What happens when you pray and the answer doesn’t come right away?

Daniel 10 tells us that Daniel prayed for 21 days before receiving an answer. But the delay didn’t mean God hadn’t heard him. Behind what Daniel could see was a spiritual battle he knew nothing about. Shining to the Final Word

As Daniel 10–12 unfolds, we get a glimpse of that unseen battle, a reminder that Daniel is greatly loved by God, and a look toward resurrection and eternity.

Daniel doesn’t understand everything God shows him. His response gives us a model for our own lives. We don’t have to figure out every detail before we trust God. We can pray, remember who we are in Christ, invest our lives in what lasts, and keep moving faithfully toward the finish.

Shining to the Final Word closes our journey through Daniel with a reminder that the same God who carried Daniel through Babylon can be trusted with our lives too.

Key Insights:

1. Keep praying when the answer seems delayed.
2. Remember that not every battle is merely about what you can see.
3. Let your identity rest somewhere circumstances cannot reach.
4. Invest more of your life in what will outlast your life.
5. Faithfulness doesn’t require having everything figured out.

Scripture Focus: Daniel 10

Speaker: Matt Petty
Series: Thriving in Babylon
Location: Burnt Hickory Baptist Church

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Have you ever wanted to pray but struggled to know where to begin? Or wondered whether God hears you when an answer seems slow to come?

Daniel 9 gives us a look into the prayer life of a man who has followed God for decades. When Daniel reads a promise about the end of Israel’s exile, he doesn’t stop praying because God has already spoken. He prays because God has spoken.

In Praying in the Pause, we walk through Daniel’s example of wholehearted attention, praise, confession, requests, and listening. We also see Gabriel arrive while Daniel is still praying, bringing an answer that reaches beyond the return from exile and points toward Jesus.

The invitation is practical: keep praying, keep following God, and don’t waste the pause.

Key Insights:

1. God’s promises should move us toward prayer, not away from it.
2. 2. A healthier prayer life begins with giving God your attention.
3. Honest confession matters more than protecting our image.
4. A delayed answer doesn’t mean your prayer went unheard.

Scripture Focus: Daniel 9:1-25

Speaker: Matt Petty
Series: Thriving in Babylon
Location: Burnt Hickory Baptist Church

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Through the story of Peter’s escape from prison and Herod’s collapse, we’re reminded that fighting God always ends in loss—but trusting Him leads to freedom. If you’ve been feeling stuck, anxious, or unsure, lean into this message and let God lead.

Key Insights:

• Fighting God only leads to loss—even if it feels like you’re winning in the moment.
• God’s power can release you from any physical, emotional, or spiritual bondage.
• Earnest, persistent prayer activates God’s movement in ways we often underestimate.
• There is peace available in the storm when you truly trust God to lead.
• You can’t glorify yourself and expect God to bless it—His glory is non-negotiable.

Key Scripture: Acts 12:1

Speaker: Matt Petty
Series: His Word, His Plan, His People
Location: Burnt Hickory Baptist Church

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From Psalm 37, we’re challenged to consider what it looks like to delight in the Lord, commit our ways to Him, and live out our purpose with bold trust. This message offers five practical principles for walking in spiritual alignment and reminds us that real transformation begins when we say yes to God’s power, not just His blessings.

Key Insights:

1. Delighting in the Lord aligns your desires with God’s, shaping your prayers into His purpose.
2. True purpose is not stumbled into, it’s committed to and entrusted to God.
3. Passion driven by the Holy Spirit remains steady even when circumstances are unstable.
4. Saying yes to God requires surrender, not just intention.
5. Your spiritual alignment always precedes your clarity around calling and purpose.

Key Scripture: Psalms 37

Speaker: Chip Paul
Series: Summer of Psalms
Location: Burnt Hickory Baptist Church

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