Did you know in the Lord there are only 2 seasons we are in ? fighting or resting ! And some times both at once in different areas of our life’s !
As I look around the body of Christ it seems to me that many do not have the knowledge and understanding of how to fight well
As a result many do not see the results and break through they long for !
Alternatively many sadly don’t know that there are times we need to rest in the Lord and how to rest so once again only see slow progress !
Today I want to talk about how to fight and rest well. For I believe these are some of our biggest weapons in warfare against the enemy.
If we fight in a resting season we will not win or obtain the reward. It is the same if we are in a fighting season and we are resting you will become complacent and frustrated and make silly mistakes ( this is what happened to King David 2 Samuel 11)
The secret is to know what season you are in personally.
The way to know this is to ask the Lord.
If He says fight, We fight knowing He has given us the strength and He will be fighting with us to see victory !
But if He say rest we need to trust that He has this fight and will win it for us !
Both take faith, strength, courage and hope ! (Hebrew 11:1)
You will see the this right through out the bible, some were called to fight. Like Gideon and King David. The battles were victorious for the Lord was fighting with them.
Others the Lord said rest and watch Me fight for you, like Jehoshaphat and Hezekaih.
But all these amazing people that were victorious in battles did not have clue what to do with out enquiring of Him.
So this is where we need to start. Asking the Lord with discernment,
, waiting in patience for Him to speak. When He says rest we do it and when He says fight we do it !
Remember the Lord to keep enquiring. This could be minutely,hourly or daily depending the challenge that is facing you !
So let’s look at how to be effect in both postures and positions !
So how do we rest ?
Resting is not going to sleep or going on holiday, but awaiting in full amour on battle line watching what the Lord is doing and waiting His word. So we can celebrate the victory with Him in giving thanks !
This what Hezekaih ( 2 Kings 19 ) and Jehoshaphat
(2 Chronicles 20:1-30)
So how do we fight ?
Last year my wife was admitted to
hospital in extreme abdominal pain, it was a interesting time. She had a high fever and was very, very sick !
My first approach was prayer, first personally and then corporately. I felt to invite anyone I could to pray with me !
We are so blessed to have a large group of believers who will stand, pray, fast and contend for break through for us. I would like to take a small moment to honour these incredible prayer warrior for with out them our ministry would not function to the level it does.
But I knew I needed a word from the Lord to camp on. For I know and have a great belief that if the Lord speaks then we can trust it and thank Him for it and it will happen as He has said.
It’s the only way we can enter a place of peace.
Those who rest in the Lord, they will renew there wings, run and not stumble, walk and not get faint ! (Isaiah 40:31)
Preparation is where our protection and provision come from.
So first I rested but set the alarm to get up early and sit and seek Him !
I awoke and
Wrote down all His words he spoke to me , read His word and look for confirmation.
Not in haste or a place of being stressed. But a posture of expectancy so l didn’t miss even a whisper,thought or suggestion. In these times, I don’t know why, but the Lord often speaks in unusual ways !
Pictures, visions, thoughts, dreams, sense’s smell, taste, touch just to name few.
This is why it is so important to sit in a place of expectancy not expectation. if we don’t we could very well miss His new word which was delivered in a a new form or way. The e very instructions for battle we need to win.
Often at these times things only make partial sense or do not make sense at all. In my case some did and others parts did not ! But write it down and ask Him to show me how the pieces I had made a picture ! This was what I did.
Remember the Lord is outside of time,( Isaiah 55:8-9 )his thought’s) He see’s all, He view is of the whole journey. So it may not make sense now or right away but could and often is the very thing needed for breakthrough at the critical time.
If you are not in that place of peace or are not hearing His voice, find someone you trust, someone that you know Hears form the Lord. And Ask them for a word ! I can not count the number of times I have been ask to do this. But every time the Lord has come through and He will for you if you ask and trust.
So Now you have your words/word
First thing to remember is this: To the level you know how good the Lord, will be to the level you will walk in His favour.
Maybe this is why we see the verse in
Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
1 Samuel 2:26
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.
Second thing is it costed a lot on the cross for these words so they are very precious and priceless !
All words that hold break through are precious ! So don’t contaminate them by add your thoughts or reasoning ! Keep them as they were delivered to you. Maybe do as Mary did
Luke 2:19
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart
Here is another couple of scriptures to highlight this point !
Psalm 199:72
The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
Psalms 19:10
9. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous
10. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb
So keep them in a safe place and wait for the right time to use them. You need to ask the Lord how and when to use them. When to enter the enemy’s camp.
Imagine you have the plans to build a house , houses have many parts and if you were to build the roof before the floor and walls what would happen ?
Yeap it simply would not happen right ?
It is the same with the words of the Lord. Keep them close to your heart and mediate on them regularly to see if they are now relevant and timely . Mary did this in Luke 1 the angle of the Lord came with some very strange puzzling words ! She first recognise it was a word from the Lord and agreed to it and put them into her heart. At that moment she conceived, she may not have felt anything, but it happen. It is this way in the world with natural conception ,But also with conception of words of the Lord.
In Mary’s case she trusted, mediated and so the words will come to pass as with you too. If you do the same things.
Every word from the Lord contains everything needed to see it come true, no matter how big or small the challenge is !
In my case I had 3 things the first morning
I did not like them, but I though if this is how He wants to do it, who am I to disagree.
So awaited for the right time to share with my wife what the Lord had said.
The next day these words become so important and useful for her so she could make the decision she needed to make.
As the Lord had spoken to her that very night too and my words confirmed what the Lord was saying to her.
Then the Lord said
‘Love and walk with her with whatever she decides’. So I did !
Now I have my word, instruction and battle plan’s
It was time to fight !
I started with
fast, praying, praise and worship
Fasting is not a way to push God, But to come closer to Him, to strengthen our relationship with him.
So when He speaks, first we hear him and second we have the faith to believe it.
I started fasting and praying and send out a word of invitation for others join me. I was so surprised by the result, we had almost 300 on our list for prayer warriors at the time (Now we are so blessed to have a lot more ) and they really stood up, some fast or praying and standing in the gap and contending. I tried to send out regular words of update and invitations and battle instruction the Lord was giving me.
We started doing decrees and blessing her body.
I remember leaving the hospital one night. The Lord says to me “the battle is over and we have won ! “
I was in some way confused upon hearing this word and so inquired of the Lord. “My wife is still in pain, in hospital how can the battle be over ?” He said after the battle what does the battle field look like ? and He shows me. There where injure people being pick up and a lot of mess ! He said that is what you are seeing, but the battle is over ! We won
That night after the Lord had told me the battle was over that very afternoon. ! Win’s blood pressure went up high. Now was I going to believe God or the enemy. I asked others to join in prayer and started in worship. I got up the next morning and ask the Lord do I fight or rest, He said “rest and celebrate “ so I got up went and garb a coffee, that was the day everything turn around and the ward cleared out of patients , the next day she walked out too. To him be the glory. It was time to give thanks !
A few nights ago I had a similar experience with my wife. She was in hospital in surgery. I arrived at 5pm and waiting for her to return. Then I sense something was wrong, I enquired of the Lord and He said fight. I was lead by the spirit to get up and started dancing, worshiping and praising. I then felt to ask other to join with me in celebrating the victory to come. I felt this darkness enter the room, so told the enemy to sit down watch me celebrants win victory. Many nurse walked in to the room and patient got up to go toilet all were puzzled by this man dance, worshipping declaring etc. I felt to text out again to let people know what I was doing. After 2 and half hours late Win was rolled into the room. The battle was won. God is so good. So it was time to give thanks ! Later we had the privilege to share what was doing with nurses and patients. They were so amazing and thankful. One of the nurse said “what a prefect time to do what you were doing “
Big thanks to those for standing in the gab with me that night.
So my battle plan for this night from the Lord was
To fight and contended through praise and worship. To invite other to party with me in her victory and it work !
Battle plans from the Lord can seem strange. Look at how Joseph was to batte to see the walls of Jericho come down to see this victory in the battle against Jericho (Joshua 6:1–27)
Three things I learnt from these experiences that I would like to past on to you
- To ask Him if He wanted me to fight or rest
- To trust His word !
- Then do what He say’s know matter what the circumstance or situation you face.
- He knows what He is doing.
- The power of community in prayer
- That He is good and will never let you down
- To give thanks in all situation and circumstance.
So here is your Challenge today !
1. With those areas of your life you have challenge in ask the Lord are you to fight or rest
2. In each area weather you are to fight or rest ask for a word ! And a confirmation word ( if you are hear nothing, find a person you trust that hears clearly and ask them ?
3. Now trust in what He has said and do it !
4. If it is resting season, preparing and rest in Him, wait for Him to active the victory.
5. If it is a fight season ask Him for a battle plan. When you receive. Ask when to commence the battle. Then when He says in the way He say commence into battle.
6. Enquire through the battle of the Lord if you are to doing anything else or change tack ?
7. When the battle is victorious and won ! Remember to give thanks for with Him there would not be a victory at all.
Father I thank you that you are for us not against us ! Leading us into battle to overcome ! For we are more than conquers through you ! I pray you will take this message and personalise it to each individual and the challenges they are and will face in days to come. That they may be virtuous through you ! amen
