It has been my daily practice to put on the whole armor of God as instructed in Ephesians 6, but I began to understand that words must become life for those for whom I pray. So as I prayed for others the Lord would bring to mind, and as I asked for divine protection and revelation knowledge be given to each, I could sense the presence of the demonic entities assigned. Ephesians 6:10-18 instructs: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
I have been urging true disciples of Jesus Christ to arise and shine, rather than fall to the enemy of defeat and acceptance. Now the Lord urges me to say, "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:14) This is a clear mandate to fellow believers to rise to action, put off lethargy and advance the kingdom of God on this earth. The battle going on is far worse than mortal eye can see, but God will have His way. For the past two weeks the Lord allowed me to be "quarantined" for His purpose. I developed a case of Shingles that I am told is rare, as it attacked my face, mouth, ear and ear canal, as well as the entire half of my head. Touching a single hair on my head is actually painful. Although I am healing, this time has been spent listening to the voice of my Father, instructing me, showing me how to pray. The enemy does not like defeat, so he also threatened my daughter's life, not once, but three times in the past two months. The enemy cannot destroy a child of the living God. While speaking with a friend of mine, who often questions where God is in the midst of suffering and chaos, I had to silence the enemy when asked where is God in my and my daughter's battles. My entire life, as has my daughter's, has been riddled with pain, physical abuse, and various torments, but we will never say that our Father is not present with us each step of the way. My Abba Father stands right beside me, our Lord Jesus Christ does not change, and Holy Spirit remains within us strengthening us come what may. Whereas the enemy has tried on numerous occasions to put a wedge between my daughter and myself, this is yet another battle he cannot win. The Lord holds us in His righteous right hand, and NO weapon that is formed against us will prosper! (Isaiah 57:17) I don't ask God "why," rather I ask Him to speak to me and teach me. As with Job's trials, God has a plan and purpose for everything. This time is a holy time, and we choose to see it as such. So no, my friend, He never leaves us, and we trust Him with all things that concern us. God is very much present right beside us, and however He chooses to get my attention, I welcome it.
Yesterday was a restless day for me, and as the day progressed to evening, I spoke to the Lord, and I asked how to direct my prayers. I had been listening earlier to a pastor speak on listening prayer, and I am fully aware of how God speaks to me in this way. I know His voice, but it was extremely quiet yesterday at this time. Before drifting off to sleep I remember looking at a live stream of a prophet speaking about the current uprisings within our United States and prophesying what is to come. I drifted asleep near the end of it into a peaceful sleep. At some point in time I remember being shaken awake to hear and see people on the screen raging and threatening all the people who voted for President Trump in this election. A woman said that Trump supporters did not deserve to live. The hatred and venom continued to spew from the mouths of the media and the political leaders I witnessed before my eyes. Now whether this actually played on my computer or whether it was a vision, as with the young man I saw on the streets of the city near me awhile back, I do not know. But the message was very clear. After this, I could not go back to sleep, so I began to talk to the Lord. I felt such sadness for the ugly and vile things being spewed, which were like in kind to those I actually did hear for myself on social media by a US Representative threatening similar vengeance against all who did not stand with the Democratic Party. The enemy roams around in the darkness of the night using those whose eyes have been blinded to the Light of Jesus Christ. They are to be pitied, not scorned, or feared. The demonic spirit of Jezebel has been loosed upon our unsuspecting nation, but the prophets of Elijah and Elisha are likewise present in this age.
The Lord is clearly speaking. The church of Jesus Christ, the disciples who are not cowering in their homes, or depressed, or otherwise incredulous, are being instructed to wake up! Jesus is coming back, and He is coming for a church, a bride without spot or wrinkle, a unified church. God wants His people to speak out for righteousness and justice, standing on the infallible Word of the Lord. No more lukewarm sermons and avoiding the message of the Gospel. This fight is not about a man or a party. This is about God as the Head of all Government. He alone puts leaders in place, and He alone takes them out. We may be given a say, but He will not be mocked. He is removing His hand from this nation, so if we believe in One Nation Under God, then we had better stand up as the Body of Christ and proclaim it as such. But, just be aware, if God in His mercy spares us for a season from total judgment, what comes next will not be pleasant. He has warned, and the church has not heeded! But, also be aware, repentance and revival will shake this land.
This morning in my devotional time, I read the following, and this is how I feel about my life. It belongs to Jesus, and my eyes will stay fixed on Him alone as the Author and Finisher of my faith. I pray you heed this clarion call:
"The apostles and disciples in the book of Acts saw themselves as expendable in the service of their Lord. Self-preservation was the last thought on their minds. They were totally, unreservedly available to their Lord. You can see that attitude in a number of verses from Paul's letters:
"It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
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