Armed and Dangerous; 5 Prayers that Win!

Transcription

1 Armed and Dangerous; 5 Prayers that Win! Before I wrote Spiritual Warfare for Women I was challenged by Neil Anderson (president emeritus of Freedom in Christ ministries and author of Victory over Darkness and Bondage Breaker). He asked me this question, Wouldn t it make sense that we worship that which we fear most? That question haunted me, for I d had this inner urging to take on the task of writing a book about spiritual warfare, but was afraid of what might happen if I did. Was my fear a strange form of worship? I remembered my mission trip to India and the thousands of people bound by a spiritual darkness called Hinduism. Although they worshipped more gods that I could name, they had two that rose above the rest. One was Ganesh (the god who rewarded them with blessings) and the other was Siva (the god who punished them with curses). Ganesh was depicted as a golden elephant and Siva as a blue snake. I shuddered to think of having to walk in such fear that I d do something to offend Ganesh and thus miss a blessing or worse yet, to do something to offend Siva and embark curses. Yes, it would be fair to say that we worship that which we fear most. And because I chose to fear God more than Satan, I wrote my book. Did that project invite spiritual attack? Well yes, read the introductions to my books Spiritual Warfare for Women and A Woman s Guide to Hearing God s Voice for a glimpse into the reality of the enemy s attacks. But what the devil meant for harm God used for good (He always does). God has given you all you need to win consistent victory no matter what spiritual battles you face. These 5 prayers will win every time! Before I share the 5 prayers, let me put them in the context of Scripture. My favorite Bible story is the account of David s encounter with Goliath recorded in I Samuel 17. After listening to Goliath (the Philistine champion from Gath) heckle Israel s armies, David (a shepherd boy from Bethlehem) volunteered to take him out. David told King Saul that he d had great success before killing lions and bears that dared to attack his sheep and if God had given him victory over these wild animals, God could certainly give him victory over Goliath. Saul tried to talk David into wearing his own armor and carrying his sword, but David protested saying they just don t fit me, and I m not used to them. Instead, David walked to a stream nearby and carefully chose five smooth stones.

2 If I had been sitting on the riverbank when David went to choose his stones I would have loved to have asked him how he was able to muster such faith. I wonder if his mother read him God s Word from cover to cover (like I did for TJ when he was four years old). I wonder if while he was spending hours alone in the pastures, God impressed him with His glory through nature. I wonder if David and his father talked for hours in the night about life, and death, and war and peace. I wonder why he chose five smooth stones, it only took one! Before you read anymore of this article, go collect five rocks. I have five rocks piled on my desk and five more on the end table next to my couch. Many times I collect five rocks to remind me of the following truths. My stones serve as little altars to remind me that with God s power coursing through my veins I will win every battle I fight. Do you have your rocks? If so, then read on and learn more about the stones God s given you to take your giants down. 1. The Prayer of Contentment. If we could learn to find our satisfaction in Christ alone we would withstand so much of what the enemy hurls our way. David was able to take Goliath down because he found his contentment in God. Oh, that we would do the same. What battles we might win if we truly found our contentment in Christ alone. To hurl your stone of contentment at the giant that heckles you, you must rest secure in the who evers God sees fit to put in (and take out) of your life and the where evers He sees fit to place you in His great big world (both geographical and circumstantial locations). You must also rest secure in the when evers God chooses to answer your prayers. Take your stone of contentment in your hands and pray this prayer aloud: Father, God I choose to place my hope in You. I release (whomever you run to when you need God) from having to meet my every need. I confess that I ve allowed (him/her) to take Your place in my life. Please forgive me for doing that. I also release my need to know the details of Your plans. I don t like (whatever circumstance you find yourself in today) and I certainly want You to change it quickly, but I choose to find my peace in You rather than my circumstances. I will wait as long as it takes to experience the answers You know are best in (this situation). I choose You because You chose me. I trust You, I love You and I am satisfied with You. Amen. 2. The Prayer of Confidence: Oh, this is a big one for me; confidence. I used to think I had to rally confidence and self-esteem in me. Remember Satan s intimidation factor? When David faced Goliath, was he confident in himself? Or, was His confidence in God? When Saul insisted that David wear the king s armor, David tried it on and then refused. After arming himself with a

3 slingshot and five smooth stones, David stood before Goliath and exposed himself to Goliath s verbal assault. Goliath called David a dog and threatened to feed him to the birds and beasts. But David knew that wasn t going to happen. He was personal friends with the Creator of those birds and beasts. So David told Goliath that he was about to lose his head. (2 Samuel 17:43-45) Was David s confidence in himself? Or, was his confidence in God? How long has it been since you ve witnessed the power of God? When s the last time you saw His power demonstrated? What is God able to do? According to His Word; nothing is too difficult for God (Jeremiah 32:17). You are blessed when you choose to trust God (Jeremiah 17:7). And God promises to meet every one of your needs (Philippians 4:19). Where is your confidence today? Hold your confidence stone in the palm of your hand and pray: Lord, I confess that I ve been hiding in my tent like the Israelite soldiers, shaking in fear because I m afraid that the enemy is too strong. I choose to believe that You alone are God and no weapon forged against me will prosper (Isaiah 54:17). I choose to believe that there is nothing too difficult for You. There is no giant too big; no problem too large; no child too lost; no marriage too cold; no church too mean; (add anything that comes to your mind). For nothing is too difficult for You. I choose to trust You. I have made You my hope and my confidence. I trust You to supply all that I need. Amen. 3. The Prayer of Perseverance: So many times this statement is true: We win because we refuse to quit. My husband Tom reminds me often that our journey in God s kingdom work is a marathon, not a sprint. In case you haven t noticed, the devil is not nice at all. If you have a place in your heart where you are still harboring resentment or bitterness, it s like a gaping wound begging him to come and infect it. If you have a relationship that is strained or a dream that seems to be hopeless or a doubt that nags you then these heartaches create spotlights for your weaknesses. They shout, chink in the armor! She s got a leak! Come on fellas let s see what we can do! Is there any quit in you? Hold your stone of perseverance in your hand and pray this prayer aloud. Father, I do not want to grow weary doing good. But I m tired. I ve already grown weary, and sometimes I think I just might quit. I have been guilty of thinking if not saying I ve had enough! But here I am Lord. I choose to follow You and I don t intend to give up. There s no quit in me. Did you hear that Satan? There s no quit in me! I love you, Lord and forgetting what lies behind I press on. Amen.

4 4. The Prayer of Faith: I think this stone is the stone David pulled from his bag to bring Goliath down. David s faith was compacted into that one stone. And that faith-stone partnered with David s arm of obedience took down the Philistine giant that had God s entire army held captive in their tents. People watch to see what happens when our lives embrace the promises of God. They desperately need to see that God is personal and that He is powerful. The world needs to see that with our faith we can move mountains. They need to understand that God is real and His power is sufficient! They want to know that even when we fall down, we will get up again and march triumphantly on! Don t forget that this stone is not optional (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is the extra measure of UMPH that refuses to give up, give in or give out. Hold the powerful stone of faith and pray this prayer: Oh God, enlarge faith in us! We want to PLEASE You Your reward is what we long for! Father, let our earnestness be proven in the winds of doubt. And our faith strengthened as we cling tenaciously to Your Word. I acknowledge that it is not the measure of my faith so much as it is the object of my faith that is the source of power, and I confess that You are able and I believe You will do what You say You will do. Amen. 5. Stone of Intimacy with God: There is only one way to defeat the enemy really and that is to nurture, and develop your personal relationship with the only One who is stronger and that is God. In Max Lucado s children s book, The Song of the King, he beautifully illustrates the victory that is ours when we walk close enough with Jesus to guard us against the enemy s deceptive lies. (Read this book or my retelling of the story in my book Spiritual Warfare for Women.) My dear friend in the faith there are powerful forces of evil mimicking the voice of God. They will try to derail you and render you useless to the kingdom of God. Or worse than that, they will use you as a pawn to wreak havoc to God s kingdom with no regard for the destruction they deliver to you, your family and your friends. In order to guard yourself against their tactics grow deeply intimate with His Son, Jesus Christ. Take your stone of intimacy with God and pray this prayer aloud: Father, I love You, and I sense a strong calling to Your purpose and Your plan. You alone are God, and I place my hope in You. Today, I recommit myself to a deep, personal, intimate relationship with You. I need You, Lord. More than I can even know. Father, I want to continue to be armed and

5 dangerous. I want to put the enemy on the run, and take every giant down so the world will know You are God. Amen. As a child of the King you are not only able but also expected to win spiritual battles. From one tried warrior to another, remember this truth, Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world (I John 4:4). And don t forget this truth as well, Every attack from the enemy brings with it a divine invitation from the heart of God to learn by experience what Love does. Let Love show you His battle plan, trust Him to do what He says He will do and you will experience victory every step of the way. For more on spiritual warfare check out Leighann s book Spiritual Warfare for Women.