Isaiah 40:12-18 – “Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed out the mountains and the hills? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor? 14 Has the LORD ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best? 15 No, for all the nations of the world are nothing in comparison with him. They are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all. 16 All Lebanon’s forests do not contain sufficient fuel to consume a sacrifice large enough to honor him. All Lebanon’s sacrificial animals would not make an offering worthy of our God. 17 The nations of the world are as nothing to him. In his eyes they are less than nothing — mere emptiness and froth. 18 To whom, then, can we compare God?” NLT

Recently as I was reading this passage seemed to leap off the page at me, so I have chosen it to pen my brief remarks.  We all face the many uncertainties of life and none of us truly know what is around the next corner or the next encounter we will face.  We truly live from moment to moment, in Him.  He is our rock and our strength in the time of trouble, and our strong tower in the time of safety.

In reading this I was particularly encouraged when I began to think of the “awesomeness of God” and His “immenseness.”  Read this passage slowly and allow it to sink in and you realize that the “Creator of the Universe” has no comparison, He is immeasurable and absolutely reliable and trustworthy. 

He has extended to each of us the “Hand of Fellowship” allowing us to become “adopted” into the family of God through the Blood of Jesus.  What a comfort to know that nothing escapes His view, nothing is too large for Him to handle, and nothing is more immense than He. 

While we may be small and insignificant in comparison to Him, He takes careful pains to ensure that each of us is cared for individually and collectively.  He is so concerned about each of us that He knows the very number of hairs on our heads and pays attention to every detail of our lives, needs, struggles, and victories.  What a Mighty God We Serve!

Therefore, I plan my day not knowing what the day may bring forth.  I recall, a few years ago, when I was referred to a surgeon because of an issue with my parathyroid gland.  There was trepidation because the tests indicated a tumor.  As I researched parathyroid tumors, I discovered that they were rarely malignant. 

The surgeon assured me that it was benign because of the rareness of malignancies in this gland.  I had Peace that God was in control but there was a gnawing thought in my mind that this was not routine.  When I underwent surgery and the doctor visited me in my hospital room, he informed me that he had been wrong and it was, in fact, malignant and quite large. 

Numerous things transpired to cause me further concern and trepidation and a second surgery was scheduled for a few months down the road.  One day, sitting in my truck during my lunch break and doing what I did daily, praying and reading the Word of God, a warmth cover my body, and sensed that I had been healed.  I had a sweet and powerful Peace settle over me and, in my heart, and I begin to sing of our Awesome God! 

I rested in His care and trusted the prayers of my many friends that were going up continually for me.  As an old preacher once said, “God can pull you through anything if you can stand the pull.”  Just before the second surgery, all my PTH levels went to the low side of normal and the surgery proved to be a total success.  The surgeon said, “This was a miracle, and someone higher than you or I did this!”  No Trace of Cancer was found in my body!  I walked and now walk in complete Peace knowing I am in His hands.  I live in confidence that He Will Be There every step of the way, so I Go in Peace, His Perfect Peace!

Thanks for your prayers, and may you have a blessed day.  God bless you and have a fantastic day serving our AWESOME GOD!

Isaiah 6:8-9 – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  NASB

Through the years I have had personal battles and listened to the stories of people who have faced incredible difficulties in life and frequently the question has been “Why me Lord?”  I have had people say things like, “What did I do to deserve this?” or “Man I must have really made God mad.”  I believe those are the wrong questions and statements based on the wrong focus. 

Life is not necessarily “fair” nor is it “predictable.”  Bad things happen to good people and often without explanation or apparent reason.  When I consider Job in the Bible, the description given of Job certainly did not warrant the dilemma and devastation he encountered. 

He did not earn it! Yet, God allowed him to be tested, and as a result, is an example to each of us on the importance of “maintaining our integrity” and not “wrongfully blaming God” for the difficulties in life.  Scripture tells us that “all things work together for good.”  It does not say that “All things are Good… There is a vast difference, and it serves us well to recognize the difference.

When God directed Jonah to go preach and proclaim the destruction to the city of Nineveh he resisted and in a sense was saying, “Why me Lord?”  When Elijah was sitting under the Juniper tree after a great victory over Jezebel and her prophets of Baal he was effectively saying, “Why me Lord?”

In our text, God asks for a volunteer and Isaiah says, “Here am I.  Send Me!”  The difference is in attitude and focus.  I believe in the case of both Jonah and Elijah they were turning the focus inward and on themselves rather than God.  Isaiah, on the other hand, was turning the focus upward and God was the center and not self.  It was not “what will it cost me?”  It was “what can I do?”  It was the reflection of a “complete commitment” to the purposes of God.  Therefore, when faced with a problem, potential, need, or opportunity there are two questions we can ask:

• Why me Lord?
• Why not me Lord?

One question leads to service although the cost may be high the other to the misery of self-pity. In fact, it could mean the end of your life on earth.  One leads to wrong focus which usually results in having a pity party, ineffective service, and often rebellion against the will and plan of God.  It does not produce the fruit of righteousness and others are not touched by the incredible Grace, Love, and Mercy of the Father. 

Instead of looking at whatever the situation we are facing and saying, “Why me Lord?” why not say, “Why not me Lord?”  I know you will see me through and if it is a dire circumstance, you will enable me to walk through it in such a way that it will become a testimony for you in a powerful way.  It will speak of your Grace, your Love, your Power, and Provision.  It will become a beacon of hope for others who encounter various trials in life and enable them to say, “With God’s help, I too can walk through this.” The Old Pioneer Preacher Burton McCafferty said, “God can pull us through anything if we can stand the pull.”

The Grace of God is an amazing thing, and it Never Fails!  The Love of God is more than the human mind can comprehend and it Knows No Bounds!  The Power of God is inexhaustible, and it Can Not Be Matched!  How can I not trust him?  Therefore, I have chosen to make my question in each situation, “Why not me Lord?” rather than “Why me Lord?” and I find that it brings a peace that is more comforting than words can describe!

Why is sometimes the right question in life but often it only leads to doubt and opens the door for confusion and bitterness?  When my Bonnie went home to Jesus, I was reminded of what I had told countless numbers of people at graveside services – “Why is the wrong question?  The right question is, Where to from here and What now?”  As Isaiah said, we should be lifting our hands and saying, “I’m yours LORD, whatever you want, I’m all in.”

May God bless you as you live this day in and through Him.  May He bring peace in your labors for the Kingdom of God!  

Have a blessed day and enjoy your life in His presence!

HOW TO HAVE PEACE IN ALL THINGS…

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  NASB

Each of us has experienced a time or times of a troubled spirit and been anxious or worried about something.  I find it most comforting and challenging that the Bible teaches that we can have “peace” in all things, all the time, in all circumstances.  That does not mean it is necessarily easy but possible and a promise from the Lord.  There is a “key” to this level of living that cannot be practiced on an intermittent basis but must become a lifestyle if we are to walk on this plane continually.

Here Paul gives us some keys to “Peace”:

• Be ANXIOUS for Nothing.  (Do not fret, do not worry, do not fear, do not become overcome, or overrun by what is happening around you.)  That is a Tall Order but then he tells us how to accomplish this.

• IN EVERYTHING by “prayer” and “supplication” with “thanksgiving” let your requests be made known to God.

• Prayer – – Communication with God. 

(Talking to Him. Telling Him how you feel, what you are thinking, and acknowledging His person, power, and presence)

• Supplication – – Here is the petition part of prayer.  This is where you are presenting your needs, desires, and requests before the throne in light of Who He Is! 

• Thanksgiving – – Without a grateful heart little is accomplished in the Kingdom.  Without a grateful heart, we will forget to Whom we owe all that we are, have, and will be.  We forget that Without Him we can do nothing.  We forget that our Human Frailty will never overcome the Circumstances of life and the Evil Powers that come against us.  We will never learn to live in a State of Contentment! 

It is in this condition that Paul tells us that the Peace of God that is beyond human ability to comprehend comes. That Peace floods our hearts, guards our hearts, and covers our minds so that every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 

It is here that we walk Free of Worry and Live in a Continual State of Peace!  We are secure in our relationship, or position, or potential, our promise, and our place in Him.  We then can say with Paul, “To die is gain but to live profitable for you.”  We walk in total confidence in Him in Everything! 

This is where the Love of God that banishes all fear fills our hearts and lives and we become so at One with Jesus that when people see us, hear us, and encounter us they encounter Him.  We are then “ruled by peace” and it is a peace that the world did not give, and the world cannot steal.

May God bless you as you continue your week in Him!  Blessings in the Lord of Lord and King of Kings!

Genesis 1:1-2 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”  NKJV

This is a beautiful day to be alive and I have been enjoying a delightful time of Coffee & Conversation with the Lord this morning.  We talked about a conversation I had recently with a College Professor about Creation.

That individual has 2 PhDs in areas of science and is a devout evolutionist but also claims to be a devout Christian.  Our conversation led to many areas but finally, this individual said, “You just need to study the Tree of Life.”  I replied, “I have studied the “Word of Life and my name is in the Book of Life, so I believe that I understand the Tree of Life that God has established.” 

The response was, “Oh the Bible, that outdated, error-filled book of fables and myths.”  Okay, now I have a problem with one area of his devoutness, and it is not regarding his belief in evolution.  I have a problem with that too, but this person denied the validity of the Bible.  He questioned the very existence of the God of the Bible but believed there is a higher intelligence, but it is interwoven in nature and is not a single entity. 

I will not mention the church this individual was a part of because I know another person who attends there and that is not their view.  This reminds me of a college professor I had years ago with whom I got into several debates and disproved his theories and assertions in class and ended up being forbidden to speak in class or else I would fail the class. 

I do not doubt that many in Academia and the “so-called” intellectual community, believe as does this individual.  I do not doubt that there are those taught by our public school system who have been fed this type of fallacy and do not believe or are not sure what they believe about creation and evolution.  I do not fall into that category, I know exactly what I believe, and it begins, “IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED…”

Therefore, believing the first verse of the first chapter of the Bible, I can go on to believe the rest of the Bible.  I believe that Jesus came in the flesh, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for us, rose again on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the throne of the Father, and now makes intercession for us and is coming back as He said. 

With that settled, I have received Jesus as my savior, repented of my sins, and have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into God’s marvelous light.  I am Born Again!  My eternal soul will live forever in the presence of the Almighty God, the God of the Bible and I am at perfect peace with that.  It does not matter what happens in this world that will not change. 

They may, at some point in time, separate my head from my mortal body but that will not change my faith only my location.  I will then be absent from the body but present with the Lord!  I rejoice in Genesis 1:1 and the door it opens!  Rejoice, my friends, rejoice redemption draws near!

May the richest of God’s Blessings flow to and through you as you enjoy this wonderful day He has prepared. 

Ephesians 6:14-20 – “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints —  19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”  NKJV

The morning began a bit later than usual and things have a vastly different appearance when that happens.  The quietness and solitude are not so quiet and there are many of God’s creatures scurrying about. I sense things astir in the spiritual realm. I have and am enjoying my coffee, bible reading, and conversation with the Lord.  Today, He told me to “Get Dressed…”

I was praying for this country and the state she is in and what we can and should do to right the ship.  He let me ramble for a while and heard my rants, fears, concerns, and complaints, and then finally when I took a breath I heard in my spirit, “Get dressed to go out to Battle.  Get dressed to take a stand and not be moved.  Get ready for the battle after the battle.  Be prepared not just for the battle but for the war.”  That stopped me in my tracks and caused me to think for a while and after about an hour I came inside to the computer.

We are to stand “wrapped” in truth, God’s truth.  His truth is the truth that shall make us free!  This is the truth that leads us to life!  This is the truth is impeachable and impeccable!  The Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the Righteous! 

Wrapped in that truth is step one!  Then, we are to have on the breastplate of righteousness.  Our hearts must be covered with righteousness, not ours but His.  Our righteousness is but filthy rags, but His righteousness is whiter than the driven snow.  It is pure without human imperfections.  We are to seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness! 

That’s when things happen, not before!  Take the shield of faith.  We must exhibit faith, trust, and confidence settled assurance in Him, His word, His will, and His way.  We are to walk in Total Confidence in Him and His promises, walking without wavering.  We must not be double-minded but steadfast in our confidence. 

We are to take the helmet of salvation.  It is most interesting that salvation would be a helmet (head covering) but that is because we must get our minds right, our thoughts right.  We are to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  As a man thinks in his heart so is he.  We are to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  We must immerse ourselves in God’s word and become so saturated with that word that if you cut us, we would bleed the word.  So, we are ready always to give an answer to every man for the reason of the hope that is within us.

Finally, we are to Pray, which is a vital portion of this attire.  We are to pray Always!   Praying with ALL prayer and supplication in the spirit – watching with perseverance for all the saints and then we can Stand and Stand Boldy.  It is then we can become unmovable, steadfast.  Dressed up and ready to go to war and ready to go home if the need is but Unmovable!   Prepared for Battle!

For us to see revival, renewal, and restoration come to this world we must fight the good fight of faith.  We must continue to pray for our leaders and our land.  We must continue to be clothed with God’s prescribed attire for battle and we must use the weapons of our warfare, which are mighty through God to the pulling down strongholds.  The battle is before us, and the Lord is with us the only questions are – – Will we endure to the end?  Will we after having done all to stand, stand?  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

May the rich and bountiful blessing of the LORD be upon you as go through your day and may the Lord of Hosts grant you peace and wisdom to do all that you have been commissioned to do on this beautiful day He has made!

PONDER THE PATH OF YOUR FEET…

Proverbs 4:25-27 – “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.  26 Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.”  NKJV

It is another beautiful morning with a refreshing breeze.   We had a little rain last night for the second day in a row.  Not a lot, but anything is appreciated. As I sat on the patio with my Bible and my cup of coffee before the sun rose, I listened to the world spring to life. As the creatures began to stir, I sat in solitude thinking of the things of God.  I sit drinking my morning cup of coffee, reading my bible by the light of the porch light, and conversing with the Lord.  The thought that arose in my heart was “Ponder the path of your feet…” 

I want to give you a small sampling of what the Holy Spirit is birthing in my heart about this subject and hopefully, it will encourage, challenge, and inspire you to dig a little deeper into God and His Purposes.

When we consider parental instructions, we almost always think in the natural realm, but we need to elevate our thinking to that of our Heavenly Father’s advice and counsel to us, His children.  These three verses are filled with incredibly valuable counsel and should be heeded, daily. 

• FOCUS – – The writer directs our thoughts to the need to keep focused on the journey and not become sidetracked by peripheral issues.  We are to keep our eyes on the Cross, the empty tomb, and turned heavenward looking for the soon appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ the Righteous.  We are to “seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.”  Our focus must be maintained lest our journey takes unnecessary detours and have unnecessary delays in reaching our destination.  

• PONDER – An Interesting word that among other things means to “roll flat,” “revolve,” and “weigh mentally.”  It is a word that could be used in describing the road-building techniques of the Romans.  They would grind to a powder and pulverize the rocks, etc. to make them into the sand-like material that they could be placed where they wanted the road or ramp and then roll them flat to make them compacted together and smooth.  We need to ponder our path or make a smooth road out of life through the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

• ESTABLISHED – We need to ensure that our course of life is fixed, settled, determined, and prepared.  We do this through our relationship with Him by our deep settled commitment to Him and His purposes.  We cover every plan, desire, and purpose with prayer, seeking His face for our every move, and walk in the quiet confidence of His guidance.  We fix our eyes on Jesus, stay on the course, and run the race to its conclusion.

• REMOVE. – We turn back from the past and press toward the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus.  We remove our foot from evil by our complete surrender to Him.  We resign as the captain of our fate and the master of our soul and allow Him to be Lord of All in our lives.  We shun the very appearance of evil and cling to Him the author and finisher of our faith.

We cannot walk this walk, run this race, or finish the course in victory without Him leading the way and being Lord of all.  The road is too rough, the race too long, and the course too uncertain to do it in our own strength.  We must have Him pilot our ship through the troubled waters of life.  Jesus, you are Captain my Captain, and Lord of All to me!  Guide my life!  Guard my heart!  Give me the grace to walk before you in all things!  

May the Lord bless you as you go through your day in Him.  Have a spectacular day on this wonderful day that the Lord has created for us!

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 – “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”  NASB

Let’s get into this final installment of our Spiritual Weapons of Warfare and the vehicles used to launch them. 

Prayer and the other weapons of spiritual warfare impact everything including our human government (1Timothy 2:1-4).  When we pray for our government, we are to pray that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. Good government allows us to have the ability to preach the Gospel freely and openly.  It guarantees civil liberties and protects freedom of speech.  We can do more on our knees than in any other fashion but that does not mean we cannot or should not be otherwise active.  But always remember that OUR WEAPONS ARE MIGHTY!

There are Eight (8) Laws or Elements of Prayer.  I will call them Laws for the sake of understanding:

The Law of Boldness.   (Hebrews 10:19) – “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”  The Blood of Jesus enables us to access the throne room of heaven.

The Law of the Blood.  Prayer is offered on the foundation of the Blood of Jesus.

The Law of Faith.  (Hebrews 11:6) – “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him.”

The Law of Right Relationships.  (Mark 11:24-25) – “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.  25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.”  NASB

The Law of God’s Will.  (1 John 5:14-15) – “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”  NASB

The Law of the Holy Spirit.  (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; 27 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.” NASB

The Law of Praise.  (Psalm 34:1) – “I will bless the Lord at ALL TIMES, His praise shall CONTINUALLY be in my mouth.”

The Law of Right Motives.  (James 4:3) – “You ask, and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

All of these are extremely important and are an explanation as to why sometimes we are ineffective in our praying.  It does not explain everything, but it should give us things to consider and a personal examination of our hearts, motives, and lives.

We looked at the launching Rocket of Prayer now let us consider more launching rockets for the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare:

THE VEHICLE OF PREACHING….

At the risk of being misunderstood, I say that Preaching is an incredibly essential element and activity for the Body of Christ.  It is one of the great tools that God has given to launch spiritual weapons effectively.  It is by the ‘foolishness of preaching’ that men are saved!  Paul counseled Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 – “Preach the word!” 

When anyone stands at the sacred desk (pulpit) or anywhere and preaches The WORD, that person is launching a weapon of warfare against the devil’s strongholds.  Preachers should expect strongholds to come down as they preach.  Our preaching should go forth mixed with faith knowing that we are launching mighty weapons against the forces of hell.

When I look at the life and ministry of the apostle Paul, he epitomized the importance and power afforded in preaching.  He was a preacher from the moment of his conversion.  He was commissioned from the very beginning of his ministry to take the Name of Jesus before the gentiles and kings!  Everywhere he went he proclaimed the Name of Jesus!  He continually preached the Word, the Name, and the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and mighty things took place in his preaching.

THE VEHICLE OF THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY….

In Revelation 12:11 – “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” NASB.  The word Testimony in Greek is ‘witness,’ so to testify means to witness.  In a court of law, you are asked to testify or give witness of only what you know, things you saw and/or heard.  You are to speak from direct personal experience, not from opinion or presumption.

The word of our testimony is an immensely powerful launching rocket.  I believe that your testimony is powerful no matter what that testimony is because it is a witness of the Power of God transforming your life. 

Sadly, many are robbed of the beauty of their personal testimony because they have deemed it not to be as significant or colorful as someone else’s, but it is your testimony, and it is your account of your experience in God and that is powerful.  There is nothing more real and moving that a personal account of what God has done.

THE VEHICLE OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP….

Praise & Worship are very personal things but can be significant and powerful in corporate gatherings. When congregational praise & worship is offered there is incredible power generated.  Psalms 22:3 tells us that God Inhabits the praises of His people.  Therefore, as we worship & praise as a group we manifest a unity, harmony, and agreement that opens the door for the Holy Spirit to move freely in our midst.  In doing so we are launching the Word, the Name, and the Blood of Jesus and pulling down strongholds.

That brings us to a crucial point – The Power of the Tongue!  We use it in praying, preaching, testifying, and in praise and worship.  It is with our mouths that we launch the weapons of warfare, but we can also launch weapons of the enemy by engaging in gossip, backbiting, undue criticism, unrighteous judgment, fear, and doubt.

No matter how dark things may seem around you the power of God surrounds you and as Paul and Silas sang praises in a prison cell at midnight, we can launch the weapons of warfare in our darkest hour and see the Hand of God move mightily.

Learn to utilize and launch God’s weapons of warfare!  May God be with you as you go through your day!

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 – “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”  NASB

In the last devotional we began considering this subject and reached the point where we were ready to identify and discuss our Spiritual Launching Rockets.  I ask that you join me as we consider them.

What are our launching rockets?  

They are Prayer, Preaching, the Word of our testimony, Praise, and Worship!  These vehicles launch the spiritual warheads against the enemy and bring the Power of God to bear on the situation.

We have considered the NAME, WORD, and BLOOD of JESUS as Spiritual Weapons of Warfare, and we have some launching rockets to propel these warheads into the battle. 

Let us begin by looking at them:

THE LAUNCHING ROCKET OF PRAYER….

I suspect that the only people who do not believe that prayer is of any significant benefit are those who do not pray!  I do not mean to be calloused, but I believe that to be the truth.  In my mind, there is absolutely no doubt about the validity, importance, or power of believing prayer! 

Prayer receives its power from the weapon of the NAME, the WORD, and the BLOOD of Jesus.  When we pray the Name, the Word, and the Blood of Jesus we find an incredible release of spiritual power yet at the same time we find it vain to pray meaningless and unbelieving repetitions.  One prayer warrior of old declared that “Prayer is the greatest force in the universe” and I do not argue that because prayer that carries the spiritual warheads of the Name, the Word, and the Blood of Jesus is armed with the greatest power known. 

If you remember the words of Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you did not know…” you understand.  Simply, God has declared that IF we pray, He will work and bring great and mighty things to pass even beyond our ability to know or comprehend.  In a sense, God has limited Himself to working in conjunction with our praying!

It is my conviction that in prayer we can touch lands thousands of miles away, send help to divine prisoners, minister in every city in the world, and cross every barrier and obstacle.  Prayer can penetrate where human flesh cannot. 

That includes everything in life including our government.  But I feel that I must pause again and hold the remaining thoughts until the next devotional. 

May God be with you and give you grace and peace as you walk through this day in His Victory!   Have a great Day!

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 – “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”  NASB

As I read passages like this my excitement and anticipation in God are renewed.  I see unlimited possibilities in the Christian walk rather than gloom and doom.  Please know that I am not oblivious to the problems in our present world, but I am also very cognizant of the Person, Power, and Potential in God!  We all either have strongholds or face strongholds in our lives from the opposition of the devil.  God offers a solution and gives us equipment to combat the forces of hell. 

I want to focus on Three Primary Weapons in this discussion which will span more than one post.  Those are – The NAME, the WORD, and the BLOOD of Jesus. 

It is my biblical understanding and life experience that when the Word of God confronts a stronghold of the devil it renders it powerless and devoid of strength.  When the Name of Jesus is used against the enemy that name prevails every time!  When the ‘Blood of Jesus’ is brought against a Stronghold by the Word of our Testimony, the stronghold is utterly destroyed.  Our weapons are MIGHTY THROUGH GOD to the pulling down of strongholds.

You can have a powerful arsenal but if you have no delivery vehicle or cannot get those weapons to the battle, they do you no good!  Most are aware that the Name, Word, and Blood of Jesus are weapons, but the question is How do we get them to the point of attack?

Let me use something in the natural to convey a spiritual truth:

In our military arsenal, we have ICBMs or Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles which are extremely large rockets capable of being launched over thousands of miles and destroying a target with pinpoint accuracy.  They are particularly important to the defense strategy of any nation that has them.  Yet, we must make a distinction between the rockets and the warheads on those rockets. 

The power is not in the rocket but in the warhead.  The rocket is simply a vehicle to get the warhead to the proper place at the proper time.  If the rocket were launched with no warhead, it would do minor damage upon arrival but armed with the warhead it has the capability of destroying an exceptionally large target. 

The power is in the warhead!  This is equally true spiritually.  The power is in the weapon.  The power is in the WORD, NAME, and BLOOD of Jesus!  Yet, until these warheads are launched, they do not pull down strongholds.  They must be launched against the enemy to bring the desired victory.

Therefore, it would be useful for us to consider what our Launching Rockets are Spiritually.  But, for the sake of space, we will pause and pick this up in the next devotional. 

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Jesus and walk in the fullness of His Victory!