I have family dear to my heart who lives in the south, where hurricanes are common. This season has been incredibly hard for the coastal states, and this young couple has had to evacuate more this year than they have had to in the combined years they lived there.

Each storm reported this season, I have attacked with my prayers and declarations, along with my praying church family. However, when my loved one texted or called with another report, my stance in prayer changed. I felt worn out, even discouraged. The business of my day distracted my heart from connecting in my prayer.

Holy Spirit quickly corrected me and dropped this in my heart; Your prayer needs full heart engagement. This isn’t the same battle; this is a new fight – and I need you to stand, as you have stood before. 

Our Nation is in a fight, my friends. And it is a fight that we have not experienced before. It may seem like a battle between red and blue, but it is much greater than that. We have all read the different blog writings, listened to youtube reports, and even glued ourselves to the many various commentaries. But we need to turn off the noise and focus our attention on the Thorne of God.

I get my feathers ruffled when I hear people of faith say, “Well, this world live in is just going to getting darker and darker [more evil].” Or, “God is in control; I leave it in HIS hands. He will give us the strength to endure.”  But what about Matthew 5:13-15?! What about our responsibility [Matthew 16:13-19]?! 

God has all authority, but he does not have control. This may surprise some of you, but if God had control over this world, he would be contradicting HIS word [giving us all free will], and God does not lie [Numbers 23:19].

Let me share a little story with you. My husband and I owned a piece of property with a house on it. We had the authority of this piece of land and all that was on it, including our home. One time my husband and I went on an 8-day road trip and told our youngest [who was 18 at the time] to keep things in order. We later learned that he chose to use his free will and throw a small party with friends his age. The beverage allowed in our house to drink should not have been consumed [prohibited because of their age].  Tell me, did we have control over our child’s free will?

So what is my point? Church, we need to quit putting all the responsibility on God’s plate. Yes, HE fights our battles, and our battles are won. But! We believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ need to get off our smushy soft bottoms and stand [position ourselves to pray]! Let us fight as we are taught in scripture. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 TPT

 For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide. We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish any trace of rebellion, as soon as you choose complete obedience.

We need to stop reading the script [repeating the reports] that has been written from the pit of hell and read our Holy Word of God. We need to anchor our identities in what scripture tells us who we are because of what Jesus did on the cross for us. It is much more than salvation, which alone is a priceless gift. 

Last Sunday evening, I had the opportunity to gather with prayer warriors to pray for our Nation [again, this isn’t about a person, it is about our Biblical beliefs and our Christan rights that are being challenged]. And I know beyond a doubt that the stance we took in the spirit the battle is won. It may not be seen with our physical eye- yet – but it is settled.  The evil plans have been judged.

If I allow the noise around me to convince me otherwise; question my authority [the blood-bought keys given to me, and question what kind of ‘victory’ was achieved at the cross, and that darkness wins], then I need to re-evaluate my heart before the Lord. And read my scriptures.

Church, we need to engage our hearts in our prayers. We need to stop asking others what we ‘think’ is going on around us and ask the one who sits on the Throne. We need to invite the Holy Spirit to work through our lives to be that light in the darkness, to be the salt of the world. Because if we lose our saltiness, what good are we? 

Matthew 5:13-16 TPT

“Your lives are like salt among the people. But if you, like salt, become bland, how can your ‘saltiness’ be restored? Flavorless salt is good for nothing and will be thrown out and trampled on by others. “Your lives light up the world. Let others see your light from a distance, for how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop? And who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place? Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light…