Satan

Prayers for Las Vegas

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What possesses a man to open fire on thousands of innocent people; people who were out for an Pray for Others Imageevening filled with music and fun?

For some, it was a bucket-list kind of evening of enjoying and living life to the fullest…until the gunfire started.

Shots. Rapid fire. Deafening, relentless shots filled the air; hundreds of life-robbing rounds piercing some, grazing some and sending thousands of others clambering for safety.

When the dust settled, at least 58 were killed and 500-plus were injured. The man responsible apparently turned the gun on himself before authorities reached him. There was no immediate clues as to what would possess him to commit such a senseless and heinous crime.

And, yet, I know exactly what possessed him. It couldn’t be more obvious than if he had left a note or pre-recorded video.

This is, without a doubt, the workmanship of Satan himself. His evil fingerprints are all over it. Not to say the man that pulled the trigger isn’t guilty. He is. Like far too many people living on God’s green earth today, he was a willing participant in Satan’s evil bidding. He had obviously checked out of humanity, surrendering to the wrong side of the continuing war between good and evil; a mere puppet whose monstrous actions will never make sense.

The only thing the rest of us can do is get on our knees and ask God to be with those affected by this evil deed and to remember that, while it may look dark and grim at the moment, the final battle between good and evil has already been won. We already know the ending; we already know the good guys win.

Our job is to not let Satan have even one day of glory. We must fight back.  We must pray harder and shine our lights even brighter than ever before knowing that God will turn what was meant for evil for good.  Be a part of that good.

Pray.  Pray as individuals. As the church. As a nation. As a world. As God’s creation.

Pray intently. Pray loud. Then, pray even louder. Pray until Satan can’t stand all the noise.

Go back to hell, Satan. You’re not welcome here.

Step Back Satan; She’s Ready to Rumble

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The Boxing Match Begins…Classic Vintage Boxing Ring Corner

     The journey that had brought me to this point had been arduous, a rollercoaster ride filled with slow crawls up the peak of a steep-rising hill followed by a plummet to the lowest of valleys below.

The difference in a rollercoaster and this life journey was that more times than not there didn’t seem to be enough momentum for my friend to climb the next hill and, as hard as I tried to hold on to her, she would break out so that she could stay in the valley a little longer.

It was so hard to understand what power this deep, dark place held over her, but the fact was it had become so familiar to her that she had begun to mistake it as her safe place. It was miserable. It was scary. It was damp and dark. But, it’s what she knew. And, as a bonus, she couldn’t fall any deeper if she was already at the bottom. Or so she thought.

Truth was, the bottom of this valley, this pit, was the final battleground. At stake was not only the rest of her life on earth and a God-given purpose that would increase and change the face of Heaven exponentially, but her own soul. 

Not since Job had satan been more conniving as he knew how important she was in God’s plan. He studied her intently. He learned her weaknesses. He knew just where to deliver the next blow. He knew who and what to use against her. He knew when to take the gloves off. But, like Job, he also knew he could not, himself, take her life.

She would have to do that herself. He had her trapped in the valley. She was trapped in the boxing ring. Now he just needed to get her to throw in the towel.

Writer’s Note: The above is an excerpt of a story that is still being written, both figuratively and literally. I share it today, because my friend is fighting her way out of the valley as I type and I know that I know that she will emerge victoriously.

Indeed, a woman of petite stature, she has never been particularly strong from the physical perspective. But, from a spiritual standpoint, it is a much different story. The problem has always been that she doesn’t really recognize her own strength.

Yes, even though there is no doubt that God has handpicked this woman to play a pivotal role in His grand plan, she is yet to connect the dots…until now. I pray for her constantly as she undergoes this time of sorting out the puzzle pieces of her life–some quite jagged and still very painful–to impact the world in a way only she can; the way that God designed from the very beginning.

Get behind us, Satan, for the gloves are off and you are going down. Can’t you hear Heaven’s roar? I can.

Surviving the Depression War Zone

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Giving up is Where Hope begins

 

To my fellow Christians suffering from depression. Don’t be ashamed, but instead take heart. Reach for help and know there are a host of us who love you and are pulling for you. Sure, more often than not, we feel helpless. I know, with my friend, I often ponder if this is how it feels to have a loved one in a war zone. I suppose in a sense you are in a war zone. You are fighting for your very life, entrenched in heavy battle with satan and his evil army of demons. They surround you and, though they can’t physically lay a hand on you, they make so much noise and create so much smoke and fog that you can’t help but spew and sputter. What you have to know is that the heat is getting turned up because time is running out and they know that you are near victory. It’s their hail mary pass; their last ditch effort.

The thing is, my dear friend, is that you have to remember that amid all that smoke and noise, God is right there. He never left. My prayer today is that the noise be squelched and the smoke be dissipated so that you can see Him and feel Him for All He is. Latch on. Sing “You Raise Me Up” or any other of your favorite praise and worship songs at the top of your lungs and drown out that devil. There is another side to this dark night and it’s right around the corner. The sun is coming up. All you have to do is keep walking toward and with Him. God loves you and so do I.

Inviting the Enemy Out to Play

/ Bybrendat / 3 Comments

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We live in a fallen world. The enemy prowls and surrounds us on all sides. He is shrewd. He is cunning. He is devious. He twists the facts and distorts the truth. He comes to you wearing sheep’s clothing and, if you are not suited up in the full armor of God, you will be deceived.

Then, just like that, before you even know it, you are dancing with the devil. What started out as a little flirting has ended in you inviting him into your home, your job and all the places you hold dear. You invite him out to play where he is more than happy to go to work, spreading evil from corner to corner of your life. You give him an all-access pass to your life and then wonder where in the world you went wrong.

Good news! We are never too far away to be reached by God. He is always near, but you must reach for Him. God is a giver. Realize he gave you what you have. He doesn’t need anything from us…he gives us breath….we are in the place god always meant for us to be….puts us in circumstances…so that men will seek him and find him….God is God…always in charge!

He is a sovereign God….a sovereign guard….he guards and guides us….

Prayer for Today:

Dear Lord, you know the needs of this day. I will do my part and clothe myself in the armor that You designed. The belt of truth. The breastplate of righteousness. The Gospel of Peace. The Shield of Faith. The Helmet of Salvation. And, the only offensive weapon, the Sword of the Spirit, which is Your Word. Please open the eyes of the spiritually naïve, Lord, so that they may suit up and STAND as well, at all times, but especially today when it seems the enemy is being called out to play. Amen and ehmen!

And The Word of God Says:

Ephesians 6:10-18New International Version (NIV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

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.