So, what is next? Is it time to settle back down? Or is it time to plow, plant, reap, maintain, and disciple the Harvest?

We have been called as the Church to go from the victory Christ has won to victory, but this can only be done if we push back darkness (from skirmishes to major invasions) to possess the land. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world” (1 John 5:4-5). “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

View Comments (5)

Visit your state page to pray.

Jesus is our Commander in Chief and He leads the way when we are in tune with His heart desires. He appeared to Joshua in His pre-incarnate state with a drawn sword, stating when Joshua asked if He was friend or Foe, “I am Commander-in Chief of the Lord’s army” (Joshua 5:14).

We know the devil is very familiar with our tendencies to lose our tenacity, perseverance, and determination when it seems all is looking good or all seems lost. The church has proved him to be right in these areas. He has no problem waiting it out.

These are some examples where the devil waited and got hold of most of the people.

We are all familiar with the account of Joshua and Caleb, who ventured into the promised land along with 10 other spies in Numbers 13. The majority only saw the challenges. Here the devil used their five senses and created a collective fear of the giants who inhabited the land. They couldn’t see God in their panic, but Joshua and Caleb saw the possibilities through the eyes of their faith in God’s power to help them defeat the giants. Let us remember we have been given all that we need to live a victorious life, but we have to know exactly what that means practically.

Then there is the case of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32. The Israelites had witnessed amazing miracles, they saw the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day following them, their pursuing enemies had been drowned in the sea, and they were most likely rejoicing and looking forward to a wonderful life with few problems. However, Moses was taking a long time talking to God and it seems that the saying “they left Egypt, but Egypt didn’t leave them” syndrome overcame a lot of them.

The saddest and most difficult to understand part was this: why did Aaron, Moses’ brother and High Priest, succumb to the pressures from the people, despite all the miracles they witnessed. They then attributed their escape from Egypt to the gods they created. So we see the strength of Egyptian paganism even in Aaron’s response. He then insults God further by building an altar in front of the calf and announced to the Israelites there would be a festival to the Lord.

This had become an unholy mixture and the results were displays of unholy indulgences and revelry.

What happened? They were enjoying freedom without discipline and the leader was overwhelmed. Usually, people that have been enslaved spiritually, mentally or physically, have got to be guided by mature leaders that help them to deal with the new freedom, based solidly on the Word mixed with faith.

Galatians 5:13 says, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” We thank God that we have Christ living in us, but the devil knows where to put the pressure in our lives since he knows our individual and family weaknesses and can exploit them in our homes, families and our work places. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.” This is the solution to the devil’s attacks: seal the avenues he can use by handing ourselves to the Lord.

I looked at Jesus’ example in Luke 4:13 where it says the devil “departed from Him until an opportune time.” If he has to wait for another generation he will, but we don’t want to be the ones to find out.

According to the Bible, the devil waited for an “opportune time” to return to Jesus because he recognized that Jesus was strong and resistant to temptation, so he would only try to tempt him again when the circumstances seemed most favorable, potentially when Jesus was physically or emotionally vulnerable, or facing a significant challenge, allowing the devil a better chance of finding a weakness to exploit.

He came back to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when He was preparing to go to the Cross and once again the devil was defeated, though he really didn’t see it coming until Jesus was resurrected. 

What are some of the things we learn from the temptation in the wilderness, seen in Matthew 4?

• Fasting is crucial, as we use it to consecrate ourselves to God, to help our spiritual tuning, and to sharpen our eyes of faith.
• We must have knowledge of the whole counsel of God, not just a few scriptures, because the devil has a twisted version of the word that can only be discerned by the Holy Spirit living in us and us being ACTIVELY engaged with Him. In the USA, we have more of the word of God in every format available than we ever have in the past, yet there is much ignorance about its vital truths.
• We must prioritize the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then we are not thinking of personal gain.
• Spending quality time with God helps us to resist temptation so we can sense it coming ahead of time and God opens a way of escape.  After all, Galatians 2:20 reminds us we have been crucified with Christ. Paul writes in this passage, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” There are lots of other good nuggets to glean from this passage.

The Devil Is Strategic

The devil does not attack arbitrarily, but rather as a calculated adversary waiting for the perfect moment to strike. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Study the spiritual weapons God has given us and let Him show us how to use them properly. He has given us everything we need to live holy lives. “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

Human Vulnerability

We are more susceptible to temptation when we are tired, stressed, or facing difficult situations. It is good to be intentional about observing our thoughts under certain conditions and documenting them. Does the Word of God or praise bubble up inside you when times are tough? Do you run to Him for cover?

Ask yourselves: What can generate these situations (circumstances that can be avoided and those that can’t)? Our own internal battles? What are our blind spots, family dynamics, community dynamics? Are we walking in the Spirit or have we entered our human capacity to deal with issues?

Let us pray;

We pray for our individual and corporate vulnerabilities and blind spots to be exposed. Expose all community prejudices, blind spots, compromises, and lies we have believed because that is what has been said in the community for a very long time.

I would like us to consider what Charles Finney taught in his book Power, Passion and Prayer:

Whenever by sin you withhold from God what is due to Him, you as really rob God as any man can steal from a merchant’s drawer. God owns all men and their services in a far higher sense that that in which the merchant owns the money in his drawer. God rightfully claims the use of all your talents, wealth and time for Himself-for His own Glory and the good of His creatures.

The prayer of a sinner;

Here I am Lord; I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly. I am ashamed that I have used up so much of Thy time, have consumed in sin so much of that strength of mind and body which is thine; ashamed that I have employed these hands and this tongue and all these members of my body in serving myself and Satan; and have wrested them away from Thy service: Lord, I have done wickedly and meanly; thou seest that I am ashamed of myself, and I feel that I have wronged Thee beyond expression.

We thank you that You are merciful and willing to restore our past, if we are surrendered to you completely, no turning back to the vomit of the pig pen.

We need to pray the church doesn’t drop the momentum and get tangled up in non-essentials!

I would also like to reference an interview with George Otis Jr on Citywide Transformation/Overflow Podcast 1.

He was called to find out two things: Why does darkness linger where it does and why does the Lord linger where He does?

He said prayer is the key factor in transformation, but also His presence.

What attracts His presence to a community?

Our prayer as Your Ekklesia: Lord, stimulate in us an increased appetite for those things that attract Your presence. Reveal to us what they are, Lord. Where there is a lack of appetite for Your presence, Lord, remove those obstacles that we have ignorantly placed in our way as stumbling blocks and expose where the devil has a footing in our lives.

Help us to remove or limit the influence of those other good things that we are hungrier for that a true spiritual awakening. Help us to understand that engaging in spiritual awakening is not part time, but help us to abandon ourselves to the cause of preparing the Way of the Lord. Isaiah 40:3 Let us therefore, be the voice of one calling out, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness[remove the obstacles];Make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God…”

Help us not to fall into the trap of talking about the state of the community and then what can be done to solve it, leaving the solutions to social and political activity without the essential intel from Your heart. Open our eyes that we don’t go down the slippery slope of thinking we are the transformers and not God.

We also pray Lord that when You move, our religious mindsets will not be used to quench, resist or grieve Holy Spirit. Help us to not be caught up in our routines so that they can become stumbling blocks as we navigate true revival. May the revival we pray for turn into awakening and transformation, with fruit that remains. We ask You to raise up an obedient and willing people with fire in their bones. In Jesus Name, Amen.

What did you think of this article? Share your own prayers and revelations with us below.

(Elizabeth Ojutiku is IFA’s Georgia State Prayer Leader. Photo Credit: Timothy Eberly on Unsplash)