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!