Preparing for the unexpected...

Chapter Fifty-eight:

If there is one thing we learn very quickly in this life is that the unexpected happens.  It can come in many forms, from losing one's job to a sudden death in the family to getting diagnosed with an unexpected illness.  How we are prepared for the unexpected goes a long way in how it will affect us.  For some of us, we like to try to plan ahead as we do not like the unexpected, but what this causes is anticipatory stress, as we struggle with the "what if's" and "maybes".  We believe that if we can plan and prepare that somehow it will soften the blow of anything that may come our way.  In actuality all it does is increase our stress levels and affect our walk with God because we rely more upon our own strength and do not lean upon the strength of our Heavenly Father as much as we should.

Some things that we may face are  temptations, unexpected problems/crises, and attacks of the enemy.  How do you think you would fare if you were prepared and prayed up before any of these situations happened...do you think you would fare better?  However many of us wait until a problem happens or a temptation is in front us before we begin to pray for strength or guidance. 

 

Anticipatory prayer is needed because as the saying goes, the battle is often lost before it is fought. What this means is that due to distractions, laziness, or unpreparedness, we lose our battle before it even begins. Throughout the Old Testament we see the example of Israel and how they fought their battles.  When they were prayed up and following the one true God, they won their battles.  However, when they got lazy in worshipping God, began incorporating foreigners' heathen ways into their camp, and lost sight of their need of God, they ultimately always lost the battle, often to the point that they were overtaken and incorporated into another nation (II Kings, Chapter 25 ).

But what if we went about our daily lives with an attitude of anticipatory prayer so that we were not caught off guard, what then?  Would we not be less likely to succumb to temptation, to be sidelined and caught off guard by the unexpected? Temptation usually comes unexpectedly. However, if through anticipatory prayer we are strong in our spirit we would be better able to handle it and deflect it.  For example, we often think of David as an example of a man who really loved God.  But we also know from reading Scripture of his adultery with Bathsheba and his ultimately having a hand in the death of her husband. 

I believe this fall into sin resulted from him not walking as close to God as he had in the days leading up to the day when he faced off against Goliath.  His lack of closeness to God allowed temptation and sin to overtake him.  He ended paying a heavy price for his rebellion and sin, that being the death of the son he fathered with Bathsheba.  So, it goes to show that even the most righteous person can succumb to sin and its consequences if they do not walk daily in an attitude of anticipatory prayer.  

We have to remember that problems in life, and most importantly attacks by the enemy, are usually not forewarned. Satan loves to attack out of the blue, when least expected, when he knows we are at our weakest and most unsuspecting.  If he had one set way of attacking us, we would have had it figured out a long time ago and his attacks would be fruitless.  But the converse is true. One time he attacks one way and the next time it is another way.  We can never be sure just when he plans to strike or how. In fact, many of us have attacks come our way through the week that unless we are walking in anticipatory prayer and in the spirit we would otherwise just chalk it up to being a part of life and would not realize our need to fend off the enemy.   We often walk unprepared and pay the price.

The best example of walking in anticipatory prayer can be found the night before the crucifixion in the Garden of Gethsemane.   Jesus was there praying because He knew what was before Him. His night of prayer and crying out to God strengthened Him so He could finish His mission here on earth, which culminated in His brutal death and triumphant resurrection, a sacrifice that now offers redemption for all mankind.  He had anticipated what was to come and prepared for it by the best way He knew how, by going into a time of serious prayer. Unfortunately His disciples did not share His sense of preparedness, as Scripture tells us that even though He asked them to stay awake and pray, He later found that they had all fallen asleep. 

Just as Israel walked with God before them as a ball of fire by night and a cloud by day, we, too must walk in an attitude of anticipatory prayer knowing God goes before us.  Do not let your guard down.  When Jesus warned us, "Watch and pray..." (Matthew 26:41), He was telling us that we need to be walking daily in an anticipatory, prayerful manner.  Yes, there will be times of change and trouble in our lives.   Psalm 34:19 says, "The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all".  Our focus through anticipatory prayer should be that the battle is the Lord's, and if that is our focus, we can walk in peace as we go about our day, knowing that God is in control regardless of our circumstances.  

  

A. W. Tozer summed up anticipatory prayer this way when he said, "He has little strength because his prayers beforehand were few...the person whose prayers are strong and many will not collapse when the trouble comes."  

Come out from among them...

Chapter Fifty-seven:

This is a very challenging time for the Church.  Many changes are happening in our world and are trying to insert themselves into the Church. For instance, the current trend of the Church struggling over such issues as abortion and homosexuality are but a couple of them.  However, I believe this is a symptom of a much deeper problem. 

The deeper problem is that the Church is looking to the world and says, "Look at the direction the world is going, we need to adapt and change to keep up with the times." We have accepted the idea that we need to adapt in order to attract people to come into the House of God.  But nothing can be further from the truth.  Scripture tells us that we, the world, have to change if we are going to become part of the family of God (Matthew 3: 1,2)...it is not the Church that needs to change in order to become more tolerant and less critical of any type of sin so as to not offend and keep away potential visitors.

The Scripture that God laid on my heart this morning when He told me to write this chapter is Joel 3:14, which says, " Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." I think many believers are in that valley of decision. We need to understand that it is extremely dangerous to our walk with God to use the world as the standard as to how we live our lives.  The Holy Scriptures, God's Word, is to be the standard we use when we make the choices that are facing us.  We need to be God's standard bearers.

In times of battle, a standard bearer was one who would carry a flag or emblem. Often it would be a coat of arms or some other type of emblem that would signal friends and enemies alike as to whose group, unit or house they belonged to. It was regarded as a position of honor to be the standard bearer.   We have to stand on God's standard, His code of conduct. We need to be individual standard bearers in the sense that the world knows whose house we serve.  Joshua 24:15 says, "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  

One of the most difficult choices we will have to make as believers and followers of Christ will be what to do if/when the Church incorporates and capitulates to the ways of the world. Will you continue to stand up for what you believe and be known for being one who is going against the flow or will you succumb to the lie that the Church simply needs to keep up with the times?  These are difficult times to live in, my friend, and you will need to make that personal decision for yourself.  

Sadly many believers are lacking in thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.  This means that when they are questioned or scrutinized about their beliefs they will be unable to give account as to why they are taking the position they are.  We have got to be a people who know our Bible so that we can give an answer as to why we are not willing to compromise our beliefs. Unfortunately, many will simply give in to peer pressure or their fear of man and will walk away from what they know to be true in their heart.  They are unwilling to come out from among those who are going down the broad path that leads to destruction.

As I was reading about standard bearers and how they would be purposely positioned on the front line in battle to help encourage their soldiers to press on, it was noted that due to their attire and being so noticeable that they were very often the first target of the enemy.  The enemy knew that killing the standard bearer would often demoralize their opponent and so the standard bearer was often killed as soon as possible.  It is true today for believers.  Our enemy, Satan, will do everything he possibly can to keep us from being standard bearers for God and we have to be prepared for the onslaught, not only from the world but also possibly from within our own friends, family or Church.

If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8), then it stands to reason that the Word of God never changes. Mankind will and has gone through many changes over the centuries but God is still the same.  We are being forced to make choices, choices which may make us unpopular, cause us to have to walk away from friendships or even the very Church we attend. But take heart, for we know that when we do decide to stand up for what we believe is truth, Jesus will be right there with us.  Scripture tells us in Matthew 19:29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^[ or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."