Week Nine, 2026

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands” (Daniel 9:4).

The book of Daniel is one of the greatest books in the Bible. I just finished reading Agents of Babylon by David Jeremiah for the second time. It is a marvelous book. It describes both worldly and spiritual history, but especially prophecy—some of which happened long after the writing, and much that is yet to happen.

Daniel was a young boy living in Jerusalem when the Babylonians captured the city, slaughtering many of its people. Others, like Daniel, were forced to walk hundreds of miles in the desert. Many died on the way and were left for the vultures. Those who survived the journey were enslaved as Babylonian servants. Most, like Daniel, were made into eunuchs.

Daniel ended up serving in high positions, but the most significant thing in the book was his prayer life. He prayed constantly, even when threatened with death. God protected him in the lions’ den, just as He protected his friends in the fiery furnace. Prayer, not man, protected him for some eighty years.

The main lesson of Daniel’s story is unwavering faith and integrity in a hostile world. It shows that God is sovereign and protects those who remain faithful, even in exile. Daniel trusted Him over worldly power, refused to compromise with his food or prayers, and maintained a deep commitment to what is right. It reveals that God’s power triumphs over any empire or threat.

The book serves as a message of hope. It shows God’s sovereignty over empires and encourages enduring faith amid oppression, with prophetic visions pointing to a final divine kingdom. The depictions begin with creation, and the prophecy reaches all the way to the second coming. Of the events that have already happened, not a single one conflicts with the book of Daniel.

In Christ, God has provided us with the strength and resources to overcome the enemy. Take up the challenge to pray without giving up. Press on, and keep bringing your requests to God. He is listening—and the answer to your prayer may be closer than you realize.

The bottom line is to encourage constant prayer. Pray to see the world through God’s eyes, not through the eyes of the world. Follow His Word, not the dictates of the world.

How is your prayer life?

Sometimes True Stories

In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes about the “Moral Law” and how we all know right from wrong. Suppose you could push a button and kill someone on the other side of the world. In return, you would be given a million dollars. Even the most ruthless person knows pushing that button is wrong. They might choose to push it anyway and bury the guilt, but we all know the choice is wrong. God’s gift of the moral law keeps mankind from self-destructing.

On judgement day are we going say to God: Look, I needed the money!! God requires we do what is right, just, and fair, even when it may not appear to be in our best interest at the time. God’s love is called “Agape” which is unconditional love, focused on giving rather than receiving.

Right living requires we pass it on.

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Psychiatrist Dr. Abraham Twerski noted that “human beings need four things: air, food, drink, and someone else to blame.” I suppose it all started in the Garden of Eden, when Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. In Genesis 3:12, the man said, “The woman you put here with me, she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Neither of them took personal responsibility.

Blaming others for the wrongs we do is not just a moral issue. It makes emotional and spiritual growth impossible. A dear friend once told me, “If you don’t like it, change it.” Wise people take responsibility for their actions. They show humility, admit when they are wrong, and talk things over with the Lord. If your way is not right, the Lord will help you change it. —Tony Ferguson

Quotes You Can Use

Here is the sobering reality: a PROFESSION of faith is not the same as POSSESSION of faith. —Charles Spurgeon

What we rehearse in our minds often becomes what shapes our hearts. —Marty Stubblefield

When we stand at that great white throne judgment of God and hear our names called, we need not fear. —Dan Shock

Not going to church because of all the “hypocrites” is like not going to the gym because of all the “out of shape” people.

Jesus has a daily allotment of work for each of us to do. We have a world to reach, and every one of us has a role to fill. There’s no time to waste. The closer we come to His return, the busier we become in doing His labor—and it’s a joy! “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find him doing so” (Matthew 24:46). Get ready!

Men are only too clever at shifting blame from their own shoulders to those of others.

The exaltation of Jesus reveals His true identity, demands our worship, and transforms how we live. —Edgar Aponte

God sent His only Son, Jesus, to teach and to save each of us from our own sinful nature. We must not worry about being good, but rather understand how good God is and how trusting we can be of His Word. Jesus came to make it possible for each of us to inherit salvation because of His goodness. —Tony Ferguson

Spiritual depression or unhappiness in the Christian life is very often due to our failure to realize the greatness of the Gospel. —Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Father made a plan. The Son made the plan possible. The Holy Spirit makes the plan work: The Father elects us. The Son justifies. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us. —John MacArthur

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