Joseph Prince - The Hidden Battle No One Knows You're Fighting (01/27/2026)
In times of global lack, recession, and fear from news and social media, God's people find faith only through His Word—fear comes from man's reports, but wisdom from God brings health, riches, honor, pleasure, and shalom peace. Like Solomon asking for discernment and receiving riches/honor plus conditional longevity, and Joseph rising through divine wisdom during famine, we overcome anxiety by meditating on Scripture day and night for superior insight and promotion.
Faith vs Fear in Seasons of Shortage
I believe that we are going through a season where we are seeing things happen all over the world that is shouting out lack, shortage, recession. And yet, God's people are worried, they are anxious, they are troubled by what they are saying. That goes to show that we are spending lots of our time on social media, we are watching the news, we are hearing the reports of the world, instead of spending time in the Word of God.
And the Word of God is the only place where you can find faith. The Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. You cannot find faith anywhere else. You know, if faith comes by hearing the Word and the Word of God, then fear comes by hearing and hearing the Word of man. Amen? And the fear, that fear brings a snare. That fear will cause bad things to happen.
So how? How can we not be afraid seeing what is happening all over the world? We can by listening to God's Word.
Solomon's Request – Wisdom Over Riches or Long Life
When we look at the wealthiest man in the Bible, Solomon, amen, we find that when he was a young man, he had a big pair of shoes to fill. His father David had passed on and God appeared to him in his dream. And God said, ask what I shall give you. And this is what Solomon said. Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge these great people of yours?
The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. The speech pleased the Lord. This remark here tells us that God is pleased with people asking wisdom from him. And what does wisdom give you? God's wisdom. It may not be the wisdom of the world. The Bible is very clear in James. It says there's a wisdom from above and there's a wisdom that is sensual, that is fleshly. But the Bible says the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated.
This is the wisdom from God. And it's a wisdom that gives success in your life, in every area of your life. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 3, it talks about wisdom having two hands. So wisdom here personified as a woman with two hands. And it says, length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand, riches and honor.
Notice, right hand is always the hand of prominence. Most people use their right hand. Okay, so length of days is in her right hand. That's a priority. Would you agree that health, wholeness, amen, peace and longevity is a priority, amen? Not riches, riches is in her left hand. But notice what it gives, what wisdom gives. In the right hand, length of days. In her left hand, riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, ways of pleasure, na'im in Hebrew, which means it is pleasurable. And all her paths are peace, shalom.
So first of all, wisdom gives you length of days. That is health. Then after that, it gives you riches. It gives you honor, esteem, amen? The ways are the ways of pleasure. So it gives you pleasure. And all her paths are shalom. It gives you shalom peace. Praise the Lord. It comes by embracing wisdom. Just like it goes on to say later on, embrace wisdom. And when you embrace wisdom, what happens? When you embrace your wife, both her hands are behind you, supporting you, right? Amen? So you have all the blessings of the hand. But you don't go for riches on one hand or for the health on the other hand. You go for wisdom, the wisdom of God.
God's Response to Solomon – Riches, Honor, and Conditional Longevity
And the Bible says the Lord was so pleased with the wisdom, with the wisdom requests of Solomon that God gave him. And God says, I'll give you what you didn't ask for. God said to him, Because you have asked this thing and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, God says, Behold, I have done according to your word. See, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.
And I've also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor. Can you see that? So that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.
Now notice, this one comes with a proviso, okay? It comes with a condition. Notice, we have established that God says, I'll give you what you have not asked. He actually asked for wisdom. He didn't ask for riches and honor. But with wisdom come riches and honor. So God says, I have given. All right? I've given what? But both riches and honor. That's the left hand, right? That's the left hand we read just now. But notice, the right hand has not been given yet. God says, I have given you. So riches and honor has been given. That same night that when God appeared to him in the dream, amen, and God asked, what I shall give you. That same night, He asked God for wisdom. God gave him already riches and honor. Amen? That was the beginning of it. Praise God.
But notice that God did not give him the right hand yet. The right hand comes with a requirement. Amen. A condition. So if you walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. Notice the length of days comes health and length of days comes with the right hand.
Another way you receive wisdom is by meditating on God's Word. Amen. The Word that you receive when you... like for example, you're hearing this sermon right now. Take what speaks to you that particular expect and meditate on it. Take the verse that speaks to you. Amen. That sort of lights up to you. And meditate on that verse. Memorize that verse and start to meditate on it.
Joseph's Rise – Wisdom in Famine Times
You know, Solomon asked God for wisdom and for a hearing heart as well. Amen. And also he says that I may discern. That's another river of wisdom. There are many rivers. There's... in the Hebrew, there's the word hakam for wisdom. And sometimes in the English Bible, they don't differentiate. All right. They'll say wisdom for quite a few things. But the main word for wisdom is hakam. But there's another river of wisdom from God called bin. And then there's also madah. And then there's also yadah. Madah is actually from... yadah and madah is the same. There's also satchel. Amen.
If you look at what Solomon asked God, he asked God for an understanding heart, to judge your people. And the word down there, judge your people, all right, is that it's a good judgment. Notice the Bible says that the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. If we keep on reading, this is the very first thing that Solomon did. It's a sign that he has received wisdom. All right. In verse 15, then Solomon awoke and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Notice the very first thing he did was stand before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
Notice the very first thing, right, that he did when he woke up after he has received wisdom from God. After he has received a hearing heart. Amen. The very first thing was to seek God's presence. To seek the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why wise men will always seek him. Just like the wise men from the east came to seek the baby Jesus. Today, wise men will still seek Jesus. Amen. Are you seeking the Lord? Amen. Especially seeking the Lord for wisdom. Amen.
So the very first sign that someone has received wisdom is that he cherished the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. He valued the presence of our Lord Jesus. And he will come to the Lord Jesus. Anyone coming to the Lord Jesus is a sign that he has received wisdom. What happens to a man after he receives wisdom? First of all, he values the person of my son. Number two, he becomes humble. And he surrounds himself with people that he can tap into their advice, into their counsel, into their wisdom.
In this world today, Solomon's wisdom, which is the wisdom of God given to him, excels them all. He was wiser than all men. Amen. And all this man here now is referring by name to people who were the wisest men during the time of his father, David. Amen. And yet he excelled them all. So this wisdom is preeminent. It's superior against all the wisdom you can find in the world and anyone else that's wise.
So, friend, ask God for wisdom. Wisdom is not intellect. It can involve intellect. And many times it does. But the wisdom is a wisdom from God. It comes as a flow. In fact, you will find the Holy Spirit is involved. When you are filled with the Spirit, you are filled with wisdom.
Signs of Wisdom – Humility and Counsel
So, friend, a sign that you have received wisdom from God is that you surround yourself with people who can speak into your life. You know, today we have a generation of people. Don't correct me. Don't tell me what I did wrong. You know, I don't want to hear it. And I know what to do. In fact, the younger they are, the more they know what to do. You know, our children even especially. And they believe they know what to do. And it grieves us because we look at them and we know that there's a better way of doing that. There's a better way of doing this. But yet they want to go on their own way. And usually they fall flat on their face.
It's the same thing. Even for adults, many a times, you know, And the Bible says, open rebuke is better than secret love. From the book of Proverbs again, open rebuke is better than someone saying they love you secretly. God wants you. If you love someone, you see them going down the wrong path, correct them. That is someone who loves you. Amen? Someone is not up for your money. Someone is not just out to benefit themselves. They care for you. Surround yourself with people like that. And when they see you going on the wrong path, they'll tell you, look, bro, I love you enough to tell you, this is not the way to go. It's not the way to do it. Amen?
And time and time again, we see in our counseling and all that, families break down because of the father, you know, all of a sudden going on the wrong path. Amen? It might start with a little flirtation and then later on became an affair. All because no one came in. When they saw the thing happening, they saw them flirting. No one came in and said, bro, what are you doing? You are saying those kind of things to a girl who is not even your wife. Come on. What's happening, bro? I can see it. Amen? You need people like this in church. You need people to tell you straight. Amen? Because they love you.
Friend, the Bible says, blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly. Notice the ungodly, they have counsel. It's not that they don't have counsel, but the Bible says what? Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly. They will tell you how to spend your money, how to invest your money. But if there are people who are not filled with God's spirit And you don't bear witness. Even there are Christians telling you to do that, but you feel like there's a check in your spirit. Check with someone who doesn't have a private interest, amen, in this venture. Ask someone who can be neutral, who can ask the Lord for you, so that together you can confirm that this is of God. Someone you respect, like we established just now. All right, surround yourself with people like this, your care group leaders, your pastors, amen, before you make a major decision. That's probably one that involves a lot of money or change of location or change of career, amen. It's important you listen and listen to the wisdom of God in them, amen.
Joseph's Wisdom – Interpretation and Promotion in Famine
So the wisdom that we're talking about is a wisdom from God, my friend. It's a wisdom from God. Remember Joseph. The Bible tells us that when Joseph was a slave in Egypt and he was thrown into prison because of false accusation and in prison, he interpreted a Butler's dream. And he reminded the Butler, when you are released, don't forget to mention me. All right, I'm still in prison. Mention a good word about me so that I can be released from this place because I'm thrown here because of a lie. And, but that Butler forgot Joseph. But God never forgot Joseph. Praise the Lord. And God will never forget you. Amen.
And Joseph heard the dream. And this is what Joseph said. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God. And God will shortly bring it to pass. Now, therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. Do you remember that Joseph, earlier on in his life, he had dreams from God, but he was not able to interpret. Many of us in the place where we feel like something significant about a dream, a prophecy, or something that God spoke to us, but we are not able to really interpret it or, you know, make sense of it in a way that we can understand.
So, what is happening here? At one time, Joseph was not able to interpret. He had a dream and he was not able to interpret it. Okay? But later on, he was able to interpret dreams. What was the difference? The difference was this. The ability to interpret came after he said no to Potiphar's wife with all her seductions, right? He said no. And there is something about this. There's something about walking with God and not sinning. Any man can have a dream from God. God can give the man a dream even though he's not a believer. And yet, the ability to interpret it is only for those who will walk with God. Amen?
So, we find that Joseph said no to the fleshly lust. Amen? And after that, he was able to interpret even though he was in prison. All right? That came to pass. I thought there's an important note for us to take account of. And over here, you find that Joseph said about the two dreams. There are actually one dream. He told Pharaoh. And that means the fat cows and all that and the fat years of the grain, right, signify seven years of plenty. All right? There'll be seven years of plenty. Their harvests will bring forth plentifully. There'll be a bumper crop. And for seven years, it's going to be just a wave after wave of a bumper crop. After that will come, right, seven cows, scrawny and ugly, and they will eat up the cows. In other words, there'll be seven years of famine. And the famine of Joseph was such that all the seven years of plenty was forgotten.
But then, God never gives a dream without giving us wisdom to apply it in our lives. Every time God gives a dream to an unbeliever, only a believer, a man who is filled with God's spirit, is able to interpret it. And then that gives you a connection there. At the same time, during famine, God's people always rise to the top. And God will give them the wisdom and the word for that season, for that time.
And this is what happened as well. When Joseph gave the interpretation to Pharaoh, Joseph says, prepare yourself. All right? Let Pharaoh do this. Now, in a way, Joseph was not recommending himself, yet he was, right? He said, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this. And let him appoint officers over the land to collect one-fifth, that's 20% of the produce of the land of Egypt, in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming and store up grain. Okay?
So, here, the wisdom was to appoint a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. So, the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, can we find such a one as this? A man in whom is the Spirit of God. Notice, a man who is wise and discerning. Here, Pharaoh says something quite prophetic, right? We know it's prophetic because he discerned correctly. He says, can we find such a one as this? Pointing to Joseph. A man in whom is the Spirit of God. It goes to show that a discerning and wise man is a man in whom God's Spirit dwells.
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. And he goes on to say, You shall be over my house and all my people shall be ruled according to your word. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. Wow. Just in a short while, Joseph, who was brought out from prison, is now the most powerful man beside Pharaoh. Okay? Pharaoh says, Only in the throne will I be greater than you. So he's the number two man in the whole realm of that kingdom. And the kingdom of Egypt at that time was the most powerful kingdom at that time. So with the wisdom of God, he rose through the ranks.
And friend, that's where you find God's wisdom will propel you into a place of promotion. I'm not thinking about for pride, you know, for proud reasons and all that. Would to God that we stop praying just for a job and pray for a position, a position of influence that we can impact many lives for our Lord Jesus. Amen. Don't just pray for a job. Don't just pray for, you know, something that you just want to live by. But pray that you might be an influence to many people. Remember later on, Joseph said to his brothers that God sent me here to save many people. Amen. To save many, many lives. Amen. So he realized he has a greater call than just fulfilling a job. So friend, that's you and I as well.
Discerning Wisdom – Phronimos and Sunetos from Meditation
But I want to point to you this thing in closing. Joseph recommended a man who is discerning and wise. That's what he advised Pharaoh. Now, Pharaoh says, well, who can find a better man than you? A man in whom is God's spirit and a discerning and wise man. And he was promoted. This word discerning in the Hebrew is the word bin. And the word wise is the word hakam. Now, why am I showing you this? Because it's very interesting that this word bin was also used in the prayer of Solomon. That I may discern. Okay. He says bin. It's the same word in the Hebrew. That I may discern. Discerning man. Wise. Hakam. Hakam.
But also remember that there is a translation of the Old Testament in Greek. Your Old Testament is actually in Hebrew. Translation in Hebrew. And your New Testament is written in Greek. Right? But there's Old Testament translation of Greek, which is a Septuagint version. If you look at the Septuagint version, it says, where it says a discerning and wise man. The word bin for discerning is the word phronimos. Phronimos. And the word hakam for wise is the word sunetos.
Now, phronimos is very interesting because phronimos means someone who is sharp, you're right, in his discernment. Someone who is very discerning. Someone who is able to look at the true nature of things. And he's a sagacious person, a person who is recognized for his prudence. He's able to see things before it happens. Amen? Discerning. Phronimos. Very interesting word. And hakam. Wise. Hakam in the Hebrew. The Greek is sunetos. Sunetos means, literally, someone who is able to take two and two, to bring it together, to find the solution. Amen? He's able to put two and two together and conclude.
How do you have this wisdom to put two and two together, when others are not able to even reconcile them and see the solution? God says, by meditating on his word day and night. Another way of meditating, of course, is also to hear sermons. Amen? Day and night. You know, if the devil is bombarding you with depressive thoughts and dark thoughts and negative thoughts all day long, you'll not be well. This disease is going to kill you. And this is what happened to so-and-so, this is what happened to so-and-so. And you don't keep your mind. How do you do that? If the devil is bombarding you 24 hours, okay, a day, 24-7, okay? Let me tell you this. It's time for you to meditate on God's word. Listen to God's word day and night. And when you're not listening to God's word, meditate on what you have listened to. Meditate on God's word. Mutter it under your breath.
Because the devil is not playing fair. He's bombarding you all day and night. You need to meditate on God's word day and night. Praise God. This is one of the greatest pleasures in my own personal life. I've done this for many years. Take a verse to meditate on. You know, when I wake up in the middle of the night, and I don't care whether it's because I ate the wrong kind of food, or too much coffee, or the devil is trying to disturb my sleep. But if I wake up in the middle of the night, one of the things I always do is always to meditate. Meditate on God's word. Or I pray in the spirit. I don't stay up there and worry about not having enough sleep and what's going to happen in the day.
You know, many times in the dark moments of the night, you find your thoughts going astray. You find your thoughts getting very dark. Just like the darkness around you. But friend, there's a time you need to focus on God's word. You need to make your mind focus on God's word and start muttering it. Amen? Muttering helps to control your mind, to focus on something. You know, people do not know how to focus nowadays. There are so many distractions all around them. And meditating on God's word will make you focus. Focus on that one verse. Focus on the word in that verse. Amen? It will help your concentration, which is the key to success in life, which is sadly lacking in today's generation, because they are so put in so many directions. And there's a lot of distractions out there.
So friend, meditation will give you what? Sunetos. Amen? The ability to put two and two together and see the wisdom of God in it. It's one of the branches of God's wisdom.
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When my heart was broken and I was just hurting a lot, the Lord used Pastor Prince and his messages to just bring healing and comfort. I was actually just flipping through the TV one day and he was sharing the message of grace, just the message of a righteousness is from him and how he gives us our identity and everything we have is from him. It just lit my heart on fire.
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Father, in Jesus' name, I thank you for everyone that's hearing this word right now, Father. I pray, Father God, that you will raise discerning and wise men and women out of this sermon, Lord. I pray you'll prosper them, Lord, in all that they undertake. May their lives make a turn right now because as they receive your wisdom, Father, I pray they'll continue, Lord, to walk with you and to continue that wisdom, Lord, not as Solomon did, Lord, but as Jesus did, Lord, to the end of his life, the author and finisher of faith and prosper their journey. Prosper all the way until we see you, Lord Jesus, face to face. In Jesus' name I ask. Amen.