Key points
1God's favor follows the person, not the place.
Pastor Tyshone opens with Daniel's backstory as a captive Israelite in Babylon, noting that even removed from his homeland, God's favor stayed on him and earned him respect from people outside his culture.
favor doesn't follow a place, favor follows a person and everywhere you go, the favor of God, you'll sense it beyond your life
that painful situation was an invitation by God, not a reason to go away from God
A story from life
Pastor Tyshone shares losing his baby brother and a young cousin in a mass shooting nine years prior, and how that pain became an invitation deeper into relationship with God rather than away from it.
2The attack is real.
Working through Daniel 10:12-13, Pastor Tyshone shows that Daniel's prayer was heard the moment he prayed, but a demonic entity called the prince of Persia withstood the angel's answer for 21 days. He explains the Hebrew word 'amad' (to stand against, resist, block) to argue that unseen spiritual opposition, not always personal sin, can be the reason for delay.
believing in Jesus is a lot harder than believing in demons
3Pray even when you don't hear back.
Using the illustration of a friend who never answers calls or texts yet still posts on social media, Pastor Tyshone argues that unanswered prayer is not a reason to walk away from God. He shares his own story of treating God like a vending machine as a youth pastor chasing attendance numbers, until the Holy Spirit corrected him that prayer is about relationship, not just getting what he wants.
I loved the Lord with all my heart but I turned him into a vending machine instead of listening to his voice
prayer is not just you getting what you want from God, prayer is you getting strong with God
A story from life
Pastor Tyshone recounts the Holy Spirit asking him whether he had turned God into a vending machine while praying for his youth ministry to break 200 in attendance.
Illustration
An analogy about a best friend (named humorously in the sermon) who never answers calls or texts yet remains a true friend, used to illustrate continuing to pray even when God seems unresponsive.
A story from life
Pastor Tyshone shares that his wife experienced two miscarriages — one in early 2024 and one in early 2025, both while he was traveling for ministry — and how he prayed through the silence and grief of those losses.
4Expect a miracle: the strength God gives is available now.
He retells his and his wife's two miscarriages during the launch of Project Salvation, describing praying and hearing nothing, then points to the angel touching Daniel and immediately strengthening him. He ties this to Psalm 27:14, 'wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage,' saying that letting your heart take courage means daring to hope in God again after disappointment.
5Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a fulfilled dream brings life.
He walks through Proverbs 13:12, explaining that a heart worn down by unanswered hope grows a sick perspective, sick language, and sick faith that resists talk of hope. But he insists the verse does not end there, God's answer, when it comes, is like a tree of life.
it takes courage to put your heart back in the hands of your father
Application
Pastor Tyshone frames the response as three moves: know the attack is real, keep praying without an answer, and expect the miracle of God's strength.
Name the attack instead of just blaming yourself
If you're wondering whether your struggle is your own fault, recognize that sometimes it's not your decisions but the enemy withstanding God's answer, so don't stop praying and pursuing God because of it.
Keep praying even without an answer
Don't let silence become an excuse to walk away from God like abandoning an unresponsive friend; keep reaching out because prayer builds relationship, not just results.
Give your heart to the Lord again
Whether you're a teenager, a young adult, or someone worn down by disappointment, risk hoping again and wait on the Lord rather than staying guarded because past prayers went unanswered.
Ask God for strength in the place of prayer
Get alone with God this week and ask Him for the strength you need for your marriage, ministry, or whatever season you're facing, trusting He can give it even before every question is answered.
Take it into your week
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
