As many of us have had the privilege of seeing, I too set out on opening day to see the movie "War Room". I knew it was a Christian movie about prayer but what I did not know was the focus of the movie was about relationships, marriage, and family. As I sat through the movie, I was convicted by the fact that my prayer life was not hot. It wasn't cold, nor was it lukewarm, but it certainly was not on fire. What happened? When did I stop praying for hours and studying equally that same amount of time? My prayer and study life use to be such that I could and would be in prayer and study for so long that I would lose track of time and appointments. It was a wonderful time, place, and season in my life. I saw the power and epic flow of God in my life and others and in my gifts. Yet, on in reality I knew; so I thought, I could not continue like that. And so I deceived myself and over time allowed other tasks, goals, responsibilities (including God responsibilities) to pull me out of my place and space. Knowing that it was (is) the very thing I needed to see purpose, vision, success, accomplishment, victory. I knew and know is found in prayer, my time with God.
It was in and through prayer at the height of my suicidal season, God gave me a strategy, an approach to my deliverance. This strategy allowed me to regain and retain my peace...really, my life. I cannot say I found the approach or strategy in a book or that it was what anyone (a person) told me. It was what HE (The Holy Spirit) gave me as I lived through a diagnosis that brought many mental, physically, and emotional struggles. A weakness that gave way for the enemy to come in and torment me daily.
Before the movie and our Church dedicated Bible Study to look at and discuss/study the topic of War Room and Prayer Strategies, I had never really considered the approach or strategy HE gave me. Nor had I ever taken the time to write it down until now. Last night as I wrote these steps to share with someone, I realized there were 12 strategies that God allowed me to gain control over and use to find a breakthrough, deliverance, and freedom from my struggle and torment. Interestingly, 12 is the Biblical number of government, administration, order, rule, strategy, victory, the Angel Armies! Glory to God!!! I love me some Jesus. As the person said who I shared it with, "Pretty in-depth and detailed...but clear and necessary." I agree. For our mind to be renewed, we must be transformed in how we do and approach things and in the way of thinking about ourselves, God and the situation. It requires a taring down or away to build back up. I believe these steps will help you, me, us in our journey to Spiritual Life Transformation. So to share it with you!
The truth is, this is not new or unfamiliar to any of us who have been in or through a spiritual war or battle; a battle for our mind and our soul. We just may not have recorded the process for ourselves to remember and reflect on or revisit later or share with others. In all honesty, we may have to use again in a future declared war/test/struggle, etc. The battle may not be our's (2 Chronicles 20:15) but the war we must be strategic and prepared to stand against (Ephesians 6:10-18).
I am grateful for this focus that has reignited my place, position, and assignment in prayer. I have known and wrestled for months on how to get back to my place in prayer and time with God. Through this exercise (the movie, the War Room Bible Study focus and writing this out), HE has shown me. It doesn't have to look or be like how I approached it in the past. My time with Him doesn't have to be how it was or the way it was, but IT ABSOLUTELY HAS TO BE! IT IS A MUST!!! TELL ZION HER WARFARE - THE STRUGGLE IS OVER!!!
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