Prayer 2021 – June 8 – God’s Word Needs to Abide in Us – pt 4
Scripture For Today:
Luke 22:44
“And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
God’s Word Needs to Abide in Us pt 4
We have been talking about having the Words of Jesus abide in you. I’ve been sharing a personal story where, in the midst of one of the largest ministry events I had been a part of up to that date, a demon of sickness was trying to take me out. He knew I was the key element on our team. If he could just slow me down or take me out of that event for that one day, then the concert would not be as successful as it had been in other cities. And the devil, for whatever reason, fought hard that day to keep the soul winning concert out of Toledo, Ohio.
I shared how I fought for almost 18 hours to accomplish all of my assigned duties, including being the MC for the evening and deliver a 15 minute sermon. It really was an awesome concert and ministry event. But the reason it stands out in my mind is because of the spiritual battle that took place in my physical body throughout the day and evening.
But, once it was over – Jesus won. Praise God. That is the point I’m trying to get you to understand. War is hell. War is not fun. But, if a soldier does what he or she is trained to do, even in the midst of a terrible battle, the outcome is usually a good one. In this particular case, I had to revert back to the only thing I could do, with so much activity taking place all around me and that I was the coordination center for it all.
I prayed. And I prayed. And I prayed – all day and evening long. I basically stayed in a constant from of prayer throughout the entire event. It was physically and emotionally and spiritually draining. It really was.
But that is how you take a stand ON the Word of God. That is how you take a stand IN THE NAME of Jesus. That is how you take a stand that builds your Faith to new levels.
You see, the devil lost three times that day. Yes, I said three times…
First, he did not take me out of the event like he had planned…which would caused a lot of confusion throughout the day and evening. They would have gotten through it, no doubt. But all of the details would have been jumbled and they would not have been as organized as they were used to. So, first, he did not take me out of the event…
Two, we had over 3,000 people in attendance and hundreds of souls were saved and many healings and miracles occurred that night. A lot of that was the anointing of Dr. Johnson, but the point is, the meeting was being prayed for – hard – all day long. I stayed in a constant state of prayer all day and even while the event was being conducted.
Third, the devil lost a third time because, I gained valuable insight into how important prayer truly is in serious situation. I learned how to rely on God through prayer alone, in the Name of Jesus, and seen it work. This is something I have used in spiritual battles, in the natural as well, for years and years.
My faith went to new levels that night. Levels I had never dreamed I would be operating in or at. My faith grew where, as new attacks would come, I would stand and not cower. I immediately begin to pray. I know prayer works miracles. I liken myself to the Cavalry Troop commander in the movie “Apocalypse Now.” Where he is standing, walking on the beach, directing his troops in battle. The enemy is firing all around him. Mortar shells are exploding on the beach. It seems like total confusion is happening all around him.
But he steady as a rock. He is standing there, not even flinching as the enemy is firing all around him. The battle is raging hard. Yet, he stands there, cool as can be, inspiring his men to continue the fight. His famous lines, “Do you smell that? That’s napalm. I love the smell of napalm. It smells like – Victory.” Do you remember that? If you are old enough your probably do.
Anyway, I am kind of like that commander in that movie now in certain situations. He had faced that scenario over and over and had become confident that the jet fighters coming in would eliminate the enemy as they dropped their napalm bombs. So he stood there, inspiring his men that the victory would be theirs. And it ended up, it was. Amen.
That is what happened to me that evening. My faith in the Word of God grew exponentially by that one event. There have been others since then. Don’t get me wrong. I do not hang my hat on the outcome of one day of prayer. But I learned. And I’ve continued to learn and continue to grow.
That is why Romans 10:8 means so much. That is why it is calling the Word of God, the Bible, “The Word of Faith.” Let’s read it as we close today, I know we are way over time again. So let’s ready Romans 10:8 and then close for today.
Romans 10:8, “But what does it say? The word is near thee, even in your mouth and in your heart: that is, The WORD OF FAITH, which we preach.”
That is where you need to get to in your own Bible reading and prayer time. That the Words of Jesus that are abiding in you, you can ask what you will and it shall be done onto you – that is the WORD OF FAITH. Amen.
Let’s Pray!
Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.
You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2