Day 9 of the Fast of Daniel

Let him hear what the Spirit says to all:

Peter was an eyewitness of many events that demonstrated the power of God.
Like, for example:
– The miraculous catch of fish
– Walking on water
– Raising the daughter of Jairus
– Feeding the five thousand
– Restoring the severed ear
– See his own shadow heal the sick…
And many other events that are recorded in the Bible.
However, in his epistles, he focuses on the experience that marked him the most in his lifetime, which took place on the Holy Mountain, Mount Hermon, the Mount of Transfiguration.
The text says:
For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 2 Peter 1.17-18

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, along with James and John, witnessed the Son of God being honored by the Father. This event marked their lives.
And this is our faith! All the experiences you had with God until today are incomparable to what will happen on Mount Hermon.
The proposal is for a real change in your life, which takes place from the inside out. Something that will surpass everything you have experienced until today.
Just like the Son of God was honored there, all those whose lives are surrendered on the Altar, will also be honored with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Armor of God.
It is on Mount Hermon that the Lord commanded the blessing and eternal life.

Collaborated by: Bp. Djalma Bezerra

Natacha Azevedo Santos
Bishop,
When I first came to Church, my life was terrible. I was delivered, which wasn’t an easy process, because I was constantly tormented by fears and insecurities. Two months later, I was baptized in water; I surrendered myself completely because I was tired of that humiliating life. I wanted to know a true and sincere love. The day I was baptized was very special because all I could do was smile… happiness and conviction overcame my being. I remember calling my aunt, who is an assistant, to tell her all about it. Only she and I knew.
I continued seeking, but a few months after this happened, I no longer went to Church every day. I started getting confused, lost among so many feelings and emotions. Guilt consumed me, and all I could think about was how God must have been so disappointed with me. I was unable to forgive myself, which is very serious. We are often too critical and seek perfection at all times. When something gets out of our control, we torment ourselves with criticism and blame. Doubts…. oh Bishop… doubts are long strides towards hell, and this is how I found myself, lost.
Emotional faith was all I had, everything was done based on crying and emotions. My emotions were always right on the surface; I was weak and had no commitment with God. I did not fast, hardly ever prayed and no longer read the bible. Then, the Fast of Daniel was announced and this would be my opportunity to draw closer to God.
On the 19^th, at 2:01pm, I received a call from my sister, telling me that my brother had been in a motorcycle accident. Luis Henrique Azevedo, who is 17 years old. We live in different cities, so it was up to me to tell my mother, who happened to be working at the time. Despair came over us as we received all kinds of different information about what happened. I remember that when we arrived at the hospital about 3 hours later, we could hear him screaming from the outside. We waited a while for him to be taken past us in the hallway. We just wanted to see him and let him know we were there. We were in shock when we finally saw him, he didn’t even look human, his face was disfigured, his head was huge… I remember my mother holding his hand and saying, “Son, I’m here!” Then, they took him up to ICU. My mother said he couldn’t breathe.
The next day, on the 20^th, we were told he had cranial trauma, almost all the bones in his face were broken, some teeth were broken, pleural effusion, a punctured lung and trauma to the lungs. He had to be intubated because he couldn’t breathe, and his condition was so serious that he was at risk of dying. What sadness, fear… The image of him lying in bed intubated, troubled me.
You know bishop, one week before this happened, he apologized to his grandfather and father. He had begun going to Church and was invited to participate in the youth group, which he was determined to join. He paid his tithes. His transformation was like night to day. I tried to remain firm by raising my thoughts to God as much as possible, but I must confess that I was confused. On the third day, we were told his life continued to be at risk and his recovery would take very long. To remove some blood from his head, a tube was put into his nose. But they couldn’t keep the breathing tube in his mouth because the trauma to his face was so extensive. The solution would be a tracheostomy. My mother had to sign papers because his life depended on this; he was unable to breathe on his own. Another problem… I wasn’t feeling spiritually well at all and everything seemed to overwhelm me more and more. We decided to firmly participate in the Fast of Daniel, and include lots of prayers in favor of his life.
On the 4^th day, the tubes continued, and something else was now added to the list of problems: pneumonia… I was at a loss for words, bishop. I was trapped in a mix of feelings and emotions that kept me quiet.
That same day, I was stunned as I heard the consequences the accident would have on him. He could possibly not even remember his father or mother.  This is when I became revolted against the situation. “It’s not fair… God is perfect. He does everything perfect and my brother was born in perfect health!!”
No, no and no… Bishop, everything mixed together that day – love, anger (not against God), compassion, fear, peace, revolt. I always wished him a happy future, a beautiful family, healthy children, so I couldn’t accept that he’d end up with some kind of handicap, because our God made him perfect. There, inside the bathroom, I spoke to God…
“My God and my Father, I need your Spirit! You heard the prayer of Manasseh, so why didn’t you hear mine”. On my knees, I called out to Him and in His infinite mercy, He rescued me. After drinking from that glass of Water, my thoughts were only occupied by good things, certainty and truth. There were no doubts, just conviction. A series of images flashed through my mind – my baptism, the times I cried, the pain, the laughter, and finally, the Peace I had sought for so long! Yes bishop, I found peace again.
Around 6pm, I understood how small I am before my God, how I’m limited because I have no idea how great He is. My brother breathed on his own that entire day. He was no longer connected to any machines, there was no need to perform a tracheotomy; he was conscious and speaking normally. He prayed with my aunt, and thanked everyone for their love and prayers. Our God is Faithful! There are no words in this world that can describe this certainty, this love in Christ! It is wonderful!!! My God is with me!! My King breathed life, not only into my brother, but also into me!!! I don’t speak in tongues, but I DO have the Holy Spirit. In time, God gave me exactly what I asked for: a Strong Victorious Spirit, so that I can fight and win! I am moved by conviction and there is no space for doubt!!
Bishop, I have suffered too much because of emotional faith, but I want to do things differently now. I want a true Faith that is intelligent. I’m going to seek tirelessly and not give up. Look how the Fast has helped me, I am strong!!!
I want to serve my God in an intelligent way, rationally. I want to strengthen this faith so that the fiery darts of the enemy have no effect on me. I am going to put on the whole armor of God. My fortress will be built on a firm rock. My desire is to listen to the voice of God and obey Him. And win souls, that’s right, I want to save souls!! This is my faith, because I am completely and absolutely sure where it will lead me!!

Bishop, thank you for not giving up on the afflicted souls of this world… I was one of them!!!
There is truth in the words you preach, and the truth has set me free.
Thank you

Vicente Neto FJU
Good morning Bishop Macedo, I’m in the same situation as Claudia. Though I’m in Church, I don’t see results in my life. My being is drowning in despair and, because of this, I couldn’t even seek the Holy Spirit yesterday. All I wanted to do was leave and never come back. I felt anxious and couldn’t keep still; my heart wept. I’m desperate because I don’t know what to do. I’ve been honest with God. When you were praying yesterday, it made no difference to me, I didn’t see any results in my life. I am lost, without direction. I’m alone and very afraid that I’m losing my faith…

Answer
My dear Vincent,
You are not lost, alone or without direction. You are not lost because you have been in the Universal Church. You are not alone because, despite your fears and despair, the Spirit of the Most High watches over you day and night without ceasing. You are not without direction because here’s what you have to do right NOW!…
Look for a pastor of the Universal Church and ask him to deliver you from everything you just mentioned. He is going to lay his hands upon your head and minister your spiritual deliverance.
Certainly, you will feel relieved. However, this is not all you need to do. You will have to continue digging your own wellspring, so that you may drink the Water of Life.
I will be praying for you.
May God bless you like He promised to do with those who seek Him.