Most of us accept that an army can only succeed if the soldiers submit to authority.
Susie Larson says the same is true of Christians as members of the army of God.
An earthly army would quickly lose a war if soldiers decided they would only obey orders that they like and reject others.
"When answers seem slow to come, when the battle rages on, and when we wonder why the enemy continues to harass as like he does, we need to step back and take an inventory of our attitudes and actions," says Larson in her book Your Powerful Prayers: Reaching the Heart of God with a Bold and Humble Faith. "Our choices are often our biggest roadblocks to a thriving, powerful prayer life."
I ask myself: Are there issues in my life where I insist on doing things my way - no matter what God says? Am I hanging onto things that run counter to what God is telling me?
Larson offers a checklist for me and other believers to consider. Do we hold a grudge; refuse to forgive; complain and grumble; usurp God-given authority; disobey; gossip; embrace selfish pride and selfish ambition; and embrace envy and jealousy?
There are a few in that list that give me a twinge.
"We are citizens of the Lord's army, and like it or not, we need to stay in rank and respect God's order of things," she writes.
One of the most telling scriptures is Psalm 66:18: "If I had cherished sin my heart, the Lord would not have listened."
Cherishing suggests holding onto something and defending it against all comers.
The first step to getting back in rank in the Lord's army is to "surrender our hearts, our agendas, and our toxic attitudes" to God, says Larson.
"First he helps us win the battle within, where battles are won or lost. Then he teaches us to stand in the authority he has given us."
She quotes A.W. Tozer who said: "Strange as it may seem, we often win over our enemies only after we have first been soundly defeated by the Lord himself."
The evil one is out to destroy us. He will use whatever openings we give him to bring us down and keep us from praying with power.
As the apostle James says in James 4:7: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
James is telling me that when I am submitted to the Lord, I can resist Satan and he will leave me alone.
Once we are submitted to God, we can better determine his will in our lives. And once we know and pray according to his will, we are promised in 1 John 14-15 that God will answer and give us what we request.
A timeless lesson for me.
Susie Larson says the same is true of Christians as members of the army of God.
An earthly army would quickly lose a war if soldiers decided they would only obey orders that they like and reject others.
"When answers seem slow to come, when the battle rages on, and when we wonder why the enemy continues to harass as like he does, we need to step back and take an inventory of our attitudes and actions," says Larson in her book Your Powerful Prayers: Reaching the Heart of God with a Bold and Humble Faith. "Our choices are often our biggest roadblocks to a thriving, powerful prayer life."
I ask myself: Are there issues in my life where I insist on doing things my way - no matter what God says? Am I hanging onto things that run counter to what God is telling me?
Larson offers a checklist for me and other believers to consider. Do we hold a grudge; refuse to forgive; complain and grumble; usurp God-given authority; disobey; gossip; embrace selfish pride and selfish ambition; and embrace envy and jealousy?
There are a few in that list that give me a twinge.
"We are citizens of the Lord's army, and like it or not, we need to stay in rank and respect God's order of things," she writes.
One of the most telling scriptures is Psalm 66:18: "If I had cherished sin my heart, the Lord would not have listened."
Cherishing suggests holding onto something and defending it against all comers.
The first step to getting back in rank in the Lord's army is to "surrender our hearts, our agendas, and our toxic attitudes" to God, says Larson.
"First he helps us win the battle within, where battles are won or lost. Then he teaches us to stand in the authority he has given us."
She quotes A.W. Tozer who said: "Strange as it may seem, we often win over our enemies only after we have first been soundly defeated by the Lord himself."
The evil one is out to destroy us. He will use whatever openings we give him to bring us down and keep us from praying with power.
As the apostle James says in James 4:7: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
James is telling me that when I am submitted to the Lord, I can resist Satan and he will leave me alone.
Once we are submitted to God, we can better determine his will in our lives. And once we know and pray according to his will, we are promised in 1 John 14-15 that God will answer and give us what we request.
A timeless lesson for me.
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