Tag: #strategy for warfare

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Positioned for Revelation

I awoke out of sleep hearing these words:

If I speak less, then I will hear more.
If I hear more, then I will see more.
If I see or perceive more, then I will understand more.
If I understand more, then I will be converted and healed.

This came as a result of me meditating on this passage of Scripture before I went to sleep.

For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears for they hear – Matthew 13:15-16.

I had encountered these verses along with others in Matthew 13 during my time with the Lord yesterday and the Holy Spirit was impressing on me the need to be correctly positioned so that He can reveal truth to me; truth that will bring change and healing. If I am going to discover and unveil more of who God says I am, who He designed me to be, my ears must be positioned to hear and my eyes to see.

As I lay in bed, the Holy Spirit brought these other verses of Scripture to mind so that I could understand what He was teaching.

And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God [that is, the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside [of our circle] everything becomes a parable, …. [Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known. If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear. For whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a yearning for truth], even what he has will be taken away from him.” – Mark 4: 11, 22-25 (AMPC)

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving – James 1:19 (AMP)

My dear sisters, my prayer for us is that, on this journey of self-discovery, we will always maintain the position that produces revelation; – a careful and thoughtful listener – and that our revelation will propel us to more effectively fulfill our various assignments in our Father’s kingdom. Go forth this day giving thought and study to what you have heard in your private time with the Lord and may your eyes perceive, your ears hear, and transformation follow.

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Sela Hammahlekoth

Meanwhile, David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the desert south of Jeshimon. Saul and his men arrived and began their search. When David heard of it, he went south to Rock Mountain, camping out in the wilderness of Maon. Saul heard where he was and set off for the wilderness of Maon in pursuit. Saul was on one side of the mountain, David and his men on the other. David was in full retreat, running, with Saul and his men closing in, about to get him. Just then a messenger came to Saul and said, “Hurry! Come back! The Philistines have just attacked the country!” So Saul called off his pursuit of David and went back to deal with the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth [Rock of Escape; Narrow Escape]. – 1 Samuel 23: 24-28 (MSG, NIV)

No matter how valiant and skillful in war we are, there comes a time in our lives when we find ourselves surrounded, surrounded by our adversaries, and/or surrounded by troubles in life. Not only are we surrounded but we find ourselves at the verge of being overcome. Then, out of no where just in the nick of time, we witness the hand of God as He strategizes our deliverance.

This was David’s situation detailed in 1 Samuel 23. Saul had been pursuing David for some time, with the intent to end his life. It seemed that today Saul’s pursuit would come to an end because, by day’s end, David would be in his grasp. What Saul did not know was that, although there was no visible evidence of it, God was working on David’s behalf. At the last minute, Saul got a message that brought David’s deliverance.

When I read this passage of Scripture and got to the end – That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth [Rock of Escape] – I had to pause and thank God for the many Sela Hammahlekoth moments in my life; moments where I narrowly escaped being extinguished; I narrowly escaped fainting; I narrowly escaped capture by the enemy of my soul. I paused …. I stopped and began writing this prayer in my journal:

Dear Lord, Thank You for being my present help in the time of trouble. Thank You for Your mercies that are new every morning and for Your grace that is available to me in our time of need. Thank You for the sufficiency that lies in Your grace. Thank You for the strength, Your strength, that is available to me through Your grace.

Thank You Lord for every “Sela Hammahlekoth” moment that You have wrought in my life. Thank You for providing a Rock of Escape and also making a way to escape every temptation so that I may be able to bear it. Holy Spirit, please go with me today and cause us to be aware of the traps/snares of the enemy. When the enemy closes in, when he comes in like a flood, Holy Spirit please raise up a standard against him. Command victories for me this day and cause rocks of escape to be positioned in every area of my life. AMEN!!

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Profitable Losses

Have you, like me, had experiences where you prayed to the Lord about a situation, felt like you clearly heard and understood His directive, yet when you followed through on it you experienced loss instead of profit? In this account of the battle between the children of Israel and the children of Benjamin, we are introduced to a concept that I call Profitable Loss.

Judges 21:25 states that “in those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Yet we read of an account in Judges 20 where the children of Israel “arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God” (vs.18). It seemed right in their eyes to know the mind of God concerning the decision that they had made to wage war against the children of Benjamin.

The children of Israel asked God, “Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first” (vs.18). So they obeyed God and went up against the children of Benjamin with 400,000 men. In their obedience, they suffered loss: the death of 22,000 men. The children of Benjamin had defeated them.

We are told in the next verse that “the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day” (vs.22). But first they went up before the Lord and again asked counsel of Him, “Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him” (vs.23). They obeyed God a second time and suffered loss a second time: the death of 18,000 men. The children of Benjamin defeated them again.

“Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.  And the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days….” They asked God, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?”

NOTE: This would now be the third time that they would be launching an attack. They had already lost the battle twice before and lost a total of 40,000 men; this loss occurred after trusting/believing God’s word and encouraging themselves because of it. I can imagine their thoughts: maybe Phinehas the priest had missed God. Maybe he hadn’t heard correctly. Maybe we should “cease” going forward with this warfare. They sat there at the house of God, fasting and waiting. Then the Lord answered, “Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand” (vs. 26-28).

A third time they obeyed God and “the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day 25, 100 (of their 26,700) men” (vs.35). This time around 30 men of the children of Israel lost their lives but, the men of Israel won the battle.

Friends, when we choose to obey and trust God, prepare to experience some loss. Loss is not evidence of ultimate defeat for one who is obeying (1) “Go up”, (2) “Go up again”, and (3) “Go up again.” Encourage yourself with the counsel of God. This time, the 3rd time, after you have wept, sat and waited on God, fasted, given offerings, and inquired of the Lord, you will experience the victory that outweighs your loss. NOTE: Israel lost 40,030/400,000 men….about a fraction over 10% of their army. But Benjamin lost 25,000/26,700 …. about a little over 90% of their army. Israel experienced a profitable loss.

Dear Holy Spirit, please help me to be prepared for the loss that is necessary for me to experience victory i.e. the defeat of the enemy in this battle. Prepare me for the test, the trial, the probation that comes through the loss of the 40 (18 + 22). Prepare me for the 3-day wait in the belly of the whale/earth. Help me to hang in there, encouraged, until my 3rd day when I will rise again.

Holy Spirit, teach me how to weep and help me in my infirmities: for I do not know what I should pray for as I ought to pray (Romans 8:26). Dear Holy Spirit, teach me how to just sit there and wait in Your Presence. Help me to fast the fast that you have chosen (Isaiah 58). Show me what offerings I need to give and, help me not to stop inquiring of You), even if I have to do it through Phinehas – the set man of God for Your house.

As I go this day, Holy Spirit, please keep speaking and revealing more of Your word to me and more of You to me so that I will not do according to what is right in my eyes. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!

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Strategies for Success

For the past two mornings, I literally dragged myself out of bed to go meet the Lord at our place of prayer, at our time of prayer. During yesterday’s time of prayer, it seems like I did not have my usual connection with the Lord, but I determined to stay there and give Him the time I had set aside for Him. This morning’s prayer, however, was different. As I knelt, I began to talk to God about a few dreams that I recalled having during the night. Almost immediately He answered back. As I knelt in silence, these are the words I heard. I later called them my “Strategies for Success“.

  1. WATCH WHAT YOU FEED ON:
    You are what you eat. If your daily diet – that which you consume – is made up of mostly carnal, worldly things (songs, movies, literature, social media etc.), you will become carnal and worldly. Your sensitivity will be more honed to things of the flesh than things of the spirit. Monitor your diet. Be sure to be adequately feeding your spirit man daily.
  2. WATCH HOW YOU MANAGE “YOUR” TIME:
    Just as God gave the servants in Matthew 25:15 (AMPC) talents to each in proportion to his own personal ability, He has given to each of us time in proportion to our own personal ability [to handle it]. He expects the same of us as He did of them:
    – Use the ability that I have and be a good steward of the time that was given.
    – Invest my time in things that will give a good return or profit to the kingdom.
    Remember, I will have to give an account, even of the use of “my” time.
  3. BE MINDFUL & INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE:
    – I should not just let life happen and whatever happens I flow with it. I should, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, be dictating to my life what will happen.
    – I should not live my life in a reactive state rather in a proactive state.
    – Ascribe tasks to my time. Every minute of my day should be accounted for. No time should be left for the enemy to shape or inject his will/agenda.
  4. CULTIVATE OBEDIENCE & CONSISTENCY:
    Routines have their place and rewards. They are needed as foundations on which we build.
    Routines help us manage our time, thus managing stress and reduce time stealers in our life. They ensure that attention is given to important tasks, forcing us into a habit of giving our time to the things that are priority. Routines help us to optimize our daily lives.

    Meeting the Lord at our place of prayer and at our time of prayer should become a routine in our lives. It should be the first step in the procedure of how we start our day. If we can develop the habit of meeting the Lord at our place of prayer and at our time of prayer, then the struggle of finding/making time to pray will cease. We will then open room to “hear” and receive frequent impartations from the Lord. PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT!

I encourage you, dear Friends, to give thought to the strategies by which you live your life. Remember, a strategy is a plan of action to achieve a goal. What are your goals? Do you have strategies for their success?

Dear Father, please teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalms 90:12

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REFLECTION & MEDITATION

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. – Psalms 143:5 (KJV)

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. – Psalms 77:6 (KJV)

My dear sisters, here is another strategy for victory that the Holy Spirit has been teaching me. It is another weapon that the Father has given us to ensure our success in the battles we will encounter throughout this journey called life. This strategy provides us a source from which we can discover more of who we are and gain resources to fulfill our various assignments here on earth. It is the strategy of Reflection and Meditation.

Reflection = serious thought or consideration; a thought or writing about something, particularly in the past, or what one sees when looking into a mirror or body of water.

Meeting the Lord at my place of prayer and just thinking, seriously and carefully considering something in His Presence is an act of prayer.
– NOT asking or telling, but thinking.
– NOT fretting (being worried or anxious), but thinking.
– NOT complaining (expressing dissatisfaction or annoyance about something), but thinking.

Thinking = reasoning with God; making rational judgments; getting understanding; discerning; seeing God’s mind concerning a thing.

This is what I sometimes experience in my early morning times of communion with the Lord. As I reflect on activities, situations, and circumstances, He gives me discernment and understanding, causing me to make rational judgments about what my subsequent responses or actions should be.

This is not contrary to Scripture. In fact, David practiced this form of prayer. He gives us a glimpse of this in both Psalms 143:5 and Psalms 77:6. He tells us that [he] remembered the old days, went over all [the Lord has] done, pondered the ways [the Lord has] worked (Psalms 143:5 MSG). He shares in Psalms 77:6 (NET), I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang; I will think very carefully.” I tried to make sense of what was happening.

Meditation = to focus one’s thoughts (on one thing) for a period of time; dedicating a certain amount of time to be mindful about something.

When we talk about reflection, we should think about a mirror. Reflection is about my thoughts – letting them go and having them bounce back to me, giving me insight to my strengths and weaknesses. When I spend time in prayer reflecting, the Holy Spirit/the word, my mirror, reveals what I need to work on or change (what needs refinement in my life) AND what I need to reinforce or guard so as to preserve.

Meditation, on the other hand, allows me to see circumstances (others included) from God’s perspective, therefore informing my plans and decisions. Joshua 1:8 (MSG) says, “Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed.“

Dear friends, in your times of communion with the Father, allow for moments of reflection and meditation. I guarantee you that many of the answers that you have been looking for will be found in this position of prayer.

Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. – AMEN!

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Infected?

As we prayed this morning, I felt directed to pay attention to the state of the spiritual environment. I have learned that indulging in repeated acts (habits) draw or attract the spirits associated with that act. Additionally, things that appear in the physical realm are usually (1) a manifestation of what is occurring in the spiritual realm OR (2) an illusion that the adversary is propagating to deceive many.

In either case, what I see, hear, smell, feel – what I sense in the physical – is connected to an entity in the spiritual realm. So, although my household has been protected so far from the COVID-19 infection, it does not negate that the infection and all things resulting from its effect on the earth are manifesting and have manifested.

I need to look at this virus and its effects so as to trace the spirits that have been unleashed and are actively working in our world at this time:
– UNEMPLOYMENT = lack, poverty, hopelessness/despair, suicide, loss, homelessness;
– SHUT-DOWN = quarantine, shelter-in-place, isolation, separation, loneliness, fear, anxiety, abandonment;
– SICKNESS & DEATHS = sorrow, loss, grief, lostness, doubt, mistrust
– RACIAL PROTESTS = anger, violence, hatred, malice, murder, injustice

As I stop and look, really look, I see how I have taken the state of the spiritual environment for granted. My lack of attention to it has exposed my family and me to spiritual infection.

Masks are being required more and more as a defense against this virus. Countries are pushing for their people to wear masks as their personal protective equipment (PPE). But what spiritual PPE have we put on as a spiritual defense against those spirits that have accompanied the pandemic?

In my studies and subsequent teachings on “Overcoming Emotions”, I realized that our senses as well as our emotions were given to us as organs of perception that will help us navigate and survive in this world. Moreover, we saw that this perception is not just limited to the physical realm but is also connected to the spiritual realm. With the onslaught of issues arising from the effects of this pandemic, our emotions are functioning as God designed them, attempting to convey to us changes in our spiritual environment. They are doing so in an effort to help us navigate and survive this pandemic; to protect and preserve not just our physical lives but our spiritual lives as well.

With this in mind, I ask myself, “Could it be that what I have been feeling these past weeks was me actually sensing activities or pulses in the spiritual realm? Could it be that the symptoms of feeling mentally, emotionally and spiritually faint or tired/fatigued/exhausted are an indication that I have been spiritually exposed?”

If so, I need to QUARANTINE. I need to stay home and monitor my spiritual health. I need to spiritually distance myself from every evil spirit that is seeking to infect me with Lack, Loneliness, Despair, Anxiety, Fear, Anger, Doubt, and every other spirit that is actively working through this pandemic. I need to go to my place of refuge – God – and find shelter under His wings (Psalms 46:1; Psalms 91:1). I need to take the time that I need to be spiritually recovered and be back to full strength again.

Holy Spirit, You are ever-working, ever-active. You know just how to get our attention and how to lead and guide us into our truth, that is, the truth we need for today. You are my parakletos indeed – the One who walks alongside me as my Help. May I connect with you once more in the place of prayer and find strength for the battle. May Your all-sufficient grace be realized in me as I fight for my survival and that of my family. May I walk with the sight of the Spirit, knowing that my steps are ordered by You. – AMEN!

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Left Wide Open

Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel. – Joshua 8:17 (NIV)

More and more lately, as the Lord speaks to me, He keeps on reminding me about the FIGHT. He cautions me not to forget who I am and whose I am. He admonishes me to be on guard. Today, I was reminded of this once again when I re-read this journal entry from 2 years ago. I pray it is a blessing to you, as you stay positioned in the The Fight.

On Friday morning, I read Joshua 8 as my devotional and, one verse in particular stood out to me – verse 17. It pointed out that all the men of Ai left the city open and pursued after Israel. As I read the full account , two thoughts penetrated my mind: LEFT WIDE OPEN and DON’T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN!

As I pondered on both thoughts, I heard that we must constantly be reminded that we are in a war. Although we often forget this fact, our adversary does not. As such, he is always strategizing against us. One such strategy is SETTING AN AMBUSH against our city; against our dwelling space. An ambush is a surprise attack on someone from a concealed position. Let’s read the account to see how this was executed:

Joshua 8: 4- 7 (NIV) –“Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from it. All of you be on the alert. 5 I and all those with me will advance on the city, and when the men come out against us, as they did before, we will flee from them. 6 They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are running away from us as they did before.’ So when we flee from them, 7 you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. 13 So the soldiers took up their positions—with the main camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley. 14 When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city.

STEPS OUR ADVERSARY TAKES IN AN AMBUSH AGAINST US:
1. He sends something that would lure (draw) us away from our “city”: our place of security, protection, or refuge. Something that seems like an attack but it’s just a distraction.
2. He gives us a false sense of security or victory.
3. He gets our attention fixed on the pursuit.
4. He causes us to be in a hurry to achieve, to rush out without first doing the proper reconnaissance, not realizing that an ambush has been set.

Scripture teaches us that we are to be on guard. 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” One of the things that ensures that we are not left open or vulnerable is prayer.

When life’s cares, joys, pains, schedules, etc. come in the way of my prayer life, I am as that city, left wide open.

When I stop being vigilant in prayer, stop being cautious in my daily interactions, and become relaxed spiritually, I am left wide open.

Prayerlessness makes me vulnerable to the enemy.

Prayerlessness weakens and eventually removes my cover/protection and exposes me to the deception of the enemy.

Prayerlessness is evidence that I have let down my guard.

Friends, if you and those who are a part of your space are going to remain protected, you need to guard against leaving your “city” wide open. Do not be ignorant of the devices of the adversary. Remember who you are. You have been called to and anointed to fight. You are `ezer – an agent of the kingdom heaven empowered as a military ally to fight on behalf of the citizens of this kingdom. Remember, even when it seems as if nothing is happening, the fight is still on. DON’T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN and DON’T BE FOUND WIDE OPEN!

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I HAVE an ‘ezer!

The month of June 2020 is a momentous month for me. It is a month in which I celebrate two anniversaries: my 7th year anniversary of migrating to the USA and my 1-year anniversary of the launching of ‘ezerwatchers. Celebrating any kind of anniversary causes one to reflect; to look back at where you came from and where you are currently. Consequently, upon reflecting on both, I could only come to one conclusion: Through it all, I had and still have an ‘ezer. This fact is especially significant to me today because of what I am about to face.

In my first blog post for 2020 – New Year, New Training – I wrote, “For me, this new year – this start of a new decade – is another opportunity to become more skillful in warfare; the kind of warfare which, at its roots, is about listening to and obeying God’s commands. With this year comes new training for battles for which I lack experience.”

In that post, I also asked the questions, “What battle experience(s) am I lacking? What has God allowed to remain in my life from the previous year(s) that would give me the necessary training and experience so that I can become more fit for and skilled in warfare?What “enemy” has been left in my life for testing and proving; to know whether I would listen and obey the commands of the Lord?”

I concluded that, although I may have entered a new year, there will still be some old, remaining, or leftover things that I will have to deal with for my betterment. The Holy Spirit was impressing upon me to be careful not to offer wasted prayers, rebuking and cancelling the very things that the Lord has ordained for my growth and development.

At the time that I penned those words, I had no idea that six months later, in June, I would be taking a surgery for a health condition that I had been battling for some time. As I woke this morning and thought… six days away, I heard, this is an opportunity to not only SEE God as my ‘ezer, but EXPERIENCE Him as the true epitome, true prototype, of who and what an ‘ezer ought to be.

I was reminded of Genesis 2:18. Adam was alone. It was not good for him to be alone so, God made a help suitable for him. God made him an ‘ezer. As much as my husband, my children, and my mother are walking through this battle with me, I need an ‘ezer: one who can HELP in ways that they cannot. Just as Adam could not find a suitable helper (‘ezer) and God made him one, even so God is my ‘ezer in this season of warfare.

Motivated by this thought, I reached for my study tools at my bedside and began to dig deeper into this concept of ‘ezer. I was reminded that ‘ezer ( a noun) was derived from the verb ‘azar which means to surround, that is to protect or aid. Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon states of ‘azar – The primary idea lies in girding, surrounding, hence defending. It is used of an ally in war (1 Kings 20:16) and means to be helped (Psalms 28:7), especially by God (2 Chronicles 26:15; 1Chronicles 5:20) “and they were helped against them,” i.e. God gave them the victory.

When I think of undergoing general anesthesia and the whole surgical procedure, I embrace this idea of girding and surrounding. According to Israelbiblicalstudies.com, “to gird does not mean just to fasten, but to encircle and make safe. It comes from the root word that means to lock up, as in a city that is encircled by a wall.”  I find comfort in knowing that even though I will be under anesthesia, in a medically-induced coma, I have an ‘ezer who will encircle me and keep me safe. Although I will be unconscious, hence unaware of and unable to participate in this battle for my life, while I am asleep, there is one who will shield me and fight for me.

2 Chronicles 32:8 says, “With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help [‘azar] us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”  In this battle, I am growing in the strategy of warfare called Resting in God’s words.

Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee [‘azar]; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

I go into this surgery knowing, believing, that God is my ‘ezer and that God will ‘azar me. He is my helper, my ally in this battle for my health. He will surround me; be all around me, enclose me on all sides. He will lock me in and keep me safe as a walled city. The end result is that God will cause me to conquer this enemy because, I have an ‘ezer.

I do not know what battle you may be facing today; what obstacle you are finding difficult to surmount. What I do know is that you have an ‘ezer. You do not have to face this battle alone. God is your help and, if you can just rest in His words, you will see the deliverance from the sword of your adversary.

Pray with me: My Father and My God, please help me to rest in your words so that I can experience you in a personal way during this time of difficulty. Cause me to lean on you as my ‘ezer, my present help and comforter. May I find in you the support I need to carry me through and over this ordeal. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

DIG DEEPER:
Prayer Room: From one ‘ezer to another

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SCENT MANAGEMENT

My second daughter turned 14 years old over this past weekend. As I watched her enjoy her birthday celebrations, I was reminded of her as a newborn infant, clutching to only me at first, rooting for my breast. Her actions were that of one who could detect the unique signature odor of her mother and rested in the comfort and trust which that scent represented.

I woke this morning being instructed by the Holy Spirit. As I slowly awoke, I heard the statements:
• “Sin multiplies.”
• “Sin carries a stench.”
• “Unclean spirits are attracted to that scent.”
• “Sin, when it is full blown, leads to death.”

I not only heard the statements but saw scripture references simultaneously: Genesis 6; Genesis 4; Romans 6; James 1. So I hopped out of bed, grabbed my study tools and, with the memory of my daughter as an infant and those 4 statements as my focal points, went to studying. I found out something very important: spirits are attracted by the spiritual odor I exude. My scent attracts and repels. Managing my spiritual scent then is another strategy of spiritual warfare.

In my research, I found out that each person has a distinct odor, a natural scent called their signature odor. For newborn infants, though they can’t recognize their mother by sight, their highly sensitive sense of smell causes them to recognize their mother by her natural scent, by her signature odor. I also discovered that my infant becomes so familiar with my scent that she can even detect the difference, in odor, between my breast milk and that of another mother’s. This is why mothers of newborn infants are often cautioned against wearing strong scents such as perfumes or fragrance skin products. The baby’s sense of smell is so sensitive that strong scents/odors can become overwhelming and interfere with their sense of taste.

Wanting to understand what the Spirit was teaching me, I delved further into my research on body odor. You see, I have learned from the word and from experience that the natural, physical world mirrors the spiritual world in some ways. If we exude scents/odors from our bodies from which others can detect and extract accurate information, then our spirits also exude scents/odors from which other spirits can detect and extract accurate information about our condition or state. Our body odor can inform a sensitive or highly trained individual of various body conditions (like problems with specific organs, hormonal changes, disorders), choices (like diet), emotional state, and life stages.

As I thought on this and its parallel in the spiritual realm, I was reminded of the fact that not only am I an ‘ezer, a watcher, but I am also being watched and being targeted. After all, I am in a war. Just as I am studying warfare, so that I would not be ignorant of my adversary’s devices, even so he is studying me as prey (1 Peter 5:8). The clues I give, through the scents my spirit exude, inform that predator of my state. Then he chooses whether to retreat or attack.

But this doesn’t only apply to me. It applies to everyone, even my children who may not be as skilled in the warfare as I am. I thought of my 14-year old daughter, her current stage in life and her hormonal shifts which will likely affect her emotional state. I thought of what “odor” she may be emitting spiritually that may get the attention and “favor” of unwanted spirits. I pictured them, just like the beast who crouched at Cain’s door, waiting for a foothold to enter in and master/overpower him (Genesis 4:5-7).

I thought, “For the sake of my children, I need to manage my spiritual scent so that my children’s spirit can always locate my unique, signature odor AND find that place of safety, comfort and rest.” I cannot afford for my scent to be masked by the cares and stresses of life, lest they would not be able to find their ezer warrior that God has assigned to them for their “help”. For their sake, I must manage my scent so that I do not attract unwanted attention and cause them to have to fight unnecessary battles.

This Mother’s Day 2020, I want to encourage you, as an ezer warrior for your family, to manage your scent. Don’t let your children or those entrusted in your care smell the stench of anxiety or fear exuding from you. Don’t let the cares of life so overwhelm and overcharge you that your environment becomes a beacon for unclean spirits. Fill your space with the aroma of sacrificial praise and sacrificial worship. Attract the presence and favor of God and repel the crouching and stalking of the adversary. This Mother’s Day reproduce for your children the first gift they got from you, after birth, the gift of your scent.

DIG DEEPER:
Bible Study: What’s that Smell?

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LOOK UP!

Excerpt from my prayer journal on 3/18/2020
I awoke this morning and laid in bed thinking about my day ahead. Today marks the first day that I will be teaching from home because of school closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak. School closures, social distancing, discretionary travel, cancellation of events, scarcity in the supermarkets, etc…. The list of the many things that are arresting our attention goes on and on, and we find ourselves distracted from our walk of faith.
As I lay in bed, several passages of scriptures came to mind. The first was Luke 21:26, 28 – Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:… And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

I thought about what Jesus said our response should be during times like these: LOOK UP and LIFT UP YOUR HEADS. So I hopped out of bed, grabbed my study gear and began to research what exactly was meant by those two phrases. I discovered that the former phrase (LOOK UP) refers to a change in attitude, while the latter ( LIFT UP YOUR HEAD) refers to a change in focus.
As I meditated on what I was discovering, I realized that the Spirit of God was counseling me so that I could experience victory during this season of pandemic. He was drawing my attention to the strategy Jesus had given almost two thousand years ago; a strategy that would not only ensure my survival but my victory.
Guard against distraction….DO NOT BE DISTRACTED!!

When men’s hearts’ begin to fail them for fear, that is a sign that we need to implement a new strategy.
CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE!
CHANGE YOUR FOCUS!
Your redemption is near!

Heavenly Father, please help me not to sorrow and wallow in Fear as the world is doing now. Help me not to allow Fear and all of the bad news to draw my attention away from what you expect of me. Teach me how to change my attitude and my focus and give me the strength to follow through on both, in Jesus’ name, AMEN.

DIG DEEPER:
1. Bible Study: Unbend
2. Prayer Room: Lord Guard My Focus (2)

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO REVISIT:
The Bible Study Series – Change of Focus, Change of Perspective
Blog Post – It Might Just Be an Illusion!
Bible Study – Maintaining Focus