Braced for Your Battle

Good morning, Lord.
Thank You for a new day, for a new beginning...
I didn't sleep well last night. More...


All night long I fought the urge to get up and go to church. A couple of times I was in the process of getting up out of bed before I awakened. The feeling to go to church was so strong. I'm sorry, Lord, if You were trying to speak to me, I didn't understand. I went to sleep praying and prayed off and on all night. I kept falling back to sleep but the feeling never left me that I needed to go to church. I realized it was only Monday night/Tuesday morning, so I kept falling back asleep. My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak. I will try to listen better next time, please don't give up on me, Lord. I spoke with Sara and Eddie about this feeling and Eddie asked if it was a feeling to go to my church or just to church and whether or not I felt the urge to pray for anything or anyone in particular. Today's lesson in The Gift is about being braced for battle and this is something that Eddie mentioned this morning, about perhaps my urge to go to church may have been the angels needing more prayer support. I am here, Lord, use me as You see fit. I want to grow in my faith and in my walk with You, help me, O Lord.

The following is taken from The Gift the New Testament for New Believers:
Even as marvelous and beyond description as God has created our minds and bodies, He has built into us certain restrictions to keep us from overloading on outside sensations and information. For example, if we could truly grasp the staggering depths of human need around the world, our hearts literally could not contain the grief. If our ears could detect every sound wave in this very room, we would run screaming into the hills.
He knows that we can only withstand so much--which makes us wonder why He'd even mention the fact that we are being opposed this minute by "the world powers of darkness" and "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens" (Ephesians 6:12). Seems like knowledge as horrific as that would fall under the "don't-need-to-know" category.
But God must have a reason for wanting us aware. He must want the devil to understand that we're wise to his schemes. He must want us to understand that we have nothing to fear. With Christ leading the charge, we mere mortals can handle anything.

You may not like to think about harmful spiritual forces having you in their cross hairs, but you'd be delighted to know that you've got them out manned. Go ahead and talk up where the devil can hear you, and remind him Who's fighting on your side.

"He said to them, 'I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you. However, don't rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'" Luke 10:18-20

"We don't have to fear being inadequate. Our God is adequate. He will provide everything we need to serve Him." Chip Ricks