So church… we move forward… we move forward as the Lord gave command to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.” Three times this God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses spoke to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous” (Josh. 1:6,7,9). In the short passage of just five verses God also twice promised “I will be with you.” He said “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (v.5). And again, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (v.9).
This God, this Great and Mighty God, is our God. This God took on flesh to speak clearly to us, to you and I, and He makes to us the same promise, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18). The author of Hebrews reminds us that the promise in Deuteronomy 31:6 is still God’s promise to us today, “…because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Heb. 13:5). And Paul rejoices in the truth that Nothing can separate us from the Love God has for us (Rom. 8:38-39).
So as we move forward we turn to the Holy Spirit for strength and for courage, just as Jesus directed (Luke 24:49), and the first disciples obeyed (Acts 2… and all through! In fact some say the book should more properly be called The Acts of the Holy Spirit, rather that The Acts of the Apostles.)
In this marching forward we rely upon God, but we also must defend against the tactics of the enemy. I shared with those in our Adult Bible class last Sunday an empowering ‘Warrior’s Prayer’ referencing the armour of God (Eph. 6:10-20). I thought I would share it with you here today as well…
A Warrior’s Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Your warrior prepares for battle.
Today I claim victory over Satan by putting on
the whole armor of God!
I put on the Girdle of Truth!
May I stand firm in the truth of Your Word so
I will not be a victim of Satan’s lies.
I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness!
May it guard my heart from evil so I will
remain pure and holy, protected under
the blood of Jesus Christ.
I put on the Shoes of Peace!
May I stand firm in the Good News of the
Gospel so Your peace will shine through me
and be a light to all I encounter.
I take the Shield of Faith!
May I be ready for Satan’s fiery darts of
doubt, denial, and deceit so I will not be
vulnerable to spiritual defeat.
I put on the Helmet of Salvation!
May I keep my mind focused on You so Satan
will not have a stronghold on my thoughts.
I take the Sword of the Spirit!
May the two-edged sword of Your Word
be ready in my hands so I can expose
the tempting words of Satan.
By faith your warrior has
put on the whole armor of God!
I am prepared to live this day in
spiritual victory! Amen.
Press on…
Note: ‘The Warrior’s Prayer’ is available in several lovely formats from Dr. David Jeremiah.
thebrokenrunner 