Take: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

           Take

            Take up the armor

            gift of ability

            to withstand by

            grace’s protective one

            trusted and proven

            given as a choice

            to each individual

            God’s abundant pardon

            timeless invitation.

Withstand: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Ephesians 6:13

“Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

No sugarcoating. No deceit. No pretense.

“On that evil day” that will happen. The definition of the evil day may change. And sometimes we cannot always identify what or why another considers a day evil or cruel or desperate.

But the Lord does. He knows what is a breaking point for each of us. He knows what turns our heart into fear or ice. He knows the battles within and without.

“Take.” He cares. He protects. He gives the warning.

He allows us to choose whether or not to accept His armor.

And yet we still resist, or pick and choose when, or if, we will take a portion. Maybe denial of the battle we face. Maybe we don’t want to admit our weakness. Maybe we don’t want to ‘owe’ Him, or think we have to.

“So that you may be able to withstand.”

Only His armor can give us full protection. Only in His graceful love can we stand.

Lord, please give us the humility to accept Your pardon and protection.

Psalm of Worship: Isaiah 55:7

“Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

Stand: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

            Stand

            Weakness turns into strength

            only when acknowledged,

            released into promised

            power.

            Stand firm in promise

            of strength that endures

            relinquish  self-hold, enter

            purpose.

            Whole armor

            not just bits and pieces

            that we choose

            leaving us vulnerable

            easy targets for

            lies and treachery

            to confuse our actions.

            Seek God’s armor

            not our own replicas

            based on misconceptions

            that block His voice

            and hinder our understanding

            instead accept His cover

            then stand firm.

Reflection: Armor: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     Do you automatically seek God’s strength first or do you try to stand on your own before you seek His power?

2.     What difference can seeking His armor first make in conflict?

3.     What specific ‘wiles’ break down your trust or security in God’s offered protection

Share: What weakness do you need to acknowledge right now?

Armor: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Ephesians 6:10-11

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Have you ever resisted valid common sense advice from a trusted friend? Why? Perhaps because we don’t want to seem vulnerable? I know I have, and then later wondered why—especially when I knew they were being both accurate and caring.

Maybe it is difficult to admit our weaknesses and acknowledge that there are ‘wiles’ that lead us into bad decisions with negative consequences.  Or into outright blatant sin.

Then, when we try to manufacture our own self-protection and fail, we become disappointed in God. Yet He alone knows all the details all the time. He is the only one that can identify the battle we are up against. And His armor is the only solid protection.

Because often the battle is not just what we are facing outwardly but goes even deeper into our heart and soul.  

When Jesus was weak with hunger and isolation the devil offered Him wealth and power and prestige. (Luke 4) But with each temptation lured before Him, Jesus stood on scripture and God’s character to respond. “It is written…serve only him…do not…were His armor for that particular battle.

And God extends His armor to us as well, so that we never need to be alone or without His strength to enable us to stand.

Lord, you have given each of us Your means to stand firm in You alone. May we accept all Your gifts of armor and not just pick and choose in our limited understanding.

Psalm of Worship: Isaiah 55:5

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“See, you shall call the nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you. Because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.”

Battle: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Joshua 10

“The sun stopped in mid-heaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a human voice; for the Lord fought for Israel.” Joshua 10: 13-14

Because the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel within the land, five kingdoms allied to attack them. Because of the attack Gibeon cried out to Joshua for aid. And because Joshua turned to the Lord in prayer the sun stopped in mid-heaven and the battle completed. Because the Lord fought for Israel.

There are many trials in our lives when we wonder when the release might come and sometimes we may forget that some battles can be won in a day—if we are in prayer and the Lord fights the battle Himself.

Whether an immediate need or long term, there can be no permanent victory apart from the Lord’s presence. And often we are not willing to wait for His full answer but jump into a skirmish on our own. And then days—weeks—even years later the sin, the enemy, returns in fuller force than ever before.

Ephesians 6: 10-20 gives us the means and the reminder that God’s armor is ready for daily covering for us as well today. That the danger lurks unseen as well as seen and we need His covering—just as Israel did—that we might be able to resist on that evil day and stand firm.

“Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.”

Lord, please help us to remember that whether the battle is stretched over time or when time stands still, there is no completed victory unless in Your power. Give us courage to stand and fight when you say. And only trust in Your plans no matter how extraordinary.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 130:5 & 7

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.

O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem.”

Sufficient: Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Sufficient

covered in hope

descending with

salvation like

manna in the

desert new

each day’s provision

sufficient.

Reflection Armor: Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     Do you see every day as requiring God’s protection or only in times of crisis?

2.     What attitude or heart change do we need to make to turn from self-sufficiency to God dependence?

3.     Which piece of armor do you need the most to hope right now? See more armor in Ephesians 6: 10-18.

Share: How do you prepare each day to be covered in the Lord’s armor?

Armor: Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

1Thessalonians 5:8, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

Hope as our helmet covering us. Coming downward upon us from above. First part to shower down soaking into our being.

Salvation alone comes through Jesus. His poured out life flowing out of Him and into us.

Protected now by His faith and love—His breastplate.

He is both priest and warrior shielding us.

All the protection from Him.  All the attending from us.

How diligent are we to keep watch—keep listening—in sober attention to His whispers and shouts.

Lord, please open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our hearts to obey—You alone.

Keep us in Your daylight and barricade the darkness from entrance. Thank you for Your protective armor that cannot be removed once You gift it to us by grace.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 111: 4-6

“He has made His wonders to be remembered;

The Lord is gracious and compassionate.

He has given food to those who fear Him;

He will remember His covenant forever.

He has made known to His people the power of His works,

In giving them the heritage of the nations.”