WEBVTT 00:00:09.699 --> 00:00:13.300 Hello, and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:14.839 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.199 We're startup church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.539 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:37.020 --> 00:00:40.399 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:41.280 Cool. 00:00:41.700 --> 00:00:44.119 Um, so we talked about some things, right? 00:00:44.140 --> 00:01:01.539 We talked about unity and we talked about how, you know, Jesus did all these miracles, but he needed to pray for unity for us, you know, when you're dealing with sinful people, but we're going to talk about prayer this morning and how prayer plays a role in us winning the world. 00:01:01.979 --> 00:01:06.640 And we're calling it power prayer in the face of your lions. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:12.319 We're going to talk about Daniel and the lion's den story we've all heard story. 00:01:12.459 --> 00:01:18.319 I love to overuse, uh, power prayer in the face of our lions. 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:29.099 So we're going to look at Daniel's prayer life and how we should pray when lions or tough situations enter into our lives. 00:01:29.700 --> 00:01:31.819 So here's, here's one of the biggest lions. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:33.200 It's the theme of our week. 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:34.299 Win the world. 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:37.400 God has said, Hey God, I want you to win the world. 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:38.900 That's big. 00:01:38.980 --> 00:01:39.560 That's hard. 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:41.060 That's not easy. 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:45.480 I didn't see anybody be like, Oh yeah, I know how to do that, right? 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:57.760 As a campus minister, I would say one of the number one areas that I see that student disciples are afraid everywhere I go is winning the world. 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:01.560 Students can do all sorts of things. 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:07.299 They can win awards and scholarships and work jobs and do all kinds of stuff. 00:02:07.299 --> 00:02:16.400 But then when it comes to evangelism, there are excuses and fears and these things come out, right? 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:28.110 But anytime that we fight by our own strength and not God's strength, we should be afraid, right? 00:02:28.569 --> 00:02:30.110 We're fighting by our own strength. 00:02:30.189 --> 00:02:31.169 We should be afraid. 00:02:31.909 --> 00:02:33.990 We need to learn how to fight by God's strength. 00:02:33.990 --> 00:02:38.669 Winning the world calls for help from God to empower us. 00:02:39.110 --> 00:02:40.930 Otherwise we're going to be overwhelmed. 00:02:42.289 --> 00:02:44.509 Have you ever felt overwhelmed in life? 00:02:45.270 --> 00:02:48.650 We live in a pretty overwhelming world these days. 00:02:48.750 --> 00:02:50.210 Sometimes it's simple things. 00:02:51.490 --> 00:02:55.590 In America, we have these places that are make your own pizza places. 00:02:56.110 --> 00:02:57.610 So we got one called Mod Pizza. 00:02:57.710 --> 00:02:58.090 I don't know. 00:02:58.449 --> 00:02:59.949 Maybe you have some other foods. 00:02:59.949 --> 00:03:04.530 I saw there's a walk to walk and it's where you make your own walk here in Riga. 00:03:05.050 --> 00:03:11.569 But we have this make your own pizza place and you get to go in and you choose whatever toppings you want on your pizza. 00:03:13.050 --> 00:03:14.090 That's simple, right? 00:03:14.169 --> 00:03:15.009 You know what you like. 00:03:15.729 --> 00:03:19.009 But what they don't tell you is there's 500 toppings to choose from. 00:03:20.129 --> 00:03:22.870 And usually I think I have a pretty good food taste. 00:03:22.990 --> 00:03:24.210 I'm a good food critic. 00:03:24.409 --> 00:03:33.689 But all my food knowledge goes out the window and I get overwhelmed by the options and I end up just choosing everything I'm not allergic to to put on top of my pizza. 00:03:33.789 --> 00:03:37.550 I got broccoli on my pizza and that is such a bad decision, let me tell you. 00:03:38.069 --> 00:03:41.530 I got garlic cloves on my pizza and I'm losing my mind. 00:03:41.930 --> 00:03:50.430 I got mushrooms and artichokes and vegan sausage and 10 other toppings and pineapples, which I will say are good on pizza. 00:03:51.229 --> 00:03:54.330 And so my pizzas, they never taste good at the end of it. 00:03:54.750 --> 00:03:55.650 There's too much. 00:03:55.710 --> 00:03:57.330 I'm overwhelmed and it's chaos. 00:03:58.349 --> 00:04:03.689 But then there's also serious things in our lives that can overwhelm us, right? 00:04:03.909 --> 00:04:07.449 I'm sure all of us have been through a really tough situation. 00:04:08.770 --> 00:04:16.430 We had to put our family dog down in May and I think for me it's the hardest thing that I've ever had to do in my life. 00:04:16.649 --> 00:04:20.930 We had him for 17 years and I had to ask God for help. 00:04:21.209 --> 00:04:24.310 I had to ask God for strength because I didn't have it. 00:04:25.009 --> 00:04:27.329 It was like losing a family member. 00:04:27.449 --> 00:04:29.029 I didn't know how to deal with it emotionally. 00:04:30.250 --> 00:04:33.709 But God has helped me to get through that situation. 00:04:34.660 --> 00:04:55.889 If you're going to get through your lion moments in your life, the tough moments in life, you need focused prayer, intentional prayer, and more importantly, you need that habit of focused prayer today so that when the tough day comes, you're already ready for it. 00:04:57.860 --> 00:05:02.269 So intentional prayer is specific and consistent. 00:05:04.329 --> 00:05:15.589 It encompasses, it contains the truth that you know about God and it also pours out the emotions and feelings that you're going through to God. 00:05:16.509 --> 00:05:21.709 Intentional prayer is faithful and it seeks to trust God as best we can. 00:05:22.410 --> 00:05:25.829 So I want to look at Daniel and his prayer life and learn from him. 00:05:26.769 --> 00:05:28.670 So we'll set up the scene here. 00:05:28.750 --> 00:05:33.569 Daniel is in Babylon and he's trying to live as a righteous man. 00:05:33.670 --> 00:05:34.769 Talk about overwhelming. 00:05:35.250 --> 00:05:42.790 Babylon, they had rules, but most of those rules were sinful, like literally the standard of life there was sin. 00:05:43.930 --> 00:05:46.769 Maybe not too different than our world around us, right? 00:05:49.009 --> 00:05:52.250 Daniel has this position where he works for the government of Babylon. 00:05:52.449 --> 00:06:00.769 God has raised him up, but the other government officials, the other rulers, they hate Daniel because God is always helping them. 00:06:01.329 --> 00:06:11.850 So they devise this plan to trap him and they say, everybody needs to bow down and worship King Darius or else they're going to be thrown in the lion's den. 00:06:11.850 --> 00:06:14.509 And this becomes a law. 00:06:15.089 --> 00:06:16.170 Talk about overwhelming. 00:06:16.329 --> 00:06:17.550 What if that happened in Riga? 00:06:18.110 --> 00:06:27.610 I don't know who your president or prime minister is, but if you had to bow down and worship them tomorrow, would you do it or would you be willing to be thrown in prison? 00:06:30.089 --> 00:06:37.769 All Daniel's trying to do is have a relationship with God and yet all these outside things are trying to prevent that from happening. 00:06:38.649 --> 00:06:47.490 And so let's see how Daniel responds when he gets news about this new law and the potential penalty for breaking the law. 00:06:48.189 --> 00:06:50.089 Let's go to Daniel chapter 6. 00:06:57.769 --> 00:06:59.149 Daniel chapter 6? 00:06:59.149 --> 00:07:00.230 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:07:00.269 --> 00:07:00.769 Good one. 00:07:02.389 --> 00:07:04.009 All right, Daniel chapter 6. 00:07:07.579 --> 00:07:11.519 And so sometimes in the book of Daniel, the verses are a little different in English. 00:07:12.259 --> 00:07:15.459 So in English, it's 10 and 11 that we're going to read right now. 00:07:16.220 --> 00:07:22.259 I know in Estonian, it would then be, I think it might be 11 and 12 or it's 9 and 10. 00:07:22.459 --> 00:07:27.920 So anyways, just look around when you see what we're talking about and hopefully you can connect. 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:32.899 So in English, we're starting in verse 10, but it might be one verse different for you. 00:08:04.170 --> 00:08:16.410 It says, And I'm sure he's very specific about the situation. 00:08:16.870 --> 00:08:19.810 It's like, God, these ops are trying to kill me. 00:08:20.829 --> 00:08:22.069 I need your help. 00:08:22.490 --> 00:08:23.569 I need you. 00:08:24.829 --> 00:08:25.069 Right? 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:33.580 The scriptures that we just read, they tell me that Daniel remembered who God really is. 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:36.440 He remembered about God's power. 00:08:36.820 --> 00:08:39.080 And so the first thing he does is go to God. 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:41.639 He doesn't try to fix it himself. 00:08:42.298 --> 00:08:45.720 He doesn't, I don't know, complain to his friends. 00:08:46.360 --> 00:08:47.379 He prays. 00:08:47.960 --> 00:08:49.879 He goes to God in prayer. 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:55.240 And second, he's reminding God, hey, you put me here. 00:08:55.340 --> 00:08:56.539 You've given me visions. 00:08:56.639 --> 00:08:57.700 You lifted me up. 00:08:58.179 --> 00:08:59.659 Are you going to let me die? 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:02.879 That's what he's got to be thinking in his head. 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:09.639 And finally, he's got to be asking God for big things because he gets on his knees three times a day. 00:09:11.019 --> 00:09:12.460 He heard about the penalty. 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:15.039 Man, whoever is praying is going to get thrown to the lions. 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:17.820 He's probably praying about that situation. 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:20.799 He's like, God, if they throw me to the lions, I need a miracle. 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:22.700 I need a miracle. 00:09:23.940 --> 00:09:25.960 Daniel gets down on his knees and prays. 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:27.399 Let me ask you this question. 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:31.580 How often do we get down on our knees and pray to God? 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:35.259 How often do we humble ourselves, right? 00:09:35.340 --> 00:09:39.960 To get down on your knees and pray to God shows God that you need him, right? 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:43.340 And I think sometimes we even just forget to pray. 00:09:43.700 --> 00:09:54.259 We don't even pray, let alone get down on our knees and worship that God who is so much bigger than us and cares so much about us and has the power to do anything. 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:56.700 And yet we try to do it ourselves. 00:09:57.679 --> 00:09:58.419 That's wild. 00:09:59.220 --> 00:10:00.179 That's not humility. 00:10:00.539 --> 00:10:01.960 We need to be humble before God. 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:15.139 So as we continue in our story, the ops, they come out, they get this evidence against Daniel and they snitch to the king and he gets thrown into the lion's den. 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:16.860 So let's see what happens. 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:22.659 We're going to go to verse 19 through 23 in English. 00:10:22.659 --> 00:10:25.379 It may be one different in your language. 00:10:27.500 --> 00:10:31.019 Starting in verse 19, chapter 6, verse 19. 00:10:33.659 --> 00:10:39.279 At the light of first dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lion's den. 00:10:39.860 --> 00:10:43.039 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice. 00:10:43.580 --> 00:10:51.620 Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions? 00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:54.840 Daniel answered, may the king live forever. 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:59.200 My God sent his angel and he shut the mouths of the lions. 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:06.700 They have not hurt me because I was found innocent in his sight, nor have I ever done any wrong before you, your majesty. 00:11:07.379 --> 00:11:11.259 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. 00:11:11.740 --> 00:11:18.299 And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him because he had trusted in his God. 00:11:19.860 --> 00:11:25.340 So Daniel makes it through his lion's den situation, undoubtedly by prayer. 00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:30.899 And we learn from the scriptures that he was saved because he trusted in God. 00:11:31.820 --> 00:11:33.340 So which one do you do first? 00:11:33.779 --> 00:11:36.779 Do you trust you first or do you trust God first? 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:39.559 And which one is the right option? 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:43.019 Do you trust you first or do you trust God first? 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:45.379 Daniel remembered God. 00:11:45.379 --> 00:11:49.840 He remembered God had plans and he asked for things beyond reality. 00:11:51.299 --> 00:11:53.820 And God shut the mouths of lions. 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:59.100 Daniel had to be talking to God that night and he saw miracles. 00:11:59.340 --> 00:12:02.279 So my question to you is, what are your lions? 00:12:03.019 --> 00:12:04.639 What are the lions in your life? 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:06.360 The tough situations? 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:09.820 Winning the world is one for sure, but there's more. 00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:13.720 We have to respond with focused prayer. 00:12:14.379 --> 00:12:16.879 Trusting that we have a God who hears us. 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:20.460 So first, we have to remember who God is. 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:28.299 Start when you pray and you're in your tough situation by praying about the truths that you know about God. 00:12:29.460 --> 00:12:30.980 Remember who He is. 00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:32.879 Remember His mighty power. 00:12:33.779 --> 00:12:39.340 In the book of Job, when Job's life is falling apart, he definitely expressed his feelings to God. 00:12:39.340 --> 00:12:43.460 But one of his first steps was he praised the name of the Lord. 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:44.419 Have you ever done that? 00:12:44.539 --> 00:12:46.759 Have you ever thanked God in the face of a trial? 00:12:47.820 --> 00:12:48.679 Okay, good. 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:52.320 Because Daniel did that too. 00:12:54.139 --> 00:12:57.840 Job said, should we accept the good from the Lord but not the bad? 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:05.580 Should we accept the good moments from God but not the tough moments or the lion moments that enter our lives? 00:13:06.700 --> 00:13:09.179 Remembering who God is, that sparks our faith. 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:12.740 God created a whole universe. 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:16.220 My situation is definitely smaller than a universe. 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:18.360 God created planets. 00:13:19.019 --> 00:13:20.799 My situation is smaller than a planet. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:22.759 God can do it. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:24.500 God can help me. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:27.480 We have a God who can do everything. 00:13:27.700 --> 00:13:34.059 So in the face of our lions, we got to get down on our knees and pray, Father God, I know who you are. 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:36.220 I know the good things that you've done. 00:13:36.220 --> 00:13:38.279 You raised Jesus from the dead. 00:13:38.620 --> 00:13:40.539 Raise me up in this situation. 00:13:41.379 --> 00:13:42.379 Help me out, God. 00:13:43.139 --> 00:13:44.159 And believe that. 00:13:45.419 --> 00:13:48.679 Secondly, we have to remember God's great plan. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:50.700 He wants to win the world. 00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:52.460 That's not your idea. 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:54.179 And that's not my idea. 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:56.659 And that's not Adrian's idea or Jaron's idea. 00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:58.580 That's God's idea. 00:14:00.100 --> 00:14:04.320 He wants to save people and bring a new heaven and a new earth. 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:12.179 And at times we get caught up with little things in our lives and we forget that we serve a big God who has a big plan. 00:14:12.740 --> 00:14:13.039 Right? 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:15.220 He has a big plan. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:16.139 They're his plans. 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:17.580 He wants them to happen. 00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:19.159 We have to remember that. 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:22.399 That's why we have to rely on him and not our own strength. 00:14:23.259 --> 00:14:26.659 And remember that God, he brought you into his plan. 00:14:26.899 --> 00:14:28.159 It wasn't the other way around. 00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:30.799 You didn't choose to become part of his plan. 00:14:31.580 --> 00:14:32.899 He let you in. 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:33.840 Right? 00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:40.000 He saved your soul and chose you to be on his team. 00:14:40.679 --> 00:14:40.940 Right? 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.159 If he brought you into it, he'll bring you through it. 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:47.679 He brought you to it, he'll bring you through it. 00:14:48.259 --> 00:14:50.240 God, you have big plans. 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:52.379 Help me be a part of those plans. 00:14:53.139 --> 00:14:55.720 Give me abilities and strength that I don't have. 00:14:56.139 --> 00:14:57.259 Help me to do it. 00:14:57.940 --> 00:14:59.559 If you pray like that, he will. 00:15:00.759 --> 00:15:05.480 And then third, what we see from Daniel, pray beyond reality. 00:15:05.659 --> 00:15:07.379 Ask beyond reality. 00:15:08.139 --> 00:15:09.779 Don't pray for the things you understand. 00:15:10.340 --> 00:15:14.500 Well, one time God made me feel a little bit better, so that's the maximum God can do. 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:17.179 Pray beyond what you can understand. 00:15:17.940 --> 00:15:19.779 Daniel could have easily thought about the situation. 00:15:20.519 --> 00:15:22.720 No one's ever even tamed a lion before. 00:15:22.779 --> 00:15:23.620 They kill everybody. 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:28.019 And no one's ever shot the mouths of lions, so I guess I'm just going to die. 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:30.460 That could have been his reason. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:33.059 For how many of us would that be our thought? 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:35.500 Well, man, I guess I'm dying. 00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:38.480 He prayed beyond reality. 00:15:38.580 --> 00:15:40.580 He said, man, we got a God who can do anything. 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:47.279 He prayed beyond what anyone would have thought to ask, and God answered it. 00:15:47.659 --> 00:15:51.539 When you pray, do you just pray safe prayers? 00:15:52.220 --> 00:15:53.559 God, help me have a good day. 00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:56.679 Or do you pray bold prayers? 00:15:57.679 --> 00:15:59.259 Prayers that are not safe. 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:03.379 It's pretty hard to be accidentally bold. 00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:05.759 Boldness takes intentionality. 00:16:06.419 --> 00:16:11.159 You have to see that lion and you have to choose, you know what, I'm not going to be afraid of that lion. 00:16:12.580 --> 00:16:20.740 So when you're facing a lion, go into your room and get down on your knees and remember God and remember his plan and ask beyond reality. 00:16:20.740 --> 00:16:24.179 Get creative and watch God tame those lions. 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:31.279 What's a reality here in Latvia that, I don't know, someone's been saying way too much, Latvians aren't open to God. 00:16:31.779 --> 00:16:32.799 Someone's been saying that. 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:34.019 I don't know who's been saying it. 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:35.000 Probably the devil. 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:37.620 You know what God can do? 00:16:38.139 --> 00:16:39.860 He can make Latvians open to God. 00:16:40.820 --> 00:16:46.059 God can change that because he runs this, because he created those people. 00:16:46.059 --> 00:16:50.080 He can make that change only if we believe, right? 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:53.460 So when you pray, pray about the little details. 00:16:54.419 --> 00:16:56.519 Think about the things going on in your life. 00:16:56.580 --> 00:16:57.820 Be honest about your feelings. 00:16:57.960 --> 00:17:02.259 Tell God, hey God, it's a little bit scary for me when I go out there and share my faith. 00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:03.980 Help me to have more courage. 00:17:05.380 --> 00:17:07.039 Ask for specific things. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:11.400 Get an idea of what the spirit is telling you to ask for. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:15.720 Sometimes when it's that thing that you feel afraid, I don't know if I should ask for that. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:17.318 You probably should ask for that. 00:17:19.500 --> 00:17:31.900 And as we strive to win the world as we're on a trip here and just as life continues, let's pray like Daniel and pray like someone's life depends on it. 00:17:32.339 --> 00:17:37.720 And let's wait with faithful expectation as God moves in our lives and around our lives. 00:17:37.900 --> 00:17:38.119 Amen? 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:39.160 Amen. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:41.660 So right now, take a second. 00:17:42.579 --> 00:17:46.099 I just want to hear some thoughts, some feedback from what we're talking about. 00:17:46.440 --> 00:17:51.240 Anything that maybe clicked for you or if you have a question, we can talk about that too. 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:56.359 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:17:56.779 --> 00:18:00.059 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:18:00.299 --> 00:18:07.680 Please go to kalamazoo.church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:18:07.819 --> 00:18:10.299 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.