Consider how a good parent equips a child.
We don’t send our children to school without their supplies on the first day of school. Nor do we send them to lunch without a brown bag. That would be cruel. In fact, when we find out there’s a kid who is picking on them on the playground, we don’t put them back out on the playground without a strategy. Why? Because we are parents. Parents equip children with the tools they need to succeed.
God equips us the same. As a good Father, He gives us a vital tool: prayer. With prayer, we don’t stand weaponless on the battlefield. We don’t stand nearly naked and waiting for the onslaught. No. Instead, we stand armed with the ability to ask for everything we need.
God wants to send us into our day, ready and thus the reason why He tells us to pray at all times, regularly and honestly.
We are told to pray, because:
1. God hears our prayers.
2. Our prayers work.
3. God answers prayers.
Yet we must realize:
1. It is not always on our timeline.
2. The prayer may be answered, but not as we originally demanded.
3. God’s ways are always higher, more intricate and far more detailed than ours.
One of the most important components of being battle ready is being prayerful. Do you know how to pray?
Here are five short breakthrough prayers I’ve seen work miracles in my life:
1. God, I can’t, but You can. So please come and help me.
Once we realize the battle is not ours to win, we clear way for the Lord to win on our behalf. Usually, it is about us getting out of the way, so the Spirit of God can move in, with power and strength.
2. Pour out on me the Spirit of wisdom, revelation and understanding.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
3. God, will You increase my faith?
“For truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23).
4. God, give me the power to understand “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” for me? (See Eph. 3:18.)
Once we see how deep God’s love goes, the more we’ll understand the lengths He’ll go to help us. The Spirit will lead us into these depths if we make time to hear and understand what He is saying.
5. God, will You strengthen me by “Your glorious power”? (See Col. 1:9-14.)
When God gives strength, it shifts problems, attitudes, misaligned perceptions and strongholds right out of the way. God’s power doesn’t leave us powerless, defenseless or weaponless.
We are not a lone soldier on a chaotic bullet-zipping battlefield. God hands us the weapon of all weapons, prayer, to effect powerful change. Change that silences every enemy, shuts down every opponent and stalls the horrific chariots coming to our direction. Trust in it.
Don’t look at the war; look at Jesus. He is bigger, better, and is roaring like a lion. Nothing can stand against Him. Take heart, Christ has overcome the world.
Battle Ready is a hands-on scriptural plan that teaches you 12 easy-to-implement, confidence-building mind-sets designed to transform your thoughts and, therefore, your life. You’ll gain practical wisdom, like how to:
- make new habits stick in just five steps
- disarm the seven most common attacks that plague women
- exchange self-limiting thoughts for purpose-driven, love-releasing thoughts
- implement thirty-second mind-lifters that deliver peace
- create boundaries so you live life full of what matters {eoa}
Kelly Balarie is the author of the book Battle Ready: Train your Mind to Conquer Challenges, Defeat Doubt and Live Victoriously. She is an author and national speaker, is on a mission to encourage others not to give up. Through times of extreme testing, Kelly believes there is hope for every woman. She shares this hope on her blog, Purposeful Faith, and on many writing publications such as Relevant, Crosswalk, and Today’s Christian Woman. Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, 700 Club Interactive, Moody Radio and other television and radio broadcasts.