How to Fight Spiritual Battles for the People You Love

12 / 28 / 2012 / 28 / 20

It sometimes feels like the enemy is attacking the people we love more than ever but praise God, He has given us a spiritual battle plan so we can fight back. #spiritualbattle #prayer #God'sWord #BibleStudy #CountingMyBlessings #WWGGG

I recently reread Priscilla Shirer’s book – Fervent.

This time I added a journal . . . taking notes and writing prayers.

I have felt the need to go to battle in my war room more often lately because everywhere I look it seems like the enemy is ramping up his attacks on the people I love.

But rather than getting anxious and discouraged over his efforts to…

deceive and distract us with lies and distortions
make us doubt and forget who we are in Christ
make us selfish and destroy our unity
keep us focused on past failures with guilt and shame
magnify our problems and make them seem insurmountable
taunt and tempt us with our weaknesses
keep us overwhelmed and busy with no time to rest
keep us from forgiving those who have hurt and betrayed us
destroy relationships and break apart families

I want to pray “fervent” prayers and give it all to God . . . asking Him to give us, and the people we love, everything we need to stand with strength and courage and to fight our spiritual battles.

In the prayer Jesus taught, He told us to pray…

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:13 (NIV and NLT)

You see…

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood [what we can see] but against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places [what we can’t see]. (Personal Paraphrase of Ephesians 6:12)

Jesus knew we would need the Holy Spirit’s help daily to fight the temptation of the evil one. So much so, that the night before His crucifixion, He asked the disciples to…

Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38

The way to fight the enemy and his temptations is to “stay alert and pray.” (LAB Notes) STAY ALERT by remaining aware of our areas of weakness and wise to satan’s techniques. And PRAY for the Holy Spirit to give us all we need to stand strong on God’s Word of Truth.

We fight spiritual battles through prayer for ourselves and for the people we love.

This has been a really hard year for most of us. And many of us are feeling anxious about the year ahead. What will it mean for our nation, our communities, our churches, our families? But rather than giving in to worry . . . it’s time to fight back. It’s time to stay alert and pray!

Because my friend, remember this is just a battle . . . Jesus has already won the victory. What ultimately lies ahead for His followers is glorious!

I know, sometimes the battle feels overwhelming but God has given us everything we need to fight spiritual battles both for ourselves and for the people we love.

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Ephesians 5:10–11, 18

Are you ready? Let’s Pray!

Fight Spiritual Battles
for the People You Love

I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.
Ephesians 3:16–18

Father, I pray that you will pour out your strength on __________. I love that Your Word says You have glorious, unlimited resources of strength to give Your children. It’s so easy for us to focus on the world’s problems to feel like the enemy is at times—winning. But Your Word says, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are greater than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16)

I pray that Jesus will make His home in __________’s heart. May __________ trust You completely. May Your love keep him (her) strong and to KNOW that Your love is wider, longer, higher, and deeper than anyone can fully grasp or imagine. By Your grace, please give __________ all that is needed to live full of faith and hope he (she) might be filled overflowing with Your love.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do,
and He will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5–6

Father, I pray __________ will SEEK You above all else. Please make the desire of her (his) heart a longing to know Your will. Please guide and direct her (him), showing her (him) the path You want her (him) to take. And by Your grace, please help __________ to KNOW with confidence that she (he) can trust You and depend on You to bless her (him) with all that is needed moment by moment.

Your ways are perfect! Please place a hedge of protection around __________ and keep her (him) safe and strong as she (he) faces any or all temptations and attacks from the enemy. Bless her (him) and fill her (him) with faith and Your perfect love.

[Jesus prayed] Holy Father, You have given me Your name; now protect them by the power of Your name so that they will be united just as we are.

I’m not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.
Make them holy by Your truth; teach them Your word, which is truth.
John 17:11, 15, 17

Father, I love this prayer Jesus lifted to You for His disciples of all generations. It’s so easy for us to focus on the world and its temporary problems but Jesus prayed about eternal things that last. He prayed about the things that are most important. So, Father, I am joining Jesus and praying for ________, asking You to protect him (her), to give him (her) all that is needed to be united to Your family and theirs.

Please keep him (her) safe from the evil one. Give him (her) a hunger and thirst for Your Word and teach him (her) the TRUTH by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Your Word points out our sin, moves this to repent, assures us of Your love and forgiveness, renews our relationship to You through Jesus, and helps us trust and obey You in the future. (LAB notes) With all my heart, I pray _________ will live those truths with the help and power of Your Spirit. And I pray that will all be true in my life as well.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:31

Lord, I know trials and sorrows are inevitable because we live in a world plagued by sin but I pray for __________ that she (he) might live each surrounded by Your peace that goes beyond all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) Please help her (him) remember that You are always with her (him) and that You have overcome the world. The enemy has been defeated and our future is secure in You.

Although, he attacks Your followers with trials and temptations . . . You, Lord, are with us and promise that when our hearts and mind are focused on You we will have all we need to have victory over his tactics. So, I pray that __________ will come to You that You might give her (him) patience and peace.

‘May the Lord bless you
    and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
    and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you His favor
    and give you His peace.’
Numbers 6:24–26

Father, I pray this blessing will cover ________.

I ask that You will protect __________.
Please smile on and be gracious,
merciful, and compassionate toward. __________.
May You show __________ Your favor
and grant __________ Your perfect peace.

Father, Your Word is full of hope and I pray that this hope will fill __________.
Please surround him (her) with love and encouragement and give everything needed that they might live each day for Your glory.
In Jesus holy name, I pray. Amen.

I am so thankful God has given us all we need to fight our spiritual battles.

He’s given us a battle plan and the tools we need in His Word and He has given us His Spirit to guide and help us fight. May you and I boldly and faithfully fight for our loved ones. And may we most of all praise God for Jesus who fought and won the victory for our souls.

God bless you!

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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5 of the Best Verses to Pray for Your Friends

6 / 12 / 205 / 12 / 20

Praise God for the people who walk beside us, pull us along, and even nudge us from behind. Oh, the blessing of finding Scripture to pray for your friends... #Friendship #Prayer #WWGGG #BlessingBloggers #HisGraceGirls

I want to stop and celebrate the blessing of friends today.

Not our list of Facebook friends with whom we share the edited versions of our stories but the close group of people who know our real stories … those stories we keep hidden away from most of the world. I want to celebrate the people who truly know us and love us anyway.

I’ve learned there is a life truth we all need to remember. Everyone has a difficult or painful story. Everyone!

We all have a page or two in our stories that we keep tucked away because they are hard to share…

It’s been several years and yet, I can still picture every face gathered around that table like it happened last week. Seriously, I still remember where each person was sitting.

But more than our location at the table, I remember the question that invited us to share those tucked away pages of our stories…

” I WANT TO KNOW MORE, TELL ME YOUR TESTIMONY.”

In other words, I want to know YOU – not just the pretty social media version but I want to know the parts of your story that make you … YOU!

And that’s hard, isn’t it?

It’s especially with people we don’t know well. We don’t like allowing ourselves to become vulnerable. We can’t help wondering … can I trust this person, this new friend, with my pain?

I still get emotional whenever I remember … when I think about that night and yes, even now, years later … because those girls are Romans 12 to me.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:9–10, 15

I BELIEVE WE ALL WANT ROMANS 12 FRIENDSHIPS BUT IT’S HARD, ISN’T IT?

But we’re afraid.

Somehow that night, God gave us the courage to trust each other … to open up and share those pages that we typically kept locked away.

And it quickly became evident that the Lord was there with us…

“If two or three people come together in my name, I am there with them.”
Matthew 18:20

Because He was with us, we saw Jesus’ love in each other’s eyes, and one friend after another we told our stories. We cried. We laughed. We encouraged. We loved.

That’s friendship! That’s what we all want. Friends who love like Jesus!

So, today I want to pray for our friends and our friendships and I’d love for you to join me…

5 of the Best Verses to Pray for Your Friends

Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32

Father, thank you for creating us to live in community. Thank you for knowing that the love of friends is an important part of our lives. You have instilled in us a need for companionship and You have established in us the ability to be kind to each other. You have made it possible for us to set aside our selfishness so that we might show compassion. You have given us an example of forgiveness and then You give us the ability to forgive one another.

Your grace shines in my friendships. Thank you for blessing me with beautiful souls who love You and love like You. They make every day better! Thank you Lord the gift of my beautiful friends!

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11

Father, I want to be a better encourager. I try … but I know I could do more. It’s so easy to be selfish or get distracted. Please forgive me.

By Your grace and with Your help, may I love like Jesus. May I be the one who builds up my friends. May I remind them of the ways I see You in them. May I faithfully pray for them. May I take the time to know them and love them as You love them.

Thank you for covering my failures with Your grace and mercy. Help me generously cover my hurts and disappointments with the love You pour into my life. May I always give the same forgiving love to my friends that I want them to give to me … that You give to us.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Romans 12:10–11

Father, what a blessing to have friends who are filled with the love of Christ Jesus. Friends who don’t just pretend to love … but who love with genuine kindness and humility.

Please be with my friend as they walk with You. Please hold them close as they journey through the highs and lows of life. Give them courage and strength for the battles they face. Give them peace to replace anxiety, hope to replace worry, and faith when doubts creep in. And more than anything, faithfully remind them that whatever they face today or in the future … nothing can separate them from Your love. (Romans 8:38) You are with them now as You will be forever. (Matthew 28:20)

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:12–15

Father, I need Your help. I want to consistently wear a wardrobe of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience but I fall so far short every day. I have to admit that I want my friends to be patient and forgiving of my faults when I can be short on patience and forgiveness myself.

You are so patient and merciful to me. You have blessed me with wonderful friends. I realize when I fail to love the way You want me to love … it has more to do with me than it has to do with them.

Please fill me with the love of Christ Jesus. Please make His love be what guides, guards, and rules in my heart. Thank you for each one of the beautiful people who have brought into my life. Love them, Father, through me.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us.
1 John 4:11–12

Oh, Father, thank you! I see Your love in my friends! You show Yourself in their lives … the way they humbly serve others, the way they listen and encourage, the way they care with compassion, the way they offer help and hope, and the way they forgive, and the way they love.

Each friend is a precious gift! Thank you! Please bless my friends today, Lord. Meet every need. Give them strength and courage for every battle they face. And cover them the power of Your promises and love. By Your grace and for Your glory shine Your light in them and through them. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Finally, pray for your friends by name.

Stop for a moment today and….

Thank God for the people with whom you have been able to share the hard pages of your story. The friends who wanted to know the real YOU and have continued to love you just the way you are.

The friends who walk beside you when life is great, who hold out their hand when you need hope for the future and maybe even give you a little nudge when you need to leave the past in the past.

Thank God for the blessing of friends. Life just wouldn’t be the same without them!

I’m praying you are blessed today with much joy, as you think about and celebrate your friends.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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Day 26 -God, Please Help Me and Make Me a Good Friend

12 / 17 / 18

I wonder if part of the appeal of social media is that we’re able to have lots of “friends” without the inconvenience of actually making the friendships work.

We’re learning that more and more people struggle with sadness and loneliness because their “real life” friendships are suffering due to the distraction and rush of likes, comments, and shares from people online.

God made us for community. Real in person up-close community.

So, today I’m praying…

God, Please Help Me and Make Me a Good Friend

Father, You know we’re better when we’re connected to one another.

Solomon wrote, “two people are better than one because they can help each other.” Ecclesiastes 4:9

And it’s true Father. I am so thankful for the friends You’ve given me who have listened, encouraged, inspired, and blessed me in countless ways.

Your Word says…

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15

I am so thankful for friends who have celebrated both my big and small victories and I’m especially grateful for precious friends who have sat with me and cried as I sobbed in brokenness and pain.

Your Word tells us to…

Encourage and take care of each other. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
Be humble, gentle, and patient. Ephesians 4:2
Forgive one another. Ephesians 4:32
Look out for each other. Philippians 2:4
Make each other better. Proverbs 27:17
Carry each other’s burdens. Galatians 6:2

And Jesus summed it all up in two simple sentences.

Do to others as you would like them to do to you. Luke 6:31
Love each other as I have loved you. John 13:34

Oh, Father, help me. Make me a good friend.

Help us all to be better friends.

We want to love each other the way You want … but honestly, too often our selfishness gets in the way of our best intensions.

Please forgive us. Please forgive me.

Make us friends who don’t just pretend to love each other … make us friends who really love! Romans 12:9

Make us, make me, like Jesus … who was the perfect example and is our perfect friend.

Father, with Your help, may I…

Choose to be present.
Listen, really listen to my friends.
Be caring and compassionate.
Be honest and trustworthy.
Refuse to judge.
Be quick to forgive.
Encourage and inspire.
Pray!

Father, I lift up my friends to You. Please help them with any struggles they are facing. Give them strength as they fight their battles. Hold them close and comfort them. Please allow them to feel Your loving presence.

Please help us to cherish each other and hold each other close. This world can be hard. The challenges are real and the enemy persistent. We are stronger when we stand together united in Your love. Thank you for giving us each other.

Father, thank you for giving me good friends. By Your grace and with Your help … make me a good friend. Help me love like Jesus. Amen.

I am so blessed that you are joining me for this journey…

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Just imagine what God will do as His people come to Him in faith and prayer!