The Call of a Prayer Warrior - Part 1

Ephesians 6:18 - "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—"

The way to build strength in our personal lives, and in the lives of our churches is through the power of prayer. As the late Dr. Jerry Falwell said many times, "Nothing of eternal significance is ever accomplished outside of prayer."

Many are seeking to build the Kingdom of God, and by His power and His blessings, they are seeing mighty things being accomplished. So, if one wants to see the blessings to continue, to see God grow His Kingdom in their city and church, to see the sick healed, provision for physical needs, emotional needs be met, unity to thrive, and the Devil defeated in our lives and those around us -- we need to be people committed to being Prayer Warriors.

Over the next three days, let us consider the command, the conditioning, and the concentration of a Prayer Warrior. Will you prayerfully join me as we seek to see a great, mighty, and majestic movement of God come to our families, communities, and nation? Will you join my heart in praying for a movement of God like we have not seen before? Read Ephesians 6:18-20 today, and each of the following three days. Let the message sink into your heart and soul. Let your mind begin to be fully saturated with the Cal of God to be a Prayer Warrior.

Prayer: Spirit of the most High God, fill me with the desire to see the Father move in a wonderful way. May we see His Power and Might. May we see Him display to us His Majesty, Love, and Cleansing Power. I seek Him today. I focus on Him today. I come to Him today. I am anticipating what He can and is willing to do. Amen.

Jeremiah 33:3

Recently my wife and I went to Smithfield, VA to take care of our four grandchildren. One morning as I was working on grading papers for the courses I teach, I could hear my youngest grandchild, Annabelle, constantly saying - "Grandma, this" or "Grandma, that." She was calling out to her grandmother over and over to show her things, ask her things, or to get her to do things for her. And, I listened as my wife always replied in the most loving and caring tone of voice to everything Annabelle would say.

As I listened, I thought about this verse of Scripture in Jeremiah. God is telling us that we have the freedom to call on Him, just as Annabelle was calling on my wife. And He assures us that just as Linda responded every time to Annabelle, God says He will respond to us also. 

How often do we call out to God on a daily basis? How often do we talk with Him? Annabelle doesn't think for a second to call out to one she knows loves her and cares for her. We need to be as little children ("Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children." Mark 10:14 NLT) and trust and talk to our Heavenly Father on a regular basis.

"Grandma, where is my......" Think of the relationship that we can have with our loving Heavenly Father.

Prayer: Father, may I learn to speak to You and bring all my thoughts and needs to You. Just as earthly Grandparents will spend time loving and caring, You will do the same for me. I came as Your child, and I focus on You today. Amen.

Holding the High Ground

I read the following devotion from Dennis and Barbara Rainey, and I felt it needed to be shared. We are in a great battle for the family as God describes it today, and as Christians, we need to hold the high ground at all costs.

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

During the critical Civil War battle at Gettysburg, a key engagement occurred near the crest of a hill called Little Round Top. A Union regiment under the command of Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was charged with defending this strategic position. If the Rebels flanked his unit, the rear of the Union army would be exposed and the battle would probably be lost.

"You are to hold your ground at all costs," Chamberlain was commanded.

Again and again, Rebel soldiers stormed the regiment's location. Again and again, Chamberlain and his men repelled the assault. They answered fire with fire and held the high ground with a tenacious stand of bravery.

Today, our nation has a Little Round Top of our own — the family. And like Colonel Chamberlain's heroic defense in 1863, our modern battle demands unwavering courage from everyone involved. The courage of husbands and wives who will turn from the seductive voices of the culture and make their marriages work. The courage of moms and dads who will reject the poisons of materialism, choosing instead to use biblical principles to shape the conscience and character of the next generation.

We are living in a culture where parents spend fewer than 15 minutes a week in serious discussion with their children. Where about half of marriages eventually end in divorce. Where decades of moral relativism have left many of us pessimistic about whether we can even enjoy family success under our own roof, let alone win the cultural battle at large.

Now is the time to fight for your family. And in the words of Colonel Chamberlain's superiors, I call you to "hold your ground at all costs." Stand firm!

Prayer: Father, help us to see and remember how vital the family is. The very first institution that You created was marriage - or the family. If we as believers do not take a strong stand for the Biblical view of marriage, no one else will. Let us bind our minds, hearts, and bodies together to stand firm for what You teach in Your Word today. Amen.

Strength training for the Soul

1 Timothy 4:8 - "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come."

We have been raised on the Message of the faith and have been taught to follow sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you’ll be a good servant of Jesus. I have been working out daily in the morning for the last almost four years. Sure, I have missed some mornings (like when deployed as a NCBM Chaplain), but generally I seek to have aerobic, strength-training, and stretching exercises to keep in shape. At 65, I know that I need to keep my body under subjection. I have lost 80 pounds, been taken off all but one of my medications, and feel great.

Do I say this to brag? No, but to seek to encourage you to take up daily exercise. It really helps. But, not only in the physical realm, but in the spiritual realm as well. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We’re banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers.

This time today will concentrate on ten spiritual strength-training exercises (or disciplines or Christian habits if your will) that I have found helpful in my Christian walk. Of course, this is not a comprehensive list. Let’s work on this list! I hope that you will share your favorite spiritual strength-training exercises! But here are my top ten (not in any particular order):

1) Prayer 

2) Listening to God 

3) Private & corporate worship

4) Bible-reading & studying

5) Obeying God’s commands

6) Loving (God, ourselves & our neighbors)

7) Stepping out in faith when urged to do something

8) Fasting (of TV or something else poisonous in my life)

9) Service for others

10) Fellowship of believers

Let’s exercise daily in God! Let’s be fit both today and forever! Let’s take it to heart!

Prayer: Father, may I seek to get in shape both physically and spiritually. May I seek to incorporate at least one physical and one spiritual strengthening exercise each day. Take away the flab (physically and spiritually) and make me fit for You. Amen.

The Godly Man

In 1666, Thomas Watson wrote a book entitled The Godly Man's Picture. In it he gives 24 characteristics of what he believed a Godly Man looked like. One author referred to him as the original Promise Keeper.

Today, I am going to list these 24 characteristics - men, let us measure ourselves to this measuring stick.

1. A man of knowledge
2. A man moved by faith
3. A man fired by love
4. A man like God
5. A man careful about the worship of God
6. A man who serves God, not men
7. A man who prizes Christ
8. A man who weeps
9. A man who loves the Word
10. A man who has the Spirit of God residing in him
11. A man of humility
12. A man of prayer
13. A man of sincerity
14. A heavenly man
15. A zealous man
16. A patient man
17. A thankful man
18. A man who loves the saints
19. A man who does not indulge himself in any sin
20. A man who is good in his relationships
21. A man who does spiritual things in a spiritual manner
22. A man thoroughly trained in religion
23. A man who walks with God
24. A man who strives to be an instrument for making others godly

Read this list again, and again. Men, let us seek to be a Godly Man.

Prayer: Father, make me a Godly man. I want to be a Godly man. I crave to be a Godly man. My desire is to be a Godly man. I can only be this, by the power of Your Holy Spirit working in me. I surrender all, all to You I give, make me a Godly man. Amen.