The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1 NIV)
Fear, doubt, low self-esteem and lack of confidence are some of the things the enemy uses to convince us we are incapable of following God’s will and guidance. These words can form the basis of becoming stagnant, lethargic and can cause us to just quit.
It is easy to quit sometimes. It is easy to look up at the troubles that envelope us and throw us into darkness, and tell ourselves we can do nothing.
The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12:9 NIV)
The enemy wants us to cower and hide. He wants us to shut out the voice of God and block the Spirit from our hearts. How else is he going to be able to capture us? He has only his whisperings to entice and mislead us.
But, there is a truth that the enemy cannot deny.
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)
We need only invoke the name of Jesus, and the enemy flees. Pretty simple, yes? Simple, but hard for some.
Our church holds a weekly prayer meeting; sometimes well attended, sometimes not. Regardless, that prayer meeting is the highlight of my week. I can sit quietly in prayer, stand and sing, walk around and consider how the Holy Spirit is right there, or come forward and offer whatever words and prayer He puts in my heart. What I have learned from this is that no matter what the circumstances, no matter how hard life seems to be at the time, and no matter what the enemy chooses to throw my way, I have the ability to stop him in his tracks by prayer.
Often, the prayers I lift are for me and my situation, but as often as that, I am led to pray with and for others who need it. When we let God in, He is capable of anything. Using us to minister to others, while at the same time removing whatever angst we are grappling with, is His way of being personal to us. He is telling us that we are not alone and that He will cover us with love. To me, that is awesome.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)
My point is, to reach out my hand and let God take hold and lead me where He will, I only have to ask. In prayer, He meets me and we can converse. Mostly, I find when I allow Him to lead the conversation I get so much more out of it. When troubles, hard times, doubts and fears come and work against you, call out to Jesus and know that He will answer you and take you upon himself, a place the enemy cannot enter.
