Wednesday Night Bible Study
by Jason Staten
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Daniel 6:4-9, Daniel 6:10, Daniel 1:8, Daniel 6:19-22

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/jason-staten--wednesday-night-bible-study-17
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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It's uh great to be back and uh we were walking in earlier. I got maybe um thought it was a boost of confidence. You ever had somebody waving at you? Thought they were waving at you and it was somebody else they waving at. Kind of one of those moments. We were walking in through the lobby and some of the young men were standing around and they said, "Man, it's so good to have you back." And I was like, "Wow, it's been a few years. I really feel good about myself." And it wasn't. They were talking to Pastor Nate. They were glad that he was back. But anyway, I I took a little piece of that anyhow, even if it wasn't meant for me. But it is good to be back here at a great church. How many of you are thankful to be a part of a great church? Amen. I don't if anybody asks you, I don't go to a good church. I go to a great church. Amen. The church that is called by the name of Jesus, not even the gates of hell will prevail against the church. Amen. And uh certainly we give honor to Bishop and Sister Mcool, Pastor Sister Mcool. Amen. Pastor Anthony Kelly as well at Pastor Anthony and Sister Kelly also to uh Pastor Nate, Sister Ashley. Great leadership here at this church. All the music. Amen. Even this morning, you guys just have a a pipeline of ministry here. The the students were up here leading in worship and the same presence of God we feel tonight. I felt here today. And I think we should applaud the students. I know this week we're ministering to them, but I think it'd be great if we applaud them. Amen. Amen. We're going to I'm going to ask you if you would if you would turn with me to the book of Daniel, chapter 6, and just going to kind of preach from one of those Sunday school staples. Amen. A a story we read from the scripture that we've been hearing and reading since probably one of the very first stories we ever learned, the story of Daniel. Amen. and the the den of lions. Uh I would ask us here in a moment after we read the text if you would pray with me. My cousin is a missionary to the Republic of Georgia and he called me earlier today and a young lady in his church was hit by a car and uh they don't do I guess where they're at they don't do any medical work without the full price being paid up front and she has no family there so he had to pay that out of pocket multiple thousands of dollars and even after that they were in neurosurgery for about five hours and after they're done they're still only giving her about a 5% % chance to make it through the night. So I told him that we would pray for that young lady. She's there as an uh under on a education visa from the African nations. And uh anyway, if we could pray, she doesn't have any family uh even on that continent. So if we could join together here in a moment and pray for her also just for wisdom for uh Daniel the temple is his name. Pray in just a moment. Daniel chapter 6 beginning at verse 4. The Bible says, "Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find none occasion nor fault, for as much as he was faithful. Neither was there any error or fault found in him." Then said these men, "We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." Amen. Wouldn't that be amazing to have that to be said about you? If somebody was trying to find fault with me, the only way they could do it is it if it was concerning the law of the God that I serve. Amen. The Bible says, "Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king and said thus unto him, King Darius live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, the princes, the counselors, and the captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for 30 days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, sign the writing, that it be not changed according to the law of the Mes and Persians, which alterth not. Verse nine, wherefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree. Amen. I want to preach for just a few minutes tonight to the students, but also concerning this generation on this thought, dominion in the den. Amen. Dominion in the den. Would you join with me as we pray over the word tonight over the students that we're going to be ministering to this week as well as that situation in the Republic of Georgia. Lord, we thank you tonight your presence that we've already felt so rich and strong in the service earlier today and now here again tonight. God, we thank you, Lord, as we come to you and we pray. God, we we know that we're praying to a God that is alive, a God that is breathing, a God that is moving, as the song we sang earlier. We have hope because you are alive. So, we pray for that young lady all the way over in the Republic of Georgia. The doctors have given her a 5% chance of to live, but God, we have hope because you are alive. And we ask you right now, Lord, that you would move in that hospital room that God, you would do a miracle that only you can do. The doctors have done what they can do. And now we call upon the great physician to do what you can do. We pray it in the mighty name of Jesus. God, anoint your word as I speak tonight. Let it fall upon good ground that is receptive to receive it. And I pray it in Jesus name. Everybody said, "Amen." Amen. The Lord bless you. You could be seated tonight for just a few minutes. I want to challenge the narrative surrounding the famed Bible story of Daniel in the den of hungry lions. Not the biblical narrative. I'm not challenging what the Bible says about this narrative, but it's the extra biblical narrative. It's the things that we have added in there out of tradition that aren't necessarily named in the text. The things that have been added, if I could say it that way. I want to look at the story of Daniel and his experience in the den of lions from a different perspective and maybe a little bit of a different vantage point. There are several statements made surrounding this Sunday school staple that aren't necessarily biblical in origin. Some are narratives that have add been added along the way to give the story a little bit more uh swagger, if I could say it that way. For example, the narrative that the lions slept all night and Daniel used the lions for a pillow. Now, when I was in Sunday school, we didn't have PowerPoint. We had flannelraphph. All right. Any anybody remember the old flannel graph, and I specifically remember there was a flannel of Daniel laid back, chilling, laying on the lions. All right. Now, maybe it's been updated for PowerPoint today, but this is not found in the Bible. I I love I love that that it sounds great that Daniel slept all night and he's laying and the the lions have become his pillow. That may have happened, but the Bible does not specifically declare that Daniel used the lions as a pillow. Another narrative surrounding this Sunday school sensation that is inaccurate and misleading is the title by which it is referred to. And that is that we call this story Daniel in the Lion's Den. That's the part of this narrative that I want to challenge for just a little while tonight. First, let us look at this the the the part of this story. Let us look at the lion's den. What is the lion's den? The den of lions was a cruel and a inhumane form of punishment that was utilized by the Persian kingdom. Its usage was not only to render pain and suffering upon the captive, but it was also a form of public punishment that was utilized to in order to discourage the dissent of rebellion of others. They they did this publicly. It was meant to be a very cruel form of punishment publicly so that anybody else that was thinking to break the same law would think twice before they did so. Now, back in the day before gentle parenting was a thing, there was a thing called whapons. All right? And and gentle parenting was when I asked my dad not to swing the belt as hard. Now, if you need to edit this out later on, I guess you can do that. But I'm just telling you, I wish gentle parenting would have been there when I was a kid. Um my dad, his saying was this. He was going to take the rod of correction and apply it to the seat of understanding. And many times my dad would do it in a common space in the house. If I was the one that the the infraction of the rules had taken place on my account, then then I would get the discipline there right in the living room. And that was not on accident. That was done with intention so that my two sisters and my brother could see this is the result of breaking that rule. This is the result. This is what's going to happen to you if you do what he did. Public punishment. Even still today, there are nations that are that use public punishment as a means to discourage criminal activity. In fact, just of July of this year, there were three men found guilty of stealing in the nation of Iran. And they were punished by having four of their fingers amputated by a guillotine as a as a cruel and inhumane tactic to discourage theft. The lion's den served as the pinnacle of public punishment. It was inhumane. It was cruel. It was barbaric and exceedingly brutal. Wild lions would be placed in these cavernous spaces and then a stone would be placed over to keep the lions within the adult male lion. For us to understand what was happening inside of this cavernous space, there were hungry lions inside. They tell us that an adult male lion consumes on an average of 15 pounds of meat a day. And you might think you're a big eater, but I don't I'm not sure you could keep up with an adult male lion. 15 pounds of meat a day. But in that lion's den, they would give those lions just enough scraps to keep them going from day to day. They wanted that lion to be hungry. They wanted that lion to be ravenous. They wanted it to have a raging appetite. And then when that lawb breaker when that stone would be rolled away and they would cast that lawb breaker in the nature of the lion would take over. The nature of a starved deprived lion would take over and they would simply do what hungry lions do and they would begin to tear that helpless prey mercilessly to pieces devouring their broken bodies. Perhaps this is how it came to be called the lion's den. Because the den belonged to the lions. They ruled the domain. Nothing that walked in walked out alive. It was the lion's den. Any intruder would suffer the same fate. There was no ratio of death to survival. There was no statistic of survival. There was not for every 10 that are thrown in, one is going to walk out. It was a 10 for 10. Anything that went out was not coming. Anything that went in was not coming out. It was absolute complete and total assurance of death. the lion's den was certain excruciating pain and unquestionable death. They say today that the den belongs to the lions. And I believe that as I begin to parallel this to the generation of which code orange is directed, I would say that statistics tell us today that the den still belongs to the lions. Amen. Recent research that has been done by the Barner Group and other groups that look at our generation and the times around us tell us, amen, that this younger generation is not serving the Lord. They they tell us that the young generation that even those that have been raised in the church are walking away from a faith in Jesus Christ. There was a recent study done by the Barner Group revealing that generation Z or Gen Z is the least Christian generation in American history. That's what the statistics tell us. They're telling us that the then still belongs to the Lions. They tell us that the Gen Z generation is almost twice as atheist as the generation preceding them. According to a Lifeway research study conducted in 2017, 66% of young adults who were raised on church pews walk away from any faith in God when they go away to colleges and universities. When education systems within our nation have moved away from reading, writing, and arithmetic, and they're now moving into sexual orientation, pronouns, and gender fluidity. The enemy is sending a message that it's still the lion's den, that the den still belongs to the lion. They spend more time discussing what is a woman than they do focusing on what is a noun and what is a verb. They're more focused on LGBTQ than they are on ABCDE E F and Gh. Amen. If we listen to the research that is going on today and we just look at the statistics, then indeed it looks like the den still belongs to the lion. But that was before Daniel walked in. That was before Daniel showed up. Amen. For every Amen. For every 100 that were thrown in, 100 were devoured. But that WAS BEFORE A CONSECRATED YOUNG ADULT stepped into that den and God turned everything around. I KNOW THE STATISTICS TELL US that the young generation doesn't want Jesus, but if you'd have been here at 9:30 this morning, you would have seen something is happening in this generation. I KNOW THAT I KNOW STATISTICS TELL US THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE WALKING AWAY FROM GOD. But if you'd have been here this morning and SEEN THOSE STUDENTS WITH HANDS RAISED TOWARD HEAVEN, THAT WAS BEFORE DANIEL SHOWED UP. The Bible tells us in Daniel chapter 6 vers 16 and 17, they repeat the same process. Amen. The Persian law, the Persian punishment is repeated. They remove the stone just as they have hundreds of times before. They cast they they cast the lawb breaker in just like as they had hundreds of times before. The stone is sealed back over the opening of that cave just as had been done before. But this TIME SOMETHING CHANGED. THIS TIME THE LIONS DID NOT FEAST. THIS TIME THOSE STARVED ravenous lions did not feast upon the man that walked in. YOU SEE, THE LIE OF THE ENEMY to this generation is that they can't survive the lion's den. Amen. That the den belongs to the lion. That the faith of our generation is going to be devoured in the lion's den. That our young PEOPLE CANNOT BE ANOINTED BY GOD BECAUSE THE DEN BELONGS TO THE LION. AMEN. But I came tonight TO DECLARE TO YOU THAT THE DEN DOES NOT belong to the lion. The lie of the enemy would tell our students, "Don't even worry about getting your faith renewed this week at Code Orange because it won't last for long because the den belongs to the lion." DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME GOING TO youth convention next week and getting your breakthrough BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER SURVIVE the lion's den. I would say to the great parents of this church, what a blessing it is to have apostolic Christian school. I want to say that again. Amen. What a blessing it is to have apostolic Christian school. Amen. What a blessing it is. Amen. I I I have a 16-year-old daughter. And And let me pause here and say I want to thank this church. My daughter Brooke was here for about a year, I guess it was, during a very critical time in her life. And you all took her in and you loved her and you were a safe place. And as a father, I'm not coming as a preacher right now. I'm coming as a father. Thank you for loving my daughter. Amen. She's in a good place right now. She's married. God is blessing her. But I owe I, Pastor Makool, I owe a lot to this church because you were a safe place for my daughter. And thank God for for FAC that is a safe place for for all these children that were here this morning. This is a safe place. And what a blessing that is. What a blessing. Amen. And I've got a 16-year-old daughter that I I wish I could send to a Christian school such as you have here. But can I tell you this? The enemy does not say, "Well, they're off limits because they go to a Christian school." Well, they go to apostolic Christian school, so I guess I can't mess with them. They are not off limits to the attack of the enemy. Yes, it helps, but they're not off limits to the attack of the enemy. Amen. But here's what I want to bring to your attention tonight. that the Bible never one time calls that den the lion's den. Not one time does the Bible I know some Sunday school teacher said it and it kind of stuck. Maybe a preacher got up and said it and I don't think theologically he's crossing any boundaries, BUT THE BIBLE NEVER CALLS it the lion's den. It always simply says it was a den of lions. Amen. Can I tell YOU THE DEN DOES NOT BELONG TO THE LION. THIS GENERATION DOES NOT BELONG TO THE DEVIL. AMEN. JUST BECAUSE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE IN THE WORLD DOESN'T MEAN THEY BELONG TO THE WORLD. The lions did not have dominion when Daniel showed up. Daniel had dominion. So for IF I COULD TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO RENAME THIS STORY. IT WAS NOT DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN. IT WAS THE LIONS IN DANIEL'S DEN. AMEN. CAN I TELL YOU? GET READY BECAUSE REVIVAL IS COMING TO THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH. I NEED A FEW PARENTS THAT WILL BELIEVE AND HAVE FAITH WITH ME TONIGHT. IT'S NOT DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN. IT'S THE LIONS IN THE DANIEL'S DEN. AMEN. REVIVAL IS COMING TO THE CHURCH. THIS IS OUR DOMAIN. WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD. UH WE ARE THE PEOPLE CALLED BY HIS NAME. REVIVAL IS COMING TO OUR CITY. AMEN. Anybody believe that tonight? >> Amen. This is not Daniel in the lion's den. It's the lion in Daniel's den. Amen. I'm not afraid of of this world consuming our young people. Amen. I believe that our young people are getting ready to take over. I believe we're going to see revival. I believe we're going to see God begin to position our young people, Amen, in places of influence. And God is going to use them and they're going to open their mouths. AMEN. AND THEY'RE GOING TO BRING HEALING TO THOSE AROUND THEM in Jesus name. I want to maybe speak for just a few minutes on what it was that brought about this transformation. There were some qualities about Daniel's life that transformed this den from a lion's den to a den of lions. Because if we think we can just show up because of the church we go to and walk into the den and think that it's going to the lion's mouths are going to be shut because I'm all that and a bag of chips. We got another thing coming. There were some qualities in the life of Daniel. I want to challenge the young generation right now for just a few minutes. There's some qualities that have to be present in your life if you're going to step into the den and the mouths of the lions will be shut. The first quality is this. Daniel established godly habits. Amen. Daniel established godly habits. Daniel had such strong habits in his life that when his enemies sought for a scheme and a plan to destroy him, they knew the only way they could do it is by using his godly habits against him. The only way we're going to catch this guy is we've got to find a way to use his godly habits against him because we know no matter what, he's not going to decline. He's not going to turn away from the habits that he has put in place. Verse number 10, the Bible tells us that Daniel kneelled upon his knees three times a day and he prayed. Even in the lion's den, he prayed. Amen. when he was in that room and they were listening to find occasion against him. The Bible says that Daniel prayed and he gave thanks to God as he did a four time. In other words, that day when they stood outside the room where Daniel was praying, that was not the first time he prayed, he had built a habit of prayer. If you're going to walk into the lion's den, if you're going to walk into that university, if you're going to walk INTO THAT COLLEGE CAMPUS AND THE MOUTHS OF THE LION BE SHUT, YOU'VE GOT TO BUILD SOME GODLY HABITS. >> Walking onto that campus and saying, "I'm apostolic," doesn't scare the devil. But a prayer life scares the devil. >> Amen. A prayer life shuts the mouth of the lion. Having a walk WITH GOD SHUTS THE MOUTH OF THE LION. I I think this I think in this day we can become very addicted to spiritual moments. Amen. We can become very addicted to spiritual moments. I think we've got great songwriters. Amen. People who write write great songs and the music composition that is put alongside of it creates an atmosphere where we can have great God moments. And I love them. I thank God for God moments that we experience at youth camps and youth conventions and even at Code Orange Revival. I thank God. But dominion does not come through spiritual moments. Dominion doesn't come because we have spiritual moments. Dominion comes because we develop spiritual habits. Amen. Second thing that I would say the quality of Daniel that gave him dominion in the den was Daniel had a madeup mind. Everybody say a madeup mind. How many elders in the building tonight been serving the Lord for more than 20 years? I want you to wave your hand at me. How many of you in those 20 years or or plus? How many every years it's been everything's been perfect. You didn't have any adversity. Amen. No trials came your way. Amen. No times you prayed and didn't get the outcome you want. Anybody here today that it's all been peaches and cream? No, it hasn't been that way. YOU'VE HAD TO HAVE A MADEUP MIND THAT EVEN WHEN THINGS DON'T GO MY WAY, I'M STILL going to serve the Lord. AND THIS YOUNGER GENERATION, IF YOU'RE GOING TO WALK INTO YOUR CAMPUSES AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO STEP INTO THE UNIVERSITY AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE DOMINION, THEN YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A MADEUP MIND. I can do spiritual things when I see the benefit to it. I really don't have a problem saying no to drugs because I've seen what drugs do to people. I was at home one night when my neighbor stumbled out of his house. He and a friend overdosed on fentanyl. And I watched I I went over to help, but I couldn't do much as the one man passed away. The other one they resuscitated. But I' I've never had to have anybody talk me into staying away from drugs. And if you're here tonight and that's your struggle, I'm certainly not trying to condemn you. But I've seen what drugs can do. I've never been tempted with alcohol because I've seen what alcohol can do. It's easy to say, "No, it's easy to be disciplined when we know there's a benefit. But what about when it costs us something?" You see, way before Daniel ever prayed, when the decree had been established, all the way back in chapter 1, verse 8, Daniel wasn't breaking a law at this point. They said, "We're going to tempt Daniel with the king's meat. We're going to give him the best food you COULD EVER EAT." BUT DANIEL ALREADY HAD IT MADE UP IN HIS MIND. AMEN. THIS IS GOING TO COST ME SOMETHING. I COULD BE EATING THE KING'S MEAT. I could be eating the best OF THE BEST, BUT I WILL NOT DEFILE MYSELF WITH THE KING'S MEAT. AMEN. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A MADEUP MIND IF IT BENEFITS ME OR IF IT IF IT HURTS ME NO MATTER WHAT. I'VE GOT A MADEUP MIND. I can worship at NYC when there's thousands of other students there, but what about when you're the only one in the youth group that's willing to stand up and raise your hands? AMEN. THAT THAT'S WHAT BRINGS REVIVAL INTO a youth group is when you get a few young men or a few YOUNG LADIES THAT GET A MADEUP MIND. IF NOBODY ELSE WORSHIPS, I'M GOING TO WORSHIP. >> IF NOBODY ELSE STANDS UP AND LIVES FOR GOD, I'M GOING TO STAND UP AND LIVE FOR GOD. >> I know the enemy would tell us tonight that it's the lion's den, that the lions have dominion in the den. But I've come tonight to declare we have dominion in the den. It's not the lion's den. It's Daniel's den. It's not the devil's den. It's our den. Amen. WE HAVE DOMINION IN THIS HOUR. HOW MANY OF YOU STILL BELIEVE that in THE LAST DAYS SAY GOD, I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH AND YOUR YOUNG MEN ARE GOING TO PROPHESY. UH COME ON. DO YOU STILL BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD? UH THIS IS OUR DAY. THIS IS OUR HOUR. UH REVIVAL IS COMING TO OUR CITY. UH REVIVAL IS COMING TO OUR CHURCH. While the Bible never says that Daniel used those lions that night for a pillow or even that the lion slept through the night. Here's what the Bible does say. Verse 19 of Daniel 6. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamented voice unto Daniel. The king spake unto Daniel. Oh Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually able to deliver thee from the lions. Then Daniel said unto the king, Oh king, live forever. My God has sent his angel and has shut the lion's mouth. I don't know about the pillow thing that that that looks good on flannelraphph. I I don't know if they slept all night, but one thing I do know is they never opened up their mouth. I I studied that out a little bit, Brother Mcool. This is not some deep thought, pastor. Amen. You You probably got much deeper thoughts than I'm just This is just me. Tip of the iceberg, right? shallow pool stuff right now. Kitty pool thought, but I studied that out a little bit and what I found is that a lion uses its roar to paralyze its prey. That lion will begin to roar and it will paralyze the prey that are that are there in its proximity. But one THING A LION CANNOT DO, A LION CANNOT ROAR, not even a slight roar if its mouth is completely shut. There has to at least be a little bit of opening in the mouth of that lion for it TO PRONOUNCE A SOUND WHICH WILL THEN PARALYZE ITS PREY. BUT DANIEL SAID THE LIONS HAD THEIR MOUTH SHUT. I DIDN'T EVEN HEAR A PEEP OUT OF THEM. THERE IS NO PARALYZING THE PEOPLE OF GOD BECAUSE GOD IS GOING TO SHUT THE LION'S MOUTH IN THIS HOUR. I want us to stand together all around this room right now. I BELIEVE IN THIS HOUR, GOD IS GETTING READY TO SHUT THE MOUTH OF THE LION. AND GOD IS GOING TO ELEVATE YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG LADIES THAT WILL HAVE DOMINION IN THE DEN. AMEN. REVIVAL IS COMING TO UNIVERSITIES. UH REVIVAL IS COMING TO COLLEGE CAMPUSES. UH AND GOD IS GIVING US DOMINION IN THE DEN. >> If you're near a young person, I want you to reach over. I want you to pray with them. I want us to pray for this generation. Amen. And I'm not here tonight to put this generation down. I want to lift them up. Amen. I don't believe young people that you're going to go and lose your way when you graduate out of this great school that is teaching you, Amen, that is creating environment such as this week where you can feel the presence of God. I don't believe that at all. I believe like Daniel, you are developing spiritual habits. I believe like Daniel, you've got a madeup mind. I believe when you walk out of this school and you begin to go further down the course of life, God is going to go with you and he's going to shut the mouth of the lions and God is going to just like God did through Daniel. That king turned around and said, "We will ALL WORSHIP DANIEL'S GOD AND GOD IS GOING TO BRING REVIVAL TO THOSE AROUND YOU." AMEN. LET US GET TONIGHT A MADEUP MIND. NO MATTER WHAT COMES MY WAY, I'M GOING TO SERVE THE LORD. AMEN. THIS SITUATION THAT I'M IN DOES NOT BELONG TO THE LIONS. THIS IS MY DEN. I'VE GOT AUTHORITY. I'VE GOT VICTORY. AMEN. If you're not standing directly next to, could you find a student nearby you? And I just want you to stretch a hand out toward them. I want us to pray together for this generation. I I know what the statistics say. I I get it. I know. I know they say this is the lion's den. I I know what they say. But I believe God is getting ready to turn some things around in this hour. I believe God is raising up some Daniels in this generation. I believe God is raising up some young men and young ladies in this generation. Even in this church, God is raising them up. And you're going to see God do great things through them. Lord, in Jesus name, I pray over this generation. God, as we go through this week in Code Orange Revival and next week as they go to youth convention, God, I believe there's some young people that are going to do more than have spiritual moments. God, they're developing spiritual habits. They're praying when nobody else is watching. God, they're getting alone with you when nobody else is around. God, even if it means I've got to give up some things, EVEN IF IT MEANS I'VE GOT TO PUSH THE KING'S PLATE AWAY. Even if it means I'm going to miss out on SOME OPPORTUNITIES, I WILL NOT DEFY MYSELF. I WILL NOT GO AGAINST WHAT GOD HAS CALLED me to do. I wonder if there's any students that will walk down to this altar right now. I wonder if there's a Daniel in the room. Doesn't have to be a guy. That that spirit of Daniel, God, I got a madeup mind. I'm going to serve you. Come on, God. I've got a madeup mind. Lord, I'm thankful for spiritual moments. I'm thankful when I can stand in the altar and hot tears run down my cheek as I feel your presence. The praise team sings beautiful songs and I worship you. Thank you for spiritual moments. But God, I want more than just spiritual moments. I want habits three times a day. Daniel prayed and every time he did, God met him there. Come on. Your your appointment with God doesn't have to be relegated to an altar. It could be in your bedroom. It could be in the living room. But God is looking for some young people that will establish spiritual habits. Can we lift our hands right now? God, anoint this generation. We've got dominion. We've got the power. We've got authority. We are not subservient. We are not captives in the den. We are victory in the making. We're a testimony in the making. What God is God's just simply putting on display. God is elevating and revealing to the rest of the world what we've been establishing in private. And God is GOING TO USE THAT LION'S D, THAT DEN OF LIONS AS the place to reveal what he's been building in you. Here I am, Lord. Come on. Is there a willing Is there a willing vessel? Here I am, Lord. Daniel, I'm just I'm just a Hebrew slave. I'm just a Hebrew servant. I I don't have much to offer. I'm just a Hebrew servant. But here I am, Lord. You can use me. That's it. Lord, in the name of Jesus, elevate this generation in this hour. God, give us dominion in the den.