Its on...Lets fight.

I have always been a bit of a feisty girl. I am the first one to stand up for what I believe in, have no problems arguing when I know I am right (and even when I don't know I am right...I am working on it). Many-O times I have found myself thinking "I could take him, its on". While in High School and College I played Water Polo. Its not a sport for the faint of heart. Nor for the weak. If you don't feel like being punched, grabbed, kicked, scratched, bloodied, bruised, being held under water for what feels like an eternity, I don't recommend playing. As, besides those things mentioned above what consists of the game, is you doing it back to people. There is a saying "What ever the ref does not see, didn't happen" well, just FYI the Ref can only see you from your neck up. There is a lot that goes on under water. A lot. So while at church on Sunday listening to a rockin' message by our incredible Pastor, I found myself wondering from the scripture he was reading. My heart strings were pulled by 2 verses, so I am compelled to share. I will get to it...just not yet.
So even though I find myself thinking I am the feisty girl mentioned above, why is it when Satan attacks instead of saying "its on...Lets fight" I give in, or give up? It doesn't happen all the time, but enough that it was on my heart and mind this week. Sometimes I feel like, "Its to much work to fight. He can have this one, but I am totally going to win the next one". I shouldn't do that. I have the ability to fight and win each and every time. He has given me that power. I don't even have to do it alone...He will fight next to me. Not only fight next to me, but even though in a few punches along the way when I get tired. I do have to ask for His help...and have the tools, but lets face it, that a heck of a lot easier then just letting him "OK, you got this one, but I am totally going to win the next one". A while back I read a book called "Prayer is Invading the Impossible" by Jack Hayford. The first chapter changed my life. Let me just give you a few things from the book "Prayer can change anything. The impossible doesn't exist. His is the power; ours is the prayer. Without Him, we cannot. Without us, He will not." "Prayer is not the mystical experience of a few special people, but an aggressive act in the face of impossibility-and act that may be performed by anyone who accepts the challenge of learning to pray." Prayer gives us the tool to fight and win...each and every time. Let me, help you God says...but you have to be willing to ask Him to help you. Sometimes I feel very lacking in this part. So many times through out my day I feel over whelmed, out numbered, and out witted. Its doesn't have to be this way. "The impossible faces us all. It storms, fumes, looms before us, stalks our days, presses upon our minds, bends our plans, stands formidably across our future, pierces our present, reaches out from our past. But there is a way to face the impossibility. Invade it!!! Not with a glib speech of high hopes. Not in anger. Not with resignation. Not through stoical self-control. But with violence. Any prayer provides the vehicle for this kind of violence." I like this...no, I love this. I love to mix a little bit of violence to my daily life! :) Remember the scriptures that I loved from Sunday...I think now is the perfect time to bring those up. The first one is Nehemiah 4:14b "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives (or husband for me...) and your homes. " that's right, the bible tells me to fight for them! My husband, my daughters, my sons, my home. They are mine, and I need to protect to protect them, and prayer provides me the tool to fight with violence. Don't get me wrong if push came to shove, fists would be flying, but be rest assured, when fists where flying I would be in prayer. The other verse Nehemiah 4:9 "But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat." This verse is HUGE!!! Do you even realize how huge this verse is? When this was written the wall of Jerusalem was only half way up. They were working on it, but at only half way up, half of their city was only protected. For me, half of my family would be protected. 2 kids out of my 4 would have protection. It would not be something I would take likely. How would I handle it I would pray to my God, and post guard day and night to meet this threat. It goes on to say in Nehemiah that (4:17) "Those who carried materials did their work with one hand, and help a weapon in the other". How often do I go into battle un-prepared. Often, why? Because a thief comes in the night to steal, kill and destroy. He does not knock at my door while I am doing my quiet time with the Lord, as I answer he does not ask "is now a good time, or would you like me to come back later when you are more prepared?" No, he comes when I least expect it. He comes when things are crumbling around me, when life has got me down, and I feel un-prepared. This is when my past comes into play. No, not my glory Water Polo days where I learned to bite, push, bruise, kick, and scratch. But rather my past when I was preparing for battle. My spiritual past comes into play. My spiritual past when I prepared, I read His word, I meditated on His word, and I prayed. So when it came time to fight, I was ready. Ready with violence. Ready to win. This is why I choose to daily prepare. I choose to daily read His word, meditate, and pray. I choose that everyday when I do these that if the "thief came in tonight, to steal, kill or destroy"(John 10:10) I am ready, I am ready to fight, ready to win, ready with violence to take him on. While playing Water Polo our coach never would send us into a tournament un-prepared. No, rather we practiced, we ran drills, we worked, we studied plays, we studied Water Polo matches on TV, we slept, breathed, and ate Water Polo. Our coach gave us the tools we needed to fight, and to win. God does the same thing. Our coach never made us do it. But rather gave us the tools, and the desire to win, we did the rest. We fought. We fought to win. Win with violence. He has given me the tool to fight, and win. Not only that, but he gave me the desire to win. Win with violence. So today, I say "I am in it to win it. Its on...Lets fight". I am ready. Ready to win, and ready to fight with violence.