Good Morning!

Yesterday, we started talking about prayer and being that person God is looking for to whom he might give strong support (2 Chron. 16:9). Doesn’t that make you tingle all over? Think about it. The Creator of the entire universe is looking for someone, like you and me, to give strong support.

Can we even fathom what that means?

I wonder if we can connect that verse to this one:

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we are able to ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Pretty sure we can. In fact, it would seem to me that we must. The bible is woven together, from the first verse to the last, in a theme regarding God and his creation. It’s all integrated. So, yes. God is looking for people to give strong support, support that is far more abundant than we are able to ask or think.

Do you believe this? If so, is it evident in your prayer life?

If that isn’t enough to convince you, then what about this verse?

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

Now, before you start in with all your “yeah, buts,” let’s just let this sink in. You know full well that there are all sorts of verses like these. There is something to all this. Something really big!

Before you go any further, stop. Is this stuff sinking in?

I’m starting to wonder if fervent prayer (James 5:16) isn’t just a privilege but also an obligation.

Hear me out. Let’s take a look at a verse.

1 John 3:8b The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Do you see Satan at work in your life or the lives of those around you? I’ll bet you do. Does that mean that Jesus didn’t accomplish what this verse said he did? Hardly. Yes, Satan will one day splash in the lake of fire, but he is wreaking havoc all over the place today. Could it be, could it be, that you and I are instruments of God’s to destroy Satan’s works?

James 4:7 Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Go ahead, keep running from this truth, and I’ll keep firing verses at you. Listen, the plain truth is that Satan is in our hair far more than he needs to be. We have the power, on our knees, to greatly influence the course of our lives and the lives of others. I maintain that we are tolerant of Satan and have become so accustomed to his presence that we don’t even think about sending him packing. This applies not only to my own personal life but the lives of others around me.

Psalm 91:9-10 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place – the Most High, who is my refuge – no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.

My tent is getting bigger and bigger. It is my home, my family, my property, my investments, my business, my extended family, my friends, my neighbors, my community. On and on. Do you see what I mean?

In my way of thinking, Satan will definitely give me trouble, but the more I invoke God’s weapons, the more he will be frustrated and move on to other, easier prey to devour (1 Peter 5:8). You can be certain he will come back to see if I get lazy, but I have the ability to send him away again. I also have the ability, and obligation, to do the same for the rest of my tent. Listen, this thing may get to the point that Satan demands to sift me like wheat, as he did with Peter, but look what happened there:

Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned, strengthen your brothers.”

Perhaps we would be wise to see how Peter impacted the world after that. Tell you what, that would be a good homework assignment. For now, can we please stop and think about all this? How might our lives have been different had we rid Satan from it long ago? How might my life be different today, if, today, I drive him from one of his strongholds? How might the lives of my loved ones be different if I really got serious about driving Satan out of my tent?

Think about these things. Do you have a need for this? Once you really stop to think about it, aren’t you overwhelmed by the need for God to intervene in your life? If so, then consider this:

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

These are promises of God, my friends. Carpe Diem. Seize the Day.

Father, drive your words home to all who read this. Stir them to holy anger and drive them to their knees in prayer. Let them pound on your door to let Jesus in. Destroy the works of the devil in all our lives. Blow your Spirit throughout us that we might cast all cares of this world aside and seek your will – on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Copyright © 2018 Scott Powers