Get on the battlefield!

I have been praying my 30 minutes a day and in the last three days from when a group of us got together to just submit to prayer . In just a few short days God has done some crazy awesome things. He has shown me the true power of prayer and ignited a spirit in me that I can not explain. I have been challenging people to give up 30 minutes and just pray for presence and the very first person that I encouraged was someone I used to serve with in a church back home a few years back.

It started with a Facebook status where I just really felt called to encourage him. As God has given me a gift for encouragement this isn't something that is uncommon and thus I usually write something. As God has been teaching me to be BOLD in myself and in my faith I felt the need to reach out and I wrote something that was actually pretty bold in itself and challenged him to begin this challenge with me. Little did I know that God was answering my prayer from that morning that He might use me to inspire others and grow others... this is what I wrote:  "he PROMISES to renew your heart and spirit. He PROMISES to renew his mercies each morning and he commands more than ANYTHING else int he bible to FEAR NOT. I challenge you sir from today until the end of the year that you pray for 30 minutes a day. that you pray for God to come to you and your heart and that a renewal and revival in your heart begin. That in those days you write down what God is showing you and that you be strong and consistent in it for the word PROMISES if you draw near to him He will draw to you. i hope you take this challenge and that you rest in the PROMISES of his word. I'll be praying for you as I pray 30 minutes a day that you see the truth and life that He be the strength of your heart. Remember He is the same God who gave David the strength to beat Goliath. ♥"

Pretty strong words for me-- but I felt that they were needed and what I got back was INCREDIBLE. I wrote earlier about following the call and just listening to the Lord and doing so got me this in an e-mail from the guy I challenged to pray:
 "A friend challenged me to pray for 30 minutes everyday and to write down what I received.
This is what I received. "I will stand with you while you fight the enemy. But you have to get on the battlefield! I will make My enemies yours, but you have to get on the battlefield. I am your source of strength. I will make you strong enough to no longer serve My enemies. I will fill the empty void in your heart so that you have the strength to fight. I will fill your soul with victory so you can give the glory to Me. But it is you who have to get up, take your sword and trust Me Whom loves you with all My heart. I want your victory more than you do. So fight with Me!" "

What a beautiful word. The bible talks about picking up the sword of the spirit but in such a literal way I haven't thought of it before now. An incredible picture that God wants to fight our battles with us and all we need to do is join Him. He will win. He will fight, He will carry us when we are too tired but we have let Him. We have to open our eyes and hearts.

To me this is encouraging as I know so many that struggle with sin whether it is drugs, drinking, sexual immorality, heartbreak  ect. We can defeat these, we can win against these personal battles with a God who pledges to be with us. Philippians 1:6 "Having confidence in this that He who began a good work in your will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ."

I myself need to have the confidence to "Let Go and Let God" as I struggle with having lived for a long time knowing God but not living for Him. I was in the world and of it and as much as I have grown and moved from that a small part of me just won't accept that He has washed that all away. That those sins He died for so that I might have life more abundantly, and yet knowing better a part of me holds on to the guilt and regret. I'm thankful for the experiences as they have allowed me to help and encourage others but also broken by them at times that I could have made such terrible choices that hurt not only myself and others but I did it all in the name of being a "christian." Again I'll say it -- You have two choices -- Honor God or Despise Him. NO MIDDLE GROUND. So in this time of prayer I am praying He show up in that. That He fight that fight. That He take that guilt and hurt away and replace it with his joy alone. 

So as we pray for God to show up let's stand with Him. The multitude of people God has been putting in my life and my heart to challenge to pray has blown my mind and all I had to do was listen to His spirit and immediately obey His call. So excited for what He will do in the coming days. It's been about 60 or so hours since this call to prayer began and it just is incredible to me how much He has already done and I know He will continue to work. I pray that all I do bring Him glory and praise and that none of this be about me but all about Him. <3