July 8, 2026 – Conquer
Prevail #189 – Daniel 1:12 – “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. Larson uses Daniel as an example of the importance of “Fasting in Times of Trial.” She reminds us that “God allowed Daniel’s homeland to be conquered as a consequence of that nation’s rebellion against God…. [Daniel] and his friends were brought to the palace to be trained for royal service…. they were ordered to drink wine and eat heavy foods…. Who would have blamed them given all they’d lost? Yet Daniel had a conviction to follow God, and he wanted to be clearheaded so he could hear the voice of God.”
She points out, “We tend toward comfort foods and other indulgences when we’ve been treated poorly, lost something unjustly, or have been overlooked completely. It’s natural. But it’s supernatural to go against our flesh and to press in that we might hear from God in this place. If you’re in a time of transition, or if you’ve recently been displaced somehow, don’t pamper yourself in a way that’s harmful, weakens your resolve, and dulls your hearing. Do the opposite…. Practice fasting, not just for the sake of giving up something, but to lay hold of something more in Christ Jesus.”
Streams – Isaiah 40:31 – They will soar on wings like eagles. Cowman shares “…a fable about the way birds first got their wings. The story goes that initially they were made without them. Then God made the wings, set them down before the wingless birds, and said to them ‘Take up these burdens and carry them.’ The Birds had sweet voices for singing, and lovely feathers that glistened in the sunshine, but they could not soar in the air. When asked to pick up the burdens that lay at their feet, they hesitated at first. Yet soon they obeyed, picked up the wings with their beaks, and set them on their shoulders to carry them. For a short time the load seemed heavy and difficult to bear, but soon, as they continued to carry the burden and to fold the wings of their hearts, the wings grew attached to their little bodies. They quickly discovered how to use them and were lifted by the wings high into the air. The weights had become wings.”
She explains, “This is a parable for us. We are the wingless birds, and our duties and tasks are the wings God uses to lift us up and carry us heavenward. We look at our burdens and heavy loads, and try to run from them, but if we will carry them and tie them to our hearts, they will become wings. And on them we can then rise and soar toward God. She adds thoughts from J. R. Miller, “There is no burden so heavy that when lifted cheerfully with love in our hearts will not become a blessing to us. God intends for our tasks to be our helpers; to refuse to bend our shoulders to carry a load is to miss a new opportunity for growth.”
JC – “When you seek My Face, put aside thoughts of everything else. I am above all, as well as in all; your communion with Me transcends both time and circumstances.” See John 15:11 and 1 Cor. 13:12.
Power – Romans 8:37 – Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. Joyce explains her thoughts about this verse, “I’m sure other people have different interpretations, but I have come to the conclusion that being ‘more than a conqueror’ means you have such confidence that no matter what comes up in your life, you know that through Christ you can handle it…. Therefore, you don’t dread things, you don’t fear the unknown, and you don’t live in anxiety about what’s going to happen.”
JA – “When you wallow in the past or worry about the future, your awareness of Me grows dim. But the more you trust Me, the more fully you can live in the present, where My Presence awaits you always. Speak to Me frequently: ‘I trust You, Jesus.’ ‘I love You, O Lord, my strength.’ These short prayers keep you close to Me – confident that I’m lovingly watching over you…. Stay anchored to Me and enjoy My Presence by giving thanks in all circumstances.” See Psalm 18:1, Hebrews 12:28-29, and 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
JL – “My loving Lord, You are good and Your love endures forever! The best response to this promise is giving thanks to You and praising Your Name. Please help me to do this more consistently…. Giving You thanks and praising Your Name are ways I find strength for my journey…. In Your faithful Name, Jesus, Amen.” See Psalm 100:4-5, 2 Cor. 5:7, and Psalm 136:1.
