Process to progress

Be Inspired Intercessory Prayer Tuesday 4th June 2019

Anchor: Sister Leah Adepeju

Topic: Process to progress

Text: Daniel 3: 3:11-‬12, ‬16-‬18, ‬23-‬25, ‬29-‬30

And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Daniel 3:11-‬12, ‬16-‬18, ‬23-‬25, ‬29-‬30 ESV

https://bible.com/bible/59/dan.3.11-30.ESV

Above is the scriptural reference for this evening and the topic is Process to progress

Before we go further into the word I will like to talk about the formation of pearl

A pearl is a shiny jewelry whitish mostly that is the color

But before a pearl is formed it goes through a process

The process of the formation of pearl is an uncomfortable one for the living thing it grows in

A pearl forms when a sand or foreign body finds its way into an oyster

The oyster in defense wraps up the sand in defense mechanism

The oyster forms a coat around the foreign body which is an irritant to its existence

The layers form a lustrous pearl

A natural pearl is formed that way and can be very expensive

At the same time, there are pearls that are cultivated, not formed naturally but the process is facilitated by someone but the end result is same but not as expensive as the one with the natural process

You might be wondering what this pearl has got to do with the book of Daniel 3.

We all must know to certain degree the story of the Jewish hound men

They were carried as slave from their country

In fact when they initially got there they refused to eat what others were eating and the people were thinking they wouldn't survive

In the 3nd verse, they looked more robust and fresh beyond the expectation of people

These same boys... are involved in the story above

Nebuchadnezzar built a giant gold image

And he gave order that whoever doesn't bow to it must be punished

They all had time they had to bow to it

But these boys refused to bow

Then they were reported to the king...

Let me tell you something there will always be people who will never have peace because you are at peace do not lose your peace over them that is their destiny.

They reported these boys to the king and the king was like who dare do that go and call them

Remember Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful king and everyone obeyed him

When these boys got there they were not moved by the threats of Nebuchadnezzar neither behind him nor to his Face.

When he asked that is it true you will not bow and worship the golden image

Then he said if you are ready at the sound of the horn, pipe, trigon, bagpipe and every kind of music you need to bow to the image and if you don't you will be casted into the fiery furnace.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said

O Nebuchadnezzar we have no need to answer you in this matter if this be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of your hand but if not just know we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

Nebuchadnezzar must have thought ‘what audacity, what nonsense, I will show you today’

The Jewish boys didn't bow.

So he gave order that they make their fiery furnace hotter, bind them and throw them in

When they were bound they had their coats on and turban they were fully clothed.

Even the smoke inhalation could have killed them because it's carbon monoxide which is toxic in human body

The mighty men of Valor that carried these tied Jewish boys, were killed by the fire

🔥 🔥 🔥

But these boys got into fire being bound and on getting there they became loose.

Not only that they were walking freely in a fire I do not know how many degree Fahrenheit or centigrade it would have being but normally as human being anything above 45°C can cause damage to your skin not to talk of fire that will probably be like 110°C

A natural man could have died

Back to the pearl... the process of the peak formation was irritant to the oyster. It wasn't something the oyster wanted in its body

And when the pearl is finally formed for the cultivated one, the pearl or oyster farmer must be very careful when pulling the shell apart in order to get the pearl out because if they are pulled too far apart the oyster will die.

God knows to what extent exactly the Jewish boys need to be in that fire.

He knows how much their faith can be pulled because these ones have proved that they are not half baked.

The process they went through would kill a natural man but, these ones ain't no natural men

They were supernatural breed

They were not who Nebuchadnezzar thought they'd were

They were fearfully and wonderfully made

And they were at that place just for a time as that so that someone like Nebuchadnezzar can see that the son of God was with them

Nebuchadnezzar was expecting them to be gnashing their teeth and probably cry for help but no way, they were walking in the fire because the son of God was the fourth man in that fiery furnace

They were walking up and down and imagine what they were singing...

I presume in this day and age we will probably be singing the song below

Way Maker by Sinach

You are here

Moving in our midst

I worship you, I worship you

You are here

Working in this place

I worship you, I worship you

You are here

Moving in our midst

I worship you, I worship you

You are here

Working in this place

I worship you, I worship you

Way maker, Miracle worker

Promise keeper

Light in the darkness

My God, That is who you are

Way maker, Miracle worker

Promise keeper

Light in the darkness

My God

That is who you are

Sis Queeneth: True

Sis Leah: They were walking and saying Way maker; Miracle worker, Promise keeper, light in the darkness - that is who you are

It was a burning fire, the flames must have been so black

Sis Oluwa: Hmm, Very

Bro Rhite: Hmm, Our faith provokes the power and presence of God.

Sis Leah: Forming lots of darkness around but guess who was there the son of God

He was present with them

The process of that pearl in the oyster was unpleasant initially but the result is more beautiful than you can imagine.

That was exactly what happened to Nebuchadnezzar

He was like get them out put the fire out

Then he said...

‘Blessed is the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who has sent His angel to deliver his servants who trusted in Him and set aside the king's order and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any God except their own God’

Can I encourage you not to stop the process to your progress?

It will or might be irritating

It will or might feel unpleasant

It will or might feel lonely

It will or might feel like you are fighting a losing battle like the sand in the oyster but your pearl is forming

Your progress is here

Don't compromise your faith

The battle is the Lord’s

The threats can be unbearable but yield it all to God

It might feel like the degree of the challenge is being turned up higher than expected

The people gathering against you might appear mighty

They may appear like they will conquer you but your king our king is the 4th man in the fiery furnace

He will never let you down.

Bro Okolo: Amen

Sis Leah: The process to your progression might look like hell right now but remember you have limitless breakthrough.

The story might be so damn long and same old same old.

Don't say I won't serve God any more.

Don't look back,

It is a process to your progress.

Because the way maker is there.

Promise keeper is here.

Light in the darkness is there.

Jesus Christ is there.

You are a champion because the one who lives in you never loses any battle.

He is Jesus.

Are you broken hearted?

You cannot control the tears?

Wipe it away it's just a process.

Have you had so much Nos, that hearing a Yes is just a dream far away from you

Your yes time is now

Bro Okolo: Amen and Amen

Sis Leah: Have you being so down that you do not even know how to gather your courage the fourth man is here.

Jesus is here

They are mocking you, they say you are crazy

They do not know the fire shut in your bones

The Jewish boys know that their God walks on gold. Gold is the carpet in His kingdom

Why should they bow to what their father walks on?

That process is testing you but your progress is round the corner

The Jewish boys were not only delivered but reinstated

Sis Queeneth: Glory to Jesus

Sis Leah: The beauty of a pearl wouldn't form if the oyster got rid of it once it enter the oyster

Trust the process God is taking you through

He is able

Bro Okolo: Thank You Jesus

Sis Queeneth: Thank You Jesus

Sis Leah: Let us pray

Lord I thank you for your word this day

Father thank you for giving me divine understanding of your plans. Lord thank you because you know me, my name, my down sitting, my upstanding and all about me. Father grant me grace never to compromise no matter how though the process is. Lord grant me grace never to give up at the edge of breakthrough in Jesus name. Lord you are the fourth man and I know you are here I want to feel your presence more on daily basis in Jesus name. Lord I know that through me you will turn all who have gone far from you to you in Jesus name. Lord thank you for even in the presence of all oppressors you will reinstate me and take me to place of breakthrough and Testimony henceforth in Jesus name. Father give me the faith to stand through any form of challenge in life speak to me lord and direct me in Jesus name. I decree the process I am going through presently in life is leading to my progress and I will live to testify of it in Jesus name. Lord over Be Inspired as a whole thank you for all your promises will manifest through our lives and homes in Jesus name

Personal Prayer

Thank you father for answered prayers in Jesus name

Bro Okolo: Amen, Amen and Amen thank you Jesus Christ. May it come to fulfilment indeed by the power in the mighty name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Amen.

A believing Amen indeed

Sis Queeneth: Amen and Amen in Jesus name

Be Inspired by His Word ©