PROPHETIC WORD: The Lord will fight your battles!
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Psalm 9:9
Hello sweet friends! This word is for the weary ones, the heartsick, and those who continue to push forward and seek the heart of the Father even while battling hardships, sufferings, pains, uncertainty and disappointments. The Father has a word for you today.
Do not give up! Be strong and courageous! The Lord will fight your battles! Jesus is going to renew your strength. You will find peace, comfort, encouragement and hope again. God will ignite your dreams again and shoot you forth with a new boost of courage! To be strong and courageous means to rely on the Lord Jesus as the source of your strength. Courage is not an absence of fear but the deliberate choice to step forward even when afraid and spiritually depleted. When God is with us, all things are possible!
The Greek word translated to “courage” in the Bible shows God as the one who emboldens and ignites your faith from within. You live out your Spirit-infused faith, bravery and confidence even when afraid. You “take courage” and “be of good comfort” because Jesus has overcome the world. In Him, you can find true and everlasting peace (John 16:33).
Let’s look back at some of the greats in the Bible who faced unlikely circumstances, but God taught them to thrive. In our weakness, He makes us strong!
David was successful in all his ways, for the LORD was with him. (1 Samuel 18:14)
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. (Genesis 39:2)
So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. (Joshua 6:27)
And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. (2 Kings 18:7)
This week, I feel strongly that many of God's people are fighting to simply endure right now. The Lord continues to put Proverbs 13:12 in my spirit: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
Heartsickness usually sets in when promises, dreams, and ambitions extend beyond their due date. All the excitement and joy you once had is diminishing each day. Your heart grows sad, and your faith even dwindles. However, we have to remember that God is sovereign and orderly. His timing is always perfect, and He's hugely faithful. He will come through for you! So often, our minds can understand this truth, but our hearts start to break with each passing day, and God understands your pain.
Even Jesus knew about disappointment. His cousin John was beheaded, His own brothers doubted His deity, He was ridiculed and met with unbelief, and He was betrayed by one of His own disciples. Yet, even then, Jesus endured because He knew "greater is He that is in me, than He who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
The same strength and resurrection power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead now lives inside you! The Spirit of God is going to bring you new life again! When you are weak, God makes you strong!
God is going to meet you in your sorrow. What feels like a delay is His way of aligning everything with His perfect timing and will.
My friend – do not lose hope! God is always faithful to His promises!
When Lazarus fell ill and died (John 11), Jesus never ran to His friend. He walked. He was deliberate, steady and intentional about the timing. Lazarus had been dead for four long days, yet Jesus was not in a hurry.
The delay revealed God's glory to greater depths. The testimony brought even more people to understand the All-Powerful One. The miracle put the spotlight on Jesus. Time is a gift, even when we can't always understand what God is doing.
Hopelessness and discouragement are among the most painful and destructive human experiences, and one must fight to find strength in Jesus. It’s only possible with God! You must continue to do the small things that can have a lasting effect. Sing and praise even when circumstances say otherwise. Meet God in the secret place every single day. You cannot afford to miss out on one day in His presence.
Consume the Word of God in this season and remember how dearly the Lord loves you. Go back and write down all the times Jesus came through for you in the past, even when it seemed like all hope was lost. Give yourself permission to grieve and cry with the Father. He understands your heartache, and it's okay when we even express our disappointments to Him. The Lord will validate your feelings. He doesn't push you away just because you're confused, uncertain, hurt, frustrated or grieved. He loves you as is because He's your Father and made you.
The first step towards true inner-healing starts by surrendering everything to God.
Do not hold anything back this season.
Heaven is cheering you on!
Search for Jesus in the stillness and the small moments. Avoid anything that seeks to numb your feelings, like alcohol, drugs, social media, shopping, excessive eating, wasting time, avoidance of people or even your emotions. You must dig deep in this hour! The most significant growth happens in the trenches. God is building your muscles and strengthening your inner core. Always remember how God is with you every single moment of the day. You're always in His line of sight!
Breakthrough is going to come. The reward is not in doing but being with the Father.
Remember – the second half of Proverbs 13:12 promises, "But a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
The Message translation says, "Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around."
Give Jesus your five loaves of bread and two fish and He will take your little and multiply the miracle before everyone’s eyes. Through the breaking – He brings breakthroughs.
He will take all the shattered pieces to then feed others. Nothing goes to waste in the Kingdom. God will use everything you've experienced to teach others how to endure, overcome, fight, and press on even with your back against the wall. Your resilience and tenacity are extraordinary because your heart has been hand-crafted by the Savior. The Father will renew your strength and bring healing in this hour. He's going to help you endure your current season.
King Jesus will teach you about His love and mercy in every moment of your life. He will intercede and help with even tiny things and practical matters.
The Lord is going to bring aid in this hour:
provide what is useful or necessary in achieving an end
to give assistance
the act of helping someone
specifically: tangible means of assistance (resources, money or supplies)
God will send people operating in the Gift of Helps (1 Corinthians 12:28) to help you with practical things.
God will prop you up like Aaron and Hur held Moses' hands.
In Exodus 17, the people started to grumble and complain as they set out from the Desert of Sin towards Mt. Sinai because they were thirsty. They had followed God's commands correctly, but the Israelites still encountered a season of testing and trials. It’s one thing to grow weary in spirit, but when depletion also hits our body physically it can feel like a relentless uphill battle that is hard to climb. Some days we will downright have to crawl our way out of the gutter.
Some of you are spiritually in this exact place right now. You've obeyed and followed the pillar of cloud and fire, but hopelessness abounds. There is depletion all around. Your heart is thirsty, just like the children of Israel.
The Israelites were in a season of wanderings in Exodus 17; this was an ‘in-between place’ where they expected to find water and relief, but the streams were all dried and empty. The bondage of the past in Egypt even looked better because their eyes grew dim and weary. Uncertainty and discouragement settled in their hearts.
God told Moses, the chosen leader, to go and walk ahead of the people along with some of his leaders. He had to get ahead of the naysayers and grumblers in his midst. The Lord told Moses exactly what to do and how to provide the water. He was to use the same exact rod that God used in the past to bring forth miracles. This would remind Moses that strength and power are only found in the Lord.
“And the LORD said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
We all need an extra dose of God-fidence that often surges through our spirits when we reflect and remember the miracle-working power of God from past experiences!
Here is a direct word for someone: sit down this week and reflect with the Lord. Write down all the ways the Lord Jesus brought forth a miracle in the past. There will be an answer to your current question found there.
In Exodus 17:5-6, the Lord provided water from a rock, which was absolutely miraculous. When does water ever come from a stone? God's miracles arrive in ways humans cannot do on their own. If you have to force or manipulate anything, it's not the Lord. He does what He does when He wants to on His own initiative.
Moses called the place Massah ("testing") and Meribah ("quarreling") as a form of rebuke against the people who tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"
Right after this question, in Exodus 17:8, “The Amalekites attacked the Israelites at Rephidim!”
This was a wholly unexpected and unprovoked attack, and God would eventually bring victory. Still, first, they had to fight back even when depleted. The attack was brutal because the Amalekites came from the backside when the Israelites were "tired and needy" (Deuteronomy 25:17-18). The Amalekites slaughtered those in the rear who were likely the children, elderly, sick, weak, women and those who tended to the needy. When the enemy hits us from behind in a season when we're already weakened, it can be gut-wrenching, soul-sickening and relentless. Sometimes the only prayer we have is: “Jesus, HELP!” We need a divine Rescuer.
In the modern day, we aren’t physically battling anymore, but our spirits are often waging war against a very real enemy of darkness. However, if you can endure and push through, God will bring victory in ways you never thought possible!
When the Amalekites attacked, it brought about an incredibly unique time period for the Israelites. God had always battled for them up until this point; now, they had to rely on the Lord in new ways. They had to co-partner with the Lord, join forces, and fight even when weak.
The place of the battle was Rephidim, and the word means "resting place, stay, support," which probably felt like anything but rest! Still, God was building their faith muscles despite the opposition; He was fortifying their spiritual strength as they waged war against the enemy. He was making them courageous!
Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands" (Exodus 17:9).
Moses prayed while Joshua battled.
Then something miraculous happened.
Exodus 17:11-13
As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
When we fight from a place of weakness, God gets all the glory because we can only win through His strength. We serve a God of the comeback! Do not give up!
ENCOURAGEMENT
My friend – the Lord will fight your battles in this hour. You only need to pray without ceasing. The battle will be won on your knees. The squeezing, pressure, twisting, crushing and pounding is kneading you into the person God always destined you to be. He’s making you fearless in this hour!
Watch what happens when you raise your arms with praise and prayer to King Jesus! When Moses held up his hands, he was in a posture of prayer. God would do the rest as long as Moses kept interceding and praying. Prayer can be hard work, so Moses grew weary and tired. Still, you must "continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2).
Jesus will intercede and hold you up when despair tries to push you down.
He will strengthen your spirit and saturate your heart with His endless love and mercy.
Breakthrough is coming through prayer and praise. God is going to bring living water to replenish your soul.
Look for your Father everywhere in this hour. Seek Him with all your heart. Thank Him and praise Him for the breath in your lungs and the gift of life. Continue to sing even when your heart doesn't feel like it can go on another day. The Lord will meet you in those moments when you feel weakest. He will make you strong again.
The most extraordinary moves of God are often found in the deepest places of affliction. There is power in the statement Job declared during a time of terrible pain and testing – "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). When we break down the verb used in Biblical Hebrew, we see something marvelous – Yahweh is in complete control of everything that happens. He's always a step ahead of Job and you.
God knows exactly what is happening in your life, how you will react, what awaits ahead and the victory that will emerge from this season. Job received double the restoration in his life. God is not finished with you yet, so do not despair! Keep hope alive! The Lord is supremely sovereign and compassionate, full of mercy and kindness! You must endure because rewards are waiting for you. This season is developing your character; from it all, the most beautiful version of yourself will emerge that will help many people during your lifetime.
The Father's love knows no boundaries. His grace is infinite and extends onward and upwards. In this season, Jesus will teach you what it really means to surrender.
We must be blameless before the Lord. This doesn't mean perfection but a posture of submission and reverence to the Lord. The word reverence denotes profound respect, love and adoring awe towards Christ Jesus. To revere the Father, we approach Him with gratitude, mercy, surrender, honor and deep respect. Our attitude and actions must reflect reverence to remain blameless before Him. One who is blameless obeys the Lord's commands and yields to His desires even when it doesn't always make sense. We aim to seek God's will like a child who wants to make his or her Father proud. To revere the Father, we live a life of adoring praise, honor and worship.
There is a tendency in the body of Christ to seek Jesus like He's Santa Claus, and people only go to the throne in times of need or when wanting something. God knows our hearts, and He cannot be manipulated. Salvation is the greatest gift we can ever receive. So to be blameless, it’s important to allow Jesus to transform our hearts and souls with completeness, and we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We revere Him by considering all that Jesus endured because He loves us. He desires a personal and intimate relationship that is bonded with lots of one-on-one time together.
Regardless of how "good" one is, it's impossible to live a blameless life without giving the Lord complete access to our hearts and souls. Our ego and self-will must decrease to have a proper view of Christ. We must take up our cross and die to ourselves daily to become new creations in Christ Jesus. Even though we are saved by grace and not the law, there are still healthy boundaries the Lord gives us to remain safe and secure. For instance, a child can play in the front yard, but a parent will protect them from running out into traffic. The child looks to the parent as one who knows what's best to remain protected. In the same way, Father God has outlined decrees and commands to keep His own people safe.
So in this season, what might feel like extra boundaries or even a "prison" might really be a safety net protected by the hands of the Father. We must yield and stay and wait for the Lord's movement. May the words of Psalm 139:23-24 guide us: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Direct Words:
1. The Lord is saying, WAIT ON ME. He is coming!
2. At the beginning of Acts, Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. It seemed contrary to the natural mind because the disciples feared what awaited outside the door. It would be safer to flee to the hills, but they had to stand firm and wait. They waited even while experiencing grief and despair. They felt defeated and lowly in spirit. Yet that was where Jesus would ignite a movement that changed everything. Their strength was renewed in such a way that it was a miracle to all who witnessed the glorious revealing of the Holy Spirit. God is coming! Wait on Him!
3. Sometimes, we talk about the Promised Land like it's a destination. It's really a lifestyle of learning to abide in God's everlasting presence. One must train their heart and mind to yield to the Father. Your thirst will be replenished as you linger and wait with the Father in this season.
DEFEAT THE AMALEK SPIRIT:
Deuteronomy 25:17 (MSG) — Don’t forget what Amalek did to you on the road after you left Egypt, how he attacked you when you were tired, barely able to put one foot in front of another, mercilessly cut off your stragglers, and had no regard for God. When God, your God, gives you rest from all the enemies that surround you in the inheritance-land God, your God, is giving you to possess, you are to wipe the name of Amalek from off the Earth. Don’t forget!
The Amalekites fight with unfair provocation. They know you are destined for greatness in this lifetime and aim to catch you in a time of despair and defeat. These people or things especially love to attack when you're tired and depleted. Remember, they attacked the Israelites from behind. They went for the weary ones. The enemy is trying to divert your destiny, but God will fight on your behalf. The Amalek knew the Israelites were not experienced in warfare, so they tried to catch them slipping. Instead of going to the front, they slaughtered the most innocent. The spirit will attack your vulnerabilities.
The Amalekites work through people and thrive on the destitute. They are worldly, detestable and unclean. They are the same losers who raided David’s camp at Ziklag and kidnapped all the women and children and burned everything down. They are a nuisance and a thorn in your side. In the Bible, God commanded the Israelites to purify themselves by eliminating the negative influences, destructive habits, and sin cycles that cause separation from God. We must refrain from dabbling with these people or things here and there. They must be eliminated from your atmosphere! The Spirit of Amalek can cause doubt, discouragement, frustration and defeat. The spirit also causes tiredness, weariness or fatigue. If you are a child of God, you better believe that you’ll have to defeat this spirit in your life. Do not allow doubt to win! God is victorious and as His child, you will also win!
"Don't forget!" We are called to forgive repeatedly in God's kingdom, but we don't have to entertain nonsense. We must remember people and places that caught us in the past so that we are not pulled back in times of weakness! Let them go, pray for them and love them from afar. Release it all to the Father and then move forward.
Jesus is for you. He's going to battle on your behalf, but you’ll also have to do your part.
Your weapons this season:
1. Pray without ceasing.
2. Praise and worship even when tired.
3. Disable the enemy. Disarm, deactivate, switch off, protect, forbid entrance to your soul.
4. Counter every attack aimed your way with the promises of God.
5. Write down how the Lord delivered you in a past season because He's coming for you in the same place!
Anything or anyone who casts doubt on your faith must be battled against with PRAYER and PRAISE! Beat the spirit of Amalek! The victory is yours and ready for the taking! Push! You have the weapons! Fight even when tired!
“Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the
greatness of his unfailing love"
Lamentations 3:32
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly for
the salvation of the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:25-26
