Prayer Warrior

Peace is not something that just happens to us or we stumble upon. It must be pursued—relentlessly pursued.  What does it mean to be relentless?  Webster’s definition of this word is “Unyielding stern or harsh; persistent.”  We must become unyielding in our pursuit of peace and once we get it, we must fight to keep it.  We are not to sit idly by and let Satan rob us of what is rightfully ours.  Remember, we are not fighting by ourselves; it is not even really our battle, “for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15b).  Let God fight the battle.

Satan loves it when we become so focused on a situation that it blocks out God.  We worry about it, obsess about possible solutions, and lose sleep over it.  The Lord says in His word that He will keep us in perfect peace, if we keep our minds stayed on Him.  This is conditional.  He will only keep us in peace IF we keep our minds on Him.

Make a decision today to keep your mind firmly fixed on the Lord!

Life is a series of seasons, ups and downs. The key is knowing what season you are in. Knowing where you are will help you understand what to do.

There are seasons of bounty and plenty where it seems like everything is going your way, coming together or coming to fruition. It is easy to praise the Lord during this season because you are seeing the evidence in front of your eyes.

Then there are dry seasons where you feel like you are toiling, under spiritual attack, uneasy and fearful. What do you do? What happened to the season of plenty? What is the next step?

You still praise Him! God is in every season! He has not left you, has not left US. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). We live in a fallen world and there will be ups and downs. There will be disappointment, joy, laughter and sadness. The key is that we are not in this life alone. I am not trying to make light or make it sound like the tough times are not hard–they are! I have been through things (and still going through) that the thought of bring tears to my eyes and a catch in my chest. Things that have brought me to my knees in despair AND through it all, God was with me.

Praise Him in the ebbs and flows of life’s seasons. He sees all things and is always with you. Praise is the one of the things that you can consistently do. Praise Him for the basics–you still have breath in your body which means your purpose is still laid out before you. Praise Him because in the midnight hour HE was there. In the morning, He was still there. God will see you through your seasons and will give you what you need.

I marvel when I truly ponder on God speaking the world into existence.  There was nothing–no starting point, no material, just His voice.  This is a tremendous reminder to me of who He truly is and what He can do.  Nothing is too hard for God!

I am going through a season of change, shifting, becoming and I have to admit I am a little uncomfortable right now.  The unknown is scary. Not having the answers, not knowing what the end result looks like is a scary thing.  Then I am reminded of who I serve, who my Father is.  My Father is the creator of the universe! My God spoke worlds into existence, brought life to a virgin womb and parted the sea. My God created something from nothing! Surely, He can take care of me. 

Sometimes I forget who He really is and what He is capable of doing. I forget the awesomeness (not sure if that is actually a word, but we’ll go with it🙂) that is Elohim.  The great and powerful one, the God of all.  I will meditate on who is taking care of me, ordering my steps and keeping me….keeping me, little ol me, in the palm of His mighty hand. That thought brings me peace and stirs up the power in me. Thank you God for being God!

Fight! Don’t give up. Be the warrior you were purposed to be. Stop giving in and settling into mediocrity and believing it is the best you can do. Stop believing that it “will always be this way so I might as well get used to it.”

Get your passion, joy, fire, commitment and determination back. If you are still on this earth, then you have a purpose to live out. God has put greatness and power inside of you. His son died on the cross so you would live. Live your life with purpose and fight. Take back what has been stolen. You are not just a mom, just a wife, just an employee, just an anything. You are all those things and more! Fight and war and be the warrior you were created to be!

Not sure where to begin but at the beginning. Not sure what direction I should go–I just know I need to go toward Him. Him–the Lord, my God, my King. The only true source of my strength. The only strength I know and have is in Him. The only answer I seek is His answer. The only voice I long to hear is His. Like soothing balm over a wound, I need Him for healing. Healing of wounds that run deep, wounds that are new, wounds that are still slightly raw from the last touch.

He is the source, the power, the might. He with a capital H is my all in all. Without Him I have nothing. If I have everything, but do not have Him, I really have nothing at all. He is the only one that truly satisfies. That fills that deep longing and thirst that cannot be quenched. Cannot be filled by things or people. Only He can satisfy and quench these dry bones.

Things are not going to change if I don’t change. Things will remain the same unless I draw a line in the sand and say “you can come up to here, but no further.”

If I want to see different, I have to do different. Radical, exponential, unexplainable change requires going against what I have always done–not falling back into or resting on what feels comfortable, what is easy and what doesn’t require sacrifice.

Obedience is better than sacrifice. Obedience to my God and my King, even when it causes me discomfort or to feel unsettled. It is time to be who I am in Christ ALL the time–not when it is easy and requires nothing. If it requires nothing of me, then what am I doing? Life is to be lived boldly, fearlessly knowing that my God has my back. He will never leave me nor forsake me. If He is for me, then who could be against me?

What are you willing to sacrifice, to give up?

Have you ever gone through a season or seasons where it seems like once you get one thing under control something else pops off? Or once you have spiritual victory in one area, you’re attacked in another? Then the cycle repeats again, and again? Life is not going to be smooth sailing because we live in a fallen world.

But what if…

An area of attack, an area where the enemy keeps coming and coming and coming could be crushed completely once and for all? Is that possible? Yes, it is! Stop attacking the body, coils and tail of the snake–crush the head. Crush the root, the place where all the attacks flow from. If you are anxious, worrying about money, can’t sleep at night, having nightmares, uncertain about what is next–crush the spirit of fear under your heel. Don’t pray against the pieces, decimate the root.

If you are not sure what the root is, seek the Lord–His will is not hidden. He WILL give you the answer. And when He does, unleash the greatest power in the universe on that snake head. Unleash the word of God in prayer until that thing is dead!

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20, NIV)

This verse shines the light on an area I need to work on–putting action to what I say I am going to do. Oh, I can talk a good game, have the best plans and ideas, but when it comes to execution….well, I fall short. Or I start off strong, but then fizzle out and limp to the end of the finish line.

Following and serving God is about so much more than talk. It is about taking the gifts and talents I have been given and putting them to work in the kingdom. It is about letting the power that is inside me radiate to the outside. It is about making God my Lord, not just my savior–letting Him reign. It is about His will coming before my own and He WILL equip me to carry out His plans.

So, in 2018 I am going to talk less and do more. I am going to put my money where my mouth is and execute!

What about you?

What are you willing to do to see God’s will done?  Are you willing to sacrifice a little sleep, be inconvenienced, read the Bible more?  Are you willing to step outside of your comfort zone and do something you have never done before?

We cry out to the Lord to change a situation, but many times God is waiting on us.  Don’t forget who you are in Christ!  You have the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead living inside of you.  God said in Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome the enemy; nothing will harm you.”  What you are seeking from the Lord already belongs to you.  Authority is delegated power.  God has authorized you to use His power, so use it!

Take the power that lives in you and cry out so that the very gates of hell tremble:

• Wrestle that spirit of fear down to the ground and tell the enemy that “God did not give you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7)
• Command depression to release its hold on you because you have a “crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3)
• Tell the spirit of lack to take a hike–“God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Take the Word of God and work it!  Step away from what you are accustomed to doing, what has not worked.  Do something different and you will have different results.  Use what He has given you, what already belongs to you, what is your right as a child of the King.  You have God’s authority!