A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. - Psalm 91:7-8
Imagine you are in a battlefield and all around you soldiers are being slain. On one side, you see a thousand fall. On the other, ten thousand crumple one by one to the ground. You hear screams as bullets find their targets.
It is a disturbing picture and I thank God that the majority of us have not had to experience the horrors of being in a physical combat zone. But that does not mean that we are not under attack nor does it mean that we do not see death claiming its victims all around us.
We are assaulted daily from all directions by tragic news flashes, by doctors’ reports, and by attacks of the devil launched at us. And every day, we see casualties around us as we read about people dying in accidents, and attacks, or of diseases. Please understand that I’m not in any way suggesting that such occurrences are equivalent to the experiences of those who may have been in wars. What I do want to establish is that believers are in a spiritual war, and we should not be ignorant of the enemy’s tactics.
When the enemy attacks you, do you recognise his weapons? The projectiles he shoots may not come with arrowheads or be filled with gunpowder, but they are no less deadly. His weapons come in the form of crippling thoughts and crushing fears. When you hear about a plane crash and are paralysed by the thought that your next plane ride might be your last, you have been shot. When you read about a shooting at a concert venue and fear going near one in case the same thing happens to you, a “bullet” has been lodged in your mind.
I want to teach and equip you to combat these oppressive thoughts. Unfortunately, many believers who may experience these dark thoughts allow them to take root and grow. They water them with worry, fertilise them with anxiety, and allow them to sun for hours in their mind. How? By replaying the bad thoughts over and over again and letting them go on and on like a broken record. As a result, these believers can't sleep, they suffer from chronic panic attacks, and they might even develop autoimmune and psychosomatic conditions. What begins in the mind can take root in your heart and can even lead to adverse effects on your physical body. When those negative thoughts come your way, you must not give them time to take root!
Today's Prayer
Father God, thank You for revealing to me that I am in a spiritual battle with an enemy I cannot see but who attacks me with crippling thoughts and crushing fears. Thank You for Your Word that teaches and equips me to combat these oppressive thoughts. Help me to focus on Your love and Your promises for me so that these dark, negative thoughts do not take root in my heart. Amen.
Today's Thought
I choose to be rooted in God's promises of love and protection for me, rather than allow the oppressive thoughts of the enemy to take root in my heart.
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Prince, Joseph. The Prayer of Protection Devotional: Daily Strategies for Living Fearlessly In Dangerous Times.