2003-03-19
Good Morning Cherished Readers,
It is now time, according to the Spirit which leads me, to discuss offensive prayer. These are prayers we offer just before we are to go into battle and sometimes, during it. The first example that comes to mind is that of King Jehoshaphat and his Jewish army just before they were to face battle with the combined forces of the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites-their enemies, in 2 CH 20: 3. These enemies far out-numbered the Jews and had already captured Engedi at the far southern portion of Judah. “Jehoshaphat was frightened and prayed to the Lord for guidance. Then he gave orders for a fast to be observed throughout the country.” Since I’ve written so much about this remarkable story, those of you who have been reading my messages for awhile know that a most remarkable and loving final result occurred. In 2 CH 20: 15- 16a, the Spirit of the Lord came upon a Levite, Jahaziel, and gave him a message for Jehoshaphat, “The Lord says that you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends upon God, not on you. Attack them tomorrow, if they come up the pass at Ziz.” Later, in 2 CH 20: 20b, Jehoshaphat says, “Men of Judah and Jersualem! Put your trust in the Lord your God, and you will stand your ground. Believe what His prophets tell you, and you will succeed.” After that, the enemy could be seen advancing, but the Lord threw them into a panic, and they began attacking each other until they were all dead without having so much as touched the Jews (22-23). 2 CH 20: 26-27, “On the fourth day they assemble in Beracah Valley and praised the Lord for all He had done. That is why the valley is called ‘Beracah’ [which means “praise” in Hebrew]. Jehoshaphat led his troops back to Jerusalem in triumph, because the Lord had defeated their enemies.”
This is a wonderful story, because it points out how we can turn to the Lord in prayer, even when the odds seem against us amidst an attack on us by the forces of evil. It also shows us the principle that if we pray for anything which is in line with God’s agenda, our prayer will be answered [JN 15: 7; 1 JN 5: 14-15]. It didn’t matter that Jehoshaphat was frightened at the time that he first prayed to God, our Lord understood and had the compassion not to blow him off. Instead, He covered the king and his troops with His guidance and protection. Jehoshaphat acknowledged that the victory was God’s in his praise afterward. He didn’t try to take all the glory for himself. There are many valuable lessons for us when we find ourselves amidst a battle with evil in our own lives. We must look at our lives and see if we follow the crucial advice Jehoshaphat gave to his troops to put our trust in the Lord and stand our ground against Satan’s onslaught. Maybe our battles won’t take the form of threatened hand to hand combat, but we do battle evil in its other forms-illness, loss, disappointment, temptation, suffering, persecution, etc.
Arthur Matthews was a great prayer warrior who wrote a book of thirty-one daily studies on spiritual warfare that is required reading for all OMF missionaries. This author speaks of two aspects of offensive prayer: 1) The prayers of co-workers in a godly pursuit can channel the supply of the Spirit to the cause, even if its human leader is unable to be out in the field with them, and 2) with offensive prayer including claiming victory on the grounds of the cross, the enemy’s strongholds can be infiltrated, his vulnerable places can be found, and victory for God can be hastened with fewer casualties. Let’s take a look at that from the Scriptures examining the first point first. Paul was in prison, knowing that his calling was to spread the Gospel as far and wide as he could. Was he frustrated to the point of dysfunction? The answer is seen in PHIL 1: 18-19, “It does not matter [that others will make more trouble for Paul while he is in prison]! I am happy about it-just so Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy, because I know that by means of your prayers and the help which comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be set free.” The peace and happiness that Paul felt despite his circumstances came from the Spirit and his awareness of the work of the Spirit in his co-workers out in the field. Have we ever thought about what a miracle of God’s will being done that the survival of the Christian church is? Only God is capable making that so against such seeming impossible odds.
Who can get the picture out of his mind, once he has read AC 16: 16-40, of Paul and Silas imprisoned in Philippi. Were they bemoaning their fate? The answer is in AC 16: 25, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners listened to them.” We can’t forget what happened next. An earthquake occurred, and the doors to the prison swung open at the same time the chains fell off all the prisoners, including Paul and Silas. Their subsequent escape wasn’t from running out immediately and thinking only of themselves. Instead, the Holy Spirit guided them to wait and comfort the discouraged jailer, an act which later brought this man to faith in Jesus Christ. JN 8: 32, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” We need to examine just how free we are in our own lives, see if we recognize Satan’s attacks for what they are, and are not afraid to pray offensively.
PRAYER: O Lord, we stand before You in gratitude for empowering and authorizing us to battle against Satan with the confidence that if we endure, we will emerge victorious in Christ’s name. If there is any good in this world, You have brought it to us. PS 34: 1-2 expresses the content of our hearts. “I will always thank the Lord; I will never stop praising Him. I will praise Him for what He has done; may all who are oppressed listen and be glad! Proclaim with me the Lord’s greatness; let us praise His name together!” Your plan for us is conceived with righteousness and wisdom far beyond what any human is capable. You are in unselfish God Who loves each of His children, even those whom men have rejected. You gave us the physical life of Your only begotten Son on the cross, so that we might be saved, and You gave us the very faith we have in Him. That faith led to our salvation and our justification. Being deemed acceptable to You matters greatly to us. So, does Your wholly unselfish gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit indwelt in believers Who urges us on to joining You in Your work and living holy and righteous lives in Christ. We ask You today to fill us with the Spirit’s power, so that we can obediently carry out Your commands, thus, helping in spreading the Gospel, bringing others to Him, and seeing them saved. The Holy Spirit also compels us to engage in faith-building activities that will keep our own faith strong, especially during the times when we are under attack from the forces of evil. Christ, in JN 13: 34-35, taught us to love one another, as He loves us. It is by this that others will know we are His disciples. This sweet and honorable goal brings immeasurable blessings in our lives, as we enjoy the fellowship of fellow believers. We thank You for giving us offensive prayer, which can be a powerful weapon against the enemy. In humility, we confess our sins and offer You our adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, glory, honor, thanks, and praise. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, I’m led to finish writing about Arthur Matthew’s first point and then begin on the second one. All too often, we turn to the Lord only when matters become desperate. However, believers who recognize the adversary’s attacks for what they are can feel confident and welcome to engage in offensive prayer, just as Jehoshaphat and Paul did in the examples above. Perhaps addiction is Satan’s fiery arrow, or perhaps jealousy, greed, materialism, attempts to acquire power and prestige might be the ones that plague a person today. Daily study of God’s word and offensive prayer can be powerful weapons to fend off the intensity of Satan’s attack. God has given us a way to learn His plan in the Scriptures along with a lot of wisdom that He has passed down to mankind this way. When we obey God with study and prayer, learn to listen for His commands, and obey them, then we can use offensive prayer as another effective weapon in our arsenal against the enemy. When we do, the God Who loves each of us is pleased. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn