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God's Promises = Our Battle Plan

The Merriman-Webster Dictionary has several definitions for the word promise. Some of my favorites are:
  • A cause or grounds for hope
  • to pledge to do, bring about, or provide
  • to tell someone that you will definitely do something or that something will definitely happen in the future
  •  a reason to expect that something will happen in the future
Throughout the Bible, God has given us tons of promises. The Bible as a whole is a promise in and of itself. But I think that sometimes we get distracted. It's really easy to get distracted too. I can be trucking along one moment and the next something else grabs my attention. I call these "squirrel moments" inspired by the dog Dug from the Disney/Pixar movie "UP". 

Life is crazy. Many of us start the day with God and we're pumped up about the day and confident in our faith and the promises of God. Then we walk out of our bedrooms and life's craziness steps in. We get so caught up in the day, and instead of hearing the promises of God telling us that he's in control we hear: 
  • I've got to get the kids ready for school
  • I hope I'm ready for this presentation at work today...I'm really nervous about it...I just know I'm going to mess something up.
  • Why did you just launch the dog across the room with the recliner? (true story...happened at my house)
  • I look away for one minute and you decide to paint your brother blue? 
  • Oh no! I forgot to get the dry cleaning! Oh I hope they're still open!
  • Okay, tonight Johnny has baseball practice, Sarah has dance, and Lucy has gymnastics. All at the same time...across town from each other....
  • Did you get your homework done? 
  • This is the paper that will never end! When am I ever going to use this anyway?! 
The continuous running dialogue is very effective at drowning out the voice of God and his promises unless we make the effort to listen to him. God wants to be present in every part of our lives, all day every day. So many times we tend to put God into a box and take him out only when it's our "God time" then we put him back in the box and go about our day. NO, friends listen to me, this is a colossal mistake! One that I'm also guilty of making. 

We are in the middle of a major spiritual war. The enemy will stop at nothing to distract us from the mission that God has given us. He (the enemy) will constantly look for ways to drag us down and make us feel abandoned by God, fearful of the future, hopeless, depressed, worthless. Jesus himself said:
The thief comes to STEAL, KILL, and DESTROY! But I have come so that they can have life and have it to the full. 
John 10:10. 
My friends, we NEED to put on the armor of God and carry his promises with us ALL DAY in EVERYTHING that we do. Guess what, when you're having to corral your kids, have a big presentation at work, have to deal with a difficult customer, or your kids suddenly decide to use each other as canvases, God wants to be a part of that! Every moment of our lives stressful, joyful, sorrowful whatever the moment he wants to be apart of it! Wrap your mind, heart, and soul in heavenly bubble wrap and meditate on the promises of God so that you can respond in the way that he would want you to when those hard moments arise. Instead of listening to the spirits of fear, doubt, discouragement, self-pity, unforgiveness/bitterness, pride, I challenge you to listen to the voice of God and experience what can only come from him, the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness. goodness, self-control.

"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."
Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)

Another cool thing is, God has given us lots of tools to use and guess what he's also given us THE SAME POWER HE HAS!!! The same power that Jesus used to rebuke the demons in the Bible we have. We just need to have the faith to use it. So when you feel the spirits of fear, discouragement. doubt, etc coming over you and dragging you down, stop and pray this out loud, cause as a friend of mine says "Demons can't hear what we're thinking.": 

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I rebuke you Spirit of Doubt (or whichever is applicable). You have no power over me, I belong to Jesus, and his name is the most powerful name of all. And he has given me the same power over you that he has. I command you in his name, the name above every name to leave me alone. You are NOT welcome here. 

I'm not gonna lie, it sounds pretty off the wall. You want me to do what? To say what? Talk to who? And it will feel a little weird at first, but believe me if you pray it in faith and trust that Jesus is who he says he is and trust in HIS power, then you will be a powerful warrior.  The key is that it's not US it's HIM. NOTHING that we do or say in our own power can defeat the forces that continually war around us. Only through Jesus and through HIS power can we succeed. 

Here's some promises of God for you to remember today...everyday: 

  • I love you with an everlasting love- Jeremiah 31:3, Psalm 103:17
  • I am praying for you- Romans 8:26,  John 17:20-23
  • I will never leave you-Joshua 1:5 
  • You're mine and I'm holding onto you- Isaiah 43:1-5
  • I won't let you go or drop you- Isaiah 41:8-13
  • I am your shelter, I will keep you safe- Psalm 91, Psalm 18
  • I have given you my peace - John 14:27
  • I have started a good work in you, and I will finish it -Philippians 1:6
  • Don't worry, I've got it all figured out -Matthew 6:34
  • Come to me with what burdens you, I can carry it- Matthew 11:28-30
  • I have given you my same power -Ephesians 1:18-21
  • I hear you when you speak to me -Psalm 4:3
  • I know what you're feeling cause I've been there- Hebrews 2:16-18, Hebrews 4:14-16, 
  • With me you'll conquer this!- 2 Corinthians 10:4-5,- Romans 8:37-39
  • This will only make you stronger James 1:2-12, -Romans 5:3-8
  • I have overcome the world -John 16:33
  • If I've given you a task I will equip you with what you need to accomplish it -1 Thessalonians 5:24
  • Even if you have moments of doubt, dear one, don't worry I will remain faithful -2 Timothy 2:13
  • Even before I laid the foundations of the Earth, I loved you, I thought about you -Romans 8:29-30
  • I have not given you a spirit of fear, lean on me, don't be afraid! -1 John 4:18
  • Take heart dear one, I get the last word!!!- 1 Peter 5:11
Keep yourself centered in God. Wrap your mind and heart in scripture and praise to him. Satan and his demons won't be able to come anywhere near you! Scripture and praise is demon repellant! That's why this is so vital! We are at war and we need a battle plan. We won't survive being passive, we must be on the offense if we're to have a hope of victory. And guess what, if you're a child of God we have more than a hope of victory....we already HAVE the victory!! Jesus secured it on the cross!! We've won the war!! Don't let the day to day battles discourage you. Put on your armor and use your sword of truth against the enemy. 



Side note: I would love to pray for you, about anything. I believe that prayer is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal. If you have a prayer need please send me an email or use the contact box. I would really enjoy the opportunity to pray for you. 

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