Hi people! Guess what? I’ve got a Pinterest quote to share with you today! You’re going to hear me say, “I read this quote the other day,” a lot because I’m on Pinterest at least once a day & I have a whole board devoted just to inspirational quotes, lol. So today’s quote is this:
“We have to develop spiritual stamina so, when a problem occurs, we don’t react out of emotion but out of wisdom.”
So what is stamina exactly?
- The bodily or mental capacity to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity.
- The moral or emotional strength to continue with a difficult process, effort.
You know who had spiritual stamina? My man Daniel!! You know, the one that can interpret dreams and is also known for getting thrown into a lions’ den. I’ve been studying the book of Daniel and well, he sounded like an all-around amazing guy. He was definitely what you would call righteous. Not only was Daniel renowned for his wisdom & intelligence but the man was humble, faithful, obedient, loyal, and confident. Even enemies couldn’t find any dirt on Daniel to use against him, haha.
Daniel 6:4
“Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.”
How could one man maintain such a clean record of good character?? He had built up his spiritual stamina.
In each chapter I’ve read, God has brought him to & taken him through many adversities. Every time Daniel faced opposition, He turned and faced his God. Getting taken from his family and chosen to serve in the royal service? God equipped him. King have an upsetting dream? God gave Daniel the ability to interpret it. Idol worshiping becoming a law? Nope, that’s not on Daniel’s schedule to take part in. Fiery furnace? There was another in the fire, sent by God. Lions’ den? God shut the mouths of lions.
These obstacles definitely strengthened Daniel’s faith because he saw his God remain faithful. But stamina is a whole different level of spiritual strength that comes through the use of staying-power and endurance. What do we do when we want to increase physical stamina? We workout, we give our muscles attention! Daniel developed stamina by exercising the act of prayer and paying attention to praise.
Daniel 6:10
“But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”
Daniel had a reputation that reflected Christ simply because he spent so much time with Him. Instead of allowing himself to face fear and become overcome by it, He went about his normal daily routine of trusting God. Oh, I can’t stress it enough, the importance of stopping where you are, turning around, going home, shutting the door, and kneeling before God. That’s where you gain your powerful spiritual stamina.
Despite the threats coming from the outside world, Daniel stayed the course by going inside to pray, which is a reaction of wisdom. Don’t you see? When you have spiritual stamina, you can face anything. It’s when you are not exercising prayer & praise that you feel shaken by fear and uncertainty. Sweetie (lol), we simply can’t afford to be weak in this world so we’ve got to work on our spiritual stamina.
Let’s take some lessons from Daniel by disciplining ourselves to take time with God. The more we do something, it becomes a habitual cycle. I want to be in the practiced routine of trusting God and it become my number one response. Daniel’s consistent time with God resulted in trust, which produced spiritual stamina. He now had the ability and wisdom it took to endure the inevitable obstacles and take on greater responsibilities.
Do you have that kind of spiritual stamina and wisdom? Or do you act out of emotion and become weakened with fear of tomorrow’s trials? Where do you run when opposition arises?
You can read the book of Daniel for yourself and realize that so many leaders fail because they lack humility, wisdom, and obedience. They want to do it all on their own and take all of the credit for themselves. Each king who didn’t decide to acknowledge God and give Him His rightful honor, ended up suffering a pretty devastating downfall. Why? Because they did not have the spiritual stamina.
Friends, we can’t stand on our own and we certainly can’t grow stronger without exercise. Today I want to encourage you to “workout” spiritually. Stop listening to the threats and fear of the the world and the future. Go get in the habit of trusting God, immediately & always. Truly allow yourself to get to know the God of all strength and wisdom.
#JJOTD (Jesus Jams Of The Day)
Confidence – Sanctus Real
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA9kSBv1QrI
Another in the fire – Hillsong UNITED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmNc0L7Ac5c
Love & Blessings,
Hannah