just thank you for your might and your power, just as Daniel was able to say in a declarative prayer to you of thanksgiving that you gave him wisdom and might. Lord, you are the God of all wisdom and all power, and I am thanking you today that you are empowering all those who hear this today, who are making a decision to ask for your wisdom and to stand according to your word, steadfast with joy, that they will see the results. It will produce the good thing in their life and bring about the blessing they will receive. If it’s a, a, um, a blessing of health or a blessing of answers in whatever their request is. If it’s a blessing of health or a blessing of answers in whatever their request is, if it’s a blessing of seeing a prodigal come home, if it’s a blessing of healing, if it’s a blessing on their job and promotion, god, they will see and receive from your hand.

We ask for the wisdom to know what to do and how to do it today and we promise Lord to come back and say Lord, you are the one who gives wisdom. It is by your might that these things have happened. Father, I ask for strength today for your people. You said the joy of the Lord is their strength. And so, father, I pray that they receive the joy that is set before them to walk through their fiery trial, that they are able to stand in your strength today. Empower them, strengthen them, give them courage, lord, to know that you have a goodwill for them and that they can believe that you are not only able, but that you are willing. Father, we thank you for your word, the promises in your word. I thank you for the strength that your word imparts. May it give strength to your people today, and we promise to give you all the thanks and all the glory for all the answered prayers. And it is in your son, jesus’ name that we pray. Amen, amen. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. I do pray this has been an encouragement to you.

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