There are many times in our life when we’re thrust into a spiritual battle. Things can be going well, and then all of a sudden m we find ourselves being shell shocked by a bombardment of attacks. It can sometimes take me some time before I realize what’s truly going on. I then start reaching for my weapons of praise music, prayer and fasting to start fighting back. I’ve found that there’s another weapon we hard,y use. It’s the weapon of thanksgiving. When we start giving thanks to God, we create an atmosphere where faith can grow. We shift our perspective from shock and awe of what’s happening to us to our Father in Heaven who can give us the victory. When we use the weapons of thanksgiving, we stop our complaining, which invites fear and worry. Thanksgiving begins to shift the outcome of the war.
In 2 Chronicles 20, word came to King Jehoshaphat that vast army had entered their land and was headed for them. He immediately was afraid and turned his attention toward Heaven and began to pray. He asked the rest of the people to join him in prayer too. In verse 12 he prayed, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless against this great multitude which is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (AMP). Then the Spirit of the Lord came on someone and God began speaking to them to go into battle. When the marched towards the enemy, Jehoshaphat sent singers out in front of them and they began to sing, “Praise and give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.” When they sang this song of thanksgiving, God moved and destroyed their enemy.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.” Too often our prayers are formed from words of anxiousness, fear and worry. Here Paul reminds us to remove those things and to replace them with thanksgiving. He understood that we must Include thanksgiving in our prayers when we are under attack. A grateful heart activates the power of God on our behalf and He begins to fight our battle for us. Thanksgiving shifts our speech, our prayers and perspective. When you’re overwhelmed, begin to thank God for what He has done and is doing. The battle will shift and God will give you the victory.
Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 