By Jeff Arnette
You are in a battle! You may not see it and you might forget that it is there. But your enemy would love nothing more than forcing you to start off this new year filled with discouragement and defeat. Do not let him win! If you are a Christian, you are in this battle and your enemy will throw obstacles and attacks your way. This is precisely why Peter said that our enemy was a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He always looking for a way to attack you; looking to devour and destroy you.
God tells us to be aware of his schemes (2 Cor. 5:11), to live each day with our eyes open (1 Cor. 16:13), and to stay close to Him (James 4:8). He arms us with his armor (Eph. 6:11-20) and gives us a sword and a shield to protect ourselves. He gives us strength, wisdom, and discernment through His Spirit (Eph. 1:15-23) and invites each of us to use this power as we face life’s battles.
With that in mind, I want to share with you a strategy for gaining more strength in this battle. This is a powerful tool that has been beneficial to me personally and one I think could help you tremendously. It is what I call, “Praying God’s promises back to Him.” It is simply reading a promise of God and then praying for God to make that real in your life. For example, James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Thus, you could pray, “Lord, I want to be closer to you and I know you have promised to draw near to me. Help me Lord to get closer to you today.”
The reason this is so powerful is that God has promised that when His word goes out, it will do exactly what He promised (Isa. 55:11). Our God knows us, knows our struggles, and understands what we face daily. When we pray His promises it builds our faith, builds our trust in Him, and guards our hearts and minds as we focus on Him.
Prayer + God’s promises = Real power for victory in the battles.
To get you started with some passages to memorize and pray through, I want to give a list of some passages that have been important to me.
James 4:7-8; 1 John 4:4; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Isa. 54:17; Eph. 6:11-20; Rom. 8; 1 Cor. 15:57; Zech. 4:6; 2 Thess. 3:3; John 10:10; Deut. 28:7; 1 Cor. 10:13; John 8:32; Rom. 12:21; Rev. 12:11; 1 Tim. 6:12; Isa. 40:31; Josh. 23:10; Deut. 3:22; Josh. 1:8-9; 2 Chron. 20:15; Psalm 91:1-4; 23:1-6.
Take the time to read one and pray through each of these passages. Add as many passages as you want or need. Remember that you belong to Jesus Christ, the enemy has no power over you, and you are secure in the Master’s hands (John 10:27). Now, go out and face life’s battles with everything you need to be victorious.
You are in a battle! You may not see it and you might forget that it is there. But your enemy would love nothing more than forcing you to start off this new year filled with discouragement and defeat. Do not let him win! If you are a Christian, you are in this battle and your enemy will throw obstacles and attacks your way. This is precisely why Peter said that our enemy was a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He always looking for a way to attack you; looking to devour and destroy you.
God tells us to be aware of his schemes (2 Cor. 5:11), to live each day with our eyes open (1 Cor. 16:13), and to stay close to Him (James 4:8). He arms us with his armor (Eph. 6:11-20) and gives us a sword and a shield to protect ourselves. He gives us strength, wisdom, and discernment through His Spirit (Eph. 1:15-23) and invites each of us to use this power as we face life’s battles.
With that in mind, I want to share with you a strategy for gaining more strength in this battle. This is a powerful tool that has been beneficial to me personally and one I think could help you tremendously. It is what I call, “Praying God’s promises back to Him.” It is simply reading a promise of God and then praying for God to make that real in your life. For example, James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Thus, you could pray, “Lord, I want to be closer to you and I know you have promised to draw near to me. Help me Lord to get closer to you today.”
The reason this is so powerful is that God has promised that when His word goes out, it will do exactly what He promised (Isa. 55:11). Our God knows us, knows our struggles, and understands what we face daily. When we pray His promises it builds our faith, builds our trust in Him, and guards our hearts and minds as we focus on Him.
Prayer + God’s promises = Real power for victory in the battles.
To get you started with some passages to memorize and pray through, I want to give a list of some passages that have been important to me.
James 4:7-8; 1 John 4:4; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Isa. 54:17; Eph. 6:11-20; Rom. 8; 1 Cor. 15:57; Zech. 4:6; 2 Thess. 3:3; John 10:10; Deut. 28:7; 1 Cor. 10:13; John 8:32; Rom. 12:21; Rev. 12:11; 1 Tim. 6:12; Isa. 40:31; Josh. 23:10; Deut. 3:22; Josh. 1:8-9; 2 Chron. 20:15; Psalm 91:1-4; 23:1-6.
Take the time to read one and pray through each of these passages. Add as many passages as you want or need. Remember that you belong to Jesus Christ, the enemy has no power over you, and you are secure in the Master’s hands (John 10:27). Now, go out and face life’s battles with everything you need to be victorious.
- Jeff Arnette preaches for the Central Haywood church of
Christ, Clyde, NC. He may be contacted through the
congregation's website: https://centralhaywoodcoc.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment