On May 3, 2010 the Holy Spirit spoke clearly, “And all across this nation and all across this earth, I am calling small bodies of believers and they are rising up and they are saying “Yes” to me, so be encouraged, be encouraged! I will do a quick work. Be ready, be prepared, keep watch! Fast and pray and seek me that my will will be done on this earth as it is already here in heaven.”

We are one of the ‘small body of believers’ with a revolving congregation always around 50, but we are learning the true power found in just two or three, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20 KJV), as we gather regularly to pray. These times are rich, powerful, and filled with His presence as private prayer time manifests itself in our corporate meeting.

If you are feeling the call, then you too are saying “Yes” to this part of God’s plan for this particular time. So be encouraged, you are not alone! Meet us here a couple of times each week as this devotional unfolds to offer assistance and support for your times of prayer as we embrace the enmity and run into the battle by kneeling in prayer.

Prayer Focus

James gave us a now favorite truism, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16 ESV). But the key for us is that the prayer must be uttered; it must be spoken in order for its great power to work. Remember that your prayer has no boundary, meaning its power can work God’s will in your son or daughter or a government official; it can move your family as well as a nation. What we might consider ‘big’ or ‘small’ in scope is neither to God, for everything is possible with Him.

On Monday, in seeking to love the Father as unconditionally as He loves us, we were to “look around” from the heavenly place from where we sit. What did your gaze reveal to you? I saw tranquility, peace and love as everything moved according to His perfect will, motivated by His perfect love. I saw worship in its purest form; and no darkness at all, only the light and life of our Lord.

However, we know that even though we are positioned in the heavenlies, we function daily in this world with the hope of that seat to come, as the Lord said: “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21 ESV). Thus, to ultimately sit with Him we must be a conqueror!

With this in mind, tomorrow we turn our hearts to Embrace the Enmity—the hostility between us and the adversary—and learn the art of war against the enemy of our soul.

Prayer Focus

The key to our battle with the adversary is prayer: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times (emphasis mine) in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…” (Ephesians 6:16-18 ESV). Establish a set time daily where you enter into your secret place and pray, knowing that is where your victory will be won.

Today’s text is the initial argumentative dialogue of eight in Malachi’s writing where the Lord first states a truth, Israel responds with a snide question, and the Lord answers with examples that support His stated reality.

With Israel now nearly a century away from their Babylonian captivity, their city wall rebuilt as well as their tabernacle, their total expectations were yet unfulfilled. And now the first word of the Lord from His prophet was, “I have loved you” and they responded, “How so?” The Lord then gave them a brief history of His protection, provision, and future security as compared to their father’s brother, Esau. He let them plainly know that they were His willful choice made through His sovereignty. The Lord was saying that He loved Israel in the past, He loves her presently, and He will love her in the future. His love for them wasn’t earned or deserved, it was simply His will. The Apostle Paul expounded on the same to the Romans, “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger’” (Romans 9:11-12 ESV). “Therefore, God’s choice does not depend on a person’s will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy” (Romans 9:16 ISV).

As Christians, and being “chosen” by God through our response to Holy Spirit conviction, we too hear the Lord say, “I have loved you.” But the key for us is not to respond as did Israel in questioning how, as we look on our bleak circumstances or through unfulfilled personal expectations; rather, it is to love Him “back” just as unconditionally as He loves us.

Prayer Focus

Examine yourself to see if there are any conditions you may have placed on God’s love for you; anything that He “must” do so you will know He truly loves you. Focus on Ephesians 2:6 and look around from your seat in heavenly places. Thank Him for His great love towards you.

As we prepare for The Watch this evening, pray as the Lord instructed in Matthew 6:6-13 and focus on verse 12. It is so very necessary in doing spiritual warfare that there is no unconfessed sin in our lives; believe 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Tomorrow night is our monthly Watch service with the prayer focus Embracing the Enmity. What does embracing the enmity mean?

Following the fall it was the Lord who said to satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15 ESV). Enmity means hostility or hatred; thus, the Lord, by His spoken word, put hostility between the adversary and mankind.

However, one of the adversary’s tricks is to mask his hatred for us through the pleasures of sin, all the while desiring our destruction; and with that pleasure he lulls us into a passive attitude towards him. During tomorrow night’s two hour worship and prayer time, we will awake to battle and focus our prayers with petitions that resist the principalities and powers of the adversary. I hope you can join us.

Prayer Focus

Take some extra time today in reading Ephesians 6:12-18 and prepare your armor, for tomorrow night we war.

A third error in Israel’s doubt of God’s love was their failure to recognize His love given them through chastisement. [1]

I remember growing up with the “this will hurt me more than it will hurt you” parent speech prior to being spanked and thought, “Yeah, right!” However, as a parent of seven, I must confess using the very same speech before administering the necessary discipline—only I truly felt the emotion behind those words. The writer of Hebrews brings to remembrance the blessing of chastening for the believer, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6 ESV). And I can’t help but think there are times the Father shares in that parental pain so easily dismissed by sons and daughters.

Notice the reasoning for God’s chastisement: “For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10 ESV). McGee penned, “I believe that there is no way you can become a full-grown child of God living in fellowship with Him (that is the main thought behind ‘holiness’) except through the discipline of God.”  I certainly don’t want to say, ‘bring it on” but will work to accept it rightfully when it comes—and that is the key, always remember that discipline will come because of His love for us.

Prayer Focus

Make a conscience effort through prayer to accept all facets of God’s love for you. Even when it may seem painful, remember that it truly is for your good.

Yesterday we spoke about Israel’s false understanding of material possession being a gauge for God’s blessing. A second area of error in questioning God’s love was their inability to remember Jehovah’s past love for them.[1]

While God had done so many beautiful acts of love towards Israel, it was the miracles of the Exodus, and their leader Moses, which became Israel’s distinguishing stigma. Mordechai Housman on the web page Being Jewish[2] writes, “The Exodus therefore did more than simply release the Israelites from slavery. It also brought them into an exalted level of holiness. To be sure, they did not remain at that extremely high state of prophecy, but the Exodus gave to the Children of Israel the special status of G-d’s Chosen People and G-d’s holy nation of priests. From then on the Children of Israel have been a holy people, special to G-d.”

For Christians we would do well to follow the Apostle Peter’s admonition that being in Christ we “…are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV). And to avoid falling into Israel’s error in failing to remember the Lord’s past love for us, we must keep in mind that at one time we were separated from Christ but now are “brought near” by His blood! (cf. Ephesians 2:11-13).

Prayer Focus

Recall the day you were delivered from sin and all the Lord rescued you from; thank Him for the gift of salvation. Remember those close to you who have yet to experience the saving grace found only in Jesus and pray for their salvation.

[2] http://www.beingjewish.com/