James 1:5

5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

+Daniel faith tested.

Daniel 6:1-24

Daniel in the Den of Lions

1It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

6So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9So King Darius put the decree in writing.

10Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

13Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

15Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”

16So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

17A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

19At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

21Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

23The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

24At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Daniel had unshakable faith. It is the quality of faith that is not intimidated by difficulty, hardship and threats. It is firm, steadfast, it does not change with the wind. Unshakable faith is when GOD sends enough storms, heartaches and persecutions into my life I am unshakable in my relationship to Him. It is a faith that tried and tested, does not doubt, focuses its attention on GOD who makes us survive in the midst of it. Unshakable faith does not guarantee everything will go my way.

The key to unshakable faith;

No matter what comes our way our royalty and devotion to GOD does not change.

He learned to trust GOD from his mum and dad at young age. He learned to trust GOD by listening to prophecies of Jeremiah. He learned to trust GOD with his test and trials.

+Daniel and his friends obeyed GOD and trusted Him.

Daniel 1:3-20

3Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. ^b 5The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

6Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

8But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9Now God had caused the official to show favour and compassion to Daniel, 10but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your ^c food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

11Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12“Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

15At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

17To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

18At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

+Daniel faith tested again. He trusted GOD to reveal the dream and the meaning of it and GOD answered that. He gave credit to GOD.

Daniel 2:19-23, 28-29

19During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20and said:

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;

wisdom and power are his.

21He changes times and seasons;

he deposes kings and raises up others.

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to the discerning.

22He reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what lies in darkness,

and light dwells with him.

23I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:

You have given me wisdom and power,

you have made known to me what we asked of you,

you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:

29“As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.

+He witnessed his friends’ unshakable faith.

Daniel 3:16-18

16Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us ^c from Your Majesty’s hand. 18But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

25He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” 28Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

+Daniel faith tested again. He interpreted king’s dream but nothing happened for 12 months. Then;

Daniel 4:29-33, 35-37

29Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

31Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

33Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

35All the peoples of the earth

are regarded as nothing.

He does as he pleases

with the powers of heaven

and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back his hand

or say to him: “What have you done?”

37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

GOD answered his prayer. Daniel faith was unshakable and GOD honoured exactly what He said.

+Daniel tested again.

Daniel 5:17, 25-30

17Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

25“This is the inscription that was written:

mene, mene, tekel, parsin

26“Here is what these words mean:

Mene : God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

27Tekel ^f : You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

28Peres ^g : Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain,

Each time he was tested, Daniel trusted GOD and GOD honoured him. GOD was developing his unshakable faith.

You cannot have unshakable faith without having consistently obedient faith. Trust GOD and obey GOD no matter what the outcome is. Daniel made his mind up to be obedient to GOD no matter what the circumstances. The one who has unshakable faith is the one walking by faith, walking obediently to GOD. If you are obedient to GOD, your faith will grow stronger and stronger. Sometime obedience to GOD cost us, cost us our life. If I am obedient to GOD I will do what He says no matter what.

You are not born with an unshakable faith. It develops over the time by being taught, by watching being demonstrated in other people’s life and being tested ourselves for our faith. Pattern of obedience will display what kind of faith you have.

The key to unshakable faith is intimate relationship with GOD, building intimate relationship with Him. Intimacy speaks for closeness, dearness, oneness, openness, honesty, transparency, knowing, want to spend time with Him, trusting Him. Trusting Him is the foundation for my obedience. Growing in understanding and knowledge of GOD.

Daniel 6:10

10Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

The more and better you know Him you want to bow and not look. GOD is perfect, holy, righteous, good, just, and sovereign. Daniel had an intimate relationship with GOD because he knew Him. Daniel walked by faith, trusted GOD, obey GOD day by day.

Unshakable faith is built upon obedience to GOD and obedience to GOD is built upon intimate relationship with Him and that relationship is result of knowing Him, how He operates, how He works. Daniel gave his full attention to Him. If you want the same, you need to want GOD.