Dragon Slayer
This weekend we had a prayer conference at our church and I was scheduled to teach three hours. At first it seemed like just another thing that I had to do in an already OVERCROWDED season. In fact, I think that I belly-ached a bit about it to my family. Have you ever said, "I'm so busy, I don't know how I'm going to do all of this." Or, "I'm so tired, I don' know if I have the strength." But the amazing thing is that God did give me the time and the strength and I truly believe that His purposes were accomplished. Isn't it amazing that when we are the weakest, He is the strongest in us. Well, maybe not amazing for that is what the WORD tells us happens. But it is truly amazing when it happens to "us." So may I just suggest today, that you give your overcrowded schedule to the Lord and allow Him to deal with it. Then REJOICE!
Picture…A man, short of stature and lacking any sort of visible muscle tone. He is kind of a scrawny guy, wearing a heavy, brass Roman breastplate and He is holding a huge steel sword. The picture looks like it’s a snapshot like the ones we have at home in a picture album. It appears that the picture was taken while the little guy was in mid-dance. The shot captures his feet in mid-kick; his eyes alight with an inner glow of confidence and His mouth in a Cheshire cat grin. The man is dancing near the head of an obviously dead dragon. I said to God, “Oh, I get it. He is rejoicing because he killed the dragon.”
Hear… the Lord say, “No. He killed the dragon because he was rejoicing.”
Consider: I think that some of us have forgotten about the warfare aspect of worship. We tend to think of worship as a preliminary part of the weekend services or something we do when God answers our prayers. But worship should never be relegated to just something that happens before the preaching or what we do to express our appreciation for God’s intervention. It is so much more than that. Among other things, worship can be a weapon we use to defeat the enemy’s plans. I’m not advocating that in the midst of our worship we stop and say, “Take that, you devil you.” I’m not even advising you put warfare scriptures into your times of worship. Actually, I don’t want you thinking about the enemy or your problems whatsoever when you worship. Worship is strictly about God, and to God. It’s not about us and it certainly is not about the enemy. Regardless of what we are going through, our God is worthy to be praised and worshipped. When we worship in the midst of pain and discouragement, without us even realizing it, our adoration of God becomes an act of faith. Because worship at such times is declaring, “Regardless of what I am feeling or going through right now, I know that you are worthy of all praise. I know that you are going to take this situation that I am in and turn it into something that will ultimately be for my good and your glory.” Nothing could upset the enemy’s plans more. Instead of focusing on what is wrong, we focus on what is right, and that is God.
Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the written judgment — This honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD! Ps 149:5-9 NKJV
We have the honor of binding the enemy’s strategies and defeating his plans by the high praises of God being in our mouth. Yes, there will be times when you will use your offensive weapon, the word of God. Yes, there will be times when you will need to do warfare in prayer over specific people and situations. But do not forget that your sincere praise and worship defeats your enemy the devil. Worship, exalts God, defeats the devil and makes us feel better in the process. There have been times I’ve wept in prayer and felt just as bad when I arose from my knees as when I bowed down. But there has never been a time when I worshipped God from the bottom of my heart that I have not felt a lifting of the heaviness I was experiencing. Worship is a win-win situation. There is just no way for us to lose. The only one who looses in worship is our enemy, that great dragon the devil. Having a difficult day? Worship!
Picture…A man, short of stature and lacking any sort of visible muscle tone. He is kind of a scrawny guy, wearing a heavy, brass Roman breastplate and He is holding a huge steel sword. The picture looks like it’s a snapshot like the ones we have at home in a picture album. It appears that the picture was taken while the little guy was in mid-dance. The shot captures his feet in mid-kick; his eyes alight with an inner glow of confidence and His mouth in a Cheshire cat grin. The man is dancing near the head of an obviously dead dragon. I said to God, “Oh, I get it. He is rejoicing because he killed the dragon.”
Hear… the Lord say, “No. He killed the dragon because he was rejoicing.”
Consider: I think that some of us have forgotten about the warfare aspect of worship. We tend to think of worship as a preliminary part of the weekend services or something we do when God answers our prayers. But worship should never be relegated to just something that happens before the preaching or what we do to express our appreciation for God’s intervention. It is so much more than that. Among other things, worship can be a weapon we use to defeat the enemy’s plans. I’m not advocating that in the midst of our worship we stop and say, “Take that, you devil you.” I’m not even advising you put warfare scriptures into your times of worship. Actually, I don’t want you thinking about the enemy or your problems whatsoever when you worship. Worship is strictly about God, and to God. It’s not about us and it certainly is not about the enemy. Regardless of what we are going through, our God is worthy to be praised and worshipped. When we worship in the midst of pain and discouragement, without us even realizing it, our adoration of God becomes an act of faith. Because worship at such times is declaring, “Regardless of what I am feeling or going through right now, I know that you are worthy of all praise. I know that you are going to take this situation that I am in and turn it into something that will ultimately be for my good and your glory.” Nothing could upset the enemy’s plans more. Instead of focusing on what is wrong, we focus on what is right, and that is God.
Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the written judgment — This honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD! Ps 149:5-9 NKJV
We have the honor of binding the enemy’s strategies and defeating his plans by the high praises of God being in our mouth. Yes, there will be times when you will use your offensive weapon, the word of God. Yes, there will be times when you will need to do warfare in prayer over specific people and situations. But do not forget that your sincere praise and worship defeats your enemy the devil. Worship, exalts God, defeats the devil and makes us feel better in the process. There have been times I’ve wept in prayer and felt just as bad when I arose from my knees as when I bowed down. But there has never been a time when I worshipped God from the bottom of my heart that I have not felt a lifting of the heaviness I was experiencing. Worship is a win-win situation. There is just no way for us to lose. The only one who looses in worship is our enemy, that great dragon the devil. Having a difficult day? Worship!
Pray: “I’m sorry that sometimes I get so focused on my problems that I neglect my times of worship. There have been times when I’ve been in a praise and worship service and my mind was totally on what had happened, or what should happen. I repent of my selfishness and my shortsightedness. I love you. I worship you right now. You are the awesome God and Creator. You take the mess of my life and create something beautiful with it. There is just no one in all the earth, no, make that the universe that compares to you. There is no way that you are going to let me fail. Yeah, make mistakes, and even have setbacks…but fail, no way. You are my shield, my help, and my exceeding great reward. You are my defense, and my joy. You are my best friend and King. I love you. We’re going to make it through this season together and victorious. That I believe!”
posted by pastorc @ 11:42 AM
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