“Healthy theology affirms the spiritual realm without obsessing over it. Faith keeps us grounded when the unseen feels overwhelming.” In Daniel 10, the curtain between heaven and earth is pulled back, revealing an unseen world of spiritual activity. As Daniel receives a new vision and encounters a radiant messenger, we’re reminded that God’s purposes are unfolding even when we can’t see them. Nicole Unice explores what Scripture teaches about the spiritual realm—what’s revealed, what’s mysterious, and how believers can live anchored in confidence rather than fear. She balances two extremes: over-focusing on spiritual warfare or dismissing it altogether. The episode draws out timeless truths about prayer, unseen realities, and the sovereignty of God that will carry into Daniel 11 and 12.

Main Takeaways

• There is an unseen realm: Both Old and New Testaments affirm that invisible realities exist (see Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:14).

• God hears our prayers—even when we can’t see results. The angel tells Daniel his prayer was heard immediately, though the answer was delayed by spiritual resistance (Daniel 10:12–13).

• Healthy theology stays balanced. We recognize the spiritual realm without obsessing over it. Faith, prayer, and Scripture keep us grounded.

• Revelation points to the Revealer. The focus is not on angels or visions but on the God who reveals Himself and strengthens His people.

• Trust closes the gap between prayer and response. Faith bridges the unseen—God’s timing and sovereignty are trustworthy even when unseen battles rage.

Bible Verse References:

• Daniel 10:12–13 — God hears Daniel’s prayer.

• Ephesians 6:12 — Our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

• Hebrews 1:14 — Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve believers.

• Colossians 1:16 — All things, visible and invisible, are created through Christ.

• Psalm 139:16 — All our days are written in God’s book.

Calls to Action (CTAs)

• Subscribe to How to Study the Bible with Nicole Unice for weekly studies.

• Watch the bonus “Digging Deeper” video on YouTube: Who are angels and what role do they play today?

• Download the free Daniel study guide at nicoleunice.com/daniel.

• Share the episode with a friend or group exploring biblical spirituality.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

"Real prayer doesn’t stop at personal confession. It joins God in His redemptive work and asks, ‘Lord, act for Your own sake—so that Your name will be glorified.’"

This week, we are diving into Daniel 9, where Daniel reads Jeremiah’s prophecy about seventy years of exile and responds with a model prayer—humble, confessional, covenant-anchored, and intercessory. God answers through the angel Gabriel with the “seventy weeks” vision, pointing beyond the immediate return from exile to God’s larger plan to end sin and bring everlasting righteousness through the Messiah. Nicole outlines three historic interpretations of the prophecy (historic-messianic, preterist, futurist) and shows how all Scripture centers on Christ. The episode closes with practical ways to pattern our prayers after Daniel and to live confidently in the “already/not yet.”

Watch the bonus segment on YouTube ("Does God change His mind because of prayer?"): Join the conversation and get the extra content! https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

What We Cover:

• A pattern for prayer: Daniel 9:3–19 gives a four-part template—humility, confession (including corporate confession), appeal to God’s covenant character, and intercession for God’s people and God’s glory.

• Praying God’s promises: Daniel prays Scripture back to God (Jeremiah’s 70-year prophecy) as an act of trust and alignment, not demand.

• Prophecy centers on Christ: Whatever one’s view of the “seventy weeks,” Daniel 9:24 points to six promises fulfilled in Jesus—ending sin and ushering in everlasting righteousness.

• Knowledge → faithfulness: After a heavy vision, Daniel “got up and went about the king’s business,” modeling steady, everyday obedience.

• Hold mystery with confidence: Christians can disagree on timing/details while agreeing that God writes history toward redemption in Christ.

Next Steps: 

• Get the free Daniel Study Guide: Daily 15-minute readings, reflection prompts, and prayer to help you engage Scripture all week. (Find it at NicoleUnice.com/daniel.)
• Subscribe & Review: If this helped you, follow the show and leave a quick review so others can find the podcast.
• Share the episode with a friend or small group studying Daniel.
• Study Bible Recommendation: Use a trusted Study Bible/commentary for historical background on Medo-Persia, Greece/Alexander, and the Seleucid period (helpful for Daniel 8).
• Watch the bonus segment on YouTube ("Does God change His mind because of prayer?"): Join the conversation and get the extra content! https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We can’t ignore evil—but we don’t have to fear it. God never forgets His people, even when the world feels dark. In this episode of How to Study the Bible, Nicole Unice unpacks Daniel 8—a vision set “in the third year of King Belshazzar”—featuring a ram (Medo-Persia), a goat (Greece under Alexander the Great), and a “little horn” that foreshadows vicious oppression against God’s people and ultimately prefigures end-times opposition. Nicole shows how Scripture itself interprets the symbols, why this prophecy likely emboldened Daniel in later chapters, and how the vision’s weight moved Daniel to both ponder and then “go about the king’s business.”

This chapter becomes a practical call: if we truly grasp God’s sovereignty and the sweep of history, how should we live right now—especially toward the “least of these”?

Main Takeaways / Learning Points

• Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Daniel 8 provides its own interpretation (Medo-Persia → ram; Greece → goat; post-Alexander turmoil → the “little horn”). We don’t need hidden codes; we need faithful reading.

• Prophecy forms character. Daniel is overwhelmed by the vision yet gets up and returns to his work in faithfulness (Dan. 8:27). What we know should shape how we live.

• Evil has a pattern—and a limit. History (e.g., Antiochus IV; later, Nazi persecution of Jews) shows how evil targets worship, dignity, and truth. Still, God preserves His people and sets an end to oppression.

• Discipleship looks like proximity and mercy. Jesus’ measure in the end is love in action—feeding, welcoming, visiting, clothing (Matt. 25:31–40). Right belief matters; embodied mercy proves it.

• When the world feels overwhelming, do the next faithful thing. Resist over-responsibility for the whole world and under-responsibility for your neighbor. Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly (Mic. 6:8).

Bible Verse References (linked)

• Daniel 8 — Vision of the ram, goat, and little horn; interpretation given

• Daniel 8:26–27 — “Seal up the vision… I, Daniel, was worn out… then I got up and went about the king’s business.”

• Matthew 25:31–40 — The Son of Man and “the least of these”

• Micah 6:8 — Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly

• (Context touchpoints mentioned) Daniel 5

Next Steps: 

• Get the free Daniel Study Guide: Daily 15-minute readings, reflection prompts, and prayer to help you engage Scripture all week. (Find it at NicoleUnice.com/daniel.)
• Subscribe & Review: If this helped you, follow the show and leave a quick review so others can find the podcast.
• Share the episode with a friend or small group studying Daniel.
• Study Bible Recommendation: Use a trusted Study Bible/commentary for historical background on Medo-Persia, Greece/Alexander, and the Seleucid period (helpful for Daniel 8).
• Watch the bonus segment on YouTube ("Understanding American Christian Zionism"): Join the conversation and get the extra content! https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Kingdoms will come and go. Empires will rise and fall. But God is sovereign over all. In the end, there is nothing that can stop the Kingdom of God from crushing and dominating all earthly kingdoms. And that is good news for God’s people in exile - both in Daniel’s day, and today.

In this episode of How to Study the Bible, Nicole Unice dives into the visually stunning and deeply theological chapter of Daniel 7, where Daniel’s dream of the four beasts reveals the rise and fall of earthly empires—and the unshakable rule of the Ancient of Days. Nicole explains how this vision parallels Nebuchadnezzar’s statue in Daniel 2 and points ahead to Jesus as the Son of Man, whose eternal kingdom will never be destroyed.

Listeners will learn how to approach prophetic literature, understand historical context, and anchor their faith in the sovereignty of God—even when the world feels chaotic. Nicole also highlights what it means to live faithfully “in exile,” seeking the good of our communities while keeping hope fixed on Christ’s everlasting reign.

Main Takeaways / Learning Points

• God’s sovereignty is the story behind every story. Empires rise and fall, but God’s kingdom endures forever.

• Prophetic visions are meant to encourage, not confuse. Daniel’s dream reassured exiles that God was still on the throne.

• Be faithful in exile. Like Daniel’s people, Christians today live as “foreigners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11), called to pray for and bless their cities (Jeremiah 29).

• Jesus is the Son of Man. The vision in Daniel 7:13–14 directly foreshadows Christ’s eternal authority and glory.

• Hope wins. However dark the times or powerful the empires, evil does not get the last word—God’s justice and peace prevail.

Next Steps: 

• Get the free Daniel Study Guide: Daily 15-minute readings, reflection prompts, and prayer to help you engage Scripture all week. (Find it at NicoleUnice.com/daniel.)
• Subscribe & Review: If this helped you, follow the show and leave a quick review so others can find the podcast.
• Share the episode with a friend or small group studying Daniel.
• Study Bible Recommendation: Use trusted commentaries and study notes to help unpack prophetic imagery (Daniel 7 parallels Ezekiel 1, Revelation 4–5).
• Watch the bonus segment on YouTube ("What Is Dispensationalism?"): Join the conversation and get the extra content! https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Daniel didn’t have to stop praying to God—he could have just hidden. But he didn’t. He kept doing exactly what he’d been doing before. Long obedience in the same direction built his courage. This week, Nicole walks us through Daniel 6 and the famous lion’s den—showing how Daniel’s unchanging prayer rhythm collided with a world of schemes, pride, and fragile power. You’ll see how a faithful life can bless even imperfect leaders, why Daniel kept his practices public instead of hidden, and how this chapter foreshadows the death and resurrection of Jesus (John 19). Nicole closes by inviting you to build a simple Daniel-style prayer habit and to root your courage in the hope that anchors the soul.

What We Cover: 

• Faithfulness outlasts schemes. Daniel’s integrity and consistency (not clever arguments) exposed the emptiness of power games.

• Habits form holy courage. Daniel didn’t adjust his prayer life “for 30 days.” Long obedience prepared him for a sudden test.

• Bless your leaders by your life. Like Joseph, the presence of a righteous person improves the whole house—Daniel made everyone around him better.

• Empire is fragile; God’s Kingdom is not. Darius is swayed by ego and pressure, but God’s purposes stand—and He rescues.

• Christ's Death and Resurrection in Daniel 6. The innocent condemned, the sealed place of death, the powerless ruler, and the deliverance by God all foreshadow Jesus’ death and resurrection (John 19).

• Your trials matter to God. Whether your “lion’s den” is public or painfully ordinary, Jesus has gone before you—and hope anchors your soul.

Next Steps:

• Get the free Daniel Study Guide: Daily 15-minute readings, reflection prompts, and prayer to help you engage Scripture all week. (Find it at NicoleUnice.com/daniel.)
• Subscribe & Review: If this helped you, follow the show and leave a quick review so others can find the podcast.
• Share the episode with a friend or small group studying Daniel.
• Watch the bonus segment on YouTube ("How to Start a Prayer Habit Modeled After Daniel's Life"): Join the conversation and get the extra content! https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this week's Bible study on Daniel 5, Nicole unpacks the famous scene of the writing on the wall and shows how it exposes the danger of pride, the fragility of earthly empires, and the steady faithfulness God calls us to in “upside-down” cultures. You’ll see how Daniel models faithful service over time, refuses worldly rewards, and operates with wisdom from above—a pattern modern disciples can emulate at work, at home, and in leadership. Nicole also highlights historical notes that parallel Scripture and offers a simple four-question framework (“ALIVE Method”) to help you study any passage with clarity and confidence.

What We Cover This Week in Daniel 5 - 

• Understand “the writing on the wall.” Discover what Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin means and how it reveals God’s verdict on pride and misuse of power.

• Spot the difference between words and fruit. Learn why religious language isn’t the measure of faith—fruit over time is (character > charisma).

• Live unshaken in a shaking world. Daniel shows how to serve faithfully across regimes without compromising devotion to God.

• Choose the right reward system. Earthly power and gifts are temporary; Kingdom reward frees you to tell the truth with courage.

• Practice wisdom from above. James 3 says that wisdom looks like purity, peace, consideration, mercy, and sincerity—use it as your checklist for influence.

• Study the Bible with confidence. Use Nicole’s ALIVE Method each week: What does it say? What’s the backstory? What does it mean? What does it mean for me?

Recommended Resources and Next Steps - 

• Get the free Daniel Study Guide: Daily 15-minute readings, reflection prompts, and prayer to help you engage Scripture all week. (Find it at NicoleUnice.com/daniel.)

• Subscribe & Review: If this helped you, follow the show and leave a quick review so others can find the podcast.

• Share the episode with a friend or small group studying Daniel.

Watch the bonus segment on YouTube ("4 Rules for Life That Jesus Gives Us"): Join the conversation and get the extra content! https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do we know who is a genuine believer? And why does it matter to know the difference between conversion and conviction? Those are the questions we're wrestling with in this episode How to Study the Bible. Today, we're studying Daniel 4 in our Living Right Side Up in an Upside Down World series. After dreams, miracles, and multiple warnings, the king still resists repentance—until God graciously brings him low and restores him when he finally acknowledges: “Heaven rules.”

Nicole distinguishes religious conviction from Christian conversion, names how pride hides in plain sight, and calls listeners to examine their allegiance—not to personalities, parties, or echo chambers, but to Jesus as Lord. You’ll learn how to read Daniel 4 with context, spot the turn from “the tree” to “the man,” and apply the chapter’s timeless truths to your life today.

Key Takeaways from Daniel 4 - 

• Religious conviction does not equal Christian conversion. Interest, morality, or “saying the right words” is not the same as repentance and allegiance to Jesus.

• Heaven rules. God is sovereign over kings, kingdoms, and timelines—even when He seems slow.

• Pride is subtle and stubborn. It hides in control, certainty, self-reliance, and power. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

• God is patient. Nebuchadnezzar receives 12 months to repent—Scripture shows a God who warns, waits, and still welcomes.

• Read carefully. Daniel 4 shifts from describing a tree (it/its) to a person (him/his)—a textual clue that the dream is about the king himself.

• Escape echo chambers. Anchor teaching in Scripture, not personalities or algorithms. Measure fruit, not just words.

• Repentance is a turn, not a tweak. Conversion means leaving the kingdom of self for the kingdom of God—a new operating system.

Recommended Resources and Next Steps - 

• Get the free Daniel Study Guide: Daily 15-minute readings, reflection prompts, and prayer to help you engage Scripture all week. (Find it at NicoleUnice.com/daniel.)

• Subscribe & Review: If this helped you, follow the show and leave a quick review so others can find the podcast.

• Share the episode with a friend or small group studying Daniel.

Watch the bonus segment on YouTube ("How Am I Meant to Operate as a Christian in a Broken, Fallen World?"): Join the conversation and get the extra content! https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What do we do when the heat around us rises and our allegiance to God is tested? This week, we're continuing our Fall Bible Study on Daniel: Living Right Side Up in an Upside Down World.  Nicole walks with us through Daniel 3—the fiery furnace moment with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Using the ALIVE Method (What does it say? What’s the backstory? What does it mean? What does it mean for me?), Nicole shows how this ancient story speaks directly to modern disciples who feel pressure to assimilate to cultural idols.

Key theme: Perspective matters. True allegiance shows when pressure rises. The three friends’ confession—“even if He does not”—models a courageous, non-anxious faith that resists idolatry and trusts God’s authority over our trials.

In this episode, Nicole covers:

• How to read Daniel 3 with the ALIVE Method so you see the text, its context, its timeless truth, and its personal application.

• Why allegiance precedes outcomes: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s “even if He does not” (Daniel 3:18) courage shows faith isn’t transactional.

• Idolatry isn’t only “bad things”: As Tim Keller noted, a good thing that becomes an ultimate thing is an idol. Even noble causes, work, or ministry can become ultimate. (From Keller’s teaching on counterfeits; see Counterfeit Gods for a deeper dive)

• What to do when the heat rises: Don’t panic—pray. Seek community and God’s wisdom (cf. Daniel 2).

• How to interpret miracles and suffering: Miracles are a sign of God’s authority; they don’t establish it. And Scripture prepares us not to be surprised by “fiery ordeals.”

• Living in “Babylon” today: Practice holy resistance without withdrawal—hold firm convictions with humility, love, and clarity.

• Modern idolatry and competing allegiances: how to spot them, surrender them, and seek God’s kingdom first.

Bible Verses Mentioned (linked)

• Daniel 3 (entire chapter): BibleStudyTools — Daniel 3

• Daniel 3:18 (“even if He does not”): Daniel 3:18

• 1 Peter 4:12–13 (don’t be surprised by fiery ordeals): 1 Peter 4:12, 1 Peter 4:13

• Matthew 6:33 (seek first the kingdom): Matthew 6:33

• Luke 10:27 / Matthew 22:37–39 (Great Commandment): Luke 10:27, Matthew 22:37–39

• Mark 2:1–12 (paralyzed man lowered through the roof—Jesus addresses the deeper need first): Mark 2:1–12

Recommended Resources and Next Steps - 

• Get the free Daniel Study Guide: Daily 15-minute readings, reflection prompts, and prayer to help you engage Scripture all week. (Find it at NicoleUnice.com/daniel.)

• Subscribe & Review: If this helped you, follow the show and leave a quick review so others can find the podcast.

• Share the episode with a friend or small group studying Daniel.

Watch the bonus segment on YouTube (Who is the “fourth man in the fire?): Join the conversation and get the extra content! https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In week two of our bible study, Living Right Side Up in an Upside Down World, Nicole walks through Daniel 2—Nebuchadnezzar’s disturbing dream, the failure of Babylon’s “wise men,” and Daniel’s prayerful response. The chapter unveils a core biblical truth: earthly kingdoms crumble, but God’s kingdom endures. Learn how to respond to a crisis like Daniel, place your trust in what lasts, and live for the unshakable kingdom.

Get Our Free Daniel Study Guide (15 minutes/day): nicoleunice.com/daniel

What We Cover - 

• Why Nebuchadnezzar demanded both the dream and its interpretation—and what that reveals about fear and power.

• How Daniel models holy courage: don’t panic—pray, gather your people, seek God.

• The big picture: God rules history; earthly empires are temporary.

• How Christ is the cornerstone of a different kind of kingdom that will never be shaken.

Key Bible Study Scriptures

• Daniel 2 (the dream, the statue, and God’s revelation)

• Isaiah 40 (nations are a drop in a bucket before God)

• Psalm 2 (earthly rulers rage; God reigns)

• Luke 20:17; 1 Peter 2:6–7 (Christ the cornerstone)

• James 1:5 (ask for wisdom)

Big Takeaways

1. God rules history—even when rulers rage or cultures shift.

2. Earthly kingdoms are temporary—don’t anchor your identity to what won’t last.

3. Crisis is a cue for prayer—Daniel gathers friends and seeks God’s wisdom.

4. Live for the unshakable kingdom—align loyalties, time, and decisions with Jesus’ reign.

This Week's Reflection Questions

1. Where am I subtly placing trust in temporary kingdoms (success, security, institutions, relationships)?

2. When a crisis hits—big or small—do I panic or pray? What one step can shift me toward Daniel’s pattern this week?

3. In what practical ways can I seek first the Kingdom in my work, home, and relationships right now?

Resources & Next Steps:

• Free Daniel Study Guide (15 minutes/day): nicoleunice.com/daniel

• Share this episode with a friend or small group and study Daniel together.

Connect with Nicole:

• Weekly newsletter: nicoleunice.com/realtalk

• Instagram & Facebook: @nicoleunice

YouTube Bonus: A quick dive on how to pray for wisdom like Daniel—and what to do while you wait for God’s answer. https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Nicole begins the new bible study series Living Right Side Up in an Upside Down World with Daniel Chapter 1. Set in Babylon after God’s people are taken into exile, this story introduces Daniel and his friends as they resist assimilation into a foreign culture. By choosing faithfulness—even in something as simple as food—God equips them with wisdom and influence.

Together, we’ll learn how to live faithfully in a culture that often presses us to conform, and how exile never has the last word when God is sovereign.

What We Cover -

• Why Daniel and his friends refused the king’s food and what it teaches about holy resistance.

• How exile is never the end of the story—God works even in scattering.

• Why respectful courage matters when culture pressures us to assimilate.

• How God honors faithfulness with His presence and provision.

Key Scriptures - 

• Daniel 1 – Daniel’s faithfulness in Babylon.

• Jeremiah 29:4–7 – God’s call to seek the good of the city, even in exile.

• Exodus (background) – God’s promise to set His people apart.

This Week's Reflection Questions:

1. Where do you feel pressure to assimilate to “Babylon” in your own life?

2. What might holy resistance look like for you this week?

3. How can you seek the good of your city without losing your identity in Christ?

Resources & Next Steps

• Get the FREE Daniel Study Guide, as well as Weekly Notes and Bonus Materials: nicoleunice.com/daniel

• Share this episode with a friend or group and journey through Daniel together.

• Instagram: @nicoleunice

Bonus on YouTube: What does a Daniel Fast mean today? Watch the extended teaching on YouTube for deeper context. https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.