As I found myself in the hospital with a family member for the second time in nearly a month, a Scripture ran through my mind:

So Timothy, my son, I am entrusting you with this responsibility, in keeping with the very first prophecies that were spoken over your life, and are now in the process of fulfillment in this great work of ministry, in keeping with the prophecies spoken over you. With this encouragement use your prophecies as weapons as you wage spiritual warfare by faith and with a clean conscience. (1 Tm 1:18 TPT)

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“Wage a good war.”

So what does this mean? Paul was exhorting Timothy and telling him to remember the prophecies that had been spoken over him. He told Timothy to use the prophecies as weapons of warfare. Some translations call this waging a good war.  Prophetic words (prophecies)  point to the future, something that has yet to come. Where there are prophetic words of  destiny, oftentimes a war will come against it. Prophetic words can also be conditional words. When some words are given, oftentimes there needs to be action on our part as well.

Here is an example of a conditional word in the Bible:  IF if my people, who are called by my name, will humble  themselves and pray and seek my face  and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chr 7:14)

The word states IF we humble ourselves, pray, seek, turn from our wicked ways, only THEN will God hear, forgive, and heal.

Have you received a prophetic word? Has God promised you something? God has promised me things I’ve yet to see, but I believe I will.

Just a few days ago I was re-reading through my old journals to remind myself of what the Lord has shared. Last summer, in 2019, the Lord shared a very encouraging word with me. It wasn’t just for me, but for my family, my city, and for our nation. It left me excited and full of expectancy…that is until 2020 came. Covid came, cities and churches shut down, our finances were hurting, business slowed down, we were in need of healing. One thing piled on top of another. Is it possible I heard wrong? Did God lie when he shared that word ? Absolutely not!

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As I read through my journals and remembered “wage the good war,” I put two and two together. I decided it’s time to wage war concerning the words God gave me over my family, city, and nation. You might say, ” how can you wage war with prophecies?” Here’s how you can use the promises and words God has given you to wage a good war using a biblical concept called remembrance.

God is not forgetful.

He remembers His promises. We, on the other hand, tend to forget at times. In the Bible, Moses often had to remind the Israelites of God’s faithfulness. This caused them to remember everything the Lord had done. Nehemiah also asked God to remember His promises (Neh 1:8)  Isaiah 62:6 AMPC says, ” I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, who will never hold their peace day or night; you who [are His servants and by your prayers] put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silence.” Intercessors often remind God of his promises. Don’t grow silent!

Take communion.

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you. The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood;do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” There is no power in the elements themselves, they are only symbolic. The real power of communion is in remembering Christ’s sacrifice. (1 Cor 11:23-25)

Rebuild the altars.

God never fails! Remember who your God is. In Exodus 20:24, God instructs Moses to build him an altar. He says, “Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you.” This is the altar of remembrance. This altar is built when we take time to remember what God has done for us.  I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.  (Ps 77:11,12) What God has done before, he can surely do again. Remembering stirs your faith to believe once more. When we rebuild this altar we are saying, “Oh Lord, do it again!”

Again I pose the question, what has God promised you? What prophetic promise are you clinging to? Has God promised you restoration for your family? Has He promised you something over your city, or the nation? Did God promise that your prodigals are coming home? If yes, then it’s time to wage a good war for that word.

If you are facing warfare and it looks like the opposite of what God has promised you, it’s time to wage the good war. The enemy would love you to forget about those promises and make you believe that God lied to you. God is not the Father of lies, satan is. (Jn 8:44) There is NO truth in him. Don’t focus on what the enemy is doing, instead remind God of His promises in prayer, and then remember how He has been with you through thick and thin. Remember His faithfulness to meet your needs. Remember how He has never left you, just like He promised. Take time to remember.

I love Psalm 103. It’s a song of thanksgiving, a song of praise, and yes a song of remembrance.

With my whole heart, with my whole life,

and with my innermost being,

I bow in wonder and love before you, the holy God!

2 Yahweh, you are my soul’s celebration.

How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness

you’ve done for me?

3 You kissed my heart with forgiveness, in spite of all I’ve done.

You’ve healed me inside and out from every disease.

4 You’ve rescued me from hell and saved my life.

You’ve crowned me with love and mercy.

5 You satisfy my every desire with good things.

You’ve supercharged my life so that I soar again

like a flying eagle in the sky!

(Ps 103:1-5 TPT)