Do not get me wrong, we may have always believed it, but we are now in a place where God allowing Daniel to experience the den but shutting the mouths of lions makes perfect sense. When we find ourselves in this place, we can read the story of Daniel and the lion’s den and fully believe it. Not only do they not get stuck at the ceiling, but they also seem to pierce heaven and go directly to the throne of God. To paraphrase Charles Spurgeon talking about his illness, he said, I never desire to suffer, but when I do, I have learned to pay attention because the Lord is about to do something good.ĭuring these times, the Lord gives us strong confidence in the efficacy of prayer, and it seems as if the Holy Spirit is igniting our petitions with power. ![]() My outer man may feel like it is wasting away, but my inner man is being renewed day by day. Over the 20+ years I have lived with this condition, I have learned that step four is a wonderful place to be because the Lord has drawn me close to himself. I also start to see little mercies throughout my day as he answers prayer after prayer for strength and help. Step Four: I begin to rejoice in God’s goodness even though I am still not feeling well. Step Three: After two to three weeks of praying, I become mindful that I am praying a lot more than before my health issues flared up and that I am walking closer to the Lord. Step Two: After I come to the end of myself, I finally become fervent in prayer. ![]() Step One: For the first few weeks, I grow disheartened by the idea of fighting through this again, and I put all my strategies to work to see if I can improve my health and minimize the recovery time. I have lived with this condition for over 20 years, so I recognize a pattern every time it flares up. My health has been giving me a little more trouble than usual lately, and when that happens, I find myself approaching the throne of grace more frequently-sometimes out of desperation. Then I read of events in scripture, like Daniel and the lion’s den, and the Holy Spirit challenges my sluggishness.Įvery Christian will have lion’s den experiences in their life, though most will not be as acutely dangerous as what Daniel faced. When the lions roar, my lack of prayer is the first evidence of my weakness of faith. I am often dismayed at how little effect I think prayer will have in most situations. Is my goal to have my comment help the person or situation at hand? Or is it to put a little pinch in their heart? Do I feel my words will bring a solution or, if I’m totally honest, might they cause more of a problem? Even if what I plan to say is truthful, is my aim to say something that will make me look better by comparison? Have I earned the right to speak to this particular person? If not, you should probably keep your lips zipped.Interestingly, God shut the mouths of the lions instead of keeping Daniel out of the den altogether. But before you do, consider the remaining questions. ![]() Am I certain that what I want to say is true? If so, then perhaps you should say it. ![]() Here are a few questions to consider as you examine your motives before you speak. “So if we think we are doing the right thing, but we are in fact blind to our motives, what are we to do? How can we see what God so clearly sees? We humbly ask for God’s help, and then we do some serious and prayerful self-reflection.
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