Stand at the Ready

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQmmS7HbhkE

Stand ~ Newsboys

 

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. ~ Ephesians 6:13 NIV

 

This morning, the Lord woke me, first to pray for my own children, then for all children. The theme throughout the prayer was that they would stand:

Stand for the Truth.

Stand on the Truth.

Stand up for each other.

Stand up for righteousness.

Stand up in prayer, humbling themselves only unto the Lord.

Stand firm.

The Lord closed out the prayer by saying, “Let them put on their Armor and Stand at the Ready.” As I pondered, “stand at the ready,” Ephesians 6:13 immediately came to mind. The final word, “stand” means, “to stand ready or prepared,” as well as to be “one who in the midst of the fight hold his position,” (G2476 - Histēmi - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV), n.d.).

 

It’s no coincidence that today is the National Day of Prayer. Today, as you’re praying for our nation and leaders, please also pray for our children. Pray for their protection and the covering of Holy Spirit. Pray that they’d be given a Spirit of wisdom and of revelation. Pray that they’d not be swayed by their peers or by evildoers, but that they’d cling to what is good in God, alone. Pray they’d be godly leaders, following only after Christ. But above all, pray that they’d stand.

 

Father, we lift up all children to You, today. Anoint them with Your Spirit. Help them to stand strong, stand firm, and to stand their ground. Help them to draw a line in the sand and put the devil “on notice,” not allowing him to take any more ground. Then, Lord, sound the charge! Call them to fight for others until they are freed to stand in Your victory! Father, I pray that today would be a game-changer, and that we’d recall this day as the day You called us to Stand at the Ready!

I pray all these things in the mighty Name of Jesus! Amen.

~Heather Potts

*It’s not copyrighted. Please share! Please pray!

On the Side without a Shield

 

https://youtu.be/tgw1hIcW34k

Surviving the Game ~ Skillet 

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield]. ~ Psalm 121:5 AMPC

If the right hand is your working side, why did the verse also specify that the Lord’s on the side not carrying a shield. As a warrior, your shield gives you protection. When you feel protected, you won’t run from the enemy. Instead, you’ll either stand your ground, or advance in battle. 

I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. ~ Psalm 16:8 AMPC

If the left side carries the shield for protection and confidence, then the Lord provides that for you on your right side. He stands at your side and gives you a weapon to wield.

Last week, I had the opportunity to walk one of the 3rd grade classes through the temptations of Jesus. We discussed the importance of knowing scripture as a way to overcome temptation. Just as we weren’t given a sword to hang it on a belt, we weren’t given a Bible to keep it closed on a table. There’s nothing scary about either scenario. But swinging a sword and studying scripture...that makes us a dangerous threat to the enemy.

 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword … ~ Hebrews 4:12 AMPC

But we were created to do more than just fight. We are God’s workmanship, called to do the good works He planned in advance for us, (Ephesians 2:10). That reminds me of Nehemiah and the Jews who worked to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. As they worked, the enemy came against them. Because the opposition was so fierce, “[those] who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked,” (Nehemiah 4:17-18 NIV). That sounds like a rather clunky way to work. But if you are expected to be a warrior--defending yourself and your home--as well as a worker, you’d need to do both. Though the expectation is still there for us, it’s not as literal as this picture.

Most of us will not have to fight and work that way, but we’re still expected to do both. I think, at some point, we have all fallen into the trap of believing that spiritual warfare is for one season, and doing God’s work is for another. But the truth is, we are called to do them simultaneously. God gave us weapons for spiritual warfare so that we could fight and remain standing, while doing the work that God prepared for us.

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that … you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ~ Ephesians 6:13 NIVUK

The Lord is your keeper: your guard, preserver, and Shepherd. 

The Lord is your shade: as near as your shadow for your protection and

refreshment. 

He’s on your right side: on your working side - providing skills, wisdom,

guidance, perseverance, strength, courage, determination, and

encouragement. 

He’s on the side not carrying a shield: on your warfare side -

providing spiritual weapons, like the sword of the Spirit.

The Lord has positioned Himself to be near to you, providing everything you need, in every circumstance. Whatever you need today, receive it from Him and get moving!

©Heather Potts 2021

Called to Stand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU771D5AYWE

Holy Ground ~ Passion ft. Melodie Malone 

Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord strong and mighty,

    the Lord mighty in battle.

~ Psalm 24:8 NIV

In the 2002 movie Signs, after crop circles appeared on the farmer’s land, his kids started reading about aliens. Then, one day, the farmer found his kids and brother-in-law watching the news with aluminum foil on their heads, so that the aliens couldn’t read their thoughts. We laugh at the aluminum foil scene, but honestly, with all the extremes on the news these days, there are people in both camp extremes: some with their heads in the sand and some already wearing aluminum foil. Fear can be a great motivator; but more often than not, fear is the greatest paralyzer, holding you as a powerless prisoner to what might happen. 

What if it didn’t have to - what if there was another choice besides head-in-sand and aluminum-foil-on-head? Fear only has power when it has your attention. What if you cut off its power supply by shifting your focus? 

Prime Time with God: Reflecting on the Names and Nature of God is a devotional I read. The title from the other day was, “The Lord Mighty in Battle,” from Psalm 24:8. It was the prayer at the end that really hit me between the eyes. It said, “Lord, I’ll not look at the strength of the Enemy; I’ll look to Your might.” I was shocked by the revelation that I had been focusing on the strength of the enemy, instead of power and might of my God. That revelation was my wake-up call to pull off the aluminum foil, lift my head from the sand, and STAND! 

We are a people called to STAND. Not cower, not crumble: we’re called to dress in holy armor and then stand. The enemy will come against God’s people and he will bring a mighty force. But when we’re not distracted by the enemy’s strength, when we’re focusing on God’s power and might, regardless of what the enemy brings and flashes in front of us, we’ll be able to stand.

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. ~ Ephesians 6:13 NIV

©Heather Potts 2021

Take Your Stand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuS9T3yXPWo

I Will Not be Moved ~ Natalie Grant

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ~ Ephesians 6:11 NIV

Yesterday tried to knock me down. Some events happened which were reminiscent of a battle we fought years ago. But God, who is ever faithful, held us, then. He pulled us to our feet, again (literally), and set us on solid ground. Yesterday, I told the devil that I wasn’t doing that, again, that I would not lose!

Perhaps you think me too bold or too naïve to dare say those things, even to the devil. But why should I cower? I am a warrior facing a battle. I know my Victor. I see Him standing with me. I hear the battle cry throughout scripture:

When you go to war against your enemies and see…an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them… “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” ~ Deuteronomy 20:1-4 NIV

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” …Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire… ~ 2 Kings 6:15-17 NIV

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power... 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. ~ Ephesians 6:10, 13 NIV

In the face of battle, our enemy is fierce. He comes strong against us because he sees the threat we are when we stand strong in the Lord. He fears us and the generations to follow. Today, if you are facing a battle like we are, remember Who is on your side. Our victory is in the Lord and He’s calling us to take our stand!

©Heather Potts 2020