I was at the Christian book store a couple weeks ago and noticed a book that caught my attention. It’s written by a favorite author of mine, and it’s about one of my favorite topics: prayer.
Since I’ve chosen to write about prayer in the next few blogs, I thought I would touch on a particular topic in this book – a topic that hit me like a ton of bricks.
Oh yeah, the name of the book is Fervent. The author is Priscilla Shirer. And it was inspired by the movie “War Room” – one of my favorite movies.
Within the first couple chapters, Priscilla gives ten ways Satan comes against us. These are things he seeks (and often succeeds) to steal from us. Take a moment to glance at the list and make a mental note of any you can relate to.
Satan works hard to come against…
- Our Passion
- Our Focus
- Our Identity
- Our Family
- Our Confidence
- Our Calling
- Our Purity
- Our Rest and Contentment
- Our Heart
- Our Relationships
I’ve seen him attack me in all these ways. But recently, it’s been my passion.
God’s greatest enemy has used my health issues and busyness to try and steal my passion. And when your passion goes, you become apathetic. I was becoming somewhat passive to the call on my life.
You may be focused on another one. Take a look at the list again and write down any that may have been under attack.
Now, hear what I’m about to say: You don’t have to settle for this. You can get back what’s been stolen from you.
And one strong tool we have at our disposal is PRAYER.
Here are three suggestions that can help you in salvaging what’s been lost:
1. Recognize what’s been stolen!
This is an important step to reclaiming what is rightfully yours. You can’t seek God’s help without first recognizing what’s missing.
Jesus asked the lame man at Bethesda, “Would you like to get well” (John 5:6)? While this may seem like a silly question (I mean, why wouldn’t he want to get well after being in that condition for thirty-eight years?), it really wasn’t that silly at all. He hadn’t known another life. He was familiar with being a cripple. And this was how he made a living.
But the story has a happy ending because this man recognized that freedom was a worthy pursuit. It’s a worthy pursuit for you, too. So, acknowledge to God that you you’ve been robbed.
Again, it’s important we…
RECOGNIZE WHAT’S BEEN STOLEN!
2. Cry out with diligence!
Being diligent means that you are giving it constant and earnest effort. It will always be on your lips.
Jesus tells the disciples a story of a persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8: There was a widow who went to the judge asking for justice to be done. He ignored her for awhile, but she kept coming back. Listen to what Jesus said: “Finally he [the judge] said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests'” (Luke 18:4-5). Note: Jesus told this story to show that being persistent in our prayers is good.
So what does this mean for us? For getting back what’s been stolen from us?
It means that we won’t back down. We won’t give up. We will…
CRY OUT WITH DILIGENCE!
3. Pray with purpose!
It’s okay to have goals. And one goal we should strive for is to enjoy what God has given to us.
I know that I love to have passion. I love to feel confident about myself and the work I do. I love healthy relationships / friendships. I love rest and contentment. I love who I am in Jesus. I love to be focused.
What do you love? Write it down.
Has Satan stolen that from you lately? Or has he ripped something else out of your hands?
NOW, PRAY WITH PURPOSE!
Pray with a goal in mind… a goal to recover what’s been lost.
Something tells me that this blog post hit a spot in your heart. I’m pretty sure that Satan has exercised his evil schemes on each of us.
Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). And no doubt, he’s good at it.
But the good news is that Jesus didn’t end with these grim words. He then said, “But my purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10).
So Friends, let’s take back what is ours in the first place. Jesus can help us. All we have to do is ask.
Blessings,
