Battle: Purpose: Prayers and Poetry

                                               Battle

                                                Dispute sends nerves on alert

                                                whether personal or not

                                                Desire to engage in battleground

                                                wakens our ammunition

                                                Digs up reasons, examples, excuses for

                                                warrior mode or negotiator

                                                Deep within our own fears rise

                                                worry over outcome—consequences.

                                                Darkness threatens hearts

                                                whispers self preservation yet to

                                                Distance enough to pray

                                                wait for Spirit’s guidance to

                                                Draw truth light into conflict

                                                words of reconciliation

                                                words of honesty

                                                Delivered by truth.

Psalm 18:22, “For all His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me.”

Conquered: Listen: Prayers and Poetry

                       Conquered

                       

                        Flesh withers

                        through time

                        famine and disease.

                        Tangible decay

                        common ground

                        of all humanity.

                        Often do not

                        recognize internal sin

                        oppression of soul.

                        Conquered by Savior

                        waged battle for all generations

                        forgiveness bought.

Reflection: Done: Listen: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     How clearly do we understand that God has condemned and conquered sin?

2.     Do we accept it daily in our personal lives? Why or why not?

3.     What can acceptance look like in practical action?

4.     Are we willing to let go of our own methods and trust His?

Share: How has His gift given you the ability to stand firm in battle this week?

Reflection: Persist: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     How do you stand firm in truth in times of battle?

2.     What do you think can be at stake in our souls even in what might be considered minor skirmishes?

3.     What kind of setbacks have you had to struggle with?

Share: How did His message give you courage to stand firm?

Reflection: Cosmic: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     Do you ever consider that your battle, within or without, may have a cosmic meaning? Why or why not?

2.     If so, how might that change your perspective in the midst of despair?

3.     How will that change the way you cope with the struggle before you?

4.     What seems beyond comprehension in your life right now?

Share: What enables you to trust God without understanding the darkness?

Cosmic: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Ephesians 6:12

“For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Does it feel like a surprise or shock that our personal struggles could be cosmic based? That, like Job, we may be in a battle zone that not only is far beyond our understanding, but also far beyond our capacity to see beyond our despair, sorrows, and fear. Whether for ourselves alone, or for others around us.

How can we stand firm in His protection? How can we support each other in the face of devastation?

Job’s friends tried to explain his situation in an attempt at support as well. They asked him to check for sure that he hadn’t committed a sin, or was hiding one. They tried some platitudes of their day. They attempted to analyze some scripture as a condolence.

I think we do the same to each other silently or openly when we face devastation. We attempt to offer words of hope both to our friends and ourselves and mostly end up not in tune with God’s words at all. No matter how much we care.

Because we can’t see the whole picture. We can’t see the implications of past and future. We often can’t deal with the present. Whether a personal struggle or a cosmic attack we cannot battle on our own strength. We cannot face battle with only human alliances. We cannot depend on our limited perspective.

We can accept the Lord’s provision of His armor and hold onto His promises.

Lord, please give us strength and courage to trust beyond sight in Your power and glory and victory regardless of the battle.

Psalm of Worship: Isaiah 55:6

“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;”

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

-->

“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.”

Complete: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Joshua 11

“As the Lord had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” Joshua 11:15

Entering new territory sometimes means accepting new responsibilities.

Joshua now faced several angry kings determined to keep their lands as well as multiple cities to overthrow. Most likely he never expected this role in his previous position as Moses’ assistant—and definitely knew it was not humanly possible on his leadership skills alone. Yet he obeyed. And he fully completed his task.

“So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allocations. And the land had rest from war.”

Jesus also gave His own disciples, and those to follow, seemingly impossible commands.

Repent—do the will of His Father in heaven—beseech the Lord to send out workers into His harvest—the last shall be first—abide in Me—forgive—love one another. All so humanly out of reach. At least where our hearts are concerned. How often do we do even desired assignments without some kind of hesitation, or grumbling, or perhaps skipping over some parts when fatigue and confusion creep in?

Like the apostle Paul, though, we really want to be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;” 2 Tim 4:7

Lord, thank you for staying with us and giving us Your Spirit, Your truth, and Your courage to keep going in all conditions until our tasks and our lives are completed in You. Thank you for Your promises of rest within our boundaries today as well as a rest into eternity. Give us courage to stand and not waver when faced with overwhelming situations.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 131: 3

“O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore.”

Stopped: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Stopped

Time stopped.

Sun did not set

day of slaughter

enemies destroyed,

that battle

scorched territory

desperate circumstances

endured struggle.

Time began.

Sun set

day of salvation

eternal promise.

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.”

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

2 Samuel 8:6, “Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David and brought tribute. The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.”

The Old Testament is filled with the stories of battle where God gave deliverance. 2 Samuel 8 relates several different sets of foreign enemies that David put to flight under God’s direction. Despite all his wrong choices and sins, David remained faithful to belong to God and his desire to be His servant.

David’s heart was dedicated to God above all else. He sought the Lord’s words—personal communion above all else. He could not bear to be apart from His will.

But he was also well trained in warfare and knew that retaliation was always on the horizon. So he built garrisons. He built in protection. He did not take times of peace for granted. He stayed vigilant and with each victory he turned the tribute to the Lord.

Sometimes we are so grateful for a victory over an enemy without, we don’t see the one diminishing our heart. Or we give thanks and forget to set up protective garrisons of prayer and tribute and become complacent in sustaining a heart-to-heart relationship that seeks only God’s guidance. We doubt our ability to receive His gifts of refuge and training and let false words or false ways become our plans.

Lord, please give us Your eyes of faith to put to flight, to banish, any desires or enticements that can corrupt Your will in our lives.  

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 144:1-2

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, Who trains my hands for war,

And my fingers for battle;

My lovingkindness and my fortress, My stronghold and my deliverer;

My shield and He in whom I take refuge; Who subdues my people under me.”

Kingdom Manna

Crisis

2 Thessalonians 1:5, “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering.”

With hearts grounded in His love and wills leaning on His power, the disciples were now warned of persecution ahead. Not to frighten them or send them into a panic but to prepare them for the battle.

From generation to generation God battled Amalek who attacked the weak, the stragglers, the weary. Joshua fought with the sword: Moses, Aaron and Hur with prayer. Again and again the Amaleks sneak up to attack God’s people.

We need to be ready. Not caught by surprise or overwhelmed by suddenness. Prepared to set suffering in the right perspective. And trust God to take us through. To uphold each other when tired and sick and distraught. To surround with prayer.

Fury fuels my motions Lord and I strike back. My mind fill with outrage and I am blind to Your power waiting to sustain me. When I act only in retaliation I return evil for evil and lose no matter the outcome. Instead help me to endure as You did—through the suffering to Your victory.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 62:11-12

Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,

and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.

For you repay to all according to their work.

Leaving Egypt Behind

Scripture: Exodus 17:16, and he said, “The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

There are battles won once for all, not to be repeated. There are battles warring like invading ants, a persistent, continual threat.

God proclaimed victory over Egypt. God promised permanent war versus Amalek.

Jesus said, “It is finished!” On the cross He vanquished sin and death. Victory, once for all. Yet it is a battle repeated with each decision an individual makes to accept or deny His truth.

Daily our lives pound with unbelief, disbelief. We battle fear for a lifetime. Yet Jesus’ outcome changes not. It is done.

“The Lord has sworn.” He is warring against Amalek in each generation, calling His people to Himself, standing in the breach.

Thank you Lord, that You fight for me. Thank you for Your victorious outcome. May I stand my ground when each skirmish hits, firm in Your conquest.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 33:11

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,

The plans of His heart from generation to generation.