Worn out? Worried? Frantic? Confused? Emotionally and spiritually exhausted? Well, you're not alone. it happens to all of us who are fighting the good fight of faith for the glory of God.
But God already knows all of this. He knows us. Everything about us. He is sovereign and controls everything he has created...for His glory and for our good. So ya think we should listen to Him? He provides what we need when we need it. God has provided a supernatural, protective shield that is custom tailored for every woman who follows Jesus! It's very powerful because God designed it. We see His Son represented in every piece of powerful armor!
Our Father in heaven lovingly instructs us, "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 up 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 keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:10-18.
This armor of God enables us to overcome evil and keep standing in the midst of the devil's vicious attacks of his fiery darts aimed at us. And remember this very important truth: the devil does not have a shield, but we do! There is nothing in Scripture that tells us he has a shield.
Another important note: The suit of armor is only effective if we put it on! We have to take off self-protection, also known as "survival mode" and put on Christ to protect us. He IS our spiritual armor, Sisters! Get in your "prayer closet" [whatever that looks like] and put it on!
My Challenge to the Sisterhood: Go deeper to see for yourself how much He loves you.
I've been experiencing it in a new way! The Lord has provided me with a specific early morning devotional time focusing on three Scripture passages, which have become transforming, supernatural gifts to my heart. Obviously, the Holy Spirit led me to this specific arrangement of verses over a period of time.
1. Get up at least 15 minutes earlier than your normal time. (30 minutes is better to give yourself more time to let His word soak into your soul.) Grab your Bible and find a quiet corner to read three passages of Scripture. Yes, coffee or tea, when required! Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you focus and concentrate on what you're reading.
2. Oh, and the secret to this transforming power is to read all of it aloud. Yes! Scripture says,
"Life and death is in the power of the tongue. Speak LIFE!" You will be listening to yourself speaking powerful, healing truths to your soul. But this is the main reason to read all the passages aloud: the concept and promise found in Isaiah 55:11: "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
"Life and death is in the power of the tongue. Speak LIFE!" You will be listening to yourself speaking powerful, healing truths to your soul. But this is the main reason to read all the passages aloud: the concept and promise found in Isaiah 55:11: "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
3. Here are the three verses in order. Give yourself time to read slowly and out loud:
Psalm 51. the entire Psalm. (We are confessing our sins & transgressions against God. We see His grace and mercies.)
Psalm 139 the entire Psalm (We see our Creator's deep and abiding love from before we were created in our mother's womb and the preciousness of His love sovereignly carrying us through this life!)
Acts 17:24-28 (This paints a broad stroke of a glorious, powerful Creator, our God who deeply longs to have relationships with His chosen ones. We see His Majesty and His Rule over His creation and His beloved people.
That's it. You'll be in your secret place of prayer armored up with the presence of God, ready for battle! The Holy Spirit of God will use it for His glory and our good. If we commit to reading these Scriptures aloud daily, we get a special bonus of transformation and memorization! "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword!"(Hebrews 4:12) But it's your choice, of course. This has been amazing for me personally and I just wanted to share it for anyone who wants to do it, too! Human nature is that we seem to find time to do what we want to do. Just sayin'.
I pray this post blesses and encourages your socks off, for the glory of God.
💖Polly
Psalm 34:3