The Daily Prayer Focus by Pastor T. Anthony Bronner
T.W.U.D. Online Prayer Ministry
Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16, 2007
T. Anthony Bronner, Senior Pastor
Prayer Focus
Whether we believe or except it, the believer is a part of and engage
in daily spiritual warfare. Apostle Paul made this point abundantly
clear in the book of Ephesians. "Put on the whole armour of God, that
you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:11-12). The
Apostle Paul also revealed and articulated knowledge about warfare.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5:8). Spiritual
warfare is real and that is clearly defined in I Samuel 17. In this
chapter is the epic battle between the representative of God, David,
and the representative of the adversary, Goliath. The battle was by
the Philistines, and their champion, Goliath. What was at stake was
that the loser would be enslaved to the winner. "If he be able to
fight with me, and to kill me, then we will be your servants: but if I
prevail against him, and kill him, then shall you be our servants, and
serve us" (I Sam. 17:9). As a point of clarity, one of the devil's
primary objectives is to have the believer enslaved to sin. "Let not
sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the
lusts of thereof (Romans 6:12). Simply, the devil wants God's people
to be subject to him, and not walking in liberty, nor in freedom and
triumphant with God (see Gal. 5:1).
Strategically, the adversary wants to achieve victory in the war by
getting the believer to fight his own battle. "And he stood and cried
unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, why are you come out to
set your battle in array?...Choose you a man for you, and let him come
down to me" (I Sam. 17:8). Goliath, the giant, was determining the
rules of engagement and he was certain that no Israelite would be able
to defeat him. 'Question'...how can we beat the devil at his game? He
has been a skillful fighter since the beginning (see Rev. 12), and he
has caused many believers to stagger and to stumble in their faith.
Shockingly, there was one who fought Goliath according to Goliath's
rule, but he fought with God's power and strength. David fought
Goliath man to man, but he understood it was God's battle. "For the
battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands" (I Sam.
17:47). It is imperative to know that although we may be involved in
spiritual warfare, it is God's war and God is using us as soldiers.
And when you belong to God's army no weapon formed against you shall
prosper (Isa. 54:17).
Therefore, the next time Goliath, the giant, wages war against us in
the form of attack against family, finance, romance, future or
whatever, remember he or it may start the war, but God will finish
it. "The whole earth will know that there's an extraordinary God...and
God is handing the enemy to us on a platter" (I Sam. 17:47 MSG.)!
Prayer
What a mighty God you are, "Heaven and earth adores you, angels bow
before you", and Lord we praise you. We truly love you and we sing
out loud how much we love you. We shout glory to your name (Ps.
149:1-2). We will praise you everywhere in your holy house of
worship; we praise you under the open skies. We will praise you for
your acts of power. We will praise you for your magnificent
greatness. We will praise you with a blast from the trumpet. We will
praise you with a melody from the stringed instruments. We will
praise you with a sacred dance. We will praise you with the romance of
a flute. We will praise you with a cymbal and a drum. We will praise
you with our last breath (Ps. 150). You are worthy of our praise.
When we think about how the enemy has been plotting, planning and
preparing to destroy us, and it has been because of your grace he has
never won (I Pet. 5:7), we give you praise. When we process how the
devil has done his best to delay our success and progress, but you
have never allowed him to stop us (I Thes. 2:18), we bless your name.
When we think how Satan has tried to overwhelm us with stress and
doubt, but you kept us stable and at peace (Is. 26:3), we rejoice in
your name. When we think about how the prince of liars attempted to
make us chase the lusts of our flesh, but you gave us strength to
resist him (James 4:7), we worship you. When we think of how the
wicked one tried to make us stagger at your promises, but you reminded
us that our faith is the substance of things hoped for and the
evidence of things not seen and we can trust you (Heb. 11:1), we exalt
you.
God you help us to endure the afflictions of this world that come from
the evil one. You give us courage never to cast away our confidence.
You instill in us that we have a great reward (Heb. 10:32-55). We
will not run away or become cowardice when Goliath the giant, calls us
to the fight. We are certain the battle is yours and you will deliver
us from our enemy (Isa. 17:47). You will give us the strategy on how
to engage the enemy and you will show us how to fight against his
trickery. You let David defeat his giant Goliath with a sling and a
stone; you will give us the weapons of our warfare. If you tell us to
speak the word at the enemy we will do it (Mat. 4:1-13). If you tell
us to lift our hands and we will prevail, we will do so (Ex. 17).
Whatever way you say, we will know it and we will do it. Thank you
for giving us victory over our enemy and letting us walk like
champions.
In Jesus' name.
Amen
Copyright © 2006 Turning the World Upside Down Ministries, Inc.-The
Preaching & Teaching Ministry of T. Anthony Bronner All rights
reserved.