Category: Be Aware of Spiritual Warfare

“³ In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, ⁴ and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, ⁵ but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” ~ Genesis 4:3-5

Who are we when we bring an offering before the LORD? Are we Cain? Or are we Abel? I guess the easiest way to answer that question is by taking a step back and evaluating our offerings. When we do something for God, that’s an offering. When we do something for others, that’s an offering before God. When we put money in the offering plate that is an offering before God. But how do we do these things? Do we do them with love? Do we do them begrudgingly? Do we do them out of selflessness? Do we bring our very best?

But why? Why does it matter how I bring my offering, at least I brought one. At least I did this for that person. At least I did it. So what is wrong with that? What’s wrong with bringing your second best? What’s wrong with just showing up? Think about it like this, life is a test. Each opportunity is how you study for the test, and each offering is how you take the test. If you don’t study for a test, then chances are you’re gonna fail that test. If you put down an answer that is wrong, then your answer is wrong whether you wrote it down or not. The answer is still marked wrong. Why? Because there is a right answer, just like there is a right way to bring an offering.

Don’t just bring an offering before the LORD, bring your best. Why? Imagine if you constantly help someone no matter what it is, no matter how extreme it is, no matter how impossible it is. But when you ask for something from that person, they begrudgingly do it. They complain the whole time. They act as though it is the biggest inconvenience to them. I don’t know about you, but I would just tell them not to worry about it. Why? Because that is unacceptable. It’s selfish.

God gives us everything we need. He died for us. He got off His throne and became man, yet we can’t bring an offering before Him. We are living in a selfish world, but don’t allow the world we live in to dictate our actions. To dictate who we are, for we are made new. We are no longer a part of this world, but a part of the Kingdom of God. So, therefore, be an Abel, not a Cain. Be a man or woman that brings their best and sets it down before God’s throne.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Bring Your Best.

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“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. ³ You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes.’” ~ Leviticus 18:1-3

A lot of times as Christians, we expect that when we are brought into our promise, that everything will be perfect and dandy. But that’s not the way things work. We have to continue to fight. We have to realize that with each step we take to get closer to fulfilling our calling, there will be a bigger obstacle in our way. Just because we reach our promised land, it doesn’t mean that we have fulfilled our calling. There is always something more for us to do until we are taken up, whether by death or by rapture, but until then we are to keep going. We are to keep fighting.

Why? Because we are in a real war. We are in an unseen, for the most part, war. We are in the middle of the supernatural, spiritual war. The enemy doesn’t want to see us do the will of God, so with every step, we take closer to God, the Devil throws something harder for us to overcome. We don’t just walk into paradise, and that’s it. We march into paradise as a warrior ready for the battle ahead of us. That’s why Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:12, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

We can’t expect to be passive and see the Kingdom of Heaven. We have to take it by force. We have to fight for it. Just as God had to tell the Israelites to leave behind the bondage of Egypt and not get into bondage in the new land He promised them, so does He say the same thing to us today. We have to let go of our past and be careful what we allow into our future.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Take It By Force.

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¹¹And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? ¹²I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

¹³But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, ¹⁴and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

¹⁵Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, ¹⁶‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ ¹⁷And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, ¹⁸‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ ¹⁹Pleasepardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.” ~ Numbers 14:11-19

How many times has God said He would blot out those wicked Israelites and start over through Moses? Yet each time Moses pleads with the LORD and is able to change His mind. Here’s the thing, we do not serve a God who changes. But we do serve a God who will change His mind depending on how well you argue your case. Why? Because God isn’t a malevolent dictator. If God wasn’t interested in Moses’ opinion, He would have never told Him what He was going to do. We see this all throughout the Bible that God will tell His plans to one whom He trusts, with whom He has a strong relationship with. And they will defend a case for why He shouldn’t do it. Moses did this must’ve been 10 times at least. But what we don’t understand is how to be a good lawyer.

We have to learn how to be a good lawyer. In order to be a good lawyer, we have to learn how the courts of Heaven work. We have to understand that the Court of Heaven has rules and specific procedures we have to follow. We can’t just speak random words of foolishness and expect God to overturn His initial ruling. Instead, we have to know the Bible. We have to know how to go before God. We have to know how to enter His courts. We have to know how to petition Him. We have to know how to quote scripture. We have to know how to defend. But how do we learn these things? We read our Bibles. We pray. We worship. Psalms 100:4 “Enter His Gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

How many of our prayers start with petition instead of thanksgiving? Instead of praise? How many of us actually take the time to thank Him for what He’s done, instead of continuously just asking. I’m not saying we shouldn’t ask. I’m saying we need to understand how to ask. We need to understand how to petition. Derek Prince, one of the greatest prayer warriors of our time, said in his book, ‘Secrets of a Prayer Warrior,’ unless we first give thanks for someone or something, we have no right petitioning God for them. If we want to see something take place, we must first thank God for what He has already done. We can’t expect to say, ‘gimme gimme gimme,’ and never once take the time to say thank you.

God is not a dictator. He doesn’t want to just do things, He wants input. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t have a divine council that He speaks with. He wouldn’t come to us and tell us of His judgments. We have to understand that we are in the gap. We have to stand in the gap and petition for others. Just as Moses stood in the gap. Just as Abraham stood in the gap. Just as Derek Prince stood in the gap. We have to stand in the gap. We have to be prayer warriors, so that we may change the mind of God that He may not bring judgment on those who deserve judgment. But instead that He would show mercy. We must remind Him of His word, as the others did. We must remind Him of His character as the others did. Not because He forgets. But so that you may build a case before Him and He may see your heart through your prayers.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Bring Your Petitions.

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“So Joshua said to the Israelites. ‘How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?…’” ~ Joshua 18: 3

Has the LORD put a dream or a great vision in your heart? It’s been sitting there for years now, but you’re afraid to venture out. You find excuses, you let others discourage you, and procrastination sets in, and it all prevents you from starting. Don’t be afraid to step out into that ministry God has called you to, yes there will be giants, but God will fight for you and deliver you. Go on start that business venture He has put in your heart. Having relational problems? Seek Godly counseling, and do not be afraid for the LORD your God is with you.

What He has given you no one can take it from you, but you can lose it through disobedience or unbelief. The Israelites, when they had first come out of Egypt before they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, they were discouraged by a bad report and though they were on the precipice of their promise they lost out because of unbelief. Don’t let unbelief or fear steal your dream or your promise, trust God, He will bring about a great victory for you.

Our Heavenly Father, we need boldness and confidence to achieve the great dream, the great vision that You have placed in our hearts. Help us not to spend our time waiting for the right moment or the right opportunity where the sun is shining bright, and the skies are blue, but rather help us to find ourselves in the midst of Your Will for our lives and to take possession of that God-given dream or promise or vision and grant success.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

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“On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, Shout! For the LORD Has Given You the City!” ~ Joshua 6: 15-16

For the previous six days, the Israelites were walking around this huge wall with soldiers on top armed for battle. The wall was so thick chariots patrolled from its top. The enemy’s stronghold seemed impenetrable to anyone who came against it. Yet the Israelites, under God’s direction, walked around. We as Christians sometimes feel that way. The enemy has a stronghold in our life, we’re under spiritual attack, and it seems useless to fight against it. But we can’t be intimidated, we have to continue to circle the enemy’s camp in prayer.

Watch this now. On the seventh day, they walk around seven times, no one is talking, not a sound is being made. What strange little people, this is no way to fight a battle. Don’t they know, it’s arrows, and swords, and spears that will win the war? Don’t they know that it’s siege weapons that will bring this mammoth wall down? Yet they circle in reverent silence.

Sometimes, the things we must do to achieve greatness is not quickly realized by others. We must pray and fast. Give up some TV time and some leisure time in order to dislodge the enemy from our affairs. Some folk will consider us strange and confused, but one day the trumpet will sound, and the LORD will say shout! I have given you the city! This is your breakthrough! This is your time of success! Can you hear the trumpet sounding? Is today your day to shout? Why not, go on, shout for the LORD has given you the city.

Heavenly Father, please help us to listen for Your voice, to do exactly as instructed no matter how strange it may appear to our self or to others. Give us the strength and the confidence to obey, and the grace to trust.

Thank You, Father, for our coming breakthrough and our very great success.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

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“Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.” ~ Judges 6:2-6

Here is a story of how the Midianites, the Amalekites, and other eastern peoples would swoop down on Israel at harvest time, and take their harvest. Do you feel like every time your ship is on the horizon the fog swoops in and you lose sight?  Or maybe your ship is in the harbor, but a storm is brewing and won’t allow your ship to dock? Or maybe you are under attack, a spiritual attack? Maybe the enemy is attacking you because it is YOUR harvest time.

The dreams you’ve dreamed for so long are finally here. The investment that seemed to have died is beginning to breathe again. Remember the seed you sowed so long ago, it has sprouted and has grown; now the enemy knows it’s YOUR harvest time. That relationship at home that you’ve been praying for, it is about to be restored. So don’t give up, just because the enemy has come down with great wrath wanting to steal and destroy your harvest. You are a mighty warrior; believe it even if no one else does, live it even if you don’t feel like it, because God believes in you so believe in yourself in the light of God’s grace.

Heavenly Father, I pray for every tithe payer right now that You would rebuke the enemy on their behalf.  You said in Your Word that if we were faithful in tithes and offerings, you would rebuke the devourer on our behalf and then pour out a blessing so much we would not be able to contain it.  I know that You are not a man that You should lie, and I know that all Your promises are true, so please show Yourself faithful to the tithe-payers right now and bring about a blessing so much so that they don’t have room for it, and that they will praise You and honor You in their testimonies.

In Jesus name, I ask it, Amen.

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^“22 And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ²³ And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, ‘You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. ²⁴ And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.’ ²⁵ And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.” ~ 2 Samuel 5:22–25

The Scripture states that when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel, the whole army of them came up to search for David. And it’s the same with us today. When God has blessed us or has provided greatly for us, the enemy comes seeking to steal, or kill, or destroy our blessing. He will never let us enjoy our victory in peace and happiness. He will bring war, and hate, and trouble, and malicious talk, and slander against us. He will try to take or destroy everything God has just given us.

But we, as David did, must seek God, and seek His guidance to know how to proceed. Spend a little time in worship. A little fasting. A little seeking. Get up an hour earlier, God is faithful, He will let Himself be found by those who diligently seek Him. Then couple all that with some effectual, fervent prayer, and see how much that will avail.

Heavenly Father. I lift up to You everyone who is reading this devotional today. I pray LORD that You will go ahead of them. Be their point-guard and their rear-guard. Be their right flank and their left flank. Give Your angels charge over them, that they may prevail and be successful in all that they do. Bless them with peace, joy, and favor. Grant them good health. Father do not let the enemy take that which You have blessed them with.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

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“When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that He was back home. ² Soon the house where He was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While He was preaching God’s word to them, ³ four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. ⁴ They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above His head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. ⁵ Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’” ~ Mark 2:1-5 NLT

The house was packed. There was no way in, but that didn’t stop them. That didn’t discourage them, they were determined to find a way to Jesus. They climbed on a roof with a paralyzed man on a mat, dug a hole in the roof, and proceeded to lower the paralyzed man down into the hole so that he could be at the feet of Jesus.

Imagine how desperate they most’ve been in order to do that for another person. The faith they must’ve had to do that for another person. How much desire do we have to get to Jesus just for ourselves? They didn’t give up when they saw there was no way in, they climbed the roof and made their own way in. We don’t even make the effort to meet Him in our own home. We don’t have to fight the crowds to hear Him, the Holy Spirit had it all written down for us. We don’t have to fight the government in order to worship our God, we have that freedom, yet we don’t take it.

Our faith has shifted. Our desires have shifted. We no longer desire to hear the Word of God because God would rather us to be happy than to be stressed with what we should and shouldn’t do. We push God away, refuse to talk to Him, and refuse to hear from Him, then we say that it’s because that’s how He would want it. But look at Jesus’ reaction, “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’” You think there would be forgiveness and healing if they hadn’t found a way to Jesus? There is no place other than Jesus that you can find freedom. He is our one source of salvation, peace, healing, life we cannot find those things anywhere else, yet we don’t go to Him. Why? Why do take Him for granted and push Him away? Imagine if we all found our way in to get to Jesus. Imagine the healing, the peace, the new life we would all receive.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and How Desperate Are You?

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