A Decree Won't Detour Me

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon's captions — published in summary form; watch the full sermon at the source.

Home for one night, on the heels of a prayer revival

He is home for one more night: "I have been chopping at the bits since leaving this edifice last Sunday. And though it is my second time being here and connected to this church, so grateful that our paths have crossed. And I want to tell King's Temple that if you just have let it slip your mind for any reason — don't you ever forget how powerful of a church God has given you to call your home church... And I appreciate your pastor, his sincerity and his pureness of spirit, his family. And in regards to my family, I send my regards from my household. My wife has not been feeling well the last week or so and she is home resting and wrangling — because I don't know if they have a picture of my family, but she's wrangling a 5-year-old Bryce James and a two and a half-year-old. You see that face on that boy? He's the one. He's the one that makes parents pray. If you don't have a prayer life, he will make you have one. But we are so grateful — those two boys, the doctors did not give us any chance of having children, but they don't know the doctor I know. Come on. Anybody believe we still serve a miracle working God?" He has been in revival in Bossier the last three weeks and flies out the next week. "I'm not going to take a text. In fact, I'm going to delay even delivering my title. That means you really got to listen. But what I feel tonight — on the heels of this prayer revival — I felt something deep in the spirit as I was preparing for tonight. Anybody feel that in the room right now? Something happens when people begin to pray and unearth the supernatural and God begins to peel back layers of dormancy and dead things. And God starts doing and moving and working. And if you can feel that weaving beneath the surface in this room right now, somebody ought to know that's because somebody's praying." Before the sermon there is a season of prayer: "You don't know what your year is going to look like the next few months, but you ought to pray like there's a keeper that can keep your house. Come on. You ought to pray against sickness and disease. I need some prayer warriors to begin to intercede. Lord, keep Your hands on my family."

Ten verses: the favored man

"I want to uncover a profound spirit of a biblical character that I'm quite sure every soul in this room has heard about. In fact, I think the story of this praying man is probably one of the most common biblical stories that we hear even as children. Daniel, to be exact. Anybody heard that old story before — story of Daniel and the lion's den? If you've heard that story before, for the sake of this sermon, I pray you would hear everything you heard. It's quite possible — and this is not to declare war on any Sunday school teachers — quite sure there's a few details you may have missed. But those details are important. Every detail is important to God. And I just want to help some faithful people be a lot more faithful, because there is nothing that the enemy fears more than a faithful praying saint of God. Anybody still believe in prayer? Now, you're going to have to oblige me for a moment. I asked the media team to help me deliver this tonight. I only have 10 verses. Somebody shout, '10 verses.' You've probably never ever been able to track a preacher's sermon and his timing, but I only got 10 verses. Somebody nudge your neighbor and say, 'Only 10 verses.' And so you're going to know exactly where we are in the sermon, every verse by verse — only 10 verses. But the first verse — the first thing you need to understand — at 538 years BC is when this is occurring. For all intents and purposes, you probably thought that King Darius was the king, but despite what they told you, his name was not even Darius. King Darius was not even a king. But King Cyrus the Great is the king, and Darius is the governor. Somebody shout, 'Governor.' Governor who's been labeled king out of his authority, his ability to rule within the king's kingdom. Darius, verse one, if you will. Darius has made up in his mind that he is going to appoint and set over the kingdom some 120 princes. I pray nobody falls asleep tonight. 120. Somebody shout, '120.' Some 120 princes. He is setting over the kingdom to help facilitate his ruling. The whole kingdom under their rule, and above the 120 princes he established that this kingdom was going to have three presidents. Somebody shout, 'Three.' Somebody's already learning something. You ain't know three presidents were set above the 120 princes. Among the three presidents — this is where Daniel comes into the conversation — because God favored him. God, I feel the spirit of the Lord right now. God favored him, that he would be above the 120 princes that were above the whole kingdom, and above the other two presidents, making him the number one president in charge. I just want to tell somebody: if God's favored you, there ain't nothing the devil can do to stop it. Oh, I wish I had somebody hear me on a Sunday night. I said, if God is blessing you, ain't nothing a devil can do to stop. I come to tell you, He can bless you coming in and bless you coming out. We're blessed in the city and blessed in the field... Daniel was number one among the presidents that were above the princes. Daniel, verse three. We're working our way there. Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes — not because he deserved it, not because he was just better than everybody else, but the Bible says that Daniel had an excellent spirit that was upon him. Daniel had a persistent, passionate spirit that was in him. I've come to tell you, Daniel was the poster child for being a prayer warrior. Daniel was favored by the spirit that was on him, that God gave him favor with the king, that he set him over the whole realm. Verse four. Anybody like this so far? I was somewhere looking at a man that's been favored by God. I just want to preach for somebody in a moment — somebody who the stamp of God's approval is clearly delineated and marked upon him. He was on the top of God's good list. But ladies and gentlemen: when you're well favored by God, you are well desired by the adversary. Oh, I wish somebody would hear what I'm telling you. I said, when you on the top of God's favorite list, you are also on the top of hell's fight list. I wish somebody would process what I'm preaching. And you're saying, 'Preacher, this seems like this was going to be a good year, but ever since 2026 started, all hell has been breaking loose.' Where maybe — just maybe — you've been praying, and the devil's not happy about it. Maybe, just maybe, you've been faithful, and the adversary is not pleased with it. May I come to tell somebody: don't you stop worshiping just because you have warfare. Oh, somebody ought to preach with me on a Sunday night. I come to tell you, the moment you have favor with God, you better know that you have a fight from the adversary that's on the way. So, if anybody's been fighting lately, I'm preaching to you. Then the presidents and princes — Daniel had an excellent spirit, but then a hating spirit got on these men when they realized, 'What is so special about him, that he gets to be above us?' I've come to remind somebody: ain't nothing special about me, and there's nothing special about you — but there is something special about the spirit that dwells in you. Come on. Greater is He that's in us than he that is against us. Come on. I come to tell somebody, when you look at me, I'm not nothing to look at. Oh, but there's a God that can take a nobody. And there's a God that can take a broken man... When you look at my family, I wouldn't have one if God wasn't helping me. When you look at my job, I wouldn't have one if God wasn't — keep on. Somebody on the back row ought to thank God. Come on. All that I have is because of Him. All that I am is because of Him. All that I will be is because of Him. Somebody ought to praise God like you know it and believe it. I'm nothing without Him. I can't make it without Him... When I'm sick, He's my healer. When I'm lost, He's my direction. When I'm broken, He's my mender... And the reason why you ought to show up every chance you get is because the moment you stop walking into the king's court is the moment you lose the favor that's on you. The reason why you got to show up when you don't feel like it — through every valley, through every famine, through every flood, and even in the fire — is because faithful people don't quit. No matter what the circumstances look — I'm trying to put something in your pocket right now. I said, faithful people don't stop running just because the enemy is on their trail. Come on. Faithful people don't stop worshiping just because they're weary. Faithful people don't stop praising just because they got problems... I may be hurting, but I'm going to keep on holding on to God. Somebody shout, 'Faithful.' If there's anything God wants to put in your spirit — I don't know what this year holds for you — but I come to tell you, no matter what wind blows, no matter what wave rises, you walk in faithfulness. God, I feel the spirit of the Lord right now, because the Bible says these princes begin to examine Daniel up and down, trying to figure out why is he favored among and above us. And the Bible says that they began to seek occasion to find fault in Daniel. Okay, I just pushed the pause button. You better be careful when you say you a child of God, because somebody's going to be looking to find out if you mean what you said. Come on, anybody hear me? I come to tell you, the reason why you can't quit is because somebody's got to greet your backsliding family at the door when they make it back to the house of God, and saying, 'I kept on holding on. And I didn't give up. And we're still here, with the lights on. And we're still here.' Oh, God. Come on. We'll keep the lights on. I'm going to be faithful no matter what. You can walk out and you can leave, but I'm walking with Jesus just the same. Bible said that they tried to find fault. Somebody shout, 'Fault.' They tried to find fault in Daniel, forasmuch as he was faithful. Yes. Neither was there any error in him. They could not find one fault in him. They could not find any fault but the fault in verse five. Halfway there. These men said, 'We've looked at this man. We don't understand why he prays like that.' Oh, I wish somebody would hear the Holy Ghost. 'We've looked at her. Her bills are not being paid. Her lights are on the brink of being cut off. But why in the world would she choose to keep on going to that church, when it looks like her world is dark?' I'll tell you why. It's because maybe that faithful woman of God knows where the lights really are. And it ain't at my house — it's at God's house, where the light really resides. It's God. Come on. I'll tell you where my help comes from. I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help — my help — my help comes from the LORD. They said, 'We won't find any fault in this man. We've tried. We've tried to make him laugh at our jokes, and he won't laugh. We've tried to get him in our deeds, but he won't do it.' God, I feel the Holy Ghost. He said, 'We won't find any fault in this man, but we got it. We won't find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find a fault against him concerning the law of his God.' I wish somebody would hear what I'm about to tell you, because these men begin to decipher and come to a decisive conclusion about Daniel: he wasn't doing what the world was doing. He wasn't going where everybody else was going. He wasn't talking like everybody else was talking. But if they understood, there was a consistency about him. And if he was going to talk to anybody, he was going to be talking to God. Oh, I wish somebody would hear me. I come to tell somebody: I'm not a perfect man. But I pray my testimony is that when my feet hit the floor, that all hell knows I'm going to pray. That when I wake up in the morning, all hell knows I'm going to — oh God, I wish somebody would preach with me right now. Hallelujah. I'm going to get down and talk to you for a moment. The adversary knew one thing: if Daniel's going to have a fault, his only fault, Brother Hartman, is going to be faithfulness. Amen. God, I wish somebody would hear me right now. I said, if you wanted to assassinate me on a Sunday, you know exactly where to find me, because I can't miss what I feel in this house. And I don't want to miss what's happening in this house. Come on. I come to tell somebody: you got to get to the point that your adversary knows your next move, because you won't waver. And you won't — I'm telling somebody, don't you quit being faithful. Oh, somebody ought to clap your hands like you on board when I'm preaching. Hallelujah. Oh, I know you feel like giving up some days, but keep being faithful. I know you feel like throwing in the towel sometimes, but keep being faithful."

Scriptures: Daniel 6:1-10

The decree aimed at one man

"Verse six. Come quickly to the music. Oh, God. So all of the presidents, all of the princes conspired in the court, among even the captains. They brought in some more for collusion. I hope this is all right on a Sunday night. I'm trying to preach before you get in problems. I said, because Job 14:1 says that every man that is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. You're going to have some trouble. But you don't let the trouble stop you. Oh, come on. I need some old saints helping me. Come on. There's some gray-haired saints in the house. Hey, they had hair your color one day, too. But they ain't stopped coming. And they ain't stopped walking. And they ain't stopped believing. That's why they're still here. I need about five elders to clap with me right now, and say, 'You can make it if you want to. You can live right if you want to. You can hold on if you want to.' They conspired among themselves. Verse 7, they gathered in the court of Governor Darius and said, 'O king, live forever. We have an inquiry — an inquiry of you.' He said, 'We ask — we ask one petition from you, O king. We ask that you would establish a royal statute, to make a firm decree.' Somebody shout, 'Decree.' Make a firm decree. I can see the governor looking at them, saying, 'Well, what do you want the decree to say?' Oh, somebody ought to pick up what I'm about to put down. What do you want the decree to say? What is the language that should be written in this document? They said, 'We want you to write a decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God...' The only reason why this language is crafted this way is because the whosoever was not a everybody. They were trying to stop one man. And the reason why they are establishing this decree is because the devil tell you that it's all right to miss one night of prayer meeting. But the devil knows better. Can I tell somebody that the power of one praying man will have an entire kingdom writing a decree? Come on. I wish somebody would hear what I'm telling you. When you hear that voice saying you can take a break today — that's the time you ought to put your foot on the gas and press a little bit harder. Because the enemy is afraid that if you get the vision, and you get the consistency, and you walk like nobody else has walking, he knows that his kingdom is coming down. Come on, somebody ought to clap your hands like you believe that. Don't you dare underestimate the power of a praying mama. Don't you dare underestimate the power of a praying man. Don't you dare underestimate the power of fasting, faithful people. We're not doing 21 days of fasting for our health — though pushing away the plate is profitable for your body. We're talking about the elevation of your spirit, man. That maybe this 21 days of consecration will bleed over into 22 days. I'm just gonna help your pastor a little bit. Maybe these 21 days of fast — I may say, you know what? I might go a little bit longer. I feel like I'm winning the war against the adversary. I might push a little bit deeper. I feel like I felt the presence of God like I haven't felt it. I'm preaching to somebody: if you like what you're feeling in the Spirit, you keep on walking in the Spirit. And said, 'Can we — want you to write a decree?' We're just trying to stop this one man. Somebody shout, 'One man.' One man. That if he — or anybody else — would pray in the next 30 days. Anybody processing that the decree did not put a permanent petition against prayer? He just put a petition to pause it, because pausing prayer is like not praying at all. God, I wish somebody would hear me. I said, putting a pause on your prayer life is almost as if you never had one. Because the devil wins the war when you stop praying. The enemy wins the war when you stop praying. You're on the brink of losing your mind when you stop praying. How? 'But if My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray...' And that's why the adversary said, 'It's just one week. Oh, it's just one service' — when it may have been that one service that was your last service. I wish somebody would lift your hands right now. I feel the Lord speaking to us. God, help us. Verse eight. And so they convinced the king to establish this decree — that this decree cannot be altered. And whosoever prayed for 30 days will be cast into a lion's den."

Scriptures: Job 14:1

Verse 10: Daniel knew — and prayed anyway

"Verse 9, if you don't mind standing with me. I'm closing. Anybody? Anybody in this house this past year — you know what spiritual warfare felt like? Anybody in the room? Oh my God, I feel — I feel the Holy Ghost. Come on. Anybody knows what spiritual warfare feels like? There are people in the room in it right now. Anybody knows what warfare feels like? God's about to help somebody get a boldness in your spirit. If you've been struggling spiritually — you hear this young 36-year-old preacher. Hear me. The moment you decide to fight for God, do not be shocked when the adversary releases everything he has upon you. Because if he can get you to quit, he's got you. If he can get you to question, he's got you. Oh, God. But if you're going to make it through any warfare in this season, this year, you need to dare to be like Daniel. The Bible says, 'Wherefore the king — King Darius — signed.' Anybody got a pen? I asked for a pen last week. I'm going to ask for another one. Toss it. Toss it. Throw, man. Now, he didn't use a pen — there's a signet ring that they stamped and sealed. But for the imagery — I need you to see this. The Bible says that King Darius signed. He put his name on a dotted line. The ink is still wet. God, I wish somebody would hear what I'm about to tell you. He signed the writing and the decree. Somebody shout, 'The decree.' The decree. Come on, say it again. The decree. The decree that says, 'If you pray unto your God, you will be thrown in the lion's den. No questions asked. Irreversible.' God, I wish somebody would hear me right now. And the Bible says the king signed it. The princes, presidents, captains in the court — Daniel among them. They're having a courtroom meeting, that the king is declaring, establishing a new decree. Yeah. And Daniel is watching him. Oh, God. Daniel — Brother Dawson — is watching the king sign a death sentence. Boy, y'all, I wish somebody would. Anybody ready for verse 10? And the Bible says that with Daniel's eyes on the king, with Daniel's eyes on a decree, the Bible says in verse 10: 'Now when Daniel knew...' You're not hearing what I'm telling you. When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, ladies and gentlemen — he wasn't caught off guard by the news. He wasn't bamboozled by the news. This wasn't something he found out from a third-party entity. He saw it with his own eyes. He knew the writing, and the deal was done. And the moment he saw that the king says this is what happens to anybody that dares to pray — the Bible says that when Daniel knew that the decree was signed, he turned on his heels. Y'all ain't heard the story like this before. And he said, 'I'm going to my house. I'm not going to have a pity party. I'm not going to stick my head under a pillow.' Daniel said, 'I'm going to go out in that window, and I'm going to pray like I've been praying.' Oh. Oh, God. I ain't scared. I want to tell somebody on a Sunday night: I don't care what the enemy throws at you, and I don't care what wickedness comes against you — you better get to a point that a decree will not detour you. Oh, I wish somebody would hear me in the Holy Ghost. I said, a decree won't detour you. I need somebody to get bold right now. Bring on the waves, and bring on the troubles. I'm going to keep on fighting. And I'm going to keep on praying. Decree won't — somebody — I know you — I know we got some good old southern folks, and you like sweet tea and saying y'all, ain't being nice to people. But you don't play games with the devil. You better mean business. Come on. My house is not up for sale. My children are not up for bargain. My anointing is not — come on. I come to tell somebody: when it's prayer time, it's war time. When it's altar-call time, it's war time. When it's worship service, it's war time... Come on, somebody's getting a vision right now. Somebody ought to throw up your hands like you mean war. Come on. I plead the blood of Jesus over my mind. Come on. Every attack that's coming against you, somebody ought to begin to pray. Come on. I need some husbands and wives, some families, to get a hold of some prayer. Come on, somebody got a war on Sunday night. Come on. I feel a war in my spirit right now. Come on, somebody ought to take authority again. Come on, somebody ought to find that well of the Spirit again. You can — I want somebody to find your family. Find people that you love, that's close to you. Find somebody to connect with. Don't you think for one minute the moment you get a new building, a new property, and God starts fulfilling promises, that you're not going to fight hell on every corner. You got another thing coming. Come on. We're troubled on every side. Come on. The kingdom suffers violence. Come on. The adversary going to say, 'Come on, you can give less.' Come on. Come on. Push a — push a pause on your tithe paying for a week. I'm telling somebody: you ought to put the pedal to the metal and push like you've never pushed. Come on. I'm preaching to a prayer warrior. You ought to pray like you've never prayed. Come on. I'm preaching to an intercessor. You ought to weep like you've never weeped. I'll tell you what got Daniel where he was. Daniel said, 'No matter what the king says, and no matter what the decree says, I won't be detoured from my faithfulness. I won't be distracted from my fervency.' I tell you what we need right now: we need an old-fashioned Pentecostal prayer meeting. In fact, I wouldn't even be upset if they dimmed the lights a little bit. And somebody start going to war for your daughters. Come on. Somebody start going to war for your business. And somebody start going to war. Come on. Somebody ought to pray. God, I take authority in the name of Jesus. Say, the blood of Jesus is against you. Come on. I'm talking about every saint of God that you've been on the borders of quitting — tonight's a night you realize and said, 'I'm going to be a fighter again. I'm going to be a warrior again.' Woo! Come on, War Saints. War. Come on, somebody ought to go to war in the Holy Ghost right now. Come on, lift up your voice in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus." The congregation takes up the song — "May the fire on my altar never burn out. Make me a house of prayer" — and he closes over it: "Come on. There's nothing wrong with praying. I said, there's nothing wrong with praying. There's nothing wrong with praying. There is something wrong with praying prayers that you do not mean, and praying prayers that are not propelled by fervency. He said, when you pray, do not pray amiss. He said, do not pray in vain repetitions. I come to tell somebody: we ought to not just pray to be praying. We ought to be praying to pull down strongholds. Come on. We ought to be praying to provoke the healer to heal us. I tell you right now — the Holy Ghost — the landscape of this year can be shifted drastically by a house filled with faithful, fervent prayer warriors. Anybody believe in prayer like I'm talking about? In fact — right there, sis, right there is perfect. You stay right there. I tell you what we ought to do right now: we ought to hunker down for the next five minutes and let the Spirit of the Lord fill this house. Come on. People can be filled with the Holy Ghost in the next five minutes. Come on. I need somebody to lift your hands all over the room and begin to seek the Lord with your spirit."