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I teach an online course based on my book, Lord, It’s Boring in My Prayer Closet, for BeADisciple.com–a great online site affiliated with Southwestern College that offers a variety of Christian classes for pastors, lay leaders and all who want to go deeper with the Lord.
For more info see click here: BeADisciple
If you’re part of the older generation, you will probably remember as a kid when your black and white TV would go all fuzzy and get those zigzag lines all across the screen blocking out your favorite TV show. While most TVs today don’t get that kind of interference, we are still distracted with a plethora of ads interrupting our show just at a critical moment!
And what about browsing the internet on our tablet or iPhone–it’s maddening at how many pop-ups and banner ads we get. Right there smack dab in your face–covering up what you want to read! And it’s like a giant maze just trying to finish reading the article to the end, avoiding all the ads and links diverting you away from the original article. Often, I mistakenly click on the wrong arrow and am led somewhere totally different.
Chasing a rabbit down the rabbit hole
Satan loves to run interference to keep us from connecting with God through prayer. Below are some basic steps we can take to help us stay focused:
If you are distracted by them, put your tablets & phones in another room. You may even need to give up using the Bible online and go to a printed version.
Keep a notebook nearby and when thoughts of things you need to do interrupt, jot them down and follow-up later.
Take a walk where there is nothing to distract you. I find walking helps me stay centered and focused in prayer.
What have you found that helps you escape the Enemy’s interference? Share your thoughts in the Comment box.
Posted in Living the Christian Life, Prayer, Spiritual Warfare
Tagged Prayer, Spiritual Warfare
Fight the Good Fight of Faith
1 Timothy 6:12 says we are to “fight the good fight of faith,” but what does that look like practically in our everyday lives? I was recently reading a devotional by Joyce Meyer who said we are to: “Think aggressively; plan and calculate, like a general preparing for battle.” As I read this I thought—YES—but how do we do it in our everyday lives?
First, we must know our weaknesses—where has the enemy attacked us in the past with doubt, fear, temptation, unforgiveness? His attacks start either in our minds or emotions. We begin thinking thoughts that are not in line with God’s Word, or our emotions are on edge with fear, disappointment or temptation.
Plan of attack: Make a list of the areas where Satan has attacked you in the past. Then be alert when you start thinking some of the same thoughts or begin to experience some of the same negative feelings. Write out scriptures that deal specifically with the attack you are facing. Read them aloud; better yet, memorize them!
Second, Satan will make us think we are all alone in our doubts, fears and temptations. He always tries to isolate us from God and from others.
Plan of Attack: We all need one or two close friends with whom we can be totally honest and real and who will encourage us with God’s truth. Sometimes we just want someone who will agree with us and have a pity party with us, but what we really need is a sister and friend who will speak the truth in love to us, even if it hurts. 1 Thess. 5:11 says we are to encourage one another and build each other up. Make a coffee or lunch date to share and pray together.
Third, pray! Don’t believe Satan’s lies that you are not good enough; that you’ve sinned one too many time; that you’ll never win the battle.
Plan of Attack: Pray honest prayers. Be real with God. Read the Psalms. David, who is called “a man after God’s own heart” bared his soul before God, telling him just how he felt—the good, the bad, the ugly! And God accepted him and heard his prayers. How much more will He hear our prayers because we are in Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and help you pray. Romans 8:26 tells us that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness for we don’t know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us.” And remember, God has given us all the spiritual armor we need to defeat the enemy.
(Originally published by Sandra Chambers on Gabbingirls.com. blogsite.)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
I just watched Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the second time last night and the universal theme of good vs. evil and the spiritual analogies of the movie really stood out more so than it did 30+years ago with the first film. While George Lucas may not have equated “The Force” with the God of the Bible, or the epic battles with the final battle in the book of Revelation, Christians cannot help but see the underlying analogies.
A galactic, spiritual war of Light and Darkness is encroaching forcefully upon our society day by day. It’s becoming more and more evident in our culture as we allow our Judeo-Christian foundations to be eroded. In our affluent, comfortable, “me-centered” society, are we even aware that there is a battle?
“There’s been an awakening. Have you felt it? The Dark side, and the Light,” says Supreme Leader Snoke. Continue reading
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