Pressing on In Prayer - Review of What God is Teaching Us

Our prayer group continues to grow in relationship to each other and in the burden to prayer for each other, our church, our nation, Israel and the world. Each meeting has been blessed, so, I wanted to post a tool to help us remember what the Lord is teaching us. Here are summaries of the last few weeks' meetings.

  

Comrades in God's Army/Bearing One Another's Burdens

On November 3, 2015. Linda taught about being comrades in God's army.

In Peter's epistles the word "brethren" was used to describe those "born of the same womb: having the same feelings, similar emotions, dealing with same problems in life." But in New Testament times, brethren also meant brothers in battle, faithful soldiers united to fight the same fight, handle the same weapons, win the same wars. The word for "brother" also meant "comrade" - one who had achieved a special level of brotherhood known only by those who stay united together in the heat of battle.

God has put us together as a group. As a church. We are comrades. We care about each other. We bear each other's burdens.

And burdened we feel! Lately, there seem to be so many needs in our body!  Because we care, we have a dilemma - we're overwhelmed with so many feelings for each other. At times we feel worn out and grieved over so many sicknesses, attacks and trials. Some of our burdens have an exponential factor - as in grand-parenting - our hearts feel for our grandchild but those feelings are magnified by our concern for our own child as a parent.

As we age, we experience more and more loss.  Add to that, the Spirit of Antichrist is at work in this world. Just by living in this fast-paced, evil world, stimuli come at us with dizzying intensity.  7,000 - 10,000 thoughts and images go through our mind every day.

Jesus won it all on the cross, yet at present, we do not see the perfect, completed evidence of that victory.

 Hebrews 2:7-8 "You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now, we do not yet see all things subjected to him."

Matt. 24:8 and Luke 21 talk about signs of the last days which began during their time but have increased in intensity in our age. . "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs."  Like labor pains, we think they can't get worse, but they do.

Romans 8:22-25

"For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."

So, knowing these things, what is our strategy?

How do we survive as comrades bearing each others' burdens and caring and fighting for each other? 

• As in everything, we pursue our own intimate relationship to God. We draw near to Him.
• We count the cost of being comrades, brethren. In a sense, we must accept the grief, the burden compassion brings. When a soldier enlists, he signs away a certain number of years. Hopefully, he counted the costs before he did. Some grief comes with the territory. Love is costly!
• In spite of the pain, we don't allow our hearts to harden. We keep it open to feel with our comrades.  Rom. 12:15   "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."
• We help them bear the crushing burdens described in Gal. 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens." These are burdens too heavy to carry alone.
• When we are anxious and worried about all the suffering we see around us, we cast our cares upon Him. 1 Peter 5:7  "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." The word for "care" describes anxieties.
•  Romans 8:26-27 "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

  

Effectual Fervent Prayer

Then, on 11/17/15, Andra taught about effectual, fervent prayer.

"The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous avails much." Ja. 5:16

Salvation comes with the promise of the Holy Spirit. "And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."  Luke 24:49

We are told in Acts 1:8 that we will receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon us. This is the Greek word "dynamis" meaning miraculous power, a living creative force.  The purpose of this dynamis power is to bring glory to God.  It's not about the miracles!

What does this power do in our lives?

• Helps us throw off the old man
• Does works of faith through us to preach the gospel and heal the sick.

How to we tap into this power?

• By the baptism in the Holy Spirit
• By consuming His word we get to know him - who He is and what He wants to do.
• By asking God for it!

1 Jn 5:14 "and this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us."

We have authority, but we must have the power to back it up.

Intercessory Prayer

On 12/1/15, Maureen taught on intercessory prayer. She introduced us to the work of Charles Spurgeon and shared about his life and many of his insights into prayer.

Spurgeon's sermon on Intercessory Prayer made many profound points - so profound that I could not get them down in notes. We all left there desiring to read and study Spurgeon's works.

Some of them were:

• One cannot harbor enmity against a brother after he has prayed for him. Job prayed for his friends who had accused him. We can carry the offending ones to the throne of grace.
• We must prayer for tired believers who can't pray themselves. We can take their sins to God in vicarious repentance for them. We can pray to repent for sinners. It won't save them but perhaps they will be brought to repentance. This is the type of prayer that fills in the gap.
• Intercessory prayer never gives up!
• Intercessory prayer presses on after setbacks!

Maureen's teaching captured the passion this man of God had for intercessory prayer. In our time of prayer we put what we learned into practice. We repented for our country.  

We recommitted ourselves to press on, even after setbacks. We moved into an increased passion to respond to God's call on us as a group and individually. I, for one, felt conviction for my lack of passion for prayer compared to that of Spurgeon!

Remembering Who God Is

We talked in recent weeks how the great prayers in the Old Testament always talk of "remembering the Lord".  This list from the Navigators offers thirty days of names of attributes to remember, recount, rehearse, recite...

30 Days of Praying the Names and Attributes of God

by The Navigators

Though God is infinitely far above our ability to fully understand, He tells us through the Scriptures very specific truths about Himself so that we can know what He is like, and be drawn to worship Him. The following is a list of 30 names and attributes of God. Use this guide to enrich your time set apart with God by taking one description of Him and meditating on that for one day, along with the accompanying passage. Worship God, focusing on Him and His character.

God is Jehovah. The name of the independent, self-complete being—“I AM WHO I AM”—only belongs to Jehovah God. Our proper response to Him is to fall down in fear and awe of the One who possesses all authority. 

—Exodus 3:13-15

God is Jehovah-M’Kaddesh. This name means “the God who sanctifies.” A God separate from all that is evil requires that the people who follow Him be cleansed from all evil.       

—Leviticus 20:7,8

God is infinite. God is beyond measurement—we cannot define Him by size or amount. He has no beginning, no end, and no limits. 

—Romans 11:33

God is omnipotent. This means God is all-powerful. He spoke all things into being, and all things—every cell, every breath, every thought—are sustained by Him. There is nothing too difficult for Him to do. 

—Jeremiah 32:17,18, 26,27

God is good. God is the embodiment of perfect goodness, and is kind, benevolent, and full of good will toward all creation.   

—Psalm 119:65-72

God is love. God’s love is so great that He gave His only Son to bring us into fellowship with Him. God’s love not only encompasses the world, but embraces each of us personally and intimately.    

—1 John 4:7-10

God is Jehovah-jireh. This name means “the God who provides.” Just as He provided yesterday, He will also provide today and tomorrow. He grants deliverance from sin, the oil of joy for the ashes of sorrow, and eternal citizenship in His Kingdom for all those adopted into His household. 

—Genesis 22:9-14

God is Jehovah-shalom. This name means “the God of peace.” We are meant to know the fullness of God’s perfect peace, or His “shalom.” God’s peace surpasses understanding and sustains us even through difficult times. It is the product of fully being what we were created to be.

—Judges 6:16-24

God is immutable. All that God is, He has always been. All that He has been and is, He will ever be. He is ever perfect and unchanging.

—Psalm 102:25-28

God is transcendent. We must not think of God as simply the highest in an order of beings. This would be to grant Him eminence But he is more than eminent. He is transcendent—existing beyond and above the created universe.

—Psalm 113:4,5

God is just. God is righteous and holy, fair and equitable in all things. We can trust Him to always do what is right.

—Psalm 75:1-7

God is holy. God’s holiness is not simply a better version of the best we know. God is utterly and supremely untainted. His holiness stands apart—unique and incomprehensible.

—Revelation 4:8-11

God is Jehovah-rophe. This name means “Jehovah heals.” God alone provides the remedy for mankind’s brokenness through His son, Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the physical, moral, and spiritual remedy for all people.

—Exodus 15:22-26

God is self-sufficient.  All things are God’s to give, and all that is given is given by Him. He can receive nothing that He has not already given us.

—Acts 17:24-28

God is omniscient. This means God is all-knowing. God’s knowledge encompasses every possible thing that exists, has ever existed, or will ever exist. Nothing is a mystery to Him.

—Psalm 139:1-6

God is omnipresent. God is everywhere—in and around everything, close to everyone. “‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.”

—Psalm 139:7-12

God is merciful. God’s merciful compassion is infinite and inexhaustible. Through His provision in Christ, He took the judgment that was rightfully ours and placed it on His own shoulders. He waits and works now for all people to turn to Him and to live under His justification.

—Deuteronomy 4:29-31

God is sovereign. God presides over every event, great or small, and He is in control of our lives. To be sovereign, He must be all-knowing and all-powerful, and by His sovereignty He rules His entire creation.

—1 Chronicles 29:11-13

God is Jehovah-nissi. This name means “God our banner.” Under His banner we go from triumph to triumph and say, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

—Exodus 17:8-15

God is wise. All God’s acts are accomplished through His infinite wisdom. He always acts for our good, which is to conform us to Christ. Our good and His glory are inextricably bound together.

—Proverbs 3:19,20

God is faithful. Out of His faithfulness God honors His covenants and fulfills His promises. Our hope for the future rests upon God’s faithfulness.

—Psalm 89:1-8

God is wrathful. Unlike human anger, God’s wrath is never capricious, self-indulgent, or irritable. It is the right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil.

— Nahum 1:2-8

God is full of grace. Grace is God’s good pleasure that moves Him to grant merit where it is undeserved and to forgive debt that cannot be repaid.

—Ephesians 1:5-8

God is our Comforter. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Comforter,” and the apostle Paul writes that the Lord is “the God of all comfort.”

—2 Corinthians 1:3,4

God is El-Shaddai. This name means “God Almighty,”the God who is all-sufficient and all-bountiful, the source of all blessings.

—Genesis 49:22-26

God is Father. Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9), and the Spirit of God taught us to cry, “Abba, Father.,” an intimate Aramaic term similar to “Daddy.” The Creator of the universe cares for each one of us as if we were the only child He had.

—Romans 8:15-17

God is the Church’s head. God the Son, Jesus, is the head of the Church. As the head, the part of the body that sees, hears, thinks, and decides, He gives the orders that the rest of the body lives by.

—Ephesians 1:22,23

God is our intercessor. Knowing our temptations, God the Son intercedes for us. He opens the doors for us to boldly ask God the Father for mercy. Thus, God is both the initiation and conclusion of true prayer.

—Hebrews 4:14-16

God is Adonai. This name means “Master” or “Lord.”  God, our Adonai, calls all God’s people to acknowledge themselves as His servants, claiming His right to reign as Lord of our lives.

—2 Samuel 7:18-20

God is Elohim. This name means “Strength” or “Power.” He is transcendent, mighty and strong. Elohim is the great name of God, displaying His supreme power, sovereignty, and faithfulness in His covenant relationship with us.

—Genesis 17:7,8

We Are Warriors!

On October 20, 2015, DeDe shared with our group about what it means to be a warrior. A number of you weren't able to be there, so here is a summary of what she taught.

2 Samuel 10:12  "Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God.  The Lord will do what is good in His sight."

God goes before us and sees the scope of every battle. Trusting God for the outcome is what makes us strong warriors. 

Following up on Andra's teaching on War Room Strategy, our prayer closet is where we meet with Him individually, the place to be alone with God, the place of intimacy with the Savior.  There we pour out our heart and listen to the Holy Spirit. In the prayer closet, the Holy Spirit gives us the strategy and equips us to fight the battles.

In contrast, our prayer group is where we meet with Him together, where two or more gather in His name. Here, we also pour out our hearts and listen to the Holy Spirit. As we unite together, each operating in her own gifts,  we receive strategy and are equipped. Here, in our group, we deploy and fight the battle.

We are warriors, God's Warriors, and it is time to deploy.  

A warrior is a brave or experienced soldier or fighter.  

- signs on to fight because of blood of Jesus

- trains to fight by studying the Word

- wears gear to fight, the Armor of God

- knows his enemy

- knows his commander-in-chief

- expects to win

To deploy is to move troops into position for military action

- to have a deliberate purpose

- requires "action"/movement

- to gear up with full armor of God

- to follow orders from the Holy Spirit

- to move out in Faith

- to be focused on the course set before us

We have been given the gifts to fight. We have prepared ourselves. We know the battles that rage. We know the Word of God. We know our commander-in-chief, SO, why are we so hesitant?  Why are we insecure as warriors in God's army?  Do we lack faith or self esteem? Are we too busy or preoccupied with our selves and our lives? 

The battle belongs to the Lord, but He has called us to be His warriors in the battle. It is God's battle.  Although we are suited up, totally prepped and trained, we don’t have to fight the battle ourselves. If we wait upon the Lord and move at His command, we will be totally tuned into Him.  It will not be about us, but about Him. Jesus will then direct our paths: "enemy on the left", "enemy approaching overhead", "turn the corner", "clear".  Our job is to listen and follow. To trust and obey. He wins the victories! 

To hear His explicit directions, we must have clear communication with Him. As Lee has been teaching, this comes from true intimacy with Him. This is where prayer comes in - staying in the Word, worship, and spending time with the Holy Spirit.  For example, a warrior walking through a minefield must be totally focused on each step. God is shining His light on the path, leading us forward. He will show us the way through the minefields of the battle. We are called to look to Him for the victory.

In Linda's blog on Time to Deploy she states:

 I, for one, don't like to fight. Never really wanted to be a warrior.

 I never sought courage or battle skills because I didn't want to admit

 I needed them.

Sometimes we say, "I don't like conflict" and run from it.  What we are really saying is, "I don't want to battle". We are running from the battle, trying to dodge the bullet. At times we don't want to release control. There are times when He calls us to stand firm and other times when He wants us to move forward into battle for His glory. We must learn to have ears to hear and then trust and obey - release control!

This brings up Fear -  "Perfect love cast out fear!"  I John 4:18.  His love is perfect, and we march in His army. Both young soldiers and seasoned fighters face fear when they grab their guns and go into battle, but they move forward anyway. They fight for the love of their country. We fight because He first loved us. It is our response to Jesus dying on the cross for us. We are blessed to have God on our side and to be suited in the full armor of God.  With fear and trembling, we go into action. Let's not  run from the battle if He has called us to fight.

What must we do and How?

Deploy is an action word. It requires us to step out! 

I think of us as a Battalion. A battalion is  a group called together for a specific purpose.

For example, a medical battalion might man the hospital. An engineering battalion might build bridges. An air battalion might fly planes and drop bombs, and a ground battalion might fight arm-to-arm combat

We are a Prayer Battalion!  We must deploy. There is a war that is raging with lots of battles all over this world - in our homes, our church, our country and the Middle East, Thailand. Each of us has different gifts to use in our battalion. We need to identify what our assignment is and then be ready to edify the battalion to help it function in the battle. We do this for the glory of God for we are in His Army.  In the examples given above, the medical battalion is no less important than the air battalion. In our prayer battalion, each one has a different assignment  based on the gifts God has given us. There is no pride in acknowledging our gift, but just thanksgiving that God deems us worthy to be in the battle fighting for His glory.

In the Prayer Battalion, not everyone may be going out to the actual battle ground, but they are still deployed. Some are watching, observing and listening to the Holy Spirit in planning a strategy to defeat the enemy. While Lee was in Columbia on a mission trip, many fellow Christian soldiers stayed at home battling in the heavenlies for his safety and for his ministry. Some top ranking officers never leave the command post, but they send out orders to the warriors on the battlefield.

There is a spot for each of us in this Prayer Battalion. God has called us together to pray. There is a mission here for us.  He wants an effective Prayer Battalion. We need to seek His strategy.  We need a clear vision for "where there is no vision the people perish." (Prov 29:18)  Then we need to be ready to act on our vision and our strategy. Some of us may still be confused about our gifts/assignments, and that is okay. Your fellow warriors in the Prayer Battalion will have your back.  As we step out in faith, God will be faithful to show us and help us.  He provides everything we need to stand in the battle, from the trumpets to the slingshot. We are just to follow orders. We will grow in confidence of our gifts as we use them for His glory.   

WE ARE WARRIORS.  IT IS TIME TO DEPLOY!

"Onward, Christian soldiers!

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before."

Time to Deploy?

I was just thinking this morning --40 years ago, I longed for a group like we have. A group of ladies who I can trust and share deeply with.  A "support" group. I had to wait a long time for it. We are blessed. God wants us to enjoy that.

But, I feel conviction too- look around us. Things aren't like they were 40 years ago - not even like they were 5 years ago! My idea of a perfect ladies' Bible study group 40 years ago isn't as relevant in today's world or in today's church!

At our age, we certainly see progression and intensifying  of  the evil coming against our country, Israel, the world, Christianity, young people - even children in our church. Human trafficking, pornography, homosexuality, depression, terrorism. Even our pastors - actually "especially" our pastors. . The things Lee deals with daily in his office and on the mission field…

I would really like to get comfortable in our little group - it seems that soldiers have a real camaraderie - they have each others' backs. Each one is trained and performs his job - mans his post. It is imperative that we trust and value each other, that each person gain the confidence and ability to use their gifts, but what is God's purpose in giving us these gifts, these weapons, this trust, this camaraderie?

The comaraderie is not the warrior's purpose - not the reason the army was assembled.  The training is not the warrior's purpose . There is a war to fight. We began as a prayer group. That has been made clearer by the War Room movie and Andra's excellent teaching on warfare.

I, for one, don't like to fight. Never really wanted to be a warrior. I never sought courage or battle skills because I didn't want to admit I needed them.

Ps. 18:34 "He teaches my hands to war."

Unlike  the leader we talked about yesterday - I don't even know how to "organize" a prayer meeting! Much less really pray.

We have an army, we have a comaraderie, we have knowledge. Maybe it's time to DEPLOY.

Would you join me in praying for direction in how to be stewards of the gifts we have - of the love, unity and trust we have? How to employ these things on the actual battlefield? How to really stand against the evil we see?

Let's just pray for direction and against distraction. Ask God to begin to show us how to be effective in war. We have the weapons. We need a strategy!   I am going to go back to the outline Andra gave us, and meditate on the verses.  God wants to give us direction, but it will come through each one of us as a body- together - each person bringing a piece of the puzzle.

The Desires of My Heart

This morning while lying in my bed, slowly waking up, I found myself falling into what could be called "default praying" - praying anxious prayers of protection and well-being for my kids. Even in my early morning stupor, I began to see the dysfunction in this prayer habit. As I had for so many years, I was striving to build safe little cocoons to shelter, comfort and keep each of my "peeps",  as I like to call my children and grandchildren. And, I sometimes still consider them MY peeps - MY responsibility!  It was if I was trying to surround them like feathers in a nest to coddle and keep them - a warm and cozy nest full of blessings, healings and protection.

Even Jesus acknowledged the strong parental protective urge in Luke 13:34 as He expressed His intense feelings toward Jerusalem.  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not."

We all know that the chrysalis has to work its way out of the cocoon to survive, and the baby bird has to be thrown from the nest to fly. But as the eagle hovers over its young, so there is one who promises to cover them with His feathers and under whose wings they can trust. (Ps. 91)   But the security promised here is for those who trust fully in Him, the One who is the hoverer. For those who commit themselves to Him. For those who daily seek Him and dwell in His presence. Verse 14 goes on to say “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name."

I thought I had long ago laid down the idol of  the "perfect Christian family" with perfectly protected and easy lives for all. But, in the process of continuing to lay down that idol -  perhaps it's time instead to pick up the shield and buckler of His truth. Surely, keep praying for their safety, health and happiness, but, even more than that, that each one learns to seek  Him and to dwell in His presence daily. That they seek His truth and commit themselves to His will and purpose for  their lives.

Lord, are my desires morphing more and more into Your desires? You did promise in Psalm 37 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will give you the desires of your heart."  As my own family has grown, the "perception" (and it was always just a perception) that I can control, even through prayer, every situation and possibility they may face is no longer one I can reasonably expect to hold onto! It was never reality anyway!  

Binding and Loosing

"Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, 'I am there in their midst'."   Matthew 18:18-20

Since last week's Sunday School lesson, I have been going over my notes and thinking on the meaning of these verses. Lee was talking about that when the church gathered for prayer, as it says in Acts 2, they were "of one mind" or "in one accord."

He said that, in this gathering, someone sees  what God is wanting to do  - what He wants to be bound on earth as it is being bound in heaven. In the prayer meeting that person speaks. Here in the seeing and the speaking we see the gifts of the Spirit operating in the body.  Then immediately, we go to God in prayer and bind it on earth.

We may not  realize it or call it "gifts of the Spirit" or "binding and loosing", but I believe we see this in operation at times in our little group. 

I have a long way to go in understanding all this , but, Ralph and I had an opportunity to grow in understanding this week. We were leaving our son's house where we babysat his four children. One of them had told us about the fear he experiences when he goes to bed at night. I  shared with him 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind." I wrote it down for him on a card for him to keep. He began to quote back to me his school memory verse that he said was "for his heart".  Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  We talked and prayed for him.

In the car on the way home, I remembered the Sunday School lesson.  I saw what the need was - what God was wanting to bind on earth, as it is bound in heaven. I spoke it to Ralph and talked about how I was beginning to understand some of the things Lee taught.  So we joined hands in the car and bound the spirit of fear in our grandson's life.

I do believe the "seeing" -the "discerning" - is a vital step. It is the same as what Lee has recently talked about  - having a "thought of God." Actually, before this, the "of one mind" --the unity-- is crucial. Then we speak out. Too often, we only consider certain "manifestations" to be gifts of the Spirit -- prophecies spoken out in church or words prefaced with "I have a word", but this is the operation of the gifts as well!  Then, we respond in prayer. Let's continue to allow the Lord to teach us , use us and to grow us into operating as the body of Christ was meant to operate!

The Lord - our stronghold - our strong tower!

These images are from the internet - wish I had some DeDe or Toni photos to share!

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and is safe." Prov. 18:10

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock in whom I take refuge. My shield and he horn or my salvation, my stronghold."  Ps. 18:2

"He only is my rock and my salvation. My stronghold. I shall not be shaken." Ps. 62:2

"The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright." Pr. 21:22

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in him will I trust." Ps. 91:9

"The God of my rock, in Him will I trust; he is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior."   2 Sam. 22:3

Our Weapons of Warfare

In Linda's post about deception, doubt and distraction that the enemy uses against us as Christians, she mentions that we are soldiers and must use our weapons to fight the enemy.  As we gather in our War Room to plot our strategy, we must know what weapons God has given us and how to use them so that we are prepared for the battle.  Here is a teaching by Adrian Rogers on our weapons.

The Weapons Of Christian Warfare 

People are continually discussing what is happening in this country, the Middle East, and in every corner of the globe. What many may not realize is that we are already at war, an invisible and unseen war between light and darkness, good and evil. And Satan is our adversary.
In Ephesians 6:10-17a, we learn about the defensive weapons of our warfare – the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace and the helmet of salvation. These pieces of armor are to defend us from Satan’s fiery arsenal. But, we also need offensive weapons to defeat the enemy – the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God and the prayer of the Spirit.

The Sharpness of your Sword
"The Word Of God"

Hebrews 4:12 teaches: “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The trouble with many of us is that we are not using the one weapon that God has given us to grant us a sure victory. Many of us study the Bible, but it’s not enough just to study the Bible, we must learn how to employ it.
Years ago, when young men went into the service, the military issued them an M1 rifle. They were taught how to take it apart and reassemble it. But they had to do more than just learn about their weapon; they had to learn to use it. The Word of God is a sword and it is meant to be used.
How do we use this sword? Let’s look at how our Lord Jesus Christ used the Word when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness after forty days and nights of fasting (see Luke 4:1-13).
First, Satan tempted Jesus with the lust of the flesh (“command that these stones be made bread”), then the lust of the eyes (“if Thou therefore will worship me, all shall be Thine”), and finally the pride of life (“if Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down from [the pinnacle of the temple]”).
How did Jesus deal with the devil? He took the sword of the Word of God – that sharp two-edged sword and ran Satan through. Jesus said, “It is written, it is written, it is written…” Jesus overcame every temptation by one weapon – the Word of God.
The Word of God is all-powerful. Satan fears the Word of God. He knows its overcoming power.

The Source of Your Supply
"Prayer"

Some Christians fail to understand that prayer is the second offensive weapon in our warfare. They get all dressed up in their armor, pick up their sword, and think they are ready to fight. But Ephesians 6:18 tells us that there’s one more weapon – prayer: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
A soldier needs to stay in contact with headquarters and have at his disposal a constant source of supply. Without a constant source of supply and a system of communications, a soldier is destined for defeat. Thank God we have the Holy Spirit who gives us constant communication with our Commander-in-Chief.
Before we go to the battlefield, we must get on our knees. The battle is not won in the pulpit or in the Sunday school class. The battle is won in the prayer closet. Prayer is warfare.
You probably have never thought of yourself as a soldier. But, when you are sitting in your bedroom or in your den, you can wage a mighty battle of intercessory prayer. Isn’t it wonderful that those who are sick or shut-in, on a hospital bed or in a wheelchair can fight because they can pray? What an awesome weapon is prayer!
I challenge you today to take the mighty weapons God has given you and get into the battle! Begin today to offer lingering, loving, laboring prayer on behalf of others. for when you use the weapons of the Word of God and prayer.
John 15:7 says, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” You can have the victory you long for, when you use the weapons of the Word of God and prayer.

The Real War

This is the devotional from Dr. Charles Stanley for May 14, 2015. See what he says about deception, doubt and distraction. As soldiers, we certainly can't afford to lay down our weapons in the time of war! As we talked about a few weeks ago, the basis of our belief is the very character of God! It always comes back to that -- remembering who He is, what He has said and His past faithfulness to us. 

The Real War

Read | 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The enemy’s primary strategy against the believer is deception. We learn from 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan often “disguises himself as an angel of light.” In fact, Jesus called him “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Thus, our best weapon is the truth, which sets us free from deception’s bondage (v. 32).

It is hard to avoid deception when you are not aware of the adversary’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). One of his oldest deceptions, which goes back to Adam and Eve, is the temptation to doubt what the Lord has said. To do so means to doubt God’s heart and character, which is similar to a soldier on the front line setting down his weapon as the enemy approaches—mistrusting God sets you up to be knocked down repeatedly by the evil one. If you listen to this voice of doubt, you give Satan a foothold. That will weaken you so that he can gear up to bring about further destruction.

Another scheme of the devil is to distract the believer. A distraction is anything that drags you away from what is most important at the moment and makes you so busy that you lose focus. Satan doesn’t use just blatantly sinful or superficial things to divert us from abiding in Christ—he will even use good things to subtly build up a wall of “noise” around you so that you gradually stop listening to God’s voice.

Ask the Lord to reveal any area in your life where you may be susceptible to deception. He will give you power to claim the truth and walk in freedom.

Uncharted Territory

"I will lead the blind by a way they do not know,
In paths they do not know I will guide them.
I will make darkness into light before them." Is. 42:16

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Ps. 119:105

What a confirmation Pastor Lee's sermon was Sunday to the direction in which He is leading us!
He said that the United States is on a unfamiliar path because we are facing the consequences of decades of our country turning its back on God.. For decades the church hasn't prayed but protested and signed petitions. We have slept. There are no trailblazers for what we face here in the United States in this generation --not even the great men of God who went before us.

Lee said that broken men will walk into places of darkness and say "there's God." America will be given a revelation of the goodness of God through these broken people. Will they get it?

I believe we are called to pray that they will get it!

As we talked about, none of us knows how to do this. The lamp shines over our feet for only the first step. Let's pray for each other that we take that first step of obedience - and then the next and the next.

Scriptures for Praying for the Lost

I wanted to share a list of verses Lee gave about a year ago to use in praying for the lost.

Pray for an inclination or a drawing by God to Jesus - John 6:44 "No man can come to Me except the Father draw him; and I will raise him up on the last day."

It is Your responsibility, God! They won't be saved unless You draw them!

Pray that the eyes of their heart will understand (no matter what their mind thinks!) -

2 Cor. 4:4-5 "But if our gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

All it takes is a flash of God's light in their heart for them to be convinced!

Pray that will be flooded with grace and faith - Eph. 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."

If you brought me out, you will bring them out. Let them see every advancement of Your love to their life - don't let them be able to ignore it!

Pray that God would unite their hearts to fear Him. - Ps. 86:11 "Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth; unite my heart to fear They name."

Pray the person will begin to acknowledge God in their life, in their speech, in their walk; that they will desire to become accountable to Him. A kingdom divided will not stand, so Lord unite their heart.

Pray they will find satisfaction with God, that He will fill them up with His joy, love…

Eph 3:16-19 "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man: so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth: and to know the love of Christ, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Nothing can live in a vacuum. Deliverance is not so much that something goes out but something goes in.  Fill them with the Holy Spirit, with power, with life, with peace that they be excited about living for Him. Keep them away from dead, boring legalistic people.

Pray that they will be filled with the Holy Spirit -

Eph 3:16 "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man."

Eph. 1:17-19 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His might power."

Pray that what they receive they will keep by the Holy Spirit. Pray they have an experiential knowledge of the love of God and the manifestation of His presence.

Pray that they would be fruitful - John 15:4-5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing."

The physical measure of your abiding is your place in the body of Christ. There will be no fruit in your life to the depth God wants that does not come through fellowship - direct union with the body - Christian friends all up in your business! Pray that the body of Christ welcomes them in.

Pray that they would have the desire to glorify God's name and make their life count for Him -

2 Cor. 5:15 "And He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and rose again in their behalf."

Pray that they would take up God's cause in their lives.

I am reading a book Out of a Far Country by Angela and Christopher Yaun. It is the story of a mother who prayed for her son to come out of homosexuality and drugs. She set up a shower which had never been used in her new house as her prayer closet.While her son was in prison for drug distribution, she began an adding machine tape of thanksgivings for the blessings God sent in the midst of sufferings - the tape is about 6 feet long - a memorial to the faithfulness of God.

I am thinking of keeping the post-its and index cards I remove from my board, marking them as answered, in a box as a memorial of all that God does!

Preparing a strategy for war.

   "For by wise strategy (counsel) thou shalt make war; And in a multitude of counselors there is Victory."         Proverbs 24:6

 

 

   Ladies let us put our heads together prayerfully and come up with ideas for our Prayer Warrior strategy. I believe the Lord will show us unique and powerful ways to approach prayer. Bring us your ideas next prayer meeting and we will with the Lord's guidance start formulating a battle plan! To Him be the victory and glory and honor forever!

 

 

 

 

Remember in 2 Chronicles 20:13 how Jehoshaphat lined up all the men, women and children before the Lord? These, our offspring, they are YOUR PEOPLE, Lord! We bring each one before you and thank you for your everlasting covenant with us and with our offspring after us!

The word Jehoshaphat received from the Lord was:

"Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's."
v. 15

"You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf." v. 17

“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” – Psalms 11:3

We must humbly enter The War Room and map out a strategic prayer plan.  Here are some links on how to pray for our nation.  

http://nationaldayofprayer.org/how-to-pray-for-america/

We are women of hope!

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."  1 Peter 3:15

More and more in this world, in this country, it is a battle to hold onto our hope, but our hope is in the Lord!