May 16, 2026 – Abide
Streams – Daniel 10: 12-13 – “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days.” From a sermon, Cowman shares this explanation of these verses: “This passage is a wonderful teaching on prayer and shows us the direct hindrance Satan can be in our lives. Daniel had fasted and prayed for twenty-one difficult days. As far as we can tell from the biblical account, the difficulty came not because Daniel was not a good person nor because his prayer was not right but because of a special attack from Satan…. This conflict occurred in the heavens, yet Daniel experienced the same kind of conflict here on earth as he agonized in prayer…. Daniel was nearly defeated, and Satan would have been glad to kill him, but God would not allow anything to come upon Daniel beyond what he could bear. (See 1 Cor. 10:13).”
Prevail #136 – Psalm 33:18 – “But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.” Larson reminds us of God’s everlasting love for us, “When we rightly honor, fear, and revere the Lord Most High, His eyes are instinctively drawn to us…. When you’re faced with a choice to walk in His way or your own, and you choose His – because you love Him – His eyes are drawn to you with great affection and tenderness. Just imagine! God is aware of everything that goes on in the earth today…. He is our help and our shield. We trust in His holy name. We rely on His love.”
Power – John 8:31-32 – “If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” Joyce reminds us that, “Two spiritual weapons available to you are praise and prayer…. both [should] be filled with the Word of God…. Pray, speak, sing, and study the Word, and you will experience victory in all areas of your life.”
JC – “I am your Lord! Seek Me as Friend and Lover of your soul, but remember that I am also King of kings – sovereign over all. You can make some plans as you gaze into the day that stretches out before you. But you need to hold those plans tentatively, anticipating that I may have other ideas…. Trust Me to show you what to do when you have finished what you are doing now. I will guide you step by step, as you bend your will to Mine. Thus you stay close to Me on the path of Peace.”
JL – “Jesus, my Shepherd, Your Word assures me that there is no condemnation for those who belong to You…. To walk along the path of freedom, I must keep my mind firmly fixed on You…. Please help me be content to be a simple ‘sheep,’ listening for Your voice and following You – my faithful Shepherd…. In Your lovely Name, Amen.”
