In each situation and circumstance, we need to pray and stand upon the settled word of God. In every situation and trial we must overcome. By overcoming, we allow the resurrected, ascended, glorified and exalted Christ to have his rightful position in our hearts.

When we go through a trial or tribulation and fear overwhelms us, we try to think on the Lord but fear controls us. What do we do to overcome? The word of God is God’s will. When we pray the word by the spirit, we are praying God’s will back to him and there is plenty power in that.

Some books we recommend are those of Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians and 2 Timothy. These books are about the church and its calling. When we as Christians begin to prayerfully read the scriptures, we find the word begins to live and operate in our lives. What’s even more exciting, as we read and pray the word back to the Lord, our mind will be girded up.

As we pray the word of God, the breath of God begins to take hold of our heart and we begin to see the problem from God’s vantage point (The Throne). Our situation may not change but our thinking does and we will begin to see that he’s good and he’s in charge.

As we pray the word we will come up over any problem. Not only that, our mind would be re-newed and we would turn away from self and begin to pray for the needs of others. As we pray the word of God our sword is turned towards the enemy and we begin to do battle for God’s plan and God’s people.

The leader gave us a book in the January meeting entitled “Praying the word” I really recommend that you read it. From the book this is what I got as I read it. God bless.

Daniel 3:16-27

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, ” O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up.” Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was charged against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

And he commanded certain mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their hosen, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste: he spake, and said unto his counsellors, “Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said unto the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spake and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth out of the midst of the fire. And the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair on their head singed, neither were their hosen changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them.

1 Peter 1:6-8

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: Whom not having seen ye love; on Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

The trial of your faith. A sailor can’t be a good sailor unless he passes through the storms. When the 3 Hebrew children faced death because of their faith, they went in willingly. As I read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, I said to myself, if I was placed in that situation what I would have done? We as believers must stand strong for Christ no matter the problem.

The book Nor the Smell of Fire had four things that were the outcome of the trial.

1. The self destruction of the enemy.

The 3 Hebrew men made a choice in their hearts and said to the king that they would not bow down to any god other than the Most High. They didn’t compromise whatsoever in their walk with the Lord. If our lives are in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ, we don’t have to fear the fire (the trial or situation). He hasn’t given us a spirit of fear but of love, power and of a sound mind. Also, the very means that the enemy uses to bring about the fire would be consumed.

2. The loosing of Bonds.

King Nebuchadnezzer had the 3 young men bound (noticed bound) before they threw them into the fire. When the king looked into the furnace, he noticed they were no longer bound in the fire. The book states that the fire is ordained of God to loosen you from any bonds or strongholds in your life. Think about it, fire consumes and the Lord allows the enemy to turn up the heat with the purpose of loosing the bonds that are in our life. That is so awesome! What the enemy meant for evil God turns around for our benefit. As I read on, I thought about a glassblower who makes sculptures out of glass. In order for him to make the shape he needs to make, he places the glass in fire so it can be easily molded or mended into the shape of his choosing. That is how the Lord is with us. Each of us has a different shape and he uses the fire so we can be easliy molded and shaped into the image he wants us to be. He is the potter and we are the clay…

3. Closer fellowship with the Lord.

As the king looked into the fiery furnace, he saw four men loose, not three. He asked his servant if they threw in three men and the servant said yes. Then he replied saying, I am now seeing four men loose in the furnace with the fourth looking like the son of God. As I read this, I said ‘Wow Lord, you really are true to your word. You said you would never leave or forsake us and even in the midst of our trials and tribulations there you are with us.’ Saints, the Lord loves us and he will never leave us nor forsake us. As a result of the Lord being with us in the fire, we see a little bit more of Him or He reveals a little bit more of His nature to us (which is the friend that sticks closer than a brother). Faith increases in our hearts regarding Him (i.e. when future trials come, now we have the assurance that he would take us out of the next one) and we now have a testimony to share with others. We can say ‘I was in this situation or trial but I wasn’t alone. The lion of the tribe of Judah was there with me and he gave me the strength to endure.’

4. Nor the smell of fire, but Joy unspeakable.

When the 3 Hebrew men came out of the fire, not even the smell of smoke was on them. Wow not even the smell of smoke! That means that if they didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t even know that they were in the fire. As believers I ask you. Is there anyone reading this post who can say that they went through a trial, a tough situation or a serious challenge and no other believer would know it unless you told them? And even if you didn’t tell them they wouldn’t see that you are going through a tough trial but instead all they see is peace and joy? The enemy is a thief and my fellow believers don’t let the enemy rob you of your joy. Greater is he who is in you than he that is in the world. Jesus Christ is the prince of peace, by the enemy robbing you of your joy he is robbing you of your testimony in Christ Jesus.

Read the book “Nor the smell of fire” that the raven leader gave us in the January meeting. It’s the little blue book. God bless.