Where to Fight...

Where to Fight 

by David Brenneman 

As said yesterday, songs play an important role in my life, as well as my time with Jesus every morning around this time.  There's no noise from outside, inside there's the gentle tic tock of a very very old clock. Atypical as well is that one of my cats whom in recent months has shown she loves it when I am rocking in my recliner, joins me.

"When all I see is the battle, You see my victory

When all I see is the mountain, You see a mountain moved
And as I walk through the shadow, Your love surrounds me
There's nothing to fear now for I am safe with You

So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I'll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to You

And if You are for me, who can be against me? Yeah
For Jesus, there's nothing impossible for You
When all I see are the ashes, You see the beauty
Thank You God
When all I see is a cross, God, You see the empty tomb

So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I'll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to You

Almighty fortress, You go before us
Nothing can stand against the power of our God
You shine in the shadow, You win every battle
Nothing can stand against the power of our God

An almighty fortress, You go before us
Nothing can stand against the power of our God
You shine in the shadow, You win every battle
Nothing can stand against the power of our God

An almighty fortress, You go before us
Nothing can stand against the power of our God
You shine in the shadows, You win every battle
Nothing can stand against the power of our God

So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I'll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to You

Oh God, the battle belongs to You"

- Phil Wickham "Battle Belongs"

In my most recent decades of life, prayer has become the most important thing to me nexr to my time with Jesus every morning.  I don't NEED to get up this early, but I choose to.  

In my short life I have seen God do things before I ask or even are aware of a problem or situation of the revealed magnitude even happening. 

I have seen the results of years of prayer in the lives of others.  Have seen the immediate results of going to God in prayer. 

But what of you?  I used to live in a highly stressed life.  Atypical was 10 hour days only because what needed done couldn't be done in 8. Saturday's became common to work because of management decisions.  Prayer becomes a necessity. It's a lifeline. 

Oh the things that God's done through prayer. I have seen Him build a bridge and environment between myself and someone who wasn't open to physically talking.  The person would meet with me on this bridge.  They weren't talking but were made to listen.  Then, one day, the physical, situational walls came down. The relationship was restored. 

I have seen so much that can only be attributed to God's hand in things. Have seen God deal with people who were impossible for me to deal with.  It certainly wasn't any coincidence of the things that happened to them.  The Bible says to leave room for the wrath of God. Romans 12:19.

Trust me, God's plans and methods are far greater than you can possibly come up with.  Even in His wrath, God's got a clear head in that He can still leave an opportunity for salvation in those people if they are indeed allowed to live. 

I have often told people that worry is a prayer with no direction. Give it a direction...up!  Prayer is an extremely powerful tool from God out of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Perhaps one of if not the greatest of tools. Satan cannot stop a prayer from getting to Jesus.  You can by not praying but he cannot stop it from arriving at the Throne of God.  The Spirit, the Bible says, even can intercede with groans too deep for words when we don't know how or what to say.  Romans 8:26.

Some attempt to argue points online that really have no place there.  Hostility has no place there.  I do not target people in posts. If conviction comes that's between the reader and God.  Really no different than people who find conviction after a sermon.  If the Spirit is talking to someone then maybe it would be an excellent idea to listen. 

If a conscious is pricked by someone's prayer then again maybe listening to God is in order.

When we consider Romans 8:28 NASB "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." And "My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;" John 10:27 NASB, add in "Trust in the Lord with all your, and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight". Prayer is kind of obvious. 

Letting go of stress through prayer is a wonderful thing.  Taking the panic we feel in situations to Jesus is right there as well.  We may not know why but then again, in all truthfulness, we don't need to know.  We are to trust and obey.  

Jesus is always present. He's already in tomorrow before we get there. He's still in yesterday.  He's in today.  Everything in everyone's lives is before Him.  He knows what is in the hearts of every single person, all the time.  He knows every single intention of the hearts of mankind. It's impossible to lie to God because the truth is ever before Him. 

Books by mankind, videos, instructionals as they now call them, institutional learning, cannot take the place of what the Spirit teaches a person who's mind is set on Jesus. Read King David's heart in the book of Psalms. 

We indeed will sometimes see that we have been praying for the wrong choices at times.  What we ask for sometimes isn't in God's plan for us or others. It's as simple as that.  Sometimes it's out honestly selfish requests that He won't answer because of their nature.  Sometimes He answers in ways we never dreamed possible. 

Two of my "hero's" in the Old Testament are Daniel and Nehemiah.  Nehemiah is probably not the originator of what I call the bullet prayer but the Bible records him doing it.  His entire prayer was that short. "I prayed to the God of Heaven". Then spoke immediately to his King. 

Daniel prayed constantly and consistently. With all earnestness. With all sincerity. He was considered "beloved" and "highly esteemed" in Heaven.

We will indeed face the temptation to pray selfishly. We will indeed face extremely hard times. We will be tempted to go with the world's solutions to problems that really are for God to handle. Still other answers to prayer are found in what He provides through others. It's the wisdom to know the difference that requires more prayer not impulsive responses.  

The world will indeed try to say we don't need prayer, don't need to rely on others. That's Satan's way.  Satan's way doesn't include God because he wants to be God. 

So how's your prayer life?  What do you talk to Jesus about?  Is it only a grocery list of your problems or do you talk about what's on your heart and mind?  Do you show gratitude in your prayers?  Are you thankful in both the good and bad of what you perceive life to be?  We often attribute His answers to our prayers to things mankind has created.  We believe the wrong things and it truly limits our prayers. 

My responsibilities in being a Husband requires me to lift up my Wife before Jesus.  My responsibilities in being a Christian are to lift up others before Jesus.  We who are in Christ are in a relationship with Jesus. A relationship requires interaction.  He's not our Holy Butler.  He's not a Holy Genie. He's THE Holy God. 

If I have achieved anything in my life it's because of Jesus. If I know anything it's because of Jesus.  If there's anything beneficial to others that's come from me,  it's because of Jesus.  

We are told to pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.". We read the other day in not trusting in horses or chariots. But to indeed trust in the name of our God. 

The writer of Hebrews says in Chapter 11 verse 6 "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.".

When we face difficulty, hardship, emergencies of any kind, the place to be in on our knees in prayer. If you can't be on your knees still pray. Jesus understands. 

James 5:16 NASB "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A  prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.".

Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight."

My own understanding gets me into trouble.  My ways are not His ways. Nor my thoughts His thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9.

My life has a plan in His great plans for mankind. We have a calling in our life in Christ Jesus. This calling is from God and is our first best destiny. It's not for us to forsake or to get out of because of difficulty. It's for us to continue steadfast in prayer to see us through it. "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." Romans 11:29 NASB. I have met many Christians who have been called of God who have been living in defiance of their calling. Sometimes it's because of what that calling is that they've rejected it, sometimes it was because of a painful experience.  This still doesn't negate it.  The Bible says that the Spirit places people in the body as He sees fit.  Read it closer and you notice He doesn't ask anyone's opinion on it. 

Pray before deciding a life changing thing. Pray when life is hard and when it's not. 

Pray without ceasing.  Be thankful in everything. Rejoice always. Remember Jonah, don't run from what God's plan for you is. Just keep praying more earnestly.