What About the Great Tribulation?

Donnie’s post places the great tribulation immediately after the rapture, referencing the mark of the beast (Revelation 13) and restrictions on commerce for those who refuse it. This is another area of debate. Let us examine where the Bible itself places this event.

We turn first to Matthew 24:3–31, subtitled in the ESV: “The Signs of the End of the Age.” The conversation here is a direct response to a question posed to Jesus by his disciples: “what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (v3).

As part of the events that will precede His coming, Jesus speaks of wars and rumours of wars, tribulation for believers, the rise of false prophets, and the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. He then refers to the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel. And, He says, immediately before His arrival:

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” (Matthew 24:21–22)

Critically, Jesus speaks of cutting short the tribulation for the sake of His elect—that is, believers will endure it, though preserved by God throughout.

John, writing in 1 John 2:18, notes that “the antichrist is coming”, and places his appearance before the Lord’s return. Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2, is explicit:

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him… Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4)

Note that the man of lawlessness—the antichrist—must be revealed before the day of the Lord’s coming. This aligns with Daniel’s abomination of desolation, referenced by Christ as a sign preceding His return. Revelation 20:4 further confirms this sequence, describing those who will reign with Christ as including “those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands” – meaning some will face and resist the Antichrist before Christ returns.

So, we conclude that the biblical teaching places the great tribulation and the rise of the antichrist before Christ’s second coming, not after.

A Glorious Future

We now turn our attention to the events that will take place at Christ’s return, and immediately thereafter. The primary proof text is Revelation 20.

As argued in the previous article, 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 describes the dead in Christ being resurrected and believers still alive being transformed and caught up together to welcome the returning Lord. Notice “the sound of the trumpet of God” (v16b) at Christ’s return. This is the same trumpet Paul references in 1 Corinthians 15:

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51–53)

The order is clear: at the trumpet’s sound, the dead in Christ are raised with resurrection bodies; then those still alive are transformed to receive glorified, imperishable bodies as well. Together, they are caught up to meet and escort the Lord back to earth (see the prequel).

Paul continues in the same chapter:

“Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:24–25)

Upon His return, Christ will reign over a mixed people—including those described as His enemies. This is the millennial rule described in Revelation 20. It is worth pausing to examine what Revelation 20 actually says, since this passage is the primary text in the debate between the millennial positions.

In the preceding chapter (Revelation 19:11–21), John has described Christ’s return in glory—the rider on the white horse, the defeat of the beast and the false prophet. The very next scene opens:

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:1–2).

The sequence is instructive: the binding of Satan follows immediately upon Christ’s return and the defeat of the Antichrist—it does not describe the present age. John then sees thrones set up, and those who had been martyred for their witness to Jesus “came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4). This, John declares, “is the first resurrection” (Revelation 20:5–6): the resurrection of the righteous that precedes the final judgment.

The Amillennial and Postmillennial views

It should be noted that Amillennialists (those who hold that the millennium is not a future, earthly reign but a present, spiritual reality already underway since Christ’s first coming) and Postmillennialists (those who believe Christ will return after a future golden age in which the gospel triumphs and the millennium is realised) understand this passage differently.

Amillennialists typically read the binding of Satan as referring to the present age since Christ’s first coming, and the “first resurrection” as the believer’s spiritual resurrection at conversion, or the state of the departed saints reigning with Christ in heaven. These are not frivolous readings; they are held by serious and godly interpreters. However, the premillennial reading (which I hold) commends itself on several grounds, as outlined below.

First, the passage follows chronologically from the return of Christ depicted in chapter 19. The “first resurrection” is presented alongside physical martyrdom. Beheadings are bodily realities, and the plain sense of the passage suggests a corresponding bodily resurrection in response. Second, the binding of Satan is described in vivid, concrete terms—a chain, a pit, a seal, with an explicit beginning and ending point—and sits uneasily with the present age in which Satan is elsewhere described as actively prowling and opposing the church (1 Peter 5:8). And finally, the subsequent earthly reign of Christ aligns with the prophetic vision that runs throughout the Old Testament, some of which we will touch briefly below.

Glorious, But Not Yet Eternal

Several scriptures describe a state in which the earth is deeply renewed, yet sin and death have not been entirely eradicated. Isaiah 65:20, for example, speaks of dramatically extended lifespans alongside the continued reality of sin and death:

“No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Isaiah 11:6–9 similarly depicts a time when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea; when the wolf and the lamb will dwell together, the leopard lie down with the kid, and a little child will lead them. Yet the subsequent verses (Isaiah 11:10–11) indicate that some will still come to the Lord for salvation during this era—a time of magnificent renewal, but not yet the final, eternal state of absolute righteousness (see also Psalm 72:8–14; Zechariah 14:5–17).

We know for a fact that the eternal state will be marked by the complete absence of sin (2 Peter 3:13) and death (Revelation 21:4). Since these conditions are not yet present in the era described by Isaiah and Zechariah, this must refer to the millennial reign rather than the new creation. Recall that immediately before this millennial reign, Satan will be bound for a specific period of a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-4), so that ‘he might not deceive the nations any longer’.

Amillennial and Postmillennial interpretations of Isaiah 65

It should be acknowledged that Amillennial and Postmillennial interpreters would not generally grant Isaiah 65 as straightforward evidence for a future earthly millennium. Amillennialists often understand such passages as describing the new creation in figurative terms, or as prophetic language fulfilled spiritually in the church (present) age. Postmillennialists may read them as anticipating a golden era of gospel advance prior to Christ’s return.

Even granting this range of readings, however, the continued presence of sin and death in Isaiah 65— “the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed”—sits uneasily with any description of the eternal state, which Scripture uniformly presents as entirely free from sin and death (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:4). The contrast between the conditions in Isaiah 65 and those of the new creation points toward an intermediate period of magnificent renewal—which is precisely what the premillennial framework calls the millennium.

Revelation 20:1–4 tells us that immediately before this millennial reign, Satan will be bound, so that “he might not deceive the nations any longer.” And yet, even with Satan restrained, the fact that Christ will rule with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 19:15) further suggests that during this period, there will be those who submit to His authority outwardly but not inwardly—compliance borne of compulsion rather than genuine transformation of heart.

Nonetheless, Christ will rule with perfect justice and righteousness (Psalm 72:8–14), and creation will be dramatically renewed – a breathtaking preview of what the world looks like when the rightful King is finally on His throne.

Conclusion

At the close of the millennium, Satan will be released for a season, will incite a final rebellion, but will be decisively and permanently defeated. Then will come the second resurrection (Revelation 20:5, 13), in which the unbelieving dead will also be raised, followed by the final judgment before the great white throne. And then, at last, the eternal state. But these are matters for a separate article.

What we can say here is this: what awaits the people of God is not a fearful escape from a world in chaos, but a glorious homecoming—resurrection, reunion with Christ our Lord, and the renewal of all things under His righteous rule. That is a hope worth holding firmly, and worth being ready for!

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The post has since gone viral, drawing thousands of views, likes, and comments.

While I am not here to evaluate the authenticity of Donnie’s dream, certain theological claims embedded in his post warrant careful biblical examination. Can genuine believers miss the rapture? Will the rapture be a secret event? What follows the rapture? What about the rise of the Antichrist and the great tribulation?

These questions belong to the branch of theology known as eschatology—from the Greek eschatos, meaning “last things”, and logia, meaning “study of” or “doctrine”—the doctrine of the end times and the future. My aim in this article is to provide biblical clarity on each of them and, in doing so, to offer genuine comfort to believers who have wrestled with them.

Some aspects of eschatology are genuinely complex, about which we cannot speak dogmatically, and we should extend grace to those who hold alternative views. Nonetheless, certain things are clear. Rather than surveying all the competing positions, I will begin with what Scripture teaches plainly, then move into areas of legitimate controversy. I invite the reader to weigh the arguments and judge for themselves by Scripture alone.

What Is the Rapture?

The term rapture refers to the taking up or snatching away of believers to be with Christ when He returns. It derives from the Latin rapio, meaning to seize, snatch, or carry away. The primary proof text is 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. The same concept appears in our Lord’s teaching in Matthew 24:40–41: two men in the field, one taken and one left; two women grinding at the mill, one taken and one left—all of it grounded in His promise that He will come again and take His followers to be with Him forever (John 14:3).

Could Believers Miss the Rapture?

In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul is emphatic: believers who have died in Christ will rise first, and those still alive will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. Who are those who are “alive and left”? Given that the criterion for those who rise first is that they are “in the Lord,” it follows that those still alive who are caught up must likewise be in the Lord—believers living at the time of Christ’s return.

“In the Lord” is the New Testament’s shorthand for all who have placed saving faith in Jesus—a description of the union believers share with Christ and with one another. This is clear from the immediate context: verse 14 states, “since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” Paul is plainly addressing those who believe in the death and resurrection of Christ. He calls them brothers throughout the letter—the standard New Testament term for fellow believers—and describes them in 1:1 as “the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.“

Union with Christ: the deepest assurance of salvation

When one comes to saving faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit miraculously and irrevocably unites the believer to Christ Himself. Through this union, the believer receives all the saving benefits Christ merited by His life, death, and resurrection.

This spans their election in Christ before the foundation of the world, and by it they participate in everything that Jesus did during His earthly ministry as their representative. This means that when Jesus died, the old nature of the elect was crucified with Him (Galatians 5:24). By this Union, the believer’s sins were imputed to Christ, He atoned for them, and, in turn, the righteousness of Christ was imputed to the believer (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Notably, the believer’s union with Christ guarantees our security as Christians. Once united spiritually with Christ, one cannot be ‘unjoined’ from Him. The Union is an inseparable one. It is as irreversible as one cannot be unborn. This is what it means to be in Christ.

Justified in Christ by Union with Christ, free from condemnation

We can therefore conclude that the sole criterion for being raptured is the fact that we are in Christ, not works, achievement, or a particular level of spiritual zeal. To be precise, the reason no genuine believer can miss the rapture is not that he has met some subjective standard of spiritual readiness, but that God has already declared him righteous in Christ.

This is the doctrine of justification—the gracious and judicial act of God whereby He removes the guilt of sin and declares the sinner righteous in His sight, not because of anything done by them, but because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to him and received by faith alone. It is a forensic verdict, spoken from the throne of the eternal Judge. And it does not change.

Paul presses the point in Romans 8: 33–34 “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?“. God does not justify by degrees. When He declares a sinner righteous, the verdict is final. The case is settled. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

The assurance we need is not a better assessment of our recent spiritual performance, but a clearer view of our objective standing before God in Christ. The question is not, “Have I been holy enough?” but “Has Christ truly atoned for all my sin, and am I clothed in His righteousness as a result?” And the answer to that second question, for every genuine believer, is an unequivocal yes.

Reading the comments on Donnie’s post, one cannot help but notice that many of the fears being expressed are not fundamentally eschatological—they stem from a lack of assurance of salvation. Many seem to be evaluating their standing before God in terms of recent spiritual performance rather than in light of the finished work of Christ. The remedy for such fear is not a more anxious inspection of one’s spiritual record, but a more confident resting in what Christ has already accomplished on our behalf.

Dear reader, as a sinner, have you come to Christ in faith? Then you are in Christ. And they who are in Christ will be caught up to meet with Christ upon His return. 

What then is the place of ongoing holiness?

We ought to take seriously our Lord’s command to remain watchful, like servants who do not know when their master will return (Matthew 24:45–51). But this warning should not be read to mean that a genuine believer can somehow miss the rapture. I suspect this is precisely the implication in Donnie’s post—that if the Lord returned while you were in the middle of committing a particular sin, you might be left behind.

I am not dismissing the importance of sanctification or holy living; quite the opposite. However, we must distinguish between our good works, which demonstrate that we are saved, and the fact that it is not our good works that save us.

What, then, do those warnings accomplish? Believers have been set free from slavery to sin (Romans 6). The warning passages of Scripture, therefore, call them to be functionally or experimentally what they already are positionally in Christ: holy (Galatians 5:1; Philippians 2:12–13).

Thus, the warnings of Scripture serve as the means by which God calls His people to watchfulness, not to be seen as a threat of exclusion, but as a means of sustaining those He has already secured (Philippians 1:6).

Will the Rapture Be Secret?

Here we enter an area of controversy. Donnie’s post implies that the rapture will be a secret event—a view held by those who believe the church will be quietly snatched away to escape the coming tribulation, after which Jesus will return to establish His millennial reign, followed by final judgment and the eternal state.

My difficulty with this view is that it requires not one but two future returns of the Lord: a second coming to remove His people secretly, and a third coming to establish His kingdom. But does the Bible teach two second comings?

Nowhere in Scripture do we read of two separate future returns. When Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, the angels told the disciples plainly: “He will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). In Matthew 24, speaking of His return, Jesus says:

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man… Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:26–27, 30)

His coming will be visible to all—as unmistakable as lightning splitting the sky. Every person on earth will witness it. On my part, I cannot reconcile a secret return with this. 

Caught Up to Meet the Returning King

If the second coming is not secret, and there can be only one future return of Christ, then 1 Thessalonians 4 must be read accordingly: believers who have died and those still alive will be caught up together to meet the Lord as He arrives—not to be whisked away to a different location, but to welcome Him back.

The Greek word Paul uses for “meet” here—apantēsis—was used in the ancient world to describe the formal civic procession in which citizens would pour out of their city to welcome and escort a returning dignitary, conquering general, or king.

Similarly, the word Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 for Christ’s coming—parousia—was the term for a royal visit: the arrival of a high-ranking official, even Caesar himself. Whenever such a figure approached, the people would go out to meet him with fanfare and celebration, then escort him through the city gates.

The direction of travel is telling: the citizens go out to the approaching figure, then turn back and accompany him in. We see the same pattern in Matthew 25:6, where the bridesmaids go out to meet the bridegroom, and in Acts 28:15, where Roman believers travel out to meet Paul on the road and then accompany him into the city.

Paul’s use of apantēsis, therefore, strongly suggests that believers meet Christ in the air not to be permanently transported away, but to escort the returning King back to earth as He takes His throne. This reading is supported by Revelation 20, which indicates that upon His return, Christ will immediately establish His millennial reign, with believers reigning alongside Him on a renewed earth (more of this in the subsequent article). 

Conclusion

We have established that no genuine believer can miss the rapture; not because of any spiritual achievement on their part, but because their standing before God rests entirely on the finished work of Christ. We have also seen that the biblical evidence points away from a secret rapture toward a visible, glorious return, in which believers are caught up not to escape to heaven, but to escort their returning King back to earth.

Much remains to be said: what happens next after the rapture? The questions of the great tribulation, the Antichrist, and the millennial reign of Christ all bear directly on how we read the times we are living in, and how we ought to live in them. We will take these up in the next article.

For now, let this much be settled in your heart, dear reader: if you are in Christ, you have nothing to fear. The God who justified you will glorify you. The Saviour who died for you is coming back for you. And when He comes, He will not lose a single one of those the Father has given Him.

Notes

1. For further reading on the doctrine of the believer’s Union with Christ, see this previous article and this series of articles and resources from Ligonier Ministries.
2. For further reading on the doctrine of Justification, please see this article.

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Recently, Joe Mettle, a seasoned gospel musician in Ghana, released a single entitled ‘This Year’, in which he gave musical expression to these very promises. In the song, Mettle declares the unfolding year to be one that will overflow with testimonies and signs and wonders on every side. He sings of swimming in abundance, of waking up with spiritual fervour, and of personally living out every promise God has ever spoken. Doors, he declares, will swing open at his approach; favour will meet him at every turn; every valley in his path will be transformed into a highway; and every prophecy spoken over his life will come to pass—all of this decreed and declared over himself in Jesus’ name.

The wealth and health gospel

The theology that animates this song belongs to what is commonly known as the Word of Faith movement, or the wealth-and-health—or prosperity—gospel. In brief, this teaching frames faith as a currency with which one transacts with God. The logic runs as follows: if you have sufficient faith, you may legitimately demand from heaven’s resources—perfect health, financial abundance, and essentially anything else one desires.

In this framework, faith becomes a guarantee of success, whether in job interviews, business contracts, or even sporting outcomes. One does not ask God; one commands Him, on the basis of one’s faith. This is precisely the spirit behind Mettle’s song: I decree and declare it.

Does God actually promise these things?

What does “a year full of testimony” actually mean? What is “swimming in abundance”? In Word of Faith phraseology, terms like testimony, favour, and blessing are interpreted almost exclusively in terms of wealth and health—material prosperity. Signs and wonders, in this framework, translate to having everything you want and never being in want. The question is therefore straightforward: does the Bible actually promise believers a life of uninterrupted abundance?

The answer is no. There is not a single verse of Scripture that makes this promise. It is, plainly stated, deceptive teaching. The song invites listeners to expect to “live every prophecy and word God has spoken.” Very well. Let us take that seriously and examine what God has actually spoken.

What Jesus promised

Jesus was unambiguous about what His followers should expect in this world:

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Note the words carefully: you will have tribulation. Not “you might”, not “you will if your faith is weak”, but you will. This is a promise as certain as any other Jesus made. The comfort He offers is not the removal of hardship, but His own victory over it.

More striking still is the cost of discipleship Jesus sets out in Luke 9:23-25. The language here is arresting. Daily self-denial. A cross. The willingness to lose one’s life. This is the path Jesus calls every believer to walk—not a highway of unbroken favour, but the narrow road of self-surrender. It is also a direct rebuke to the prosperity gospel’s core logic: Jesus Himself asks what profit there is in gaining the whole world, if the soul is forfeited in the process. The very thing the prosperity gospel promises—worldly abundance—is the thing Jesus warns us not to live for.

One looks in vain for these promises in the Word of Faith repertoire.

What the Apostle Paul experienced

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12–13)

Paul—who was caught up to the third heaven and authored much of the New Testament—knew seasons of genuine hunger and need, not merely as a passing phase on the way to abundance, but as a recurring reality of his apostolic life. The famous verse that follows (“I can do all things through him who strengthens me”) is not, as it is so often used, a promise of limitless achievement; it is a declaration of contentment in hardship, sustained by divine strength.

What the Apostle Peter taught

In his letter to Jewish Christians scattered across the Roman world, Peter offered no promise of comfort and ease. Instead, he called them to follow Christ’s own example of suffering:

“For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly… if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:19–21)

Peter goes on to say that it is blessed to suffer for righteousness’ sake (3:14), and that it may sometimes be God’s will for His people to suffer for doing good (3:17). Suffering, in Peter’s theology, is not a sign of weak faith or divine disfavour—it can be the precise pathway along which God leads His children.

The testimony of the early church

“…strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)

This was the message the apostles brought to young churches: not a guarantee of ease, but a call to persevere through tribulation. It is worth noting the word must—tribulation is not presented as an unfortunate possibility for those without faith, but as a normal feature of the Christian journey.

It is precisely in the seasons of lack, the trials of faith, and the furnace of tribulation that genuine faith is proved. Anyone can profess trust in God when life is comfortable. The question that suffering asks—and that the prosperity gospel cannot answer—is whether our faith is in God Himself, or merely in the blessings we hope He will provide.

But how about Job 22:28?

A verse frequently cited in defence of the decree-and-declare approach is Job 22:28: “You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways” (NKJV). The ESV rendition reads: “You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.”

Already, the ESV translation is telling: decide on a matter carries none of the mystical, commanding force that Word of Faith teachers read into this verse. On the surface, however, the NKJV rendering appears to lend credibility to the notion that the believer has the authority to speak things into existence—to decree prosperity, health, and success, and expect them to materialise.

John Gill, one of the most thorough biblical expositors in the history of the church, addresses this passage directly. His commentary is instructive. Gill notes that strictly speaking, unfrustrable decrees belong to God alone—it is God whose counsel stands and whose purposes cannot be overthrown. When the verse speaks of a person decreeing a thing, Gill argues it is best understood in one of three ways: as a just leader whose wise decisions are ratified by heaven; as a person who, having committed their plans to God, finds them prospered and established; or—most fittingly—as a person of prayer, who lifts their requests to God in genuine faith and receives accordingly. The light that shines upon their ways is not the light of their own authority or declaration, but the light of God’s grace within them, God’s word guiding them, and God’s favour blessing their endeavours.

In other words, Job 22:28 is a promise to the person who humbly commits their ways to God—not a licence for the believer to stand in the place of God and decree outcomes into existence. The authority here belongs to God; the posture required of the believer is faith and dependence, not command and entitlement.

This reading is confirmed by the verses immediately preceding:

“Then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you…” (Job 22:25-27)

Notice the portrait of the person whose decisions are established by God. This is someone for whom God Himself is the treasure—their gold, their precious silver. Because they delight in the Almighty above all else, their desires and decisions naturally align with His will. It is no wonder, then, that God establishes them. The text offers no support whatsoever for the idea that any believer, by the force of their declaration, can command God to produce outcomes on their behalf.

A conspicuous omission

It has not escaped our attention that the song ‘This Year’ is entirely silent on the call to holy living. From beginning to end, it is preoccupied with claiming blessings, with no word of exhortation to holiness—which is, in fact, the explicit will of God for every believer (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5).  It is therefore far from uncommon to find professing Christians living in open disobedience and yet fully expecting—and enthusiastically claiming—God’s blessing.

Conclusion

The theology embedded in the song This Year is a fundamental distortion of Biblical Christianity. It replaces petition with presumption, substitutes entitlement for faith, and promises what God has never promised. When Scripture is examined accurately, a different picture emerges: one in which believers are called to endure tribulation, follow a suffering Saviour, learn contentment in seasons of plenty and want, and trust a sovereign God whose ways are higher than ours.

This does not mean God is indifferent to our circumstances, or that prayer is futile. On the contrary—the Bible is full of encouragements to bring every need before God, ask boldly, and expect His faithfulness. But God’s faithfulness does not mean the removal of all hardship. It means the presence of God within it, strength sufficient for each trial, and an eternal inheritance that no earthly suffering can diminish.

The prosperity gospel does a profound disservice to Christians—particularly those in contexts of genuine poverty, illness, and suffering—by implying that their hardship is evidence of insufficient faith. It is not. Some of the most faith-filled people in Scripture suffered the most deeply: Job, Paul, Peter, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Their trials did not contradict God’s promises; they were part of them.

We call on Christian leaders, musicians, and influencers—particularly across Ghana and the wider African church—to handle the word of God carefully and accurately. The gospel is genuinely good news: not the promise of a trouble-free life, but the promise of a Saviour who has overcome the world, and who walks with His people through every valley until He brings them safely home.

Notes

• https://tgnghana.org/dont-fall-for-it-this-31st-december/
• https://tgnghana.org/new-years-eve-vigil-services-auspicious-moments-or-gospel-merchandise/

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In the traditional Ghanaian worldview, you keep good news to yourself for fear that an ‘enemy of your progress’ might jeopardise it through witchcraft or sorcery. People do not share when they are attending interviews, expecting a child, making visa applications, or about to travel. The Ghanaian lives in perpetual fear of being harmed by the ‘evil eye’—even from within their own family.

A Biblical Worldview

The first audience of the New Testament was not so very different from us. Many had come from pagan backgrounds, having been exposed to sorcery, witchcraft, and the worship of false gods (see for example, Acts 19:19). It was therefore all too easy for them to import the practices and beliefs of their former lives into their newfound faith in Christ.

Several passages in the New Testament call for a new perspective and worldview, using the pattern: ‘you used to walk in these ways, but now…’ (Eph. 5:8; Col. 3:7–8; Titus 3:3–5). We need our minds—our perspectives, our entire worldview—to be transformed through knowledge. This is what Romans 12:2 calls the renewing of the mind.

A God-Entranced Perspective on Biblical Warfare

In Part I of this article, we called for a God-entranced worldview, saturated in the sovereignty of God, to permeate our prayers. This does not mean denying Satan’s power. The Bible acknowledges that Satan and his demons are always at work (1 Pet. 5:8–9), and that he has the power to instigate painful persecution and, at times, even to kill Christians (Rev. 2:10). But the great comfort is this: Satan cannot do anything apart from God’s sovereign permission.

The biblical worldview is that spiritual warfare is normal—there is nothing extraordinary about it. Ephesians 6:16 calls us to:

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.

The way to extinguish Satan’s darts—the way to do warfare—is simply to stand firm in our faith. It is faith in the Sovereign God that quenches Satan’s missiles. And the way we go on the offensive is by wielding the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). This means believing everything God says about Himself, about us as His children, and about Satan. The truth is that God is sovereign over Satan and his cohorts; we are hidden in Christ in God; and Satan is a defeated foe.

Doing Warfare Biblically

In light of God’s sovereignty, prayers for protection or deliverance need not dwell unduly on Satan. Our Lord once said to Peter: ‘Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers’ (Luke 22:31–32).

The word ‘demanded’ in the ESV can be easily misunderstood. The Greek root is equally rendered ‘to ask earnestly’ or ‘to request insistently’. In other words, Satan is asking God’s permission to have Peter delivered into his hands—which means he does not have the power to touch Peter in the first place. This reaffirms what we said earlier: whatever power Satan wields is entirely within the limits of God’s sovereignty. He cannot touch any child of God unless God permits it.

A text that unequivocally cements our security in Christ is John 10:28–29, where our Lord declares:

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

All Scripture is precious—sweeter than honey and the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10)— yet I confess I am tempted to call this the sweetest promise in all Holy Writ. Jesus here assures believers that they will never perish: their salvation is eternally secured. And as if that assurance were not sufficient, He adds that this security is doubly guaranteed in the might of the Father—there is none greater than He; the Father’s grip on His people ensures that no power can destroy them or wrench them from His sovereign, loving protection. Satan may do his worst, but he can destroy only the body; he can never touch the souls of God’s people (Matt. 10:28). And even that limited power is always constrained within the bounds of God’s sovereignty.

It is for these reasons that I believe the approach to ‘warfare’ propagated by the ‘dangerous prayer’ movement we talked about in Part I of this series does not square with the biblical perspective. When the Bible speaks of ‘weapons of warfare’, it points to standing on the truth of God’s Word in order to demolish strongholds of false belief—the distorted thinking that held sway when we were ignorant of God’s promises (Eph. 4:17; 2 Cor. 10:4–5).

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Cor. 10).

God Is Glorified When We Depend on Him

One final thought regarding praying for our needs. At the close of Part I, we asked whether God-entranced prayer precludes praying for our daily needs. In response, we turn to the Lord’s prayer, a model prayer Jesus gave His disciples. Of its six petitions, only one concerns physical provision—yet from this we understand that our Lord fully expected His people to bring their daily needs to Him: food, shelter, clothing, and all that is necessary for life. God is glorified when we depend on Him in this way, as creatures who look to their Creator for sustenance. Psalm 145 says as much:

The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds and the glorious splendour of your kingdom… The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing… He fulfils the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.

The Psalmist celebrates the goodness and mercy of God, summoning all creation to give thanks and His saints to bless Him. And among the glories of His kingdom that they are to proclaim, the Psalmist lists God’s faithful provision to all who look to Him. There is, then, a way of asking for provision that glorifies God—a posture of utter dependence and reliance that honours Him. He delights to fulfil the desires of those who fear Him.

Conclusion

Too often our prayers fixate on Satan, inadvertently giving him more credit than he is due. While we do not deny that Satan is at work to frustrate God’s agenda—which he cannot, we have clear biblical warrant that he cannot act outside of God’s sovereign rule and reign. We resist him, therefore, by standing firm on God’s promises. That is how we wage war as believers — wielding the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Such prayers are saturated with the sovereignty of God.

And it is God’s honour to provide for His creation. As His children, He is glorified when we depend on Him for our needs.

The post Learning to Pray Like Paul — Part II appeared first on TGN.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)

It has been said that if you want to know a man’s theology, listen in on his prayers. This has certainly been true in my own life. Back in my secondary school days, there was a little book in circulation called Dangerous Prayers, which  taught a style of prayer that attacked the ‘source of your problems’ – namely, Satan and his minions.

Armed with select verses, you would ‘go to war’ against the demonic forces militating against your progress. The book then led you through ‘battle’ after ‘battle’ against ancestral curses, anti-miracle forces, anti-prosperity forces, spirit guards, spiritual spouses – the list was endless.

In retrospect, , I have realised that what I read as a teenager shaped my prayer life for years to come. Many of the prayer meetings I attended fuelled such prayers. We had sessions badged ‘Spiritual Warfare’ where all we did was bind Satan and his cohorts. The implication was clear: Satan was responsible for anything that looked amiss in one’s life—from besetting sins to joblessness, singleness, barrenness, poverty, poor academic performance, ancestral curses—you name it.

Super-spiritual But Shallow Prayers

Those prayers sounded super-spiritual. But they were founded on a false theology of God, prayer and what it means to be a Christian. Is it possible for a Christian to be cursed? Could Satan hold back my marriage, job opportunity, academic excellence, or promotion? If so, then our God must be powerless and weak  for Satan to toy with His children as he pleases. Does Scripture even teach this?

Reading the New Testament, I find that this approach to prayer is completely alien to the apostolic model. There’s not  a single example of apostolic prayer addressed to witches and wizards or demons, prohibiting them from tampering with a believer’s progress in life. Rather, I see an abundance of prayers focused on God’s greatness, growing in holiness, discerning the will of God, pleasing God, and representing Him well as ambassadors of Christ who shine as lights in a dark world.

God-entranced Prayers

Take, for example, our opening verses from Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. These are his partners in the gospel, he says; people who are dear to his heart and for whom he prays always (v3-5, 7). He loves them deeply (v8). The description so far has been sweet and intimate.  Paul  cares affectionately for them. And so, we can be sure that his prayers for them must be equally meaningful and powerful, caring deeply for their their wellbeing. For this reason, it’s instructive to glean from his prayers for these Philippian Christians.

But what does he pray for them? “That your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

In the original classical Greek, the word translated ‘approve’ here referred to the assaying of metals or testing of money for authenticity (see Luke 12:56; 14:19). In essence, Paul is praying that the Philippians grow in their ability to discern those things that are truly important, so they can establish the right priorities. He prays that they will bear fruits of righteousness as Christ works in them and shines through them – and all of these things will result in one ultimate end: to the glory and praise of God. (This paragraph I believe should follow immediately after the text because you are explaining the word approve.)

Paul is concerned for their  growth in love and knowledge and all discernment. That is because Christian belief (termed here as knowledge and discernment) expresses itself in how we love and behave. “As we grow in our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus,we will increasingly be able to affirm and practice what is excellent.” Consequently, he prays that they will choose what is excellent and, by so doing, live pure and blameless lives as they await the second coming of our Lord.

Paul here summarises what it means to live as a Christian: to live for God’s glory. Everything else flows from this. A cursory look at the New Testament reveals that this is the ultimate goal of the Christian life: the glory of God. Jonathan Edwards calls it the end for which God made all things. And this is the grand theme of all that God does in redemptive history. Rightly, it permeates the Apostle’s prayer for these Philippian believers.

A ‘Dangerous Prayers’ pandemic?

Reflecting on the Ghanaian and African Christian landscape, there have emerged a number of influential prayer movements that have drawn large followings on social media and transcend nations, even continents. If what ardent followers of these movements share on social media is anything to go by, the focus and drift look very similar to the Dangerous Prayers model I was introduced to back in secondary school in the 90s.

Attendees are led to pray fervently for an end to financial stagnation, marital issues, childlessness, etc., and prayers and ‘decrees’ are issued promising an end to any forces militating against their progress. It is always Satan or some other force linked to him that is supposedly frustrating believers’ rise to glory.

Was Satan Less Active in the 1st Century?

Was Satan less active  when Paul wrote his epistles? Is that why he does not directly confront Satan in his prayers or battle for the deliverance of the saints to whom he wrote? I don’t think so. The world back then was not unlike the world today.

Church history tells us that the early Christians faced persecution far more severe than anything most of us will ever experience. Emperors like Nero viciously persecuted believers, burning some as torches to light his games and throwing others to lions for entertainment. Yet we don’t find a single apostolic prayer binding the demons supposedly motivating these despotic emperors or blaming Satan for the intense persecution the church experienced. The apostles saw God as Sovereign over all history, even in their suffering, yet their prayers remained God-centred, not Satan-focused.

We know from his letters that they often faced intense persecution on account of their faith and experienced diverse trials and temptations. In this very epistle, Paul recounts how Epaphroditus, a co-worker whom the Philippians sent with aid for him, fell ill and almost died. Yet Paul simply comments, “Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” Even in the midst of affliction with sickness, the focus quickly shifts to God, not Satan.

Thus, we are given an insight into Paul’s theology: He was deeply saturated by a high view of God’s sovereignty. Nothing happened to the believer except by God’s permission (see the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism and accompanying Scriptural basis); and all things, Satan included, are subservient to God’s will (recall Job and see here). And so, Satan doesn’t take centre stage in Paul’s prayers – God’s glory does. And so should it permeate our prayers as well.

Praying Like Paul

In 2014, when I was exposed to Reformed theology, the first thing that gripped me was a profound sense of the sovereignty of God. And what a transformation a God-entranced, sovereignty-saturated view of God has made to my prayers! My ‘dangerous’ approach of commanding and decreeing things in prayer gave way to a more sober and humble reverence and awe for the majestic sovereignty of the One to whom I come when I approach the throne of grace.

Now I don’t waste precious time on Satan and his minions. God has taken care of them and takes care of me, so I don’t need to. Rather, inspired by Paul, I spend my meditations and prayers on how to grow in love and knowledge and discernment, to bear the fruit of righteousness, and to represent Christ well to those around me – living for His glory as He powerfully works His grace within me.

Does this mean praying for my needs and Christian warfare is unbiblical? We’ll address this in the sequel to this article.

The post Learning to Pray Like Paul appeared first on TGN.

This communal practice resonates deeply with the Protestant theological tradition. In the writings of the Puritans, we find our contemporary practice rooted in centuries of careful reflection on how God shapes His people through prayer.

The Puritan theologian Richard Rogers noted that “God’s children are especially refreshed through public prayers” and that “we learn to pray gospel-centred, God-glorifying prayers by listening to experienced saints.” Rogers wrote these words as part of his practical guide to the Christian life (the Seven Treatises), focusing on what he called “the means^§ whereby a godly life is helped and continued”—what we now know as the Spiritual Disciplines: the preaching of the Word, the sacraments, and prayer^¶.

Rogers emphasises the importance of hearing other believers pray, particularly in the gathered assembly. As we listen and consent together in the same requests, we grow in grace. In essence, we learn to pray gospel-centred, God-glorifying, Christ-exalting prayers by listening to experienced saints. What better teachers could we have than the Apostles whose doctrine and teaching laid the foundation of the Church (Ephesians 2:20).

As the author of nearly one-third of the New Testament, Paul shaped early Christian theology and practice through his letters, his proclamation, and his intercession. His prayers, woven throughout his epistles, reveal a man whose heart was consumed with gospel concerns and whose petitions were saturated with Scripture. In Paul’s prayers, we glimpse what Spirit-empowered, gospel-centred intercession truly looks like. This is why God has graciously preserved the prayers of the apostles: so that we may learn from them and pray along with them.

In the resource that follows, we have collated the prayers of Paul, organised by theme, to serve as a guide for your meditation and spiritual growth. Read through them. Pray them for yourself and others. Meditate on them. Let them shape your understanding of what faithful intercession looks like. As you do, may you find yourself conformed to the apostolic pattern of prayer—may you discover afresh what it means to pray with biblical conviction and Spirit-empowered urgency. And may you experience the transformative grace that comes when our prayer life aligns with the Word and mirrors the example of the saints.

1. PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING

For Churches

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” (Romans 1:8)

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you.” (1 Corinthians 1:4–6)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

“For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God… Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:12, 15)

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3–5)

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.” (Colossians 1:3–4)

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:2–3)

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

For Individuals

“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service.” (1 Timothy 1:12)

“I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.” (2 Timothy 1:3)

“I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints… for I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” (Philemon 4–5, 7)

2. PRAYERS FOR SPIRITUAL WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE & REVELATION

“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:17–19a)

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent.” (Philippians 1:9–10)

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” (Colossians 1:9)

“…and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” (Philemon 6)

3. PRAYERS FOR SPIRITUAL STRENGTH, MATURITY & GROWTH

Inner Strength & Fullness

“…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16–19)

Maturity & Sanctification

“For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.” (2 Corinthians 13:9)

“…so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.” (Colossians 1:10–11)

“…so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:13)

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ… so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:6, 10–11)

4. PRAYERS FOR LOVE, UNITY & HARMONY

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together with one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5–6)

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more.” (Philippians 1:9)

“…and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12)

5. PRAYERS FOR JOY, PEACE, HOPE & ENCOURAGEMENT

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)

“May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” (Romans 15:33)

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17)

6. PRAYERS FOR GUIDANCE & DIRECTION

“…asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.” (Romans 1:10)

“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

7. PRAYERS FOR MINISTRY EFFECTIVENESS

“I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints.” (Romans 15:30–31)

“…and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:19–20)

“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” (Colossians 4:3–4)

“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12)

8. PRAYERS FOR SALVATION & DELIVERANCE

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1)

“…that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea.” (Romans 15:31)

9. PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS

For Timothy

“I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy… for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:3–4, 7)

For Onesiphorus

“May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains… may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!” (2 Timothy 1:16, 18)

Notes

1. Holy Helps for a Godly Life, Richard Rogers, Edited by Brian G. Hedges, Reformation Heritage Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, pp. 26-27.
2. Systematic Theology, Charles Hodge, Oak Harbor, Wash: Logos Research Systems, 1997; 3:446.

• Charles Hodge writes, “By means of grace…the phrase is intended to indicate those institutions which God has ordained to be the ordinary channels of grace, i.e., of the supernatural influences of the Holy Spirit, to the souls of men.”

¶For a full treatment of the Spiritual Disciplines, see Donald S. Whitney’s ‘Spiritual Disciplines’, or Richard J. Foster’s ‘Celebrations of Discipline.’

The post The Prayers of Paul appeared first on TGN.

My purpose in this article is to demonstrate that much of what passes for prophetic declarations promises what God has not promised and, in fact, stands at variance with biblical Christianity.

This article is not a rejection of Christian hope, prayer, or encouragement for the year ahead. Rather, it is a critique of the practice of issuing authoritative “prophetic declarations” that promise specific outcomes God has not promised and that sit uneasily with the teaching of Scripture.

The Problem with Prosperity Prophecies

Tellingly, you rarely hear declarations that promise tribulation, suffering, or persecution in the coming year on account of one’s faith.

Consider this snippet from a megachurch’s New Year’s Eve service:

“There shall be no tears on your face all through 2026! Good news! 2026 is your year of laughter only! No breakdown for you all through 2026! 2026 is a sickness-free year for you! Your marital destiny case is open! There shall be no death in your household! All through this year, there shall be no downtime in your spiritual life!“

You may have seen or heard similar ‘declarations’ to the ones above, promising a year of uninterrupted blessings. Scripture, however, never promises a suffering-free Christian life. Jesus prepared His disciples for the opposite:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18-21).

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

The apostles taught the same:

“When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:21-22)

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” (Phil. 1:29)

Paul writes that at one point in Asia, he and his companions were so utterly burdened beyond their strength that they despaired of life itself:

“Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

The context of these passages proves that suffering is part and parcel of the Christian life. In stark contrast, the import of the so-called prophetic declarations recycled each year is that if God is with you, it will always be sunny and bright. But Jesus and the Apostles disagree (see further Scriptural evidences here).

Four Fatal Flaws

First, these declarations diminish God by reducing Him to a cosmic vending machine. Biblical Christianity isn’t all about material prosperity. True biblical faith comes to God to get God, not things. Genuine saving faith says: “God is more precious to me than all the gold and silver the world can offer. He is my greatest treasure. Even if I have God and nothing else, that is more than enough” (Psalm 73:25-26). The ‘name-it-and-claim-it’ rhetoric treats God as a genie dispensing wishes. When those wishes don’t materialise, He becomes unattractive to us. This diminishes rather than glorifies God.

Second, suffering reminds us that this world is not our home. Suffering—bodily suffering in the form of sickness included— reminds us that we live in a fallen world; that this world is not our final destination. We are merely passing through, headed for “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Heb. 11:10, 16).

Imagine being on the Titanic after it struck the iceberg. Knowing rescue ships were en route, would you spend your remaining time hoarding luggage other passengers were discarding? We live in a world under judgment (1 John 2:17). Christ calls us to store treasures in heaven—the only treasure that endures (Matthew 6:19-21).

Third, annual declarations disregard God’s sovereignty. It may be God’s will that we suffer bodily for His glory (consider the man born blind in John 9) or remain unmarried. We may lose employment due to faithfulness, or experience seasons of material lack—all within God’s providence. While He may bless us with abundance, He may equally ordain that we glorify Him through scarcity, as Paul testified: “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11-12). Even our deaths can glorify God, if He so wills it (John 21:19).

Fourth, and most critically, biblical Christianity never promises instant spiritual growth. Spiritual maturity develops through daily faithfulness, not prophetic declaration. It requires consistent practice of the spiritual disciplines (Philippians 2:12-13).

This, in my opinion, may be the gravest danger of living by annual prophecies: they don’t place a premium on investment in the spiritual disciplines and simply representing Jesus well to others (Philippians 1:27). Rather than prophesying sudden spiritual growth, believers should be taught to seek God daily through His Word and prayer. This is God’s appointed means of conforming us to Christ’s image (2 Corinthians 3:18), and this is how believers throughout history have effectively witnessed (Acts 2:42-47). No amount of ‘prophetic declarations’ can produce instantaneous maturity.

Rosy Christianity is not a potent witness. Joy amid suffering and daily faithfulness is what authenticates genuine faith. Anyone can profess love for God when circumstances favour them. But if money, employment, health, and loved ones were all stripped away—would God still be enough?

Conclusion

Rather than living on declarations, resolve this year to faithfully represent Christ wherever you are, in whatever circumstances you face. Commit to daily growth through disciplined Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with believers. May Habakkuk’s confession be ours, as we face the year ahead, uncertain of what awaits us but trusting in the One who holds the future:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.“ (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

The post Are New Year’s Declarations Biblical? appeared first on TGN.

My Soul Clings to You, Your Right Hand Upholds Me
(Psalm 63:8)

In Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, Dane Ortlund shares a tender moment with his two-year-old son Benjamin at a swimming pool:

When my two-year-old Benjamin begins to wade into the gentle slope of the zero-entry swimming pool near our home, he instinctively grabs hold of my hand. He holds on tight as the water gradually gets deeper. But a two-year-old’s grip is not very strong. Before long it is not him holding to me but me holding on to him. Left to his own strength, he will certainly slip out of my hand. But if I have determined that he will not fall out of my grasp, he is secure. He can’t get away from me if he tried.

This simple story beautifully illustrates the doctrine often referred to as the perseverance of the saints—the biblical truth that those whom God truly saves, He also sustains. It is not ultimately our grip on God that preserves us, but His mighty hold on us.

In Psalm 63:8, David captures this same double reality: “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” David’s clinging to God is made possible—and sustained—by God’s unwavering grip on him. The reason David can hold fast is because God first holds him fast. This is the deep assurance at the heart of the Christian faith, and it goes deeper than a ‘once saved, forever saved’ statement; it is a truth that permeates the whole of the Christian life.

 What Does it Mean to Cling to God?

What does the Psalmist mean to clinging to God? To cling is to hold fast, to embrace with deep love and trust. In Psalm 63, David speaks from a place of desperation and longing:

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water (v. 1).

He describes his soul’s longing for God like a parched desert traveller thirsting for water. And then he says, “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food” (v. 5), a metaphor for deep, nourishing delight. For David, clinging to God meant treasuring Him above life itself (v. 3).

This idea is echoed elsewhere in Scripture:

You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him.²
If you will be careful to do all this commandment… loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him.³

The Might of God’s Right Hand

Your arm is endowed with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.⁴

God’s right hand refers to His power, glory, and active intervention in the lives of believers and the world. It signifies God’s authority, strength, and the place of honour from which He works.

The Bible describes God’s redeeming Israel from slavery in Egypt as a demonstration of the power of His arm:

And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders.⁵

In Christ, God displays His mighty right hand in vanquishing our greatest foes: sin, the devil and the flesh.

He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.⁶

This is the power that raised us from spiritual death and breathed new life into us when we were dead in our trespasses and sins⁷. Consider the mighty power of God that opened our hearts to faith⁸, shone the light of the knowledge of His glory in our hearts so we could behold the beauty of Jesus⁹, and replaced our hearts of stone with new hearts of flesh, malleable to his hand of grace¹⁰.

How did we come to love God? We love because He first loved us¹¹. How did we come to faith in Christ? All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out¹². No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day¹³. In the very place where Jesus affirms the Father’s hand brought us to Him in faith, He adds the double assurance that anyone thus brought to Him by the Father will be raised on the last day.

Reflecting on God’s saving acts in the lives of His people, the Psalmist notes:

Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”¹⁴

The same power that raised Christ from the dead works in us daily, conforming us into the image of its creator and making us more like Christ¹⁵. Even the desire to live a holy life springs from God’s work within us: It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure¹⁶. Our sanctification—just like our justification—is rooted in God’s initiative and sustained by His power.

Practical Applications

Christian, are you worried about your love for God? Do you fear your faith is too weak to endure the trials and temptations hurled at you by the world, the flesh, and the devil? Take heart: the God who saved you is the God who upholds you. The longing in your heart to please Him—even in its weakness—is evidence of His Spirit at work in you, renewing your nature after His image^15-16. He not only calls you to live a Christ-like life. He gives you both the desire and the power to live it^16-17.

Perhaps you’re saying, “I feel I’m not living up to God’s expectations.” God says, My right hand upholds you. Trust me, and stop focusing on your performance but instead on what Christ has already done on your behalf. I love you.  “I don’t feel worthy of Your love, considering my many failings.” My right hand upholds you. It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick¹⁸. I did not choose you because you were worthy—but by choosing you, I make you worth¹⁹. “My faith is so fragile, I fear I won’t endure to the end.” Trust in Me; My right hand upholds you. I will never leave you nor forsake you²⁰.

Is there a particular weakness or temptation that seems insurmountable? Ask God for strength to overcome. His right hand has ample power to uphold you. Do you feel at your wits end? ‘When we’ve reached the end of our hoarded resources, our Father’s full giving is only begun.’²¹

And how about you, my non-Christian friend? Is the arm of the Lord too short to save you? Even now, He stands ready to receive you. There is no sin so great that he cannot forgive. He is mighty to save. The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives²².

Notes

1. Phil. 1:6.
2. Deut. 10:20.
3. Deut. 11:22.
4. Ps. 89:13.
5. Deut. 26:8.
6. Col. 2:13-15.
7. Eph. 2:2-4.
8. Acts 16:14.
9. 2 Cor. 4:6.
10. Ezek. 36:26; Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10.
11. 1 Jn. 4:19.
12. Jn 6:37.
13. Jn 6:44.
14. Ps. 118:15-16.
15. Col. 3:10.
16. Phil. 2:13.
17. Col. 1:29.
18. Mk. 2:17.
19. Thomas Watson.
20. Heb. 13:5 and Deuteronomy 31:6.
21. Annie Johnson Flint (1941).
22. Fanny Crosby (1875).

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³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

These opening verses form part of Paul’s heartfelt introduction to his second letter to the Corinthian church. Second Corinthians is Paul’s most personal and emotionally charged letter, providing profound insights into his apostolic ministry. Two primary themes emerge: divine comfort amid suffering (Chapters 1-7) and God’s power demonstrated through human weakness (Chapters 10-13). Supporting themes include Paul’s integrity and blameless conduct¹, his perseverance amid severe suffering for the sake of Christ², his deep pastoral love³, and his unwavering commitment to spiritual rather than worldly standards⁴.

Commentators widely recognise 2 Corinthians as Paul’s most vigorous defence of his apostolic calling. Certain false apostles in Corinth were promoting “a different gospel” and “another Jesus” (2 Cor. 11:4). One of the issues in contention between Paul and these false teachers related to their view of suffering. These false teachers criticised Paul for his frequent sufferings, viewing them as signs of failure or divine displeasure. Paul countered that these very sufferings validated his apostleship and illustrated God’s power working profoundly through human weakness⁵. Throughout 2 Corinthians, the Apostle repudiates the lies and damaging teachings being peddled by these false teachers, proving their falsehood and expunging them from the Corinthian church.

This article seeks to reinforce Paul’s message that suffering is integral to the Christian experience and that God’s strength and comfort become most evident during times of hardship.

Sadly, false teachers promising a suffering-free Christian life are still very rife in the church today. The “prosperity gospel”, which has gained popularity in many parts of the world (but really isn’t any gospel at all, but a false teaching contrary to everything the Bible teaches), falsely claims that following Christ guarantees a life without hardship, sickness, or struggle. If a believer went through tough times – for example, financial struggles, illness, job loss, singleness or unmet relational desires, childlessness (you can add to the list), they (sc. prosperity preachers) pin that down to two things: insufficient faith or unconfessed sin.

Prosperity preachers place a lot of premium on faith. To them, faith is a magic wand to compel God to grant any desire. God must do whatever you desire as long as you have enough faith. Forget that He is Sovereign and does whatever He pleases, when He pleases⁶ and that His timing and will for us are best⁷. Such teachings directly contradict the clear biblical witness, particularly the message of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

In our passage, Paul blesses God precisely because He comforts His people in all their afflictions, openly acknowledging that he, Timothy, and fellow believers experience real hardships. That means Paul was not ashamed to admit he did go through afflictions, as did all the believers to whom he wrote his letter. This is truly remarkable.

If afflictions or sufferings—including bodily suffering like sickness or other physical infirmities—only happened to believers who have unconfessed sins in their lives, as prosperity preachers claim, then Paul wouldn’t be a suitable candidate, for he was blameless in his conduct¹. And yet, he wrote in Chapter 12:7-9:

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Whatever this thorn in his flesh was, we cannot say for certain, but one thing is for sure: it was something that afflicted him, for which he petitioned the Lord three times to have it taken away. And each time, the Lord answered with a ‘no’. Could it be the health problem he wrote about in Galatians, for which reason he first preached the gospel to them? In Galatians 4:13, he [sc. Paul] wrote:

¹³ You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first. 

The truth is, we don’t know the answer. But this much is certain: even the great Apostle Paul faced afflictions—just as Timothy did, along with all those to whom this letter was written. This letter serves as an encouragement for us when we face hardships—whether afflictions, sickness, or painful loss—reminding us that we are not alone. Believers before us have endured similar trials, and even now, Christians around the world are experiencing the same kinds of suffering⁸.

Reflecting on these truths, what assurances does this passage offer us in times of suffering?

1. We have a Father of mercies and God of all comfort

Our passage reminds us that we have a Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions. Paul uses a term of affection and tenderness here when he addresses God as Father. And then he adds another term of endearment and tenderness: He is not just a Father, but a Father of mercies! We do not have a wicked Father who stands by and watches as His children suffer. Far from it!

At Easter, we remember how the Father of mercies sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth to live the life of perfect obedience we couldn’t live, suffered the punishment we deserved, and finally died the shameful death we deserved. On the cross, Father of Mercies displays his love for us. Even though He was perfect and sinless, Jesus took our punishment upon Him and died in our place. That is mercy. So, whenever we are going through suffering, and we are tempted to think God doesn’t love or has abandoned us, we ought to look at the cross and see how merciful he has already been to us.

As a result of what Jesus did on the cross, whatever suffering we go through here on this side of eternity is ‘easy’ suffering because we have been spared the greatest suffering of all, the punishment of our sins and eternal damnation, because Jesus took our place on that cross.

And so, Paul could write in Romans 8:18:

¹⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

 So, the first thing we ought to remember when we feel like giving up is that our God hasn’t forsaken us. His mercies have no end. His name is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. And he never forsakes His children. Jeremiah said in Lamentations 2:22-23:

²¹But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
²³they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

And Isaiah 49:15-16 reminds us:

“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
    that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
    yet I will not forget you.

2. We have a Comforter

Paul reminds us that God does comfort us when we go through difficult times. This is a present reality for all of God’s people⁹. Jesus promised to send us a Comforter, the person of the Holy Spirit¹⁰. One of the ways the Holy Spirit helps or comforts us, is to strengthen us in a special way when we go through afflictions and sufferings.

Paul experienced this when God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” As a result, he said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”¹¹

This is the special strength and comfort that we are talking about. It is because of this special power God gives His children when they go through suffering that led Paul to say:

¹⁰For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:10)

Hallelujah! What comfort! What a merciful Father we have!

Notes

1. 2 Cor. 1:12, 17, 18; 6:3-10; 7:2, 3.
2. 2 Cor. 1:5-11; 4:8-12; 6:4-10; 11:23-12:9.
3. 2 Cor. 2:4; 11:2, 7-11; 12:14, 15.
4. 2 Cor. 1:12.
5. 2 Cor. 12:9; 13:4.
6. Psalm 115:3.
7. 2 Cor. 3:25-26.
8. 1 Peter 5:9.
9. Psalm 46:1.
10. John 14:26.
11. 2 Cor. 12:9b.

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Defining Providence

The 27^th article of the Heidelberg Catechism defines  God’s Providence as:

“…his almighty and ever present power,¹ whereby, as with his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures,² and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty,³ indeed, all things, come to us not by chance⁴ but by his fatherly hand.

God’s Providence is His Almighty and Ever-present Power

The Catechism opens with a statement of the Almighty and ever-present power of God—which at once unequivocally asserts His active involvement in the cosmos.

 “Am I a God at hand, declared the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” (Jer. 23:23-24)

Restated another way, God asks in this passage, “am I not both very near and very far away? Does the fact that I am high and lifted mean I am not involved in the daily affairs of the world?” This question is, of course, rhetorical. It expects a negative answer. God is merely stating the obvious, as evidenced by the subsequent verse, where God declares, “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” However, many today hold that God created the world and then left it to run on some ‘natural principles’. In other words, God put some laws in place after creation and retired from running things on the earth. God is more like an absentee Landlord to those who hold this erroneous view.

Still, others say man is in charge of things after God asked him to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen. 1:28)

Who do you think holds the decisive sway over what happens on earth? Is man in charge, or God?

The  Heidelberg catechism goes on to affirm, “whereby, as with his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures” and provides Hebrews 1:3 as proof: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

Acts 17:24-25, 28 further amplifies this understanding: 

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. For “in him we live and move and have our being;”

We see from here that i) God is both Creator and Lord of heaven and earth, and ii) is in charge. He is the Sovereign ruler.

A False Understanding of Satan as the God of This World

Satan is sometimes called the ‘ruler of this world’ (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11) or ‘god of this world (2Cor 4:4), “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), a ‘cosmic power over this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12). Notably, during Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, Luke records  “The [devil] took Jesus up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you then, will worship me, it will be yours.” (Luke 4:5-7)

Based on the above, many well-meaning Christians today believe that Satan holds the decisive sway over what happens on the earth. But does he? Let us scrutinise the validity of this notion against the entire Scriptural teaching. Satan’s claim to have been given the kingdoms of the world and has the power to give it to whom he wills is only partially true. Yes, he at times manoeuvres an evil person to power but he only does so only to the degree that God permits him to do so.

The Bible clarifies who truly holds sovereign control: “[God] removes kings and sets up kings,” (Daniel 2:21). “The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” (Daniel 4:17), and, “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1). Furthermore, every king is subject to God’s Sovereign will: The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

And when nations rise against God in rebellion, Psalms 2:2-4 says, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in heaven laughs; the Lord holds them in derision”. Psalm 33:10-11 further declares: “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.”

We conclude from the overwhelming Scriptural evidence that while Satan exercises a limited degree of influence, as permitted by God. Satan and his demons do not operate outside the decisive providence of God. Moreover, let us not forget Satan is a liar and has been from the beginning (John 8:44). Sadly, many in the church today continue to preach Satan’s lies that he is in charge of this world.

 The Error of Thinking God Needs Man’s Permission to Act

We saw from Acts 17:28 that “[God] Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything”. This verse alone refutes the notion that ‘God cannot do anything on earth without man’s permission’ as utterly unscriptural. This misguided teaching reflects a profound misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty and an inflated view of human importance. The apostle James directly addresses this arrogance in his epistle, calling it evil:

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16).

James sharply rebukes those who talk as if they control the future. He reminds us that God holds sway over tomorrow, we don’t. His Sovereign will determines our next breath. If our very existence hangs on God’s will, how arrogant of us even to suggest that God needs our permission to act on earth? He is still God without us; we are nothing without Him!

The prophet Daniel drives this point home with profound clarity in Daniel 4:35:

‘All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”’

Daniel’s verdict is, we are not impressive (we are counted as nothing!), God is. Repeatedly in Scripture, we see that God is intent on exposing the false claim that there are ‘powers’ in His creation that can stay His hand. In Isaiah 40:11, 15, 17, 22-23 and 28, we see that God’s condescension and exaltation go together. We better not take His condescension as weakness! Isaiah 14:27 declares, “The Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?” (see also Isa. 46:9-10; cf. Isa. 43:13 and Eph. 1:11).

Once Job came face to face with God’s present and Almighty power, he declared, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2). 2 Chronicles 20:6 affirms conclusively, “In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.”

Response and practical implications

This doctrine calls us to savour the greatness and condescension of the God who created and sustains the entire universe yet knows us so intimately. It should give us great comfort to know that our loving Father holds the decisive sway over what happens in our lives and our world, not Satan.

This doctrine gives us unspeakable comfort since it teaches us that nothing can happen to us by chance but only by the arrangement of our gracious
heavenly Father, who watches over us with fatherly care, sustaining all creatures under his lordship⁶, so that not one of the hairs on our heads (for they are all numbered) nor even a little bird can fall to the ground without the will of our Father⁷. In this thought we rest, knowing that God holds in check the devils and all our enemies, who cannot hurt us without divine permission and will. For that reason we reject the damnable error of the Epicureans, who say that God does not get involved in anything and leaves everything to chance. (The Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 13, ‘The Doctrine of God’s Providence’)

Notes

1. Jer 23:23, 24; Acts 17:24-28.
2. Heb 1:3.
3. Jer 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; Jn 9:3; Prov. 22:2.
4. Prov 16:33.
5. Mt 10:29.
6. Matt. 8:31; Job 1:12; 2:6
7. Matt. 10:29–30.

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