“That by them you may wage the good warfare” (1Tim.1:18). The only good warfare is the warfare you win. We wage warfare with a prophecy by proclaiming it into the atmosphere (remember “faith comes by hearing”) and by praying it and by using it as a comeback every time the enemy, or certain persons, speak the opposite.
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God Empowered Response
Kathy — At my age, you’d think I’d know what I want to be when I grow up, but when I read the dark headlines in our nation and hear the chaotic chatter, there are days I just get irritated and wonder what is going on. The Bible doesn’t say 
believers should never get irritated or annoyed. In fact, Eph 4:26 says “Be angry, but don’t sin. So, we can get riled up, but we don’t go off the page in a rage and we don’t give in to a “spirit of cuss”! Instead, we can learn to spell anger with a capital “G,” anGer, (Acquire-Necessary-God-Empowered-Response). Then when we get upset, it can end up in a God result of bringing heaven into earth. When the pythonic girl got on Paul’s last nerve, he acquired-necessary-God-empowered-response and whipped around and delivered her from that spirit of divination. When devils occupy people and circumstances and cultures and atmospheres, sons of God interrupting that occupation and casting out demons is heaven coming to earth. One challenge facing us is that there have been major strongholds of darkness in our nation for decades and centuries. They have been here so long that many Christians don’t think to question them or even imagine how we could ever displace such evil. Add to that decades of church erroneous teachings that support not even trying to overcome them. Hence, the great necessity of a “God empowered response”.
Never Disconsonant
As the people of God assemble today, may His powerful Holy Spirit form us into 
community operating in harmony. May the ligaments in His Church hold us together solidly throughout crisis and opposition. And may we so be built up in love that our harmony may never be found by Him to be disconsonant. “For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.” (Eph.4:16, Amp)
Clocks and Calendars
God’s appointments are not governed by clocks and calendars. Time serves His plans. He can even bend or break time if necessary, like ignoring Sarah’s biological clock to fulfill a promise or stopping the sun until Joshua finished the battle. It seems that His timing pivots around people and circumstances, so the clock has to come along and cooperate. (Rom.8:25,TPT) “So because our hope is set on what is yet to be seen, we patiently keep on waiting for its fulfillment.”
Possess and Contend
Concerning a declaration we must first contend for the word. “Contend” means to excite oneself against a foe, to wage war. We just expect to confess and then immediately come into possession of promise. But we can’t just feel sorry for ourselves because we are not already throwing parties in the promised land. Deut.2:24 “begin to possess it and contend with him in battle.”
Only Love
Dr. Martin Luther King —
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness,
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate,
only love can do that.”
Guarding our Tongue
While we are contending (Deut.2:24) for the word of the Lord over our lives and our nation, we must keep a guard on our tongue (Js.3:5) so that what it says lines up with what God has said (Jn.12:49). Like a farmer who works in his harvest and watches over his harvest, we cannot check out of the on-going process, lest we suffer crop failure.
Prayer and What Prayer is Not
Kathy — As we read Matthew 6 and Luke 10, we find Jesus teaching the disciples to 
pray. The verses leading up to the actual prayer reveal firstly what prayer is not. Prayer is not practicing your righteousness before men. Prayer is not using surplus words trying to cover your bases. Prayer is not from any motive that would manipulate God or man. Then, Jesus gives directions to His disciples on how to communicate with the Father. His instruction becomes a model for us known as “The Lord’s Prayer”.
Thoughts Above Ours
Almighty God’s thoughts and ways are far above ours. We must needs pray for and prepare ourselves for Father’s thoughts and ways at this time. We must apply faith, positive attitudes and industrious minds to adjust to the unconventional of our times. God can use desperate conditions to open our eyes to see the facilitation available in unconventional people and unconventional opportunities (Ex.16:4-17; 1K.27:7-16; Josh.2:1-15; Isa.45:1-13; Acts 16:30-34).
What the Locusts Ate
As the people of God assemble today may they look for all that the locusts have destroyed to be returned to them. May they speak expectantly to one another of the Word of God and His promises and look forward into days to come to bring Father’s promise of restoration. Joel 2:25a, Amp — “And I will compensate you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”
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