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| On the valley of the shadow of death, we fail because we fight spiritually unguarded. |
Artwork By: Sharah Mae Molina
Materials Used: Paper and Pen
Description/Reflection:
Have you experience that one instance when you felt so
revived, zealous, strong, and fully charged? And then the next moments or days
after, you felt drowned, pained, seemed hopeless, or defeated?
A thousand times I felt this, but by God’s grace, He made me
realized that anytime and anywhere, there’s always that war between good and
evil; between right and wrong; between the legions of angels of God against
principalities governing this world; and even between flesh and spirit.
Every day, I felt like walking through the valley of the
shadows of death. Wherever I go, darkness tries to trap me dead. Until lately,
God let me read Ephesians 6:18, James 5:16, Matthew 26:41 which talks about the
need of prayer. Honestly, I never really realized the purpose of it until God
opened my eyes to understand that PRAYER doesn’t only have power. Rather, it is
in PRAYER that we either WIN or LOSE the battle.
Once, when God had opened a door for me to enter into His
ministry and serve His name, at all opportunity I really wanted to do all
things for the Lord just like how the other Christians do. I put great effort
on it, I don’t’ want those things taken for granted. Thus, discipline must be
there! But then when I looked back, one thing I found out is that the most
successful, life changing, and unexpected victories are those times I have took
much of my time on my knees—allowing the Spirit and power of God to move in;
contrast to the times I’m defeated during instances I abandon the need of
prayer.
I am not good at prayer before. I am not even a successful
prayer warrior at present, but I know that it is the Lord who awakens me to be
on my knees and pray without “BUTs” or “IFs”. It is God who will strengthen me
to put on the full armor (Ephesians 6:13-17), to draw near Him and resist the
devil (James 4:7-8) and not to lose heart but pray at all times (1Thesalonians
5:7, 17).
Right now, I am still discovering this great profession and
gift from God—to pray like Jesus and to be like the disciples who long for the
Lord to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). It’s good for those who already
discovered these things, but for those who don’t, like me, I think it’s the
right time to be on our knees without the “BUTs” and “IFs”.
Who wants to join me then? Let us be a generation of Prayer
Warriors who starts the revolution on their knees and fight the right fight
with the banner of Jesus lifted high! For we are not losers, but victors
instead!
Verses used:
Ephesians
6:18- And pray in the Spirit on all occasions
with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
James 5:16- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so
that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and
effective.
Matthew
26:41- Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Ephesians
6:13-17- 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
the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
James 4:7-8- Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
1Thesalonians
5:7, 17- For those who sleep, sleep at night,
and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
17 pray continually
Luke 11:1- One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one
of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his
disciples
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