(Read Daniel 6:8-9)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. Let’s pick up the story where we left off yesterday.
The Bible says, “Now, King, make the law and sign the paper it is written on so that it cannot be changed, because the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be canceled or changed. So King Darius made the law and signed it.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Satan is crafty.
a) Make no mistake, satan is clever, cunning, calculating and crafty.
b) When the enemy could not find anything wrong with Daniel, he changed the rules.
c) If Darius knew he was making a law that would trap Daniel, the king would have never signed it. Darius liked Daniel, but the king was tricked into placing Daniel in a difficult situation.
d) Satan will trick, lie, connive and contrive to put you in situations to fail. But satan often grossly underestimates the power of God’s grace and your faith.
2. Successful people understand negative situations are part of life, they just choose NOT to focus on them.
a) When Daniel found out about the law he did not give it a second thought. Daniel went about living his life the way he always had.
b) This situation wound up getting Daniel thrown into the lions den, but Daniel was not moved. The same God who had seen him through everything else, saw him through the lions den as well.
c) Every person who has ever been used of God to do anything that matters is a person who had to overcome challenges.
d) Challenges are part of life because the enemy gets a vote, but you don’t have to give the challenges your focus because God gets the final vote.
3. It’s your mind and it will focus on whatever you make it focus on.
a) Successful people have a disciplined thought life.
b) If you give satan your attention for 5 seconds, he will have your mind for 5 minutes.
c) Your spirit is the real you. You are a spirit, you possess a soul — which is where your mind, emotions and will are — and you live in a body.
d) Your spirit (the real you) can tell your mind what to think, your feelings how to feel, and your will what to choose!
e) You can either control your mind, emotions and will or they will control you.
4. Your energy will be directed towards whatever you give your focus to.
a) Don’t underestimate the power God has placed in you. If you remain laser-focused on your divine purpose you will find that challenges will come, but they will never overtake you.
b) If you focus on the wrong things you will think the wrong thoughts, perform the wrong actions, and become the wrong person. But if you focus on your divine assignment you will be able to think and act like God, and you will become the person God called you to be in the process.
c) I have been in the DC area for five years now. These past five years have been some of the best of my life. But during this time I have also faced some of the hardest challenges of my life. Most people don’t know that, because they will never hear it from me. I have too much to accomplish to spend my time worrying about challenges. Challenges come and go, but my focus remains on God and my divine assignment. If I spent my time thinking and worrying about challenges, I would never get done what God has called me to do.
d) God’s call and assignment do not come with a clause that promises to keep you from challenges. No! God expects you to answer the call and complete the assignment IN SPITE OF challenges! That’s why He gave you His grace.
e) How will you ever become an overcomer if you never have anything to come over?
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You called me by Your grace from my mother’s womb. You have given me a great assignment. Your assignment is SO big that I have popped up on satan’s radar. That dirty, nasty, conniving devil is doing all he can to keep me from my purpose. But he can’t. He is a defeated foe and Your grace is on me to overcome satan and his attacks. You never promised me an easy path. You never promised to keep me from challenges or obstacles along the way. Unlike some, I know life is not a perpetual picnic. Challenges will come and they will go, but they will never defeat me. Because Your grace is on me to FIGHT and WIN every time. If it does not look like I am winning, then the battle is obviously NOT OVER! I am not just a warfighter, I am a War-WINNER and I win, by Your grace, every time. I get to choose what I focus on. I get to tell my mind what to think, my emotions how to feel, and my will what to choose. I am in charge of my soul and it’s not other way around. So I choose to focus on You, Your grace, Your power, and Your divine assignment for my life. You called me and I have answered the call. You have given me an assignment, and I will accomplish that assignment with my faith and Your grace. Nothing can stop me, because stopping me would mean stopping You, and You cannot be stopped! That’s what I choose to focus on. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
