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For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. --Romans 8:18 We see it all the time in the Scripture: one person is spared from what seems like certain death, while another endures hardship and dies in faith. There’s a good example of what I’m talking about found in Acts 12. Herod took the life of James, a disciple of Jesus. And then, in the same chapter of Scripture, you and I read that Peter was delivered from prison by an angel. Perhaps you’ve read these stories and wonder why God does that. Well, let me tell you. It is because our God is a sovereign God. And he made the choices he did regarding James and Peter, in those particular situations, because he was reigning over every circumstance of their lives. And God is reigning over the circumstances of your life. Do you know that? The details of your life aren’t missed by him. There are no mistakes. Nothing’s getting past him. God is sovereign when your prayers are answered swiftly, and when they aren’t. He is sovereign through every stormy trial, when you suffer an injustice, and when you must walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Because he reigns, you can trust him with your life. GOD IS REIGNING OVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR LIFE.    The Practice of Prayer by Dr. Paul Chappell “Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.” Daniel 6:9–11 Daniel’s enemies in the Medo-Persian Empire resented his status and his ability. As they schemed against him, they realized they had no grounds to denounce him. In modern terms, they bugged his phone and hacked his email, but Daniel had no secrets that revealed wrong-doing or carelessness. He walked in integrity and did his work with diligence. (That should be true of all of us no matter what our field of work is in life.) Yet they did find one thing they could use, and that was Daniel’s utter devotion to his God. It was no secret to those around him that Daniel was a man of prayer. He had made it a habit for many years to pray at specific times during the day. This routine became the foundation of the plot they hatched against Daniel. Daniel did not start praying when a law was passed forbidding it—he just kept doing what he had always done. Someone said that too many people use prayer like a spare tire, only pulling it out in case of an emergency. Prayer should be a constant, habitual, ongoing, and serious part of our lives. It should be apparent to those who know us that we are people of prayer. The modern trend toward self-reliance is a great hindrance to prayer, because it keeps us from acknowledging our utter dependence on God. Prayer attacks our pride at its root. Prayer allows us to access the provision God has promised to those who seek His face.   Today’s Growth Principle:  Christians who are faithful and diligent about praying will be strong and effective in God’s work.