One of the most dangerous times in our spiritual journey is the season after a mighty victory. We are so busy rejoicing in the victory that could have only come from God that we stop battling in prayer. It is so easy to become distracted with celebrating the answered prayer that if we are not careful, we leave our post on the wall and we leave a gap for the enemy to come in. What a victory the Church has experienced at the end of 2024. Through prayer and the Hand of God, we turned the destiny of the United States of America back on the right course. While President Trump is God’s man for the hour, there is no way he4 can drain the swamp and det Americas course straight again by himself. This has been a time of rejoicing for me, because I know that without God’s intervention America would have fallen and the hope of freedom would have been snuffed out around the world. Thank God for His mercy! Even in times of celebration, we must stand in the gap in prayer. If the enemy can find a gap, he will take advantage of it and bring the destruction he is famous for. John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and they may have it more abundantly.” If you think the thief will hand over the reins of the greatest country in the earth without a fight, think again. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us “Be sober, be vigilant, because your advisory the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Sadly, the devil does not play fair and is not a good sport. He will try to do whatever he can to finish destroying this great nation under God. Remember after Elijah prayed fire down from heaven after wetting the sacrifice several times in 1 Kings 18? Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah and told him, she was going to kill him by this time tomorrow. After such a mighty victory, you would think that Elijah would have sent word back to Jezebel reminding her how powerful his God is, but instead he ran for his life and hid in a cave. It is easy to point a finger and say we would have done something different, but I so not think we understand how much a spiritual battle cost physically. I have had 2 pastors that had to change clothes after they preached because they would get so anointed that their clothes would be drenched after preaching. Even in the garden when Jesus asked Peter, James and John to pray with Him, they kept falling asleep. Spiritual battle is physically exhausting. After Elijah ran from Jezebel. God and when Jesus was prying in the Garden. Angels were sent to minister to them.
The enemy will do everything possible to kill your promise or deliverance. On two occasions governments tried to kill the delivers, first when Moses was born and then at the birth of Jesus. (Makes you wonder what he is trying to destroy with abortion and transgender mutilation.) Both times God protected them from the enemy when someone prayed. I am not telling you this to create fear, but to encourage you to pray, not only over our nation but all that concerns you. Remember that 1 John 4:4 “You are of God little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” “But the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies, through the Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11. Press into God and spend time in His word and in prayer and you will have the strength needed for the battle.
One of the tactics of the devil is to attack the promise before it can get to the need. In Matthew 14, Jesus fed the 5,000 and then he sent his disciples in a boat to go to the other side. As the boat began to take them to the other side of the sea, a storm arose and the disciples became afraid. Remember several of them were avid fishermen, but the storm concerned them. Then Jesus appeared to them walking on the water and Peter cried out to Him to bid him to come. As Peter got out of the boat, he began to walk on the water until he saw that the wind was boisterous, and then he began to sink. Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. The stormed ceased when Jesus got onto the boat. When they arrived on the other side, Jesus healed all who were sick. Another time in Mark 4 and 5, Jesus headed to deliver the man from the Gadarenes who lived in the tombs. The storm arose and filled the ship with water, then Jesus woke up and rebuked the winds and the winds ceased and a great calm came. When they arrived at the Gadarenes, there was a man possessed with a legion of demons and when he cried out to Jesus, Jesus cast the demons out and they went into a herd of swine. The enemy sends storms to keep us from getting the miracles God sends. Np matter what the enemy schemes to kill, steal and destroy, it is no match for the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:10 “that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” The name of Jesus is more powerful than any storm that is sent to move and distract us. Belike Jesus and tell the storm to be still in Jesus Name.
The Bible also records the story of the Shunamite woman who blessed Elisha every time he came to town with a meal and a place to sleep. She went so far as to build on to her house so he could have his own room. Elisha asked his servant how to bless the woman in return for her kindness, and the servant said she needed a son. When the boy grew and was old enough to go to the fields with his father, one day, he started complaining about his head hurting and the father sent him back to his mother. Even though she tried to take care of the boy, he died in her arms. Satan came and killed her promise. The Shunammite woman was not shaken, she was a woman of great faith. The took the lad and laid him on the prophet’s bed and had a donkey saddled so she could go and find the prophet. AS she approached Elisha’s house, the servant began to ask her is everything is okay. Her response was “It is well” as she kept pressing in to see Elisha. When she got to him, she fell at his feet in great distress. Elisha said the Lord had not revealed to him what was causing her so much pain. Even though she needed his help, she did not agree with the physical report that her son was dead. Elisha finally agrees to go back with her and pray for the lad. After praying for the child and then laying on him, the little boy woke up and was healed. When we see the attacks and storms come, we do not need to hide our face in the sand and act like nothing is happening. Proverbs 6:2 “You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.” Not only are we snared, our words determine our outcome. Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” But we must absolutely not come into agreement with the enemy with our mouth or regurgitating the lies of the enemy that things are not going to work out for our good. I think it is interesting that the Jews do not have a word for tragedy. They simply believer that God is not done yet. Romans 8:28, “And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” As trials and adversity come, we must claim the promises of God over them.
We have something the Shulamite woman did not have. We are invited to come personally into the throne room of heaven and make out request. “Let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” We have direct access to God the Father, the creator of this world through the name of Jesus. Jesus promised in John 14:13 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” We need to be aware of the signs of the seasons, standing in the gap and praying for “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We must set a guard over our mouth and a filter on our eyes that we see things the way God sees them. We will still see much shaking, but we should be rooted in the word and unmovable. I like how Jesus talked about the end times in Luke 21:28 “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up you heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Cathy Nesmith