BATTLE READY - It Can Be Done

February 28th, 2025
by Dianna Talkington

IT CAN BE DONE
Sunday, February 23 Sermon Recap

It Can't Be Done!

Imagine waking up in the morning. The cold wind whipping your tent, made all the more biting by the cold mountain air. As you gather your heavy coat and tools, you exit your tent to see the giant stone face of the mighty Mount Everest ascending before you. The climb seems impossible. Maybe even dangerous. Surely it can’t be done. And yet, in the spring of 1953, Edmund Hillary and his Nepali-Indian mountaineer, did what seemed impossible. They reached the summit, having conquered the 29,035 feet below. Others have since followed in their footsteps.
In our spiritual lives, it can sometimes feel like we are facing a mountain as massive as Everest when it comes to focusing more on the unseen than the seen – the spiritual battle more than the physical one. And make no mistake, the fight isn’t an easy one. When it comes to finding time to pray, the clock seems against us. When we are challenged to fast, the task seems unbearable. And confession can feel like someone just asked you to jump up and touch the moon.
But as believers, we know that spiritual warfare is a reality, no matter how insurmountable that truth might be. That’s why living a life of prayer every day is so vital. It is like oxygen to our lungs. And it can have powerful effects. Perhaps no one knew this better than Daniel. He lived a life of prayer. And let’s be real, his life was no pleasure cruise. He had been taken captive from his home to a foreign land, made to serve a pagan king, robbed of his very name, and surrounded by enemies that burned with hate and jealousy. Yet in every challenge, he took it to God. And time and time again, the impossible happened.

Daniels Life of Prayer, Fasting, and Spiritual Warfare

Let’s take a closer look at Daniel. What was his prayer life like? Did he only pray in the middle of difficulty? Was he only about maintaining his relationship with God when things were easy? No. Daniel stayed engaged in prayer no matter the season. As Pastor Scott preached, Daniel was a man of war in the unseen realm. His life was marked by it.
1. Spiritual Warfare – Seeing the Unseen (Daniel 10:12-14)

Daniel understood a very important key to Prayer – that it’s not a conversation but rather combat! How unrelenting would we pray if we felt like our life depended on it? Daniel was surrounded by enemies who conspired to kill him. Not to mention his friends and neighbors had been carried off with him to be slaves. He and the rest of the Israelites lived under a cloud of bondage. So, Daniel prayed unwavering.

In Chapter 10, we find that Daniel had been praying for 21 Days, and then an angel appeared to him. Why did it take 21 Days? Because the angel had been in a fight. The Prince of Persia had risen up in resistance. But the angel also informed Daniel of one very interesting point – that from the moment Daniel started praying, the Angel was dispatched to answer.

I don’t know about you, but I find that very encouraging. When we engage in spiritual warfare through prayer, the Lord immediately dispatches his angels. From the moment we humble our hearts in prayer, God hears us and responds, and the enemy is overcome. The words we speak in prayer become supernatural weapons of war in the spiritual world.

2. Fasting – Denying the Flesh (Daniel 1:8-16, 10:3)

I don’t know if you’ve thought about this, but Daniel didn’t just start off as some awesome prayer warrior. His commitment began with one decision – Fasting. Unwilling to simply accept his circumstances, Daniel did not turn his back on the God of his people. He set himself apart by choosing to be committed to the Lord by abstaining from the “luxuries” of being a servant to the Persian king. Rather than defile himself, he committed to fast and trust the Lord.

This pattern of fasting we see later in Daniel 10. It was more than just a special diet. His fasting had purpose and proved powerful in the Spirit. By setting himself apart in fierce commitment to the Lord, he walked closely with God receiving revelations that greatly impacted the kingdom. The Lord’s guidance shaped who he was, gave him boldness even under threat of being thrown to the Lions, and even prepared him for a prophetic vision that we are still seeing unfold today.

As we look around at the uncertainty of the times we live in, it is vital that we live directed by the Holy Spirit, but if we can’t deny our flesh, we won’t experience the Spirit of Revelation.

3. Confession – Humbling Himself before God (Daniel 9:3-5)

Perhaps one of the most confounding parts of Daniel's spiritual life was confession. But he didn’t just confess his sins. He took on the responsibility of confessing the sins of his entire nation. Are you ready to take on that responsibility of America? Daniel also didn’t separate himself from his people asking the Lord to forgive “their” sins. He humbled himself and travailed on behalf of his people saying, “We have sinned, done wrong, acted wicked, rebelled, and turned away from Your commands.”

He put himself in a posture of humility and pleaded for God to show mercy to his people. He understood that revival starts with repentance. And if we want to see God move in this nation, we must do the same.

Going to War in the Spirit

Despite being in the proverbial enemy’s camp, Daniel continuously fought in the Spirit through spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting. He understood the battle is always on-going. So what can we learn from Daniel? What are some practical things we can apply to our own prayer lives?

Consistency in Prayer (Daniel 6:10) – Daniel made prayer a lifestyle. He stayed in relationship with God through constant communication. His prayer time wasn’t about his list of needs or his grievances. As Pastor Scott said, a crisis doesn’t create a prayer life, it reveals one. Daniel spent daily time talking with God, pouring his heart out, and listening expectantly for the Lord’s guidance and revelation.
Seeking God for the Impossible (Daniel 2:17-19) – As a servant in the King’s palace, Daniel was in a unique position, but also a high stress one. So you can imagine how stressful it would be if your boss came to you and demanded an answer to a potentially impossible question. For Daniel, it was an interpretation of a dream. But Daniel didn’t panic. He and his fellow Israelites knew who had the answer, and they urgently sought the Lord in prayer. Would you dare to ask God for an impossible answer? Perhaps for the salvation of a loved one? For healing? For direction of His plan for your life? There are some answers that will never come if we lack the boldness to ask.
Standing in the Gap (Daniel 9:3-19) – Who are you praying for? Daniel didn’t just pray for himself. He interceded on behalf of his people. He cried out for the restoration of Israel. He acknowledged the sin of his people and repented on their behalf seeking the Lord for mercy. And he never blamed God. He knew that their captivity was a product of their sin. He also knew that God was the only answer. Do you know someone who is facing something that only God can deliver them from? Maybe God is calling you to stand in the Gap for them – to pray when they can’t.

Saying Yes to "It Can Be Done"

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you today? Many of us want to experience the miracle of the Lions’ Den. We want that kind of testimony, but we forget the sacrifice and obedience Daniel walked out on a daily basis. You might feel like you’ve been in a holding pattern. Like God is trying to hold you back, but He isn’t trying to stop you. He’s trying to start you! And if you’ll dare to take a step and then another and then another, you just might find God doing impossible things in you and through you.