He's Moving

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9VomNXhKj4&list=RDw9VomNXhKj4

O Praise Him ~ David Crowder

Then he continued, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.” ~ Daniel 10:12 NIV

When Savannah as 9 months old, one of our cars died. But we were OK living with one car, until a few months later when that one died, too. But instead of panicking, we had peace. We fasted and prayed for a week, asking God to fix our cars, believing that He would move.

At the end of the week, the cars were still dead, but that doesn’t mean God wasn’t moving. A friend, who lived nearby, worked just a few blocks from my office and offered to take me to and from work every day. And on the weekends, they leant us one of their cars, so we could buy groceries or go to church. This lasted a month or so, but God wasn’t done moving.

At that time, we were a one-income family of three, with no extra money to take on a car payment. Some of our friends and family chipped in and gave us $300 to put towards a new car. In the world’s economy, $300 won’t get you anything. But in God’s economy, it was all we needed.

At the same time that our cars died, some other friends were trying to sell a car on Craigslist for $2,000. When they heard our story, they called us and offered to sell us their car for, guess how much. $300! For $300 we got a working, new-to-us car.

When Daniel needed an answer, he fasted and prayed for 21 days. On the 24^th day, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said that as soon as Daniel humbled himself and prayed, heaven heard and began to move. What do you need from God? What answers have you been seeking from Him? Even if you haven’t seen or heard the answers yet, don’t give up; don’t lose heart. Because as soon as you humbled yourself and began to pray, God heard you and He began to move.

©Heather Potts 2018

He is Not a Man

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. ~ Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV

Recently, our family has endured many attacks. They’re like little dogs nipping at your ankles, causing your ankles to bleed overtime. The physical pain creates a wound in your mind and heart, leading you to want to avoid those dogs at all costs. Yesterday, when the enemy was reminding me of recent “dog bites,” Holy Spirit whispered, “He is not a man.” In other words, the Attacker is not a person or group of people, but Satan himself.  Daniel 10:1-14 explains that we’re in spiritual warfare.

How do you win spiritual warfare while enduring a physical affront? Sing it • Silence it • See it • Say it.

Sing it: Worship. Throughout the Bible, the trumpeters or worship leaders were out front, rallying the troops, headed for war. Keeping God’s praise on your lips opens your heart to knowing His.

Silence it: Hold your tongue. Proverbs 18:21 says the tongue has the power of life and death. Pray that your words would be always with grace, seasoned with salt, and spoken only as God directs.

See it: Pray for enlightened eyes. We don’t often see the truth or know the best way to deal with our physical needs in a spiritual battle. But Holy Spirit can give us a Spirit of wisdom and discernment (enlightened eyes), helping us know what we need to do physically—like setting up healthy boundaries or changing a habit—while also directing us through this spiritual battlefield.

Say it: Speak God’s Word. Ephesians 6:10-20 tells us to dress in the full armor of God, taking up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, enabling us to defeat the enemy and advance God’s Kingdom.

Whatever you’re facing today, remember that people are not your enemy—Satan is—but Jesus has given us the victory! That is a reason to celebrate, even in the midst of battle.

©Heather Potts 2016