Spiritual battles are being waged all around us. Not only for our nation, but in our lives personally.
The question is: Are we seeing victory? Are you seeing victory?
Over the years, I have won battles in the natural realm that had to be waged and won first in the spiritual realm. This has included areas such as health issues, infertility, betrayal in business, finances, the desire for a house—multiple areas in which breakthroughs came. However, we’ve all had prayers that didn’t seem to receive an answer.
Why Lord? I asked my heart hurting for areas in which people have been contending for years.
The Lord spoke to me, “The battle may be won, but you must win the battle.” That means, although He has done His part, we must do ours.
I’m in a battle right now in which I have heard the Holy Spirit confirm the victory. However, until I see the manifestation, I am not backing off. I continue to praise, rejoice and pray regarding the situation as we pull the answer from heaven to earth. I’m contending until I see the manifestation.
In order to win a battle in the spiritual realm, we must first have the Word of God as our foundation. We cannot stand for a victory if we don’t have a promise that victory is ours. Each time I have experienced a battle, I have spent time with the Lord at the beginning to receive a scripture. This is my word from Him on which I can stand. Once He speaks it to me, I refuse to let it go.
Our battle with infertility was one such battle. So was a situation we had with a real estate transaction in which the seller refused to honor the contract. It got so bad that it almost sent us into bankruptcy. In both of those situations, the answer to our prayers did not come overnight. We had to contend for the answer. In fact, my husband and I had to continue to contend when we were told “it is impossible.”
In those moments what are you going to believe? We chose to believe the Word that with God nothing is impossible.
The Bible is full of promises to us:
1. By the stripes of Jesus we were healed (I Peter 2:24).
2. He supplies all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Phil 4:19).
3. He contends with those who contend with us (Is 49:25 and Ps 35:1).
4. He will vindicate us (Is 54:17).
Whether you receive a specific scripture from the Lord to you or not, His Word is true. Even so, answers to prayer don’t always come immediately. More often than not it is a battle to see the fulfillment of those promises. That is where we develop our spiritual muscles to not only receive the promise but to keep hold of it.
Are you contending right now? Are you growing weary? As we intercede over personal issues and as a nation, if we grow weary and let go, we won’t see the fulfillment. That can create anger and/or disappointment with God. But we have to remember God doesn’t change. He is always faithful. So we have to look back at ourselves. The key to answered prayer is learning how to press in for our answer.
When we don’t see our victory Satan tries to discourage us. He may tell you it is because you lacked faith. Or worse, he will send someone across your path to say that to you. (That’s always helpful, right?) But is it a faith issue? Ask God. Perhaps it is and you need to strengthen your faith. But perhaps you are still in the contending phase of the battle. Perhaps you need to forgive someone in order to release the answer. The key is don’t give up.
We must learn to win these battles for ourselves. It is great when we can have a minister or someone pray for us. But more importantly, we need to go directly to God and lay hold of it ourselves. Otherwise, a victory gained through someone else’s faith is usually a victory that cannot be retained or maintained. Because at the first sign of a new struggle, our faith begins to struggle as well. It is essential that we learn to take our promise land ourselves.
I want to encourage you, wherever you are at in your battle, that God’s Word says the battle is ours. Remember when the Israelites came out of the wilderness, He told them to take possession of their Promise Land.
“See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore He would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them” (Deut. 1:8, NIV).
Although the Lord had given the land to them, they still had to battle the giants in the land. God didn’t just hand it over to them. In some cases, they battled victoriously. In others they allowed giants to remain in the land with them. That’s never a good idea as that means that there will be ongoing challenges. There was a reason God told them to destroy their enemies.
For the rest of this story, visit ifapray.org.{eoa}
Karen Hardin is a literary agent and writer. She is the author of “Infected: How to Stop the Global Spread of Rage, Deception and Insanity” and “God’s Justice after Injustice”. Her work has been published in USA Today, Western Journal, World Net Daily, Intercessors for America, Charisma, CBN.com and more. Click here for how to receive a free copy of “How to Overcome Adverse Situations” prayer guide.
(Reprinted with permission from Intercessors for America – ifapray.org)
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