Internal Battle

Read: Revelation 1

"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." Revelation 1:17

Examine:

John was able to witness Jesus in His glory. What he saw forced him to the ground and shocked him to the point that he laid as if he were dead. Then, John experienced the true greatness of Jesus. Jesus did not use His power and glory to intimidate or press John. Jesus reached out, touched him, and reminded him that they were on the same team. The darling of heaven and the King of all glory placed His right hand on John and said, "Get up friend, we have a job to do."

Apply:

I am sitting this morning with a weight on my shoulders that is unlike any strain I have ever known. I open my mouth to draw in air but the tightness in my chest refuses to loosen its grip around my lungs. My thoughts are in total chaos as they are torn apart by the violent war being fought between my flesh and the Spirit of God within me. It is mornings like this that I am reminded of just how little my view of Jesus is and loosely I connect with Him. I, like John, need to see Jesus for who He is. I need the darling of heaven and the King of all glory to reach out, touch my shoulder, and say, "Get up friend, we have a job to do."

Pray:

In moments when I do not know how to pray I am deeply comforted by the fact that Your Word says the Spirit prays on my behalf. It is You, Holy Spirit, that I need right how. I ask that You visit me in all Your strength and might. I need Your help and guidance.

My thoughts are no longer captive. They have broken loose and are trying to process the images I am seeing and discern the direction God is leading me. I pray that You coral them and place them under submission. I am no longer hidden in the shadows. Satan has set His sights on me and has not missed the chance to test my faith. I ask that You strengthen me to resist him and lead me back to the secret place of my God in heaven.

The direction of the next few days is critical. I do not fear failure, loss, or death. I fear missing Your voice and hurting those I love. Do what needs to be done in me this morning to lead me to a place where I can clearly hear Your voice and be absolute in the mission that is before me. Above all things I ask that my image of Jesus not limit my willingness to say yes. I want to live this life all in, all out, until I am all done.