Dear Heavenly Father,
You tell us in Ephesians 6:12(NLT), “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Father God, You do not want Your people to be ignorant concerning the enemy and his devices. We make the mistake of thinking that people are our enemies, and I have had to get anchored in the reality that this isn’t true. It is sometimes a challenging thing to come to grips with.
I’ve recognized that as I continue to walk the path You’ve laid before me with more purpose and intention, the devil tries harder and harder to test my faith and patience; he does this mainly through people, and it can be very hurtful. The Apostle Paul talked about false prophets and unbelievers that were sent to hinder him in 2Corinthians 12(NLT). He wrote about the importance of remaining humble in the face of this opposition. Even though he had received wonderful revelations and blessings from Heavenly Father, he refused to boast about it because he wanted to let his life and work for the kingdom speak for him. In verse 7 he said, “So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.”
I can relate to the thorn in the flesh that Paul wrote about, and I’m sure many others can as well. There’s a person that continues to be a fixture in my environment. This person can be very negative, and seems to take pleasure in getting in the way of my success, but tries to do it in an undercover manner by cloaking it in fake concern and false friendship. The easiest thing to do would be to lower myself to the standard of her negative behavior, but I am called by Christ to rise higher; to pray that she will see his glorious light. I must recognize that either she doesn’t know how to or she refuses to resist the demonic influence that deprives her of being her best. She has not resisted the devil, but obedience to God requires that I must!
In 2Corinthians 12:8-9 (NLT), Paul said, “8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” God has given us the perfect, fail-proof solution to handling any person that seeks to hinder us. We are to exercise Heavenly Father’s grace. His grace—His unmerited favor—will elevate us above the shenanigans of the devil. Our faith in His grace unleashes His power in our circumstances, and this same power will work through us if we continue to walk in the love of Jesus Christ.
Thank You for Your grace, Heavenly Father. Thank You for the knowledge of Your Word, and for knowing that putting on Your grace allows us to handle any and all situations gracefully and successfully. Thank You for helping us to continue to grow and walk in spiritual maturity, and for handpicking us out of the devil’s territory of darkness and transferring us into the Kingdom of Your Dear Son! Thank You for the privilege to call You ‘Father’.
You are so awesome and amazing, Most Holy God. Thank You for Jesus Christ, and thank You for the Holy Spirit. Please help us to be a blessing to Your Kingdom, and let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Your Grace Is All We Need”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.