Author: John Page 102 of 164

Ephesians 6:13-18 “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”

God offers us the strategic blueprint to fight our battles. We are to employ truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, the gospel, the Spirit, and the Word. Yet, there is one strategic element that underlies it all – prayer. It is the most powerful of all weapons, and must be a ubiquitous part of our battles – big and small.

But wait, how often do we fail to employ this war-winning weapon? How often do we enter into battle with other weapons, while the decisive one stays sheathed? What wars are we waging while the pivotal weapon remains holstered?

In the midst of a critical year for our nation, Christians must bring out the big guns. We must unleash our most powerful weapons. We must engage while employing every strategic element. We must exhaust everything we have. We must enter the battle with our full force. We must leave nothing in reserve. We must attack our enemy on all fronts.

We must pray like America depends upon it. It does!

PLEASE EMPLOY PRAYER ON THE FRONT LINES OF AMERICA’S BATTLES. Praying always should be more than a guide for our strategy. It is our strategy!

SET YOUR ALARM: If you’re alarmed (that Christians preach far more about praying than they practice praying), set your alarm (to pray for our nation)!
SET YOUR ALARM: If you’re alarmed (that the Planned Parenthood President is praising Obama’s Supreme Court nominee), set your alarm (to pray for our nation)!

Deuteronomy 28:7 “The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.”

The news of the colonists’ victory in Boston spread quickly throughout the land. The March 30th Philadelphia Evening Post declared the following:

“To the wisdom, firmness, intrepidity, and military abilities of our admirable and beloved general, his Excellency George Washington, Esq.; to the assiduity, skill, and bravery of our other worthy generals and officers of the army; and to the hardiness and gallantry of the soldiery, is to be ascribed, under God, the glory and success of our arms, in driving from one of the strongest holds in America, so considerable a part of the British Army.”

This victory gave encouragement to the weary and boldness to the hesitant. It greatly grew the cause of independence and gave the colonists a vision of the possible. The British loss started to sow seeds of doubt in their minds.  All of it was the result of a brief period of bold initiative by a largely untrained but faithful, hardy, and gallant colonist militia.

Christian victories in America, no matter how small, can give encouragement to the weary and boldness to the hesitant. It can greatly grow the cause of Christ and give other Christians a vision of the possible. Even a small loss can start to sow seeds of doubt in the minds of our adversaries. All of this can be the result of a brief period of bold initiative by an untrained but faithful, hardy, and gallant Christian militia.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE BOLDNESS TO ACT IN A WAY THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE AND EMBOLDEN OTHERS. Our acts of faithfulness, hardiness, and gallantry can quickly spread throughout our land.

Psalm 118:23 “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

The British quickly planned for evacuation (see previous two posts), though under constant threat of attack from the American position on Dorchester Heights. Occasionally, like on the night of March 9^th, the rebels tirelessly bombarded the British positions providing further motivation for retreat. When the British were ready for immediate evacuation, the weather prevented even that.

Then on the morning of March 17^th, 120 British ships departed Boston harbor in a full evacuation on a calm and clear day that allowed the colonists to enjoy a favorable view of the British departure. Of the British evacuation, Abigail Adams wrote “surely it is the Lord’s doings and it is Marvelous in our Eyes.” The colonists had boldly stepped out by faith and the Lord had intervened on their behalf. God’s advantage allowed the onlookers to marvel at Him.

Imagine the marvelous sight of America’s return to Christianity. Imagine the marvelous sight of a full evacuation and retreat of our adversaries as they recognize our God-given advantage. Yet, in order for God’s advantage to be apparent it requires us to prayerfully and boldly step out by faith for Him. The LORD’s doing will then be unleashed, and it will be marvelous in our eyes.

PLEASE PREPARE FOR AND PROMPT GOD’S MARVELOUS WORKS THROUGH PRAYER AND BOLD FAITHFULNESS. He is marvelous, and our prayerful faithfulness can enable us to be eyewitnesses of His doings.

SET YOUR ALARM: If you’re alarmed (that we may face another ungodly presidential administration), set your alarm (to pray for our nation)!
SET YOUR ALARM: If you’re alarmed (that some “Christian” leaders are endorsing ungodly candidates), set your alarm (to pray for our nation)!

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

The capture of Dorchester Heights offered the colonists an ideal location over the British Bostonian position. The British couldn’t elevate their big guns high enough to attack the Americans though their own position in Boston was vulnerable to attack from above. Additionally, the colonist forces could easily observe every British movement. A member of the British forces wrote the following on March 5^th, 1776:

“This is, I believe, likely to prove as important a day to the British empire as any in our annals. We underwent last night a very severe cannonade, which damaged a number of houses, and killed some men. This morning at day break we discovered two redoubts on the hills of Dorchester Point, and two smaller works on their flanks. They were all raised during the night, with an expedition equal to that of the genie belonging to Aladdin’s wonderful lamp. From these hills they commanded the whole town, so that we must drive them from their post, or desert the place.”

Indeed, the British quickly planned a counterattack, all the while under the view of the colonists. Yet, the Lord intervened. The mild, calm weather of the night turned cold and blustery, with snow, sleet, and driving rain. Meanwhile, the colonists were able to strengthen their defenses. General Howe concluded: “I could promise myself little success by attacking them under all the disadvantages I had to encounter; wherefore I judged it most advisable to prepare for the evacuation of the town.” “Kind Heaven” (General William Heath) had thwarted the British.

In 21^st century America, we may feel outnumbered and outgunned. We may fear a counterattack in response to our attempts to take the initiative. Yet, we should trust in the Lord to intervene. We may find that the disadvantages facing our adversaries in response to the support of “Kind Heaven” may prompt them to prepare for evacuation.

PLEASE PRAY THAT CHRISTIANS WOULD ACT BOLDLY, NOT FEARING A COUNTERATTACK FROM OUR ADVERSARIES. “Kind Heaven” stands ready to intervene on our behalf.

John 9:4 “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

On the night of March 4^th, 1776, the colonial army worked in a miraculous way. From the sunset of March 4^th to the sunrise of March 5^th, the revolutionaries seized and fortified the Dorchester Heights area to the south of Boston, hauling tons of supplies and heavy guns and digging mazes of trenches and fortifications through frozen ground without the notice of British forces. God blessed this endeavor with atypically mild weather that eased their burden, haze in the low lands that shielded their movements, and a full-moon-lit-night in the hills that guided their efforts.

It was a perfect movement to gain the strategic high ground and a moral victory on the one-year anniversary of the Boston Massacre. Of these efforts, General William Heath commented: “perhaps there never was so much work done in so short a space of time.” The Americans had worked quickly and diligently, brilliantly seizing the initiative and delivering a decisive impact.

It is time for Christian Americans to seize the initiative in our land. We must work quickly and diligently in order to seize the initiative from our adversaries. We must not continue to yield the initiative to others, but instead must act boldly and pray fervently to deliver a decisive impact.

PLEASE PRAY FERVANTLY AND ACT BOLDLY TO WRESTLE BACK THE INITIATIVE FOR CHRIST IN THIS LAND. We don’t have much time before our adversaries seal their victory, but much can be done in so short a space of time.

SET YOUR ALARM: If you’re alarmed (that based on the potential nominees, we may be morally unable to vote for a candidate from either party for president) set your alarm (to pray for our nation)!

See this prior post for a previous thought on seizing the initiative: https://prayatlunch.us/initiative/