Relentless Pursuit

Some days I just look for one thing to focus on to help me in the spiritual battles we all face. Often for me, that is one scripture that reminds me of victory in spiritual warfare. Something that will inspire me to fight on. We need this at times because our enemy is relentless. He does not let up in his attacks on us, our family, and the possessions that our Father, Yahuah (Lord) has given to us. Today I thought about how Yahuah (Lord) is even more relentless that our enemy.

Psalms 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

This morning in particular I found comfort in this scripture. Our God created our enemy originally. Whatever relentless characteristics the enemy has, our God Yahuah (Lord) has even more, because He is the originator. He is the Creator. With that in mind, reading this entire psalm is very powerful in the time of battle.

Psalms 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Today, if you find yourself mindful of battling for yourself or others, remember that Yahuah (Lord) does not slumber or sleep. He preserves us in our coming and going, forever! Praise the name of Yahuah!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are worthy of all our praise. We lift up Your name, Yahuah (Lord), above all the earth. Let the name Yahuah ring through the heavens! Let Your will from heaven fall upon the whole earth. Send us today Your overwhelming abundant provision. Forgive us our sins, great and small. Heal and guide us. Deliver us from the evil around us that is here to kill, steal, and destroy us. We love You. We need You Yahuah (Lord). Be our Protector and King. Show us a sign for good. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Praise And Battle

Waking up this morning I thought about what to write here. A scripture came to mind that is very much a scripture about spiritual warfare and how David approached God about it. I will quote the entire passage here.

Psalms 118:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
4 Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
5 I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.
8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them.
11 They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
12 They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.
16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.
17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
18 The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord:
20 This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.
27 God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
29 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

We see that this passage begins and ends with praise to our God, Yahuah (Lord) and speaks of His eternal mercy. Between these two are various descriptions of coming under attack from the enemy, and of David destroying them. This is a song. David knew that by praising Yahuah (Lord) in song, he would defeat his enemies because Yahuah (Lord) would deliver him.

Prayer
Father we exalt You as the Most Hing King. You alone are worthy of our praise, and we give it to You and to Your name, Yahuah (Lord). Send Your kingdom and Your overwhelming provision today. Forgive us our sins. Heal and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Defiant Against The Evil

It can be scary to take on evil. Scary, especially if we think it is us that can do this. I suggest we cannot. We are frail humans, and our enemy is a supernatural spirit being. However, he is mostly bravado and bluff. In the face of God, he is less than nothing. With God, we win, he loses, end of story. Next.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Our God never leaves us defenseless. Our God never lost even one battle to that chump, the devil, the sorriest of losers.

Psalms 136:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

When it says His mercy endureth forever, it could also say His love never fails.

Praise God. We win!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are the Most High King of the universe and beyond. We love You. We need Your kingdom. Send Your overwhelming provision now. Forgive us when we blow it. Heal and deliver us. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

The Battle Cry

Our fight against the darkness is real, although spiritual. We must be aware of the battle when it is happening. One key I have learned is to try to avoid letting the battle just happen to me. In those instances I tend to feel overwhelmed and can actually give up and give ground to the enemy. There are some basic points to the battle; “rules of engagement” if you will. There are places in the scriptures where it indicates that there is a sound at the beginning of battle.

Job 39:25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

1 Corinthians 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

We see in these two scriptures that there is a sounding, here a trumpet, prior to battle. Interestingly enough many times in scripture we see that praise is also associated with warfare.

Psalms 9:1 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7 But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Here we see David say that he praises Yahuah (Lord) and that the result appears to be God defeating his enemies. God also is our refuge. God sits on His throne and uses righteous judgement to overcome the evil. Where then is the throne of God?

Psalms 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

The word “inhabitest” here literally means “enthroned.” God’s throne is on the praises of His people. When we praise Yahuah (Lord), He comes and sits on those praise. Then He uses righteous judgement to destroy our enemy and the works of the enemy, restoring us and giving us refuge.

Makes you want to sing His praises, doesn’t it?

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as King. You are our God, and we praise Your name Yahuah (Lord). Come sit upon our praises and judge with righteous judgement. Let Your kingdom reign. Send today Your overwhelming provision. We need You and Your forgiveness. Please forgive us. Send Your healing and deliverance today. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

The Wounded Can Fight

In battle the wounded are moved to a place where they can recover and live to fight another day. These are places of great care and safety. On the spiritual battlefield there can be an issue with this approach. Our enemy is spiritual in a physical world. As a result, our enemy can be anywhere. But our weapons are also spiritual. Even when we are wounded from not having done all we should, or doing what we should not, we can still fight.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Not only can we fight, we can win. And when we win, it is our God, Yahuah, that fights for us.

Psalms 18:1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

When we call on our God and His name, Yahuah (Lord), He hears us and saves us from our enemies. Always. Today if there is trouble, for us or others, let us call upon Yahuah (the Lord) and He will hear us. He will deliver us fro our enemies today.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our Majestic King. You alone are worthy to be praised. We need Your kingdom of unfailing love. Send us today Your overwhelming provision that none should have lack. Forgive us for our walking off Your path into our own ways. Heal us from our battle wounds. Deliver us from the evil one. Keep us in Your way. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Only God

It is only our God and His name that can deliver us. Thinking about this today amidst the snow storm I found myself lingering on the way the name of God is referred to in certain places. One of those places in scripture was in the Psalms.

Psalms 20:1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

Somehow reading this I saw it differently than in the past. It seems that David found something special in the name of God, which can be said as Yahuah. In verse 5 we see that David was setting up the banners over them in the name of Yahuah, and he believed God would save them. In this same breath he concludes that Yahuah would fulfill all that they asked of Him. The beginning of 9 actually uses a form of the name of our Messiah Yasha Yahuah, or Yeshua, as a proclamation to state that David needed God to hear him when he called out to him.

Today, as we fight our battles, let us proclaim the name of God, Yahuah, as our victory. He never leaves or forsakes us. He alone is worthy to be praised. He WILL deliver us.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God. You alone are worthy of our praise. We raise the banner of Your kingdom here on earth, and we do this in the name of Yahuah, Send us today prosperity, Father, as the psalmists also cried our to you. Forgive us our sin. Help us to overcome temptation. Help us to be victorious. Heal and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Back In The Game

Recently I saw a few clips from a football game that was for a playoff position. It was a pretty rough, physical game, and one of the main quarterbacks was injured in what appeared to be a cheap shot by the opposition. The quarterback had to leave the game for a while to be attended to and the team suffered for it while he was out. The opposition appeared as if they were now going to dominate the game. But after a while the injured quarterback came slowly walking back out to the bench with the quarterback who just stood to watch the game for a few minutes. There was some question by the announcers as to whether or not he would play. Then, the quarterback licked his fingers, picked up a ball, and began tossing it back and forth with another player. When his offensive team returned to the field, he led them, and he led them to victory that day. It reminded me, as I thought about it this morning, of our Christian walk. As believers we can leave the game.

James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

Once out of the game, we can cry out to God for healing and deliverance. If we are out of the game due to sin in our lives, we can return by repentance. God will always take us back.

James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

The point here is that we have an enemy. He will try to knock us out of the game any way that he can. But if we call out to God, He will heal us. If we turn to the scriptures, our trainer, we will get the sustenance and ointments needed to bind up our wounds and get us back in the game of life. We can have victory over our enemy, if we will just turn to our God and give Him our whole hearts once again.

Prayer
Father, we exalt you as the Most High God. You alone are worthy of all praise and honor and glory. We need You to make it. We need Your kingdom to make it. Today, many of Your people need You to pour out Your overwhelming provision. We need Your provision for our lives today, Father. Forgive us when we get distracted and walk away from You. Help us escape those temptations. We need Your love and Your caring. Heal us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Fighting When You Feel Inadequate

It is easy for us as believers to feel we are not up to the fight. Parhaps we do not undersstand all that is involved. Or maybe we do and we realize that we are not perfect, that we still have issues to deal with in life. But even the saints of old had these same issues, being human. Yet they did not let that stop them. And it did not affect their ability to change things for God for good.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

For me, I do not say this to compare myself to the prophets of old. I am not worthy of such an honor. Yet, even they were like us. They had the same misgivings, the same faults. But they did not let it stop them from pursuing the truth, from calling out to our God, or from fighting the good fight with their prayers. And as we can see, these preyers were still affective on the situation at hand.

Don’t give up. None of us are able on our own. But we can still call out to God, and He will still respond.

Call out today, and watch our God work!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Great Worker of Miracles. You alone are worthy of our praise. you alone are the source of truth, mercy, and justice. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. forgive us our passions that do not exalt You. deliver us from such temptation. Heal us and deliver us. Be the Great King over all. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Small Victories

This morning as I am writing this and drinking my coffee I was thinking about how in our walk with God as believers we get opportunities to win over something, however small, that may have plagued us in the past. It could be not taking a second helping of ice cream if we are committed to losing weight for our health, or not snapping at a family member over not cleaning up their mess at the dinner table, or not turning to look at an attractive person as they walk by. And while these seem like small things to us perhaps, this morning I am asking myself, are they really small? I am reminded of the many great battles in history and scripture. In each case in scripture there were elements of waiting on God that are common to these small victories of ours.

1 Samuel 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

Here we see that David had been tested and tried in battle for his father’s flock. In those cases God (Yehuah) delivered David from the lion and the bear. Because of those battles David trusted God in this bigger battle. Our small victories serve as lessons for future battles. They also serve to teach us that we can trust God to Show us how to win and to win for us. Our small victories are on the path to a victorious life and the understanding of how we do spiritual warfare.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God. You alone are worthy to be praised for all the battles You fight for us. We need Your kingdom around us to protect us and our families. Send Your abundant provision today. Forgive us when we sin, and lead us away from those things that cause us to stumble. Heal our hearts. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

Planning For Battle

As I think about the struggle we are in with our spiritual enemy, I realize that God has a plan. I think perhaps that at times He expects us to plan as well. Of this I am not completely certain because God seems to indicate that He will make the outcome come to pass.

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

Proverbs 19:21 There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

It seems that God has a plan for how this goes. I do believe we can know portions of this plan through prayer. And we can be prepared to stand with Him when He makes a stand for the kingdom. The great thing is He never loses, so if we stand with Him, we stand with the winner and our Friend and King! That truly is a great place for us to be. We are to be prepared. How is that done?

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The word “study” here indicates diligence. We are to be constantly seeking God and His ways. If we do that, we will be prepared for what comes our way. Praise God for His victory and for defending His people!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are our King and we long to serve You with diligence. We want Your kingdom all around us. We will do what we can, though it may be small, to bring that to pass. Send us today Your abundant provision. Forgive us when we misstep. Help us. Heal us and deliver us from evils of this world. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.