He is Enough

-Week 1- Day 6

“Then Moses said to the LORD, ‘Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Exodus 4:10

The Lord's answer to Moses' second excuse is the same as the first and even more specific:

 “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say” (verse 11).  And He repeats it again in verse 15, “…I, even I, will be with your mouth…, and I will teach you what you are to do.”

                We see it in Joseph’s life in Genesis 39:2 “And the LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man.”

We see it repeated to Joshua “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, FOR the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 2:9

                Gideon is called a ‘valiant warrior', and Gideon’s response is, "Oh Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? My family is the least, and I am the youngest.... But the Lord said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you,'…” Judges 6:15,16

                Then there is David’s example.  “And David became greater and greater;”..  Why?... “FOR the Lord God of hosts was with him.” 2 Samuel 5:10

That is what makes the difference!

                He tells Jeremiah, “Do not be afraid of them, FOR I am with you to deliver you.” Jeremiah 1:8 (and verse 19)

                And to Paul He says in the night by a vision something we all need to heed, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; FOR I am with you…” Acts1:9,10

                Moses’ truths were still his “truths”; Gideon’s truths (I am least and youngest) were still his “truths”.  Joseph was second youngest, David was the youngest… those were still their natural ‘birth orders’… 

God doesn’t care about our natural stature or how the world ‘labels’ us or how we even label ourselves.

God’s truths override our truths…with the fact that “HE IS WITH US” and that FACT makes all the difference in our lives…."for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What will man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:5,6

Let that fact make all the difference in this day..

                                                  day by day..

                                                               one step of obedience at a time. 

 He is enough to overcome all you consider true about ‘your lack’.  He is the difference between the statement: “Who am I? I can’t.”  and the statement: “Here am I. Send me.”

  All glory to God. 

May we exchange all the “I can’t, who am I?”s 

for….

“Because You are with me, I will not be afraid.  Here am I. Send me.”

-What are your 'current excuses'?  List them so that you can see them in black and white and outside of your head. Sometimes what makes sense in our heads can be revealed as foolishness on paper. 

He answers your excuses with, 'I am with you.'

So go, be strong and very courageous, do not tremble or be dismayed.

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. 

In God, whose word I praise, 

In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid.  

What can mere man do to me?” Psalm 56:3,4

(This is part of a 6 week prayer strategy series. To return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)

He Says, 'I Will Be With You'

-Week 1- Day 5

‘I AM’ BIGGER. 

‘I AM’ ENOUGH, 

And ‘I Am’ with you. 

And THAT FACT makes the difference.   

“And the LORD said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.  So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey,………Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:7,8,10

The Lord tells Moses that He has come to deliver His people and then continues with ‘how’ He is going to do it: 

“I will send you.” 

What a mysterious truth that we see throughout scripture:  God has a plan, He answers prayer, and He chooses to use us to do so.

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” verse 11.

A familiar question, right?

God's answer to the 'who am I' question: 

 “Certainly I will be with you….” (Exodus 3:12)

God’s response makes ALL the difference. He is the difference. 

The great ‘I AM’ is more powerful in you (you yielded to Him) than anything that can come against you (even your own emotions and fears).  

“Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  (Isaiah 6:8)

May we determine to have an open ear to hear the call, listening in complete humility (the place of entire dependence upon Him), and respond as Isaiah,

 "Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

-There are needs all around us, and we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10). Spend some time today surrendering all your fears, your doubts, and your excuses.  

-What would He call you to do to overcome those?
-Press into how the fact that 'He is with you' is a present answer to a current fear or concern or sense of 'lack'?

(This is a part of a 6 week prayer strategy series. To return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)

In Process

-Week 1-Day 4

“And He was saying, ‘The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the 

seed sprouts and grows-

how, he himself does not know.  

The soil produces crops by itself; 

first the blade,

then the head,

then the mature grain in the head.” Mark 4:26-29

As a flower grows in all the right conditions, it produces beauty over time: leaves, buds, petals of color. Life is all a process, and He has begun a process in you that He will finish. 

He waters and keeps it watered. 

He shines on it.

A flower cannot make the decision to wither and die in perfect conditions. It is built in its nature, by The Creator, to grow and to fulfill the potential that was once only in seed form. 

You are a ‘planting of the Lord', placed in good soil. And He will finish what He has begun, that He may be glorified (Is. 61:3).  

You will bloom BIG. 

But it’s a process. We are always in process.  

And even the ‘process’ of ‘perfect conditions’ will require uncomfortable times: being ‘buried in soil’, enduring hot sunshine, and ‘drowning’ in water. Certainly each of these can be misunderstood in the moment, but all have a purpose and are all necessary for growth. 

But "..I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil. 1:6

-Allow God to encourage you in the ‘right conditions’ that you are currently in.  What has He ‘started’?

-Ask Him if there are any ‘conditions’ currently in your life that are not ‘right’ and could be stunting your ‘growth’?

Allow God to take an honest inventory.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; 

Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 

And see if there be any hurtful way in me,

And lead me in the everlasting way. ” Psalm 139:23

Fear can always be a ‘stunting’ factor day to day in our lives and affect our freedom to walk out our calling.   

“The fear of man brings a snare, 

But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.” Prov. 29:25

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The Big Picture and the Daily Steps of Obedience

Week 1-Day 3 

What if rather than searching for answers to the 'unknowns' of the big picture of life, we just took action today on what we already know?  

There is enough for today.

 Often our calling for ‘today’ can end up not getting done because we are wondering about the big picture for the future. 

What if we all walked in more moment by moment obedience?

The big picture is needed so that we keep in mind where we are headed, but we must not ignore the daily steps of obedience that prepare us for that future, even though the ‘daily steps’ may seem somewhat mundane. 

The same idea is true of our time in the word. We need the big picture and should be daily reading to get that big picture so that 'scripture can interpret scripture', but along with that we must also have pinpoint, deep study and meditation on the word so that the truth becomes part of who we are and how we live. Otherwise there will still be a roaming lostness and no heavy anchor in troubled seas.    

'Knowing that we KNOW’ (in-depth, studied for ourselves in the word, not just because someone else has taught it) builds up a heavy anchor that works to tether us in the storm. The storm may rock our ship and move things around (some things that probably NEED to be adjusted), but it will not make us drift off course, as we know where we are headed and Whom we have believed and are convinced that He is able (2Tim. 1:12).

-Spend some time writing down what you already know you are called to in this, your ‘today’. What are the ‘steps’ He is calling you to take today and each ‘today’?

-What is the ‘big picture’ out there where you know you are headed or want to be headed? (He intentionally places desires upon our hearts to lead us to His desired goals.) What are the preparation steps ‘today’ for that future?

-Are there things that God has been leading you to or convicting you of that you have been neglecting?

-Do you need to adjust your reading plan of the Word to get the broad picture and deeper study as well?

-Ask Him to lay upon your heart what His ‘beyond’ is for you, according to His power that works within you.  Don’t be afraid to ‘dream’ and make sure you write it down.

Pray in all areas ‘beyond the possible’.  Again, a reminder: you are praying for the impossible to God, with Whom nothing is impossible. 

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We Must Know the Word of God

-Week 1-Day 2

We must know the Word of God.     

      We cannot depend upon the rest of the body of Christ to know TRUTH and follow them, trusting that we won’t be led astray by ‘persuasive arguments’ (Col. 2:4).  If we do not know for ourselves what the Word truly says, how will we clearly see if someone is advocating ‘a different doctrine and does not agree (does not come) with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness…” (1 Tim. 6:3)?

       

       To not be led astray in these difficult times and to not be shaken from truth amongst all the ‘shaking’, we must know truth for ourselves and “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Col. 1:9). 

       His ways are NOT the ways of this world.  May we not look to the world to define Him and His ways, or allow the world to define us and our ways. 

     We will not learn to recognize the counterfeit by studying the counterfeit out there. We will only know the truth and recognize the counterfeit as we immerse ourselves in His whole Word and allow Him to wash us clean: to wash our motives, our ideas, our desires, our goals, our intentions, and every thought/idea we have (that we may not even be aware of) that is contrary to His truth (2 Cor. 10:5).  

May we allow His Word to cleanse us as we daily expose ourselves to His truth, and IT WILL RESULT IN CHANGE, the change that we and others are longing for. 

GUARD YOUR MIND FOR ACTION!  What we allow in is going to affect us, and we are being bombarded!

     We know that He does not want any unwholesome word to proceed OUT of our mouth but only that which edifies (Eph 4:29), so what makes us think that it is not a big deal to allow all kinds of unwholesome ‘words’ to enter 'in' and think that it is not going to affect us?  Let us decide to think a little more intentionally about how we are going ‘to guard our minds for action’. 

1 Peter 1:13-15 “Therefore, prepare you minds (gird* the loins of your minds) for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

“All Scripture is inspired by God (God-breathed) and profitable

for teaching,

for reproof,

for correction,

for training in righteousness;

so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3:16,17

BE IN THE WORD.  It is equipping, living and active (Heb. 4:12), life-giving, healing, and infuses with hope and confidence.  We are not going to make it victoriously without it. Take up your sword (Eph. 6:17) and fight! 

*Gird (surround, encircle) your mind. 'Watch the ramparts'.

-Would you write a response to these thoughts? What is on your heart as you begin this 6 week journey? What ‘change’ would you like to see? 

-Ask God what change He would like to see. 

-Pray and ask Him through your time in His Word to cleanse and renew: your ideas, your desires, your goals, intentions, and every thought/idea that is contrary to His truth. Give Him time to speak to you about each area.

-How will you guard your mind? What actions will you take?

Oh Lord, would you produce ‘change’ in us, that we may likewise be used by You to ‘produce change’ in our world.

Produce change.

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Hope Comes from the Word of God

-Week 1-Day 1:

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

We, and honestly every single person we come in contact with, needs encouragement, and even more than that, HOPE.  And true, authentic encouragement and hope come from the Word of God and from God Himself.  May we have it for ourselves AND for those that 'stumble' into our sphere of influence. 

"Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Romans 15:5

May that be a natural 'supernatural' result of this 6 weeks: 

-perseverance, 

-encouragement, 

-same mind (coming from the truth of the Word), 

-one voice, 

-to the glory of God 

-to the encouragement of one another 

Pray for that.

-On this first day, ask the Lord for whom He wants on your prayer list and write them down as they come to mind.  

-Who and what areas of your city, your church, your ‘sphere of influence’, would He lead you to cover in prayer these 6 weeks?  

Pray ‘beyond the possible’ in all these areas. 

-As you spend your time in the ‘listening’ section of your journal today, ask Him to lay upon your heart what it means for YOU to pray ‘beyond the possible’ in all those areas that you listed (and in others that He would bring to mind). To seek His heart for 'beyond' requests for your whole list may take a little work everyday this week so keep coming back to it until it is done. 

Remember that 'beyond the possible' is something that is going to 'sound impossible' so you will have to remind yourself that with God, all things ARE possible. 

And pray.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20,21

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As you prepare to begin your first week:

-Decide which day you will fast, what exactly that will look like for you, and put it on the calendar.

-Begin to set up your notebook. Suggested sections: 

1) prayer requests section (I have listed a few different areas that I know that I am to pray for and have put that heading at the top of a page to fill in with requests during the 6 weeks), 

2) prayer section if you want to write as you pray, 

3) listening/journaling section where you will answer the question prompts from the daily devotionals or write a response, 

4) section for verses that stand out in your time in the word (I actually started this section from the back of my notebook and worked forward because I didn't know how big that section would need to be, and it became a great way to pray through scripture too), etc. You may want to leave a few pages in the beginning for verses pertaining to prayer.

*sections or pages that I ended up adding as I went along:

-an 'ideas' page that I added to as things came to mind, which I then went back and prayed through to find out if they were ideas from God.

-good quotes

-'things that come to mind that I want to ponder later' :)

-spiritual warfare verses

-And remind those who are praying for you when you are starting and share any requests you have, otherwise ask them to be generally covering you in prayer for the time to set aside, for your time in the word, and for direction.  

And as a reminder, you may want to list these in the front of your notebook, the short version of what you are committing to:

Daily:

-in the word

-prayer

-daily devotional

-listen and write things down

-pray with spouse

-fast one day

And just get started! Don't allow not having some part of this plan in place to keep you from starting. 

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How to Get Started?

-Pray about a starting date.

-Pray about who God might have join you on this 6 week journey (use it as a small group that actually meets in person once a week or an online email or Facebook group that connects with updates on what you're learning and the direction that God is leading you to pray).

-Pray about and enlist the three who will cover your 6 weeks in prayer (I believe this will be a very significant part of the 6 weeks) and which one of those three will hold you accountable.

-Get a notebook (I personally suggest a cheap spiral notebook that you will be completely free to 'not perfectly' write in, rather than something more substantial that you don't want to mess up. But do whatever makes you ‘happy'.) You can set this up however works best for you: in different sections (I'll provide you with some suggestions) or just day by day (for example: week 1-day 1). You can even start one way and decide to change it later. 

-Once you have your start date, PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR and START!

As with anything, you will get out of this what you put into it.  I challenge you to 'do it all!' So make a plan. Things seldom get accomplished without a good plan so decide how this WILL work in your schedule. BUT 'life' will happen and the unexpected will occur so be flexible and don't let the unexpected or a bad day put a stop to your 6 weeks. Just pick it up the next day. Got it?

One last word of encouragement: don't allow this 'list' to keep you from getting started. If you do not have everything by the time your 'start day' comes, don't let it keep you from just getting started. 

(to return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)

'Watch the Ramparts' Consists of:

10 Simple STEPS:

1) Make a 6 week commitment  (You can focus on anything for 6 weeks, knowing that there is an end in sight.)

2) Enlist 3 people to commit to pray for you (and for this prayer ministry) during this 6 week commitment. They will be available to take requests and pray focused prayers over you as you are called by God to step out in obedience.  This step is key. Prayer is powerful and to be covered in prayer as you pray, power full! Ask God who those three should be, and be open to it even being someone you don't know that well. This may even open up new friendships.

3) Accountability: One of those 3 will also be assigned the job to keep you accountable (this needs to be the one you know really WILL and will not be soft on you and that you feel you can be honest with).

4) Be Committed to be in the Word Daily (with a reading PLAN to keep you focused and accountable.

5) Daily Prayer Time- for your sphere of influence, community, church, school, etc and other specifics as led. This will include using a notebook. 

6) Read a daily devotional that will stretch your faith and your obedience. Each day will be provided as a link on this 'homepage'.

7) ‘Listen’ daily and ‘HEAR’ and write down what God is teaching you, scriptures that speak to you, and how He is leading you to pray.

8) Fast one day each week (however God leads you to)

9) Pray with your spouse (if applicable and possible)

10) 'Watch the ramparts' - there will more explanation of what that looks like in the daily devotionals, but basically this is:

 1) taking this time before the Lord to allow Him to strengthen YOUR rampart (your wall of defense, faith, foundation) 

and 

2) not neglecting to be on the 'watch'/lookout for the enemy's ramparts, how satan is scheming to come against you and your sphere of influence (and church, city, nation) and praying against it in the authority that you have in Christ and His name. 

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