Run Him Out of Town

"Stand therefore...having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace." (Ephesians 6:14-15, The Amplified Bible)

Preparation. When it comes to fighting spiritual battles, that's a word you'd do well to remember. Most believers don't pay much attention to it. They don't prepare themselves in advance. They fiddle around until the devil makes his move, then they jump up and try to fight him with the Word... and they usually lose.

I used to do the same thing until the Lord taught me differently. I used to wait until my meetings began to pray for their success. As Satan would come against them from one direction, I'd fight him there. Then he'd move around and attack them in another area, and I'd fight him there.

One day the Lord showed me that by waiting until the last minute to take my stand, I was giving Satan time to build up his forces against me. And consequently, I was losing many of my battles. Then the Lord said something to me I'll never forget. He said, "If they had kicked Al Capone out of Chicago when he was just a small-time operator, he wouldn't have been so hard to handle; but they waited until he became a first-class criminal with his forces built up around him. Then it took an army to bring him down."

When I heard that, I made up my mind never to be caught unprepared again. I started praying about those meetings weeks in advance, getting the stage set spiritually before they ever began. Instead of letting Satan get his forces entrenched, I started throwing him out before he got a single foothold. When I did, I saw more victories than I ever had before.

Don't let the devil catch you off guard. Be prepared! Start praying and speaking the Word of faith now over your family, your business, your church. Get your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Then if Satan causes trouble, you'll be well equipped to run him out of town.

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 17:12-51

No Deposit--No Return

"Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." (Psalm 112:1,7)

Are you ready to face a crisis? Don't wait until one hits to find out. Prepare yourself now.

That's what a couple of my Partners did. They faced a situation that would have made many people panic. But when the crisis hit, their hearts were so deeply established on the Word of God that their first response was not one of fear but of faith.

What affected me most when I heard their testimony was one particular phrase they kept using:

No Deposit--No Return

What they meant by that was that if you don't take the time to deposit the Word in your heart now, it won't be there later when you really need it. You'll end up in a crisis with only doubt and unbelief instead of the faith and power you need to see you through. In a situation like the one this couple faced that could be deadly.

You see, their two-year-old son had suffered a fall that had cracked his skull and critically injured his neck. He had no feeling in his arms and legs and was unable to move. Yet as they rushed him to the emergency room, a great sense of peace rested on them. Rather than crying with fear, they prayed in faith and declared, "By Jesus' stripes, our son is healed!"

Sure enough, within hours, their boy was totally restored. Even the X-rays verified the fact that a miracle had taken place.

What's important to understand about that story is this: The victory was not won when the damage to that little boy's body disappeared. It was won all during the days and weeks and months before when his parents were listening to tapes and studying the Word and praying in the Spirit. It was won because these people had spent time building a foundation on the Word so that when this storm came, they were able to stand.

Now is the time for you to build a rock-solid foundation! Don't wait around until you're faced with a crisis. Get the Word in your heart in abundance now, so when you really need it, it will flow out in power.

Remember: No deposit--no return.

Start making those precious deposits today!

Scripture Reading: Psalm 112

Get the Two Together

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7)

Established in the faith and abounding with thanksgiving. These days it seems that's a rare combination.

A lot of people have been taught faith over the last several years, and a lot of people have been taught to abound with thanksgiving. But it's been hard to set the two together. Faith folks want to confess the Word all the time, but they don't praise God very much. And those who like to praise God just want to jump and shout and dance and have a good time in the Lord. You can't get them to get very serious about the Word.

Success comes from combining the two.

So, do it! Put them together in your life. When you run into a challenge, don't just stand around grim-faced and white-knuckled holding onto your faith. Raise your hands high and praise. Start thanking God in the midst of what's happening around you. Keep thanking Him for the answer until it comes.

Instead of just standing on the Word, let the joy of the Lord enable you to dance around on it a little. It will get you where you're going a whole lot faster...and both you and God will have a much better time on the way.

Scripture Reading: Colossians 2:1-10