Maria
May 9, 2005
GN 1131 FD/MM/FM
By Maria FD/MM/FM 3533 3/05
When you feel you cannot continue in your position for another minute, and all that is in human power has been done‚ that is the moment when the enemy is most exhausted, and when one step forward will give you the fruits of the struggle you have borne.
—Sir Winston Churchill
Dearest Family,
1. Welcome to another lesson with our Commander in Chief on the art of war! Through this instruction the Lord is helping us to change our attitudes from being defensive to going on the offensive. It probably hasn't been an overnight change for you, and you're probably still working hard to build these new habits the Lord is instructing us in. We're going to have to consciously work to make these changes. But with time, you're going to become very effective in your fight against the Enemy, very skilled in using your spiritual weapons.
2. One thing we need to learn in order to be good fighters is endurance. Not all battles are won the minute you start fighting them, even if you are fighting correctly.
3. We have someone in one of our WS Homes who has been very sick over the last year. The Lord revealed the spiritual entities that were fighting her—Drought and Irrazzmon, as well as the spirit helpers who would defeat them, Almathor and Elixor. We have been praying against the demons and claiming the assistance of her heavenly helpers, and she has been learning a lot about becoming a fighter. But, like many others who are fighting long-term illness, she has also had to endure.
4. There are many situations similar to this where the Lord uses battles that continue for a time to teach you a lot. When you're going through it, it seems very long. But by the end of the battle, you're a much better fighter, you've got a lot of experience under your belt, and usually you wouldn't trade that for anything. But getting there is difficult! You have to endure. And when you're in the heat of battle, you just want to escape. You want it to be over and done with. You want peace.
5. When we were seeking the Lord about what He wanted to share with us next in the realm of becoming offensive fighters, He said:
6. (Jesus:) Before you‚ My proactive fighters, get too much further in your advanced war training, I want to remind you that not all victories are going to be quick. Even if you're giving it all you've got, really fighting well and using all the weapons in your arsenal, sometimes the battles last a while‚ and that's not necessarily because you're failing or falling short.
7. Sometimes it's because I want to use the prolonged battles to strengthen you. Sometimes it's a test of faith. Sometimes there are other precious lessons that I want you to learn from that time—lessons on compassion‚ understanding, humility, dependence on Me. Sometimes I use heavy and protracted battles to bring things back into focus in your life and help you realign your priorities, and thus be much more fruitful overall.
8. You have to fight, you have to give it your all, but you also have to pray for endurance and not give up when the victories aren't quick and easy‚ because they won't always be.
9. So before any of you, My fighters, get overly idealistic about the battles, having learned some new fighting techniques, I want to remind you that using these techniques doesn't mean the battles will always vanish or be over quickly. You will be much more victorious than you have been—even if it means being victorious in the midst of battle. You will make a lot more spiritual progress. You will be strengthened through the battles rather than weakened. And when it's My time to give you big victories, you will be doing your part and you will be in position to receive them. But victories won't always be quick, and that's just a part of a soldier's life.
10. That's the trick: learning to have a fighting, proactive attitude, fighting to win‚ and yet not getting discouraged when the battles keep coming. That's taking on the true mentality of a fighter, and that's when My purpose is accomplished and fulfilled through you.
11. (Mama:) We asked the Lord to give us some counsel on how we can learn to endure. What are the keys to having and building up endurance? What are some tips to make it easier? How can you tell the difference between when you're not fighting effectively and need to change your fighting style, and when you're doing all you can and just need to keep fighting and pray for endurance?
12. (Jesus: ) Ah, endurance! How I love it when My brides hold on through tough fights, refusing to quit even when it seems there is no victory in sight. My heart thrills to the courage of those who continue to fight tenaciously through battles, trials, difficulties, attacks, or sicknesses, even though the victory sometimes does not seem to come.
13. Endurance is the ultimate in faith. Endurance is saying to Me that although you don't see My answer yet, you know that it is coming and you will last as long as needed until I finally deliver you.
14. But one thing no one ever said about endurance was that it was easy. No one has ever been born a master of endurance. The tenacity to stick it out through pain and anguish and to fight through hard battles toward a goal is a skill that is developed through practice, hard work, prayer, and wielding your weapons through lots of difficulties and hardships. You need a steel will that will persevere in prayer, claiming the keys of clear vision to help you see the end result and refuse to give up before you obtain the blessing.
15. Why is this skill so important, you might wonder? The skill of learning to endure tough battles, even protracted battles, is important because you are getting closer to the End. Part of getting closer to the End is that the Enemy's power is increasing, the spiritual battles are waxing hotter, and in many cases the answers will be slower in coming—to test your faith, as a witness to the world of your faith that refuses to quit, and also to allow the Enemy his last days, what I have promised in the Bible that I would allow him.
16. As you come closer to the End you will see that although there will be instances of on-the-spot miracles and supernatural and immediate outpourings of miracle power, there will also be other cases where you will need great patience to stick it out and keep fighting in spirit until My purpose is accomplished, your testimony is complete, or the conditions are right for you to obtain victory and find the relief you need.
17. In other words, I haven't called it the Great Tribulation for nothing! If you're destined to go through those days, and even live and fight in these days leading up to that time, you're going to have to be tough soldiers, ready to wield My power in an instant and be able to be humble enough to not get puffed up when I work awesome miracles through you.—Yet at the same time, be willing to fight long battles against the Enemy when there don't seem to be instant miracles, and to hold your ground steadfastly and not lose your faith when I don't deliver you immediately.
18. The prophet Daniel had to hold on for three weeks while an angel wrestled with the prince of Persia. That kind of battle is going to come upon you more frequently, and so I desire to strengthen your spiritual endurance and prepare you to not lose your confidence when I don't rescue you prematurely.
19. There is something important that you need to know when you face long battles. Before you can say, "I have done what I could, now I'm just going to stand on God's promises and wield my spiritual weapons for however long it takes‚ I refuse to give up‚" and determine to endure—before you take that kind of stand, you need to know that you have truly done all that you could, and that what is preventing your deliverance or victory is truly something beyond your control, and not some oversight of yours, some lack or deficiency in your fighting strategy.
20. Here's how to know the difference: Generally speaking‚ you haven't done what you could until you've used each and every weapon at your disposal, and used them consistently.
21. Before you resign yourself to a long, tough battle, you should ask yourself questions like:
• Have I heard from the Lord about this battle and what I can do to gain the victory?
• Have I identified which spiritual foes are fighting me so that I can resist them by name?
• Have I received specific spirit help for this battle?
• Have I humbled myself to get united prayer?
• Do I have unconfessed sins, bitterness, pride, or any other spiritual blockages in my life that could hinder the Lord's blessing‚ and have I asked the Lord about it?
• Have I gone to the Word on the topic of whatever subject I'm battling about‚ to strengthen my faith?
• Have I studied up on fighting effectively and examined my heart about whether I'm applying the Word on the topic?
• Have I been willing to ask the Lord what other steps I should take, such as setting safeguards for myself, asking others to help me, requesting a prayer chain, fasting and spending time in desperate prayer, etc.?
• Am I weak in faith due to compromise or disobedience or excessive System input, and should I be stronger in those areas?
22. If you haven't done these things, then chances are you haven't done all that you can. In that case, what might be standing in the way of you obtaining a victory might not be the Enemy or his attacks. It might be My will to deliver you. But there might be something missing on your part, something you can do, such as more fully employing all of the spiritual weapons at your disposal and asking Me what more I am expecting you to do to gain victory.
23. But if you have heard from Me, and called on your spirit helpers, rebuked specific hinderers, and have held a spiritual housecleaning in order to prepare your heart for My blessings and power‚ but the answer has still not arrived, then you can know that you have done what you could, and what is left to you is to hold on anyway and stand your ground in the power of My Spirit, resisting the Enemy and refusing to be overwhelmed and defeated until you are delivered.
24. Often this kind of fight has to do with physical afflictions, like long-term illnesses, or even life-threatening ones. Sometimes there are spiritual afflictions like pride, negativity, jealousy, etc.—besetting sins that you seem to have to always fight no matter what spiritual power you have wielded against them.—Or battles having to do with circumstances, that I expect you to persevere in, even though they are not your cup of tea and you'd rather be delivered from them. I have instead chosen to deliver you through them and to teach you many things in the process. These kinds of battles can be long term, and they can be the sort of fight where it is My will for you to be tested in your endurance, to see how long you will fight in faith whether you have evidence of victory or not.
25. These battles are a great honor. To any who fight in this way, I tell you that you are highly esteemed in My sight to be given the gift of a battle of endurance. You have passed many other tests successfully and have thus been handpicked for the special honor of this test of faith. I want to prove you faithful before the hosts of Heaven, as I did with Job‚ to show that although you are nearly slain‚ yet you trust in Me.
26. Don't forget that your time on Earth is very short compared to eternity, and that above all it is a testing ground, a school, and a demonstration to the entire universe. Life is not guaranteed to be easy. Life is full of tests and battles, and someone who endures through long or seemingly endless battles and tests of faith is a powerful testimony to all the watching hosts of Heaven. It's a testimony of the kind of faith that truly pleases God—the kind of "but if not" faith that endures endless difficulties because it believes in My promises and in My goodness and faithfulness to deliver‚ no matter what the circumstances look like.
27. You might feel as if you're suffering for eternities, but when it's over‚ it will not have seemed so long in the overall scope of things. When you get up here and the whole spectrum of life and reality is revealed to you, you'll be glad that you went through what you did, because the strength of faith that you gain is priceless, and the strength of faith that you impart to others, both on Earth and in Heaven, when they watch your valiant struggle, is priceless.
28. Don't let it surprise you that what you go through can teach lessons to those in My heavenly realm and inspire them. If Satan was able to persuade a third of the angels to follow him in rebellion against Me, it is obvious that even angels' minds are not above changing, or at least persuasion. They aren't weak, but they are not so sinless and perfect that they cannot be motivated and spurred on by a good sample that they see from someone in your realm. They know the difficulties you face in having to believe and take by faith what they see every day with their eyes.
29. So when you go through one of these long–term battles and you've done all in your power to overcome, but you're left to fight on in faith, know that you're instructing angels and great numbers of heavenly helpers who are motivated by your faith and your conviction and your fighter's spirit. They're motivated to likewise trust Me more, do more for Me, and serve Me with greater love and fervor.
30. There is also the obvious benefit to your own heart and spirit. Long‚ enduring battles bring out the best in you, if you're fighting them correctly and keeping your faith strong in Me. They draw out compassion, humility‚ desperation, understanding, and gentleness. They teach maturity of spirit. They test and prove your faith to the point that it is real gold faith. That is so precious to Me.
31. They are also a testimony to the world that your faith is real. Even the world knows that it's easy to proclaim your faith when days are sunny and peaceful. But when you're faced with severe trials and tests and yet you hold on to Me and proclaim My goodness, that is when people sit up and take notice and realize that there's something special about what you have. They realize the depth of your love for Me and our connection. Sometimes I allow you to go through the fire just as a testimony and witness to others of your love for Me and how powerful My Word is, that through our connection you are able to endure.
32. All that to say, such battles are never pointless. There is so much good that comes out of the severe trying of your faith, and the times that I seem to not be answering your prayers. "That's all well and good," you might say, "but how do we make it through such trying times? How do we prepare ourselves to push onward through these battles with sickness or attacks of the Enemy or persecutions that seem to go on and on and on with no end in sight? How do we not get discouraged and lose the victory?"
[Box:]
33. (Jesus:) The deeper you get into the Endtime, the more you will see manifestations of the spiritual realm in the physical world. The more you yourselves walk in the spirit, the more attuned you will be to the spiritual forces behind almost everything you see. It will even get to the point that your senses are so spiritually aware that you will see the workings of the spirit world quite well at times. You will peer beyond the veil quite often and see the reality that moves and shapes the physical world. All this will come in time and will not be a fearful thing for you, My children, but it will be an aid to your service for the good.
[End of box]
34. Besides using all the spiritual weapons at your disposal and asking Me what the keys to victory are for you in each situation, one very important key to enduring long, hard battles is regular practice with your spiritual weapons, regular Word‚ and regular fighting—especially in prayer. Specifically this means to build up your endurance through determining to push on longer through each battle than you did in the past, to fight harder each time than the time before, and slowly, like a runner, you can go for longer distances without breaking down and surrendering and losing your will to fight.
35. The "breaking points" in a battle are different in each case, depending on the battle, but there are always some. There are always points of defeat, where you could surrender to the Enemy and let him have his way‚ or else you could push through and gain the advantage. For instance, in a battle against jealousy, the breaking point might be when you voice the bad thoughts you've been having and rail on someone, making them feel bad; or you vent your frustration or anger, choosing to yield to your feelings rather than what you know you should be doing.
36. If it's a battle against doubts, a breaking point might be when you are tempted to stop fighting them with the Word, and stop fighting to believe the Word and voice your doubts to others who aren't strong in the Word. The breaking point in a battle for health might be when you faint in your mind and let fear grip you that I will never heal you and that you're going to be sick forever. Those are the types of reactions and actions you must avoid by a committed program of trying to improve the length of time you hold out against them.
37. It's nothing new to try to fight a battle until it's over and you win. The key to greater effectiveness in such endeavors, however, is to be more aware of the flow of the battle and your responses. By that I mean to realize when the battle has hit you, and when you get to either the victory or the breaking point‚ and try to improve on that result the next time you are attacked. Analyze what made you give up the fight last time, what wrong decision brought about the loss of that particular battle or that setback in the battle. You have to almost get scientific about it and really think about it‚ pray about it, and have Me analyze your results for you so that you know whether you're getting better or weaker at fighting.
[Box:]
38. (Mama:) A couple of people had the question, "Does this mean that if you reach a breaking point and make the wrong decision, you've lost the whole battle? Or are there many breaking points in each battle, smaller ones—ones you certainly want to hold on through, but not the end of the world if you fail?"
39. (Jesus:) Each war is made up of battles, and each battle is made up of smaller skirmishes, hand-to-hand fights or raids, or bombing missions, all with the purpose of taking out the Enemy—and him trying to take you out, of course. In each skirmish, battle‚ or war, there are many times when either you can gain the advantage or you can give the advantage to the Enemy. I'm calling them all "battles" in this message, but in reality some are much bigger and more crucial than others, and every big battle is made up of many smaller battles. For example‚ if you have a weakness with jealousy that you're trying to overcome, the overall battle may be long—months or even years. But there are many smaller battles that you can fight and win one at a time; each time you're faced with a choice to share your mate, you will probably face a battle. And even in one evening you could face several little battles. So there is a range of degrees of battle. But in each one, there is at least one "breaking point" where you either push through to victory or you surrender ground to the Enemy.
40. Sometimes small decisions wind up losing you battles—and certainly if you keep making the wrong decisions consistently, you will wind up losing. But usually if you make one wrong decision you can get up and try again, recover from your wound, and reclaim the territory you've lost. It's a bit harder‚ it costs more, and you want to avoid having to go through that cycle if at all possible. But the war isn't lost by any means. That's what I'm talking about here. It's not the end of the world when you surrender a skirmish or a battle or make a wrong decision. But it's certainly something to avoid—and that's the point of the message, to hold on longer, to persevere more consistently, to fight for victory harder than last time.
41. If you, My soldiers‚ can do that, you will be much more effective fighters. You will taste victory much more often, and you will have tremendously increased your endurance level.
42. So study your fighting techniques! When you're pushed back or you lose a battle, it doesn't mean you've lost the war‚ but you should stop and analyze what went wrong, what you did that gave the Devil the advantage. And very often you'll find that it was a decision not to fight, or not to use your spiritual weapons‚ or it was a time when you gave in to whatever was besieging you rather than continuing to visualize the victory you desire and choosing to hold on with all you're worth.
43. When you see what went wrong, you'll want to strengthen your faith and fortify your defenses and hold on longer next time—claim another promise, stand another test‚ defy the Enemy one more time. Each time you do that, you'll increase in strength, and with time you'll be winning a whole lot more often. You'll come a lot closer to loving the battle, because you'll be a lot more victorious. It's worth it to endure!
[End of box]
44. Olympic athletes have trainers who measure everything they do. They measure their time in a race to within fractions of seconds, or they hook the athletes up to machines and measure their heart rate or other vital signs. They know that to be a champion in this day and age‚ statistics are vital, so you know whether you're progressing or not. That's what you need to do.
45. You need to determine at what point you lose the victory and let the Enemy walk all over you, and then determine to hold out longer next time. Formulate a plan to stave off that attack for one more minute, claim one more key, pray one more prayer, and do whatever it takes to not "lose it" next time. That's a real part of training for long battles—specifically practicing to go further and hold out longer than you did in the past.
46. You also need great doses of faith to hold on to in those trying times, and that comes from the Word and from doing all the things that are required of disciples, such as minimizing the influences of the world‚ fighting to take on My perspective in every test, taking on My mind more, memorizing, talking about the Word, and so on. These things equip you with the kind of solid foundation that you'll need when you're in the fires of testing and it doesn't look like you're coming out any time soon.
47. Another good way to build your faith is in the area of intercessory prayer. It's good to build your faith by continuing to pray for situations even when you think they're beyond hope or help, and continuing to send prayer power in that direction until I answer the request. I may not answer each request in the way you thought I would, but I do promise to always bring an answer, a resolution, and much good in the process.
48. You'd be surprised how often you lose faith in your prayers and just default to praying a token prayer for things and not really expect that I will do it. You pray because you feel it's your duty, but you don't really expect that things are going to change. Think about Mama's eyes, how for years you prayed for them again and again, until for many it became more like a ritual because you didn't really think after all this time that I would do it. You figured it was a "thorn in the flesh" situation and that that's just how it was.
49. But now, many years down the line, she is healed significantly, and although she still requests your prayers from time to time, I usually answer much more speedily and rapidly. She is upheld by your prayers and they work great miracles—but that wouldn't have ever happened if you had all lost faith and stopped praying because it took too long.
50. Some of you did lose the vision at some point, figuring that it no longer helped. But this must change. You must pray things through to completion, even when you're tested and it's two steps forward and one backwards, or two steps up and one down‚ or whatever the case. Practice exercising more faith by praying full-of-faith prayers regardless of the physical circumstances. Practice putting your faith and trust in Me into words. Keep stretching your faith to believe that I am working and bringing the answer, even though it takes a long time.
51. Prepare by stretching your faith and becoming tenacious in the battles you face here and now if you hope to endure some of the long battles that are ahead. If you find yourself regularly losing the fight now, giving up in spirit or losing the faith over small things, how will you hope to stand in the days that are coming?
52. To bring it down to real-life specifics, if getting a small thing like a bout of bad flu causes you to question My healing promises or the power of the keys because you don't recover as quickly as you had hoped, how will you make it when you or your loved one face a much more serious illness, or you are called upon for a public demonstration of My healing power?
53. You have to build your faith by trying not to lose it so quickly in these days of relative ease. Take things in stride more, have more faith, expect more answers, and all of these things will serve you well in the future. You can't lose the victory so often with small things or you won't have it for the big ones. For example, if you get the flu and it lingers‚ even though you pray over it and also do what you can in the natural, make a conscious effort to fight better this time than you did in the past, to not wonder and question why I haven't healed you as quickly as you wanted to be healed, and not let the Enemy in with his doubts, such as, "Why aren't the keys working for me? Why am I still sick?"
54. Trust Me instead and ride out the storm. The health of your faith is much more important than the health of your body. Your spiritual faith will sustain you and pull you out of many more tight spots than will the health and strength of your body. So strengthen that part of your life. Strengthen the part that really counts and don't let yourself hit the breaking point of discouragement and doubts early on in the fight.
55. When you are in a rough spot‚ ask yourself, "What would I do in a year if I was still having this problem?" Ask yourself at what point you would stop believing in Me. At what point would the sacrifice grow too great? Could you trust for three weeks but not four? Could you hold on for five months but not six? Where would you draw the line? The right answer, of course, is, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." And most of the time you can be happy that whatever you're going through probably isn't going to last a year, and so you might as well hold on for this short ride, so that you can make it when the long ones come.
56. You're capable of so much more than you think you are! So many of you think you're maxed out and have taken as much battling as you can, when you've barely even started. You haven't "resisted unto blood" yet, but you think you've had as much as you can possibly take.
57. Where's your faith? Where's your patience and quiet trust in Me? Some of you land in a new Home or situation and if you haven't found your groove in six months, you start freaking out about your destiny and whether you're in the right place and whether I'm blessing you, or whether your life is useless. What about Moses and his 40 years in the wilderness? Talk about learning faith by patience!
58. Some of you get so uptight about My not answering your every prayer and saving you from every tough spot, and you forget about all those great Christians through the ages who I allowed to stay in prison for years or decades upon end. They could have said, "The Bible says, 'I will deliver you from every evil work,' but You haven't delivered me, so I'm going to stop believing." But they didn't. They held on‚ and in one way or another, I delivered them, and their tenacity and their endurance has been a sample to the ages. And great is their reward here, for their endurance!
59. There's never a good time to lose the faith and give up the fight, figuring that I, your Husband and Protector, have just decided to sit this one out, and that no reinforcements are on their way. There is always an answer coming‚ so it's always worth standing and fighting for as long as it takes to get there. But without the right kind of faith, you're not going to be able to hold out all that time. Without a pure belief that if I say so, it is so, you're going to give up.
60. So work on your faith! Read My Word, and practice stretching your faith every day through prayer‚ through strengthening your weak areas, through attacking your doubts, and holding on while you hold Me to My Word. Really put some effort into it. Don't quit just before the finish line. Hold out! Endure! And great will be your reward.
61. (Mama:) Sometimes the victory the Lord is looking for is different from the victories we're hoping for. As good soldiers, it's our job to fight in whatever battles the Lord sends our way. And if we're wielding our spiritual weapons effectively, we can know we're doing damage to the Enemy and helping in the overall war, even if we don't think it's making any difference! Sometimes the victory the Lord is looking for is simply to strengthen our spirits, or He's using us as a testimony of faith to others.
62. We don't always see obvious victories, and that's when it becomes a real test of faith and endurance. But if you're faithfully checking in with the Lord and asking Him how you can fight most effectively, how you should be fighting today, then you can know you're doing all you can, and the rest is up to the Lord. That's when you have to pray for the keys of endurance to strengthen you, and determine to keep doing your best whether you ever see the answer or not!
63. The Lord gives some helpful tips on endurance in this next message.
64. (Jesus:) In some battles you just have to keep fighting even if the victory doesn't come right away‚ or even if the victory is never fully realized in this life. Take long-term health battles, for instance. Sometimes I don't heal you completely and I ask you to keep fighting. Some spiritual battles go on for a long time, and you've got to keep slogging through them even if you are using all your spiritual weapons effectively.
65. Sometimes a battle is a pivotal one for your life or work, and so the Enemy doesn't give up easily. Sometimes I let him test you to prove your faith. There are all kinds of reasons why the battles sometimes last longer than you would like them to.
66. Not every battle will be over the moment you begin to fight it. In some battles you'll just have to remain brave and determined to the end, putting up a good fight till I deliver you.
67. When it's a long-term battle, you need to call on the keys of endurance to help you fight as hard as necessary for as long as I deem necessary so I can say to you, "Well done!" It is not the length of the battle that matters; it's how you fight it and how you engage the Enemy that matters.
68. The keys of endurance will give you the strength and resolve to face the longer battles you will be faced with. The keys of endurance will keep you fighting at your optimum level even if you don't see the victory today, tomorrow, or ever in this life. You've got to keep going, being so convinced of the ultimate victory that you don't care what it costs you personally. You've got to believe that you will be rewarded for the fight, for the nerve to keep going in spite of what may even look to others like defeat.
69. Some battles you won't have an obvious victory over in this life—such as some long-term and life-threatening illnesses that I use to bring My brides and their loved ones closer to Me. I count some of those battles as that person's "martyrdom" and testimony of faith through affliction.
70. Remember Job? He said, "Even though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!" That's the kind of faith you need to have; that's the kind of endurance you need to have, whether you see the victory immediately or not. You've got to be willing to fight‚ no matter how long the battle goes on, because you're a soldier in My army and you know I will ultimately win the battle.
71. Not every battle is a long-term battle. Some battles can be won very quickly if you will use your spiritual weapons and fight. Some battles go on for a little longer, some for a lot longer. The important thing to find out is how you need to fight in each battle. Find out how you should be fighting, not how long you should be fighting for.
72. Regardless of how long the battle is going to last, you have to determine to fight for all you're worth, and determine to keep fighting until you see the victory. That's how you win victories. If the victory doesn't come when you thought it would, don't tire of the fight and lose faith, but keep going, keep fighting‚ remembering that I know the length of the battle. I know what you're going to face and what you can and can't endure.
73. If you find yourself in a long-term battle—for example, faced with a serious health problem that might even take your life, such as cancer—don't immediately say, "What's the use? I'm going to die anyway!" and give up. What kind of a soldier would that be? You've got to find out what you need to fight for, how you need to fight for it, and go about doing that. Maybe it will cost you your life; maybe that's the method through which you'll receive your reward in Heaven. Praise Me! Thank Me for it and then get busy fighting and making that reward the maximum it can be.
74. Find out how to fight the battle today. What are you faced with today and how should you fight it? Find out what I want you to fight against, then fight against that. Maybe I want you to fight for complete healing. Maybe I want you to be a testimony of dying grace. Either way, it's a victory in My eyes.
75. If you go down fighting, it's worth it! That's a battle well fought. That's a victory won! You never completely lost faith and gave in; you never quit, you never stopped fighting. Maybe that's My calling for you, to fight to the end, to be a sample of faith and courage and endurance.
76. Maybe your lot is not to be healed. Maybe you will not come back to full health from this illness. So what? Does it matter? It may matter to you because you didn't plan your life this way, but who's really in charge, you or Me? If I see fit to deliver you, then praise Me that you live to fight another day. If I choose to deliver you from this life through this battle‚ then praise Me for that release. Never doubt Me if you don't see what you wanted come to pass. Thank Me anyway and keep fighting till your last breath or till you get healed or delivered.
77. Sometimes you're facing something very difficult and you think you just have to endure it, but I know that a simple change, or a forsaking, or some change in mindset would bring you relief. Sometimes you're struggling because you're not willing to yield to Me in something‚ but as soon as you do, I am able to punch through with the victory, and what sweet relief that is! So ask Me to define the battle and tell you what's behind it. Then you can know how to fight, and what you're fighting for, and if there's something you can do to change the direction of the battle so that you're using your strength most efficiently.
78. If a battle seems to be going on and on, come back to Me regularly to redefine the battle for you, and help you to know what you're fighting for‚ and what I am expecting of you. It also helps to have outside counsel and confirmations of this. Sometimes there comes a time in the battle where a situation has served its purpose and I want to change the circumstances for you, so be open to that too.
79. Once I have defined the battle for you, then you can give it your all in full faith, knowing that it's worth fighting for, and because you have Me backing you‚ you will be strengthened through it.
80. Don't assume that every battle that comes your way is now a "long-term" battle. A battle about the supply of finances isn't one that I expect you to battle forever. I expect you to get up and do what I've said and get the victory, and have a well-balanced and fruitful work that is funded in the way I've told you to fund it. Or if you battle with a besetting sin‚ even if you will always have to be desperate with Me about it, you can fight to have a victory that allows you to serve Me without being hindered by it. I expect you to learn how to keep it in check, set safeguards‚ ask for help‚ be willing to be aware of it and desperate with Me about it, and then get on with the fight. Do you see the difference?
81. Some battles are long–term and others are short-term. Learn how to fight the battles you face today, whether short, intermediate, or long-term. Learn to ask Me what kind of victories you can expect and strive for, and then hold those out in front of you and fight for them with all you're worth! Find out how to fight what you're up against now and don't worry about how long or short it'll be.
82. You need to find out right from the start what battles you need to fight and what the victory is that I am holding out in front of you as the goal. If they're long-term battles and I show you that it's My will for you to fight to the end and be a brave soldier till the end of this earthly battle when I call you Home, whether that's now or in the Rapture or sometime in between, your job is to just say, "Yes, Lord, give me my weapons and the strength to persevere to the end. Keep me fighting till the end, whatever end You see fit. I give my life to You and I entrust my life to You. I am Yours and I will fight on whatever front You send me to."
83. Once you've confirmed with Me that a battle is My will for you and something worth fighting, you've got to be willing to fight it to the max even if it becomes a long-term battle. To sum it up, you need to be willing to fight at 100% in whatever battle, for however long, in whatever circumstance‚ till you win your part of the war. Even if that means you come Home to be with Me, then you've done your part and you didn't give up before victory came.
[Box:]
84. (Jesus:) Fighting to the max and being willing to give it 100% can seem to be unrealistic and just plain not "doable," especially when you are in the midst of a spiritually intense battle, or enduring a long-term affliction that may be painful. Those who have endured such battles know of the realities of war, so to speak. They know of the sleepless nights, the anguish of spirit, the ongoing pain—and in the case of a physical affliction, the lack of mobility, the struggle to perform such daily functions as going to the bathroom, brushing your teeth, or taking a shower. Fighting to the max for them may be seen as accomplishing one single act, such as eating some food‚ or not caving in to their emotions after days of not sleeping.
85. To think I expect you to be praising Me, claiming the keys, calling on your spirit helpers and praying at all times when you are fighting a long battle can seem as if I'm putting the doorknob too high. When I tell you, My brides, that you need to be willing to fight to the max and give 100% in any battle, I mean just that—one moment at a time. It's not a work of the flesh whereby I expect to see you beaming every second of the day; it can be a silent assurance, a show of dependence, a voice of faith. That voice, in the thick of the fight, is often through tears. Nevertheless, even the smallest praise, the one-word key you claim, the prayer you pray from your heart‚ the calling of My name or that of your spirit helper need not cause you to be condemned or to think you are falling short of fulfilling your best. It's the attitude of your heart and your walk of faith, putting that faith into action at whatever moment to the best of your ability. That's what I look on, My loves, and that is giving Me your all, fighting to the max and giving 100%.
[End of box]
86. A man or woman who gives everything has no regrets at the end of life. They'll know that they did everything they could, fought as hard as they could, and My grace will have seen them through any obstacles they faced for as long as they faced them.
87. Focus on being the best fighter you can while in the battle. Even if the ultimate victory isn't realized immediately, if you're fighting effectively you will be gaining ground, you will be winning small victories, which all lead up to the ultimate one, and are all a part of winning the war. You can know without a shadow of a doubt that you've done your part if you've heard from Me and done what I said to do in each battle, long or short.
88. Whether you win a visible, tangible‚ big-change type victory today, or whether you fight this battle well till the day I call you Home, either way is winning. If you can say with Paul at the end of your days, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith‚" then you will have been the kind of fighter I need. Paul didn't say, "I've won every battle, I've defeated every enemy, I've destroyed the heathen rule of the Roman Empire," did he? He said, "I've kept the faith. I've fought a good fight. I finished the course" (2Tim.4:7). He didn't finish the war, but he did finish his course, his run, his part. If you can say the same when you get to Heaven, then you will have run the race as I wanted it run, fought the war as you should, done your best for Me, and there will be a great reward laid up for you for having done your part. Your job on Earth will be done‚ you'll have completed My mission for you, and you'll hear Me say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord!"
89. Those words are worth it, the reward is worth it, the ultimate victory is worth it. So fight well and keep fighting till the end of whatever battle I call you to fight, great or small, long or short, temporary or terminal. To the end, My friends‚ whatever that end might be.—Victory in this life‚ or victory in the spirit‚ either way you win!
[Box:]
90. (Jesus:) You've got to keep fighting, even when the battle seems like it's never going to be won. The soldier doesn't know if he'll personally make it through to see the victory in the war, but he fights anyway because it's his duty to do his part and fight as hard as he can till he either wins the victory or gives his life for the cause.
91. You're My soldiers, and some of the battles I'm going to call you to in the future will require that endurance and the faith that you just have to keep on fighting, even if the battle seems as if it will never end and the victory seems as if it won't be realized within your lifetime on Earth.
[End of box]
92. (Mama:) Another tip for fighting long-term battles is to ask the Lord to break the battle down into smaller segments. If it's all lumped together like one big war, it can seem very daunting, certainly very long lasting. So if you're in a battle that is going on and on and you're losing the endurance to fight, maybe you need to ask the Lord to break it down for you a bit. Ask Him what you can expect as a victory today. What should you be fighting for today?
93. In the first "Art of War" GN, the Lord recommended holding the victory in front of you as a goal‚ and letting it motivate you to see it and think about it and work toward it. Well‚ ask Him what the victory is. Maybe it isn't total healing or a change of circumstances, at least not immediately. Maybe it's victory in the midst of affliction, or cheerfulness and peace in the midst of storm. Maybe it's a victory of learning to endure and trust Him no matter how things look.
94. Look at the martyrs: They didn't escape from the lion's den or jump off the stake when the fire started! They praised through the circumstances, and their praises and peace were the greatest testimony of all. They won the victory the Lord wanted them to win. I'm not saying that every battle you face in your life will be as dramatic as what the martyrs of old went through, but the same principles of endurance, faith, and praise are applicable to any battle you fight.
95. So ask the Lord what victory He wants you to have today. Ask Him what the long-term victory is and what the short-term victory is. If you're sick with a serious illness‚ He might tell you that the long-term goal is fighting for healing and health by doing such-and-such and such-and-such, and the short-term victory is witnessing to the hospital staff‚ being a testimony of faith and praise, and learning to trust Him.
96. Maybe the victory today is to keep praising Him and being a testimony of cheerfulness and trust in Him through your praises and voicing your faith, regardless of your circumstances. That's certainly a victory worth striving for, and something that is going to really defeat the Devil!
97. If you're very sick or experiencing a difficult pregnancy, and are having a hard time keeping food down, maybe the victory today would be to praise the Lord for every bite, and then just keep eating as you need to, even though it's very difficult and most of it doesn't stay down! That's putting the Old Boy in his place for sure, and is doing your part to fight!
98. If you're fighting a battle with depression, maybe the victory today would be to reach out to someone else and encourage them, even though you really don't feel like it. That's offensive warfare against the Enemy, and he will be defeated through your obedience!
99. Those are small victories compared to what you might like to see—full health, freedom from depression, lasting victory over the battle, or whatever the case might be. But maybe the victories the Lord wants you to strive for here and now are more reachable today, and will help you to have a more realistic goal for yourself. We're often very unrealistic in our assessment of ourselves and personal situations‚ and what we would like to see is often not even the Lord's highest will! No wonder we don't reach our goals. No wonder we get discouraged! It takes a lot of faith to fight for the little victories consistently, and each little victory is another step toward winning the war.
100. Once you've asked the Lord and gotten His perspective, then you know what you're fighting for. You can hold those desired victories in front of you and really fight for them and work toward them, using your spiritual weaponry, without getting discouraged if it takes months or years to reach the long-term victory. As you fight for those short-term victories, you see progress in the battle‚ and you're working toward the long-term victory, which the Lord will give you in His time.
101. When you see little victories along the way, it will encourage your heart and strengthen your faith to keep fighting. It will help you to have the endurance that the Lord is looking for.
102. (Jesus:) To endure means to persevere, to resist, to have the strength to not give up. It means that your roots are so deep and your stance is so strong that nothing is going to move you.
103. I often allow a space for endurance to show itself. For if your roots are planted deep enough and if the stance is strong enough, no affliction, no persecution, no buffeting, no spiritual attacks, no words, no winds, no rains, no bad news, nothing is able to move it! If in a particular situation you have real faith, faith is knowing, and nothing will be able to uproot that knowledge.
104. Remember, faith is blind to failure or defeat. Faith is also able to quench or withstand any attack of the Enemy. That means that real faith has within it the innate ability to not be moved no matter what the circumstances. Remember what I said to My disciples, that faith just the size of a tiny grain of mustard seed could actually move a mountain (Mat.17:20). That's how strong faith is.
105. Faith is the indestructible steel of the spirit world. Nothing can quench it, break it, or move it. But to become that strong, to actually have your faith grow into that indestructible substance, it has to be tried in the fire, just like steel, then put in the water, then put in the fire again, hammered, shaped into the type of faith you want‚ put in the water again, and back in the fire.
106. Faith is actually a stand you make because of your belief. You take a stand of faith on some truth, based on My love and My Word. Your stance may not always be so sure. Maybe you're "pretty sure" My Word works, but your faith is wavering a little in a particular situation that I put you in. My goal is often to strengthen your faith in My Word, so I must sometimes allow your faith to be tested.
107. I try you in the fire to see what sort of stand you are going to make, allowing you to experience things to test your faith. When you make a stand of faith, I often turn up the heat a little bit, a little at a time, to see if you will ratchet up your faith accordingly.
108. You see, real gold faith does not give up. It may waver a little, you might be tempted to be fearful, but when all is said and done, there is a seed deep in the center of your heart, a deep stance that you are making. If you truly believe in Me and My Word, if this is the deep root in your heart and if this is the seed from which your entire life emanates, then it will survive the fire. Why? Because faith is immovable, indestructible, able to withstand any amount of heat, and able to quench and stop anything that is thrown at it. It's as simple as that.
109. So if you have faith in Me deep within you, nothing can displace it. But often My children are weak and wavering in faith. The true seed is there, but I need it to grow into the full plant—first the seed, then the stalk, then the ear in the stalk to where it is bearing fruit. I work with your faith. I take it where it's at, and I work on it. I allow a little trial here and a little trial there, and if it is true faith and you take the proper stand upon it‚ if you feed your faith with My Word‚ each trial strengthens your faith.
110. Look at Abraham—he was going to become the "father of faith" for all time. He had the seed of faith in him, but he himself didn't know how strong it was. I finally brought him to the point where I gave him the ultimate test‚ because he had to know, and I had to know, that his faith was that strong. He had to know that he was willing to give up even the very fruit of the promise, knowing that I would still keep My promise, somehow, someway. He had to trust, even though he couldn't see how I would fulfill My promise. He had to be blind to the possibility of failure. If faith can't ignore the possibility of defeat and keep going‚ then it isn't faith.
111. Faith requires a period of unquestioning perseverance, unswerving trust, before it sees the results, and this period is called endurance. Remember‚ some of My martyrs refused deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. They chose to endure the fire and the persecution so that their rewards would be greater.
112. Remember, the trying of your faith is more precious than gold. I don't allow you to be tested because I want you to suffer. I allow it because I know the seed is there, the true seed, and I want to teach you to give up all in order to make your stand on it, so that when you come here to be with Me you will have a reward that is much more valuable than gold is in your world.
113. Remember, faith is the true coinage of the realm, and the quantity and amount of faith you have when you come here is going to be of real value to you.
114. Now‚ in your life on Earth, is the time for you to exercise your faith, to develop it like a muscle, to let it grow. The value of enlarging your faith and cultivating it is of inestimable value in the spirit world. Your faith will last eternally. That's one reason being born into a life on Earth is such a privilege and why you should use your time there wisely, because it is a stage of existence where you can determine your rewards and your status and develop as much value as you want to have here.
115. Some of My martyrs refused deliverance because they were going far beyond the gold. They were going for the true coinage of the heavenly realm and they wanted to prove their faith and make their stand to their last breath‚ and even then some. They wanted to be a testimony even in their deaths, and so fought for one more breath, one more bit of strength to shout and sing and smile out their witness. They asked Me not to take them quite yet, because they were not finished gathering their rewards. They wanted to do more and go further for Me, and I allowed that, because their faith was strong enough that they could endure.
116. So sometimes there has to be a period of endurance, where your faith is tried. Of course, when the fire comes‚ there are things you can do to improve your fight.
117. First, you make a stand on your foundation of faith. Then you have to start fighting with your spiritual weapons, memorizing and quoting the Word, praying and seeking Me and finding out what My precise will is for you in the matter, what stance I want you to take. I also want to see what stance you are going to take. It is a meeting of the wills, yours and Mine. I don't want to force you. I want to see what your will is because I am intensely interested in you. You are My bride, My love. I gave up everything I had for you. I want to see what your choice is. But I am smarter and wiser than you and I see what's ahead, so I want to show you what My will is as well. Then between the two choices, you can freely choose where you are going to stand.
118. I understand and see the seed of faith in your heart, and I try to direct you onto the square center of that seed, to make your stand there. I know where the center is, where the best, most solid stand will be. So I allow situations to happen to nudge you to get to the direct center of My will for you, to nudge you to take the stand that you should take.
119. If you follow My direction and make that stand, then nothing can move you, for you know it is the truth which will last forever, and when the fire is gone and the turmoil has ended‚ you will still be standing there right on that foundation of faith. In other words‚ that foundation has the capability of outlasting every other circumstance or attack. Anything that could possibly confront you is weaker than that foundation of faith.
120. So My goal is to get you to stand on your faith for many reasons, one of which is to develop it so that you are a mighty man or woman on Earth with strong faith that is able to protect you from any attack. And also so that when you enter eternal life you will have the coinage and value system to make you the happiest you could possibly be. There is something precious about having the privilege of living the Earth life, and faith is part of it.
121. But faith is a dangerous game, for if you don't have faith in a certain area or a certain circumstance, don't pretend that you have it. What I want you to do in each situation is to make your stand on faith, not on false faith. Remember, faith knows. Faith knows what the truth is, and it is the foundation of where you should stand. And then, having done all, stand. It's as simple as that.
122. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm saying if you have real faith you simply have to make your stand on it, come hell or high water. Remember Job's stance: Though He slay me, yet will I not give up my stand of faith. I will still believe! Do you have that kind of faith? If you do, then you will reap the rewards as Job did. His faith stood the test and came out better than gold.
123. You know whether you're fighting effectively in a certain situation by examining your situation‚ examining the foundation you are standing on, and asking yourself if you are effectively fighting the Enemy and defeating every attack he throws at you to try to push you off that foundation of faith. If you are making an effective stand‚ you won't allow anything to weaken your faith. That's how you know whether you are fighting effectively.
124. Are you casting down every imagination that exalts itself against your faith?—Or are you like a boat taking on water in the sea? If you are resisting the Enemy, resisting his doubts and lies, taking out your sword and all of your weapons and blasting the lies and spirit of the Enemy to Hell, if you are still standing there and not doubting, that is pretty effective fighting.
125. But if you are fearful or doubting, then you need to strengthen your faith. It is not strong enough. You need to fight more, you need to build up your faith in the Word, you need to decide where the center of your foundation of faith is, and you must go and stand there.
126. If you're standing there on that foundation, swinging your swords and weapons with both arms and cutting the Enemy's attacks against your faith to shreds; if you are so sure of your stance that you are willing to die for it‚ knowing that I will still answer; if you are willing to even give up seeing the answer, as Abraham was, and yet still believe that I am able to fulfill My promise to you somehow‚ then that, My loves, is passing the test, and I honor that kind of faith.
127. Once you have examined your stance and made sure you are on the right foundation, and you are quenching and destroying every attack against it, then you know you are fighting effectively‚ and then it's time to endure. Your faith and your stance are so strong that nothing will affect it.
128. I want you to endure, and enduring doesn't mean weakening. If your faith is weakening during this period, then it is not real gold faith, or you are not standing on the right foundation, or you're not fighting effectively‚ or you're not building your faith with My Word and using the spiritual weapons that are available to you.
129. If it is real gold faith and you are doing your part to strengthen it, it will in fact get stronger during the period of endurance‚ and this is often one of My reasons for allowing prolonged tests and trials‚ because I know your faith needs to be strengthened through fighting and not giving up. I also know that you need to know the strength and capabilities and extent, length, breadth, and width of your faith.
130. When you reach this point of total endurance, it is not a weakening thing in spirit. It may be in the flesh, but in the spirit you are growing stronger, because your faith is actually growing during this time and that is giving you stronger muscles in the spirit. Your faith is growing stronger as you endure.
131. If your faith is growing weaker, then you know you are not fighting effectively enough, and you need to examine your foundation‚ examine your weapons, examine your faith, look at My Word, look at how you're fighting and find out where your weak spot is that is getting attacked and becoming weaker.
132. However, once you correct this, once you find the weak spot and strengthen it, and take your stand of endurance and begin fighting with both arms and all your might again, then you won't be getting weaker by the moment. Why? Because your faith is so strong and you are so sure of your stance that you actually become stronger in spirit. Your faith becomes a powerhouse of spiritual strength and power‚ and nothing of the Enemy can come near it that doesn't get electrocuted instantly, because you are emanating such spiritual power!
133. When it comes to this time to endure, where I allow the Enemy to attack you for prolonged periods, I expect you not to weaken in faith. It's like floating your faith on the waters. There's nothing you can do about the battles except make your stand of faith‚ come Hell or high water. Your faith is so sure that you simply float out onto the sea, and if the storm comes, it comes; if the waves come‚ they come; if the wind comes, it comes. But your faith is still afloat, because you are on My current and you know I am in control. True gold faith, like the cork in the storm, doesn't sink. It just keeps popping up, and nothing can sink it!
134. When you are passing through that time period of endurance, it's like floating in your boat out on the open sea. You may not know where the shore is across the sea, and you may not know how far away it is, but what you do know is that there is a shore, and that you are on My current, and that I am taking you there. You've put all in My hands, and you've decided, "I'm not going to sink, for God is going to take me to that shore." You don't let the winds discourage you, and you don't give up when the waves come. Nothing can stop your faith. This kind of faith always reaches the shore! It has never failed yet. That is the faith that goes through the storm, because it can't be sunk.
135. So if you're doing all you can do‚ if your foundation is sure, if you're fighting with all your weapons and not getting weaker in spirit, then it is time to go through the storm and trust that I will help you survive, and I will. It's time to make your stand and let nothing move you spiritually. If you are moved, then something is wrong with your faith and you need to find out what it is‚ strengthen it, or move to the right foundation, or attend to whatever the weakness is.
136. But once you're sure‚ then make your stand of faith through endurance. You will reach the other side. I have never failed yet. Faith is the victory, and faith always gets to the victory, every time! Why? Because it is founded on My Word, and My Word never fails. Your faith is placed in Me, and I never fail. The worlds are framed by My Word. My Word is the foundation and frame of the world you live in, and if you are standing on that foundation and within that framework, your stand is sure‚ and has the ability to outlast anything that comes against it.
137. The battle I have called you to may just be the time of endurance for you, to prove your faith to Me and to yourself, and to grow your faith and your rewards. There are often many other reasons I allow long-term battles‚ often for a testimony to others and to grow their faith. But eventually, you will reach the shore.
138. When it is time to get into the ship of endurance, you will know it. You will batten down the hatches and you will endure, knowing that the trial is but for a time, and afterward there is exceeding great reward, and that it works in you a far more precious result.
P&P questions
139. (Mama:) I asked the Lord to give us some questions that you can ask Him and refer back to when you are faced with a long or daunting battle. Sometimes when you're in the midst of a very difficult battle, it's hard to even know which end is up, and that's when it really helps to have shepherds to talk to and outside counsel to help you know where to start or even what you can ask the Lord in order to have more of His perspective. So these are sample questions you can start with in such situations. You'll probably want to put in the specifics of the battle you're fighting, and ask the Lord for specific answers and solutions. Feel free to change or adapt them, and use them as the Lord leads you. This is something you can use as a starting point‚ and might trigger ideas of other questions you could ask the Lord that would be helpful for you to receive His counsel on.
[ ] Have I done my part in this battle, so that when it's time for You to give the victory, the conditions are right? Is there anything in my heart or life that is preventing You from giving me the victory, or preventing me from seeing the victory You want to give me?
[ ] What is the victory I should be striving for? Please show me how You see victory in this battle—it might be very different from what I'm expecting or hoping for (or in some cases fearing or dreading). What is the victory You want me to have?
[ ] What can I do in the meantime while I'm waiting for the resolution of the battle or the long–term victory? What are the short-term victories I can and should expect to see on a daily basis if I do my part?
[ ] After praying about some of the preceding questions, you could ask the Lord, "What can I do to strengthen my faith in the promises You've just given me? What should I be doing to fulfill the conditions so that You can fulfill Your promise?"
[ ] How can I better endure? (Recall where you failed in the last test‚ and ask the Lord how you can do better next time, or what caused the minor defeat, and how you can be more victorious next time around.)
140. (Mama:) I mentioned in the first GN in this series that in each GN we would take one of our spiritual weapons and focus on it. The weapon the Lord is going to focus on in this GN is praise. The Lord has told us a lot about praise in the last couple of years. It's one of the most recent weapons that He's really instructed us about. But most of us still have a long way to go before we're using it as it has the potential to be used. The Lord has said that it's the undefeatable weapon, one of the very most powerful we have. So why don't we use it more?
141. We asked the Lord to give us more information on how to use the weapon of praise offensively against the Enemy in times of battle.
142. (Jesus:) The weapon of praise is really an umbrella term for a few different kinds of thankfulness and praise to Me, all of which defeat the Enemy soundly but have different uses. It's good for you to break it down a little, to understand how each technique is effective in its own time and place.
143. For example, thankfulness is praise. Counting your blessings, what some call "playing the glad game‚" is a real weapon which can defeat bad spirits of negativity, murmuring, self-pity, selfishness‚ discouragement and depression, and even jealousy. It's like your Father David wrote about in "Fight Discouragement" and "Count Your Blessings." When you're hit with an attack that makes you feel bad about something, despondent, discouraged, hopeless, or condemned‚ using the weapon of praise would mean to employ thankfulness or to count your blessings, to use this aspect of praise in which you think of all the ways that the situation could have been worse, and praise Me that it wasn't. Or you recount how good I have been to you, how much you do have, and how richly blessed you are.
144. That kind of thankfulness will almost always improve your mood and your spirit, or at least snap you into reality that things really could be a lot worse and that you do have it pretty good! Even if you're not specifically praising Me for each blessing, although that's certainly a good way to do it, recounting My goodness to you or imagining all the worse things I've spared you from is attributing praise to Me, and it's still powerful. It's acknowledging My hand of blessing in your life, which lifts Me up and glorifies Me. That kind of count-your-blessings time is made more powerful if you use it in conjunction with specific praises, voicing your thankfulness to Me and using My name.—Not only listing your blessings, but thanking Me specifically for each one as you think of them.
145. Another way the weapon of praise can help you fight is when you use it as a sort of smoke screen against the Enemy, a method of distracting and shielding yourself from whatever he's trying to bombard you with. This would be like the illustration given in the Letter "Just Let the Light In," where David talked about singing positive songs and hymns when the Enemy would try to fill his mind with worldly songs and bad messages (ML #2657‚ Lifelines 19).
146. This differs a little from the "glad game" use in that you don't necessarily have to employ praises specifically related to the attack you're undergoing. In this attack you simply use praise as one of the most useful and blessed forms of personal action to distract and distance yourself from whatever it is the Enemy is using on you. This works well for things like bad thoughts and pictures, temptations with bad habits, worldliness, general feelings of frustration, loneliness, sadness, or the sometimes inexplicable feelings of sorrow or emptiness that some people get attacked with from time to time.
147. You can certainly count your blessings at such a time, but in some cases it's easier to use praise to occupy your mind and get yourself going in a completely different direction. As I said, praise is one of the most useful things you can do with your mind and time, and automatically fills you with My power and Spirit. So if the Enemy is trying to get you down or attack your emotions‚ deciding to not dwell on his attack at all, and taking positive action by praising Me for anything and everything, or singing a song, or some other kind of praiseful activity will really distract you—and in essence protect you—from what the Enemy was trying to get you to dwell on. He will eventually flee because he can't stand to be around when praise to Me is going on!
148. Prayer is good too, but some people find that prayer or quoting scripture takes more effort than praising Me. Prayer and quoting verses, quotes, and key promises do certainly have their place, especially in times of heavy spiritual battle, but for some people prayer and key claiming and fervent intercession is not the easiest thing to pull out when they just want to distract themselves from dwelling on a certain negative subject. Praising Me is something that you can do in the midst of any battle—even singing a song is praise to Me—and will then give you the spiritual strength to take the next step, whatever I show you that is.
149. Praise is a more powerful counterattack than you know‚ but it may not be as easy as it sounds. Before you can gain victory and be shielded from the Devil's bombardment, you have to make a conscious decision to switch off his channel and switch on to Mine. Taking action is the "hand of faith‚" the action of faith that will flip that switch for you. Deciding that you're not going to dwell on the sadness you feel, or the temptation for something you're not supposed to do, or the loneliness, or whatever it is, and that you're going to burst out with some kind of praise song, or praise words to Me, will defeat the Enemy and turn him from the aggressor to the defender, and you'll be on the attack and on your way to full victory.
150. The main thing to remember about this method, which we can name the "praise smoke screen" is that it doesn't have to specifically relate to the battle that you're faced with. Sometimes listing the positives from a certain negative can strengthen you and help you to see that things are better than they seem and give you victory. But at other times it's not good to dwell on the situation at all, and it's best to just drown it all in a flood of praise. That's what this attack is all about‚ totally moving away from that battle in your mind by praising your way out with singing, praising, loving Me, glorifying Me and My goodness, and so on.
151. Then there is praise that is used as a weapon of faith, that of claiming My promises before you have seen them fulfilled. That aspect is very different from the "gratitude-based" uses of the weapon. Praises of faith are almost always used in connection with intercessory prayer, and are one of the most powerful uses of the weapon of praise. Those praises acknowledge My ability to do anything and everything that you request, and do it in the best way possible, and you pump up your faith and stand on it through your praises.
152. The old quote says‚ "Faith knows that God will do it, and He does!" and now your arsenal has been expanded to include the ability to praise Me for performing your request before you have even seen it in the physical. This is one of the highest levels of appropriating faith. You're taking the action of thanking Me for answering your prayer even before I have done so, which shows that you have the kind of faith that will get the needed results.
153. Praising Me for answers before you see them also helps your prayers to be more focused, direct, and specific‚ because praising Me for the answer forces you to visualize the answer coming to pass, which helps you to target your prayers and even to target your faith and what you expect of Me. There's a big difference between just praying that someone will be healed, and thanking Me that that person is healed and able to walk normally again‚ or eat normally again‚ or resume their normal duties with full strength, or whatever it is they need. Seeing them in your mind's eye being able to do those things again, and seeing them being able to utilize the results of your prayer gives you the right kind of force in prayer that moves My power on your behalf, and brings the direct specific answers you need.
154. Don't forget too that you should not only praise Me for the ways you would like to see Me fulfill the answer to your request, but that you should also praise Me that no matter what happens, I'm taking care of the situation in the best way possible, and I'm in control. Praise Me for the good fruit of the trial or affliction. Praise Me for the opportunities to witness that some difficulties bring you. Praise Me for the strengthening of your spirits. Praise Me for always answering. As you start praising Me for the good that I can and will bring out of any situation according to your faith‚ you will begin to see My hand at work. You will begin to understand and know what to claim in prayer. You'll have a sense in your heart of what things I might want to see accomplished, and you'll gain the faith to ask Me for the full answer, the full blessing, the very best that I want to give you.
155. You need to see praise prayers as not only a gesture of goodwill and thanks to Me, but as an essential part of your being able to pray the right kind of prayers and have the right kind of faith. The more you incorporate praises into your prayers, the more specific answers you'll see. Praise makes Me happy and it moves My hand, but part of the reason is that praise also motivates you, encourages you, and causes you to stretch your faith beyond the supplication and toward the fulfillment, which is a very important aspect of receiving My answers.
156. And lastly, for this lesson‚ praise is a weapon of testimony, of brotherhood, and of discipleship. Praising Me is one good way to demonstrate your connection with Me and to publicly celebrate your discipleship. I know that sounds kind of funny, but when you think about it, it always encourages you to see the faith of others in action, doesn't it?—Or to hear others' prophecies.—Or to hear someone pouring out their heart in desperate prayer usually makes you feel good, strengthened, and in many cases more united with that person, right? The reason for this is that when a group of disciples, such as a Home, are working together to climb the mountain of My highest will for them, it's reassuring and affirming to be able to see others using the same weapons that you're practicing with, as not only does it then confirm to you that they're fellow disciples and moving in the same direction as you‚ but it encourages you to not be shy about stepping out to publicly use your new weapons too.
157. United and public use of your spiritual weapons is a key to unity, and praise is one of the easiest to use in front of others. It can be used the most often and in almost every way without anyone ever having to worry that they'll seem self-righteous or be out of the spirit, or that it won't be the right time and place for putting that weapon into practice. Every time you praise Me you are being a positive sample, and it can unite you more with the other members of your Home. You're being a testimony of living the Word, and in these days when all of you are trying to bring more of the spiritual into your lives, the weapon of praise is one of the easiest places to start. Praise is a good starting point for bringing more public displays of discipleship into your lives.
158. The weapon of praise is multifaceted and has a use in almost every battle situation. Learn to choose the right use for the right time, and use it often and well. It is powerful and can bring you great victory. Don't neglect it!
[Box:]
159. (Jesus:) Your spiritual attitude of praise can actually stop the Enemy and push him out of the spiritual atmosphere where you are. You are powerhouses because you have My Spirit and you have the weapon of praise, which literally brings My Spirit into the situation. Remember, I wasn't lying when I said I dwell in the praises of My people. I literally dwell there, and where I am, no unclean spirit can be; it either yields to Me or departs!
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160. (Mama:) The Lord gives some good tips in the previous message about different forms of praise, and how you can use them to defeat the Enemy's tactics. In this next message He specifically zeroes in on the aspect of turning the Enemy's firepower back on his own head through praise.
161. (Jesus:) Praise in its simplest form is expressing your joy and appreciation to Me about something you like or are thankful for, and this kind of praise is good and has spiritual power. But there are other forms of praise, higher forms of praise that can quickly transform your life, do miracles, destroy the Enemy, give you unusual strength from Me, summon heavenly forces to fight for you, and do many other wonderful things. It is this higher form of praise that I want you to learn more about, for it is powerful and it becomes the most deadly weapon you can wield in battle.
162. To begin to learn how to praise in deeper ways, I want you to start by taking something that you really don't like—it could be some aspect of your personal situation or circumstances that has been a real trial for you, a thorn in your side, something which you feel has impeded your progress or happiness or fruitfulness. It could be something like a situation of persecution‚ or loneliness, or having your bedroom on a noisy street, or going through menopause, or not having a certain need met that you feel would greatly improve your life.
163. It could be something about yourself that you really don't like—maybe a fear you have, or a recurring weakness, or a thorn in the flesh, or something you are tempted to question or doubt, or something you try to avoid because you really don't think you could handle it or face it right now. It could be an attack of the Enemy that originates from a little chink in your armor—such as jealousy or sensitivity or discouragement, or friction and disunity with one of your mates. It doesn't really matter what it is—the point is that it's something you dislike or know you fall short in. In essence, it's anything negative in your life that bothers you, or that you have trouble seeing the good in. Like putting an octopus in a bag, you may struggle to get all of its many arms in‚ but try. Define it as clearly as you can and meditate for a moment on the problem and how it has affected your life.
164. Once you have defined it, you are ready to begin shedding it through praise. First, thank Me for My wisdom in allowing you to have this challenge in your life, and how I know just what you need to draw you closer to Me. Thank Me for how it has helped humble you and caused you to stir yourself up and search for answers rather than just accept things and be content and slowly die in the wasteland of complacency of the world.
165. Now force yourself to think of the good about it. Think about how it has drawn you close to Me or made you cry out to Me for strength and grace. Think about how it has motivated you to look for solutions and has kept you from getting too comfortable. Think about how it has helped you grow spiritually, whether in maturity or understanding of others or compassion or in your prayer life‚ whatever the case may be. I want you to think about the good aspects until your heart is filled with praise to Me and you see how this problem or trial has been a cause for good in your life.
166. At first you may have real difficulty seeing your problem as being a blessing, as horrible to you as it seems to be, but as you pass through this first hurdle, you will be ready to progress to the next level—to thank Me and praise Me for all the times it has caused you to stumble and fall and to cry out to Me for My mercy, forgiveness‚ and help; for how it has made My understanding and compassion a reality for you, something you truly appreciate; for how it has helped you to realize how utterly dependent you are on Me for your salvation, and how it keeps smashing your pride and any image or idol of self–goodness and greatness you would want to erect.
167. Now praise Me for how having this problem has helped to reveal the Enemy's work and how much he hates you and Me and seeks to destroy you by any means he can because you dared to believe that I love you and forgive you and want you with Me in Heaven; that My love for you is greater than any sin or weakness or shortcoming or imperfection can ever be‚ and that I have the power to totally free you.—And what is more, I totally love you. Let My Spirit wash away your harsh feelings, your negative reactions, or at least dull them with a spiritual painkiller, so you can be free of them for a moment while you pray and begin to praise Me.
168. Lift up your arms in praise to Me for how terribly I suffered to set you free, for how very much I love you, and how I paid for every sin with My Own life and death on the cross. Focus on how very loving and forgiving I am with you and with everyone. If you have been wounded in spirit through any attack, as you praise Me and love Me, you are letting in the light and My healing balm, which will heal the hurt and the wound and give you strength and draw out the poison. It is the hardest time to praise Me, but it will bring the quickest healing.
[Box:]
169. (Jesus:) You can use praise to fight and wound the Enemy when you are confronting a murmuring spirit, or a fearful spirit‚ or a bitter spirit‚ or any of a number of unpleasant or negative attitudes that you confront or encounter or are feeling attacked by. You can literally destroy the hold that any of these attitudes or spirits have in the spiritual atmosphere that surrounds you at any given moment by wielding the weapon of praise. You can also use praise as a proactive force field to wrap around yourself to prevent the entrance of any of these attitudes of the Enemy and to keep him at bay.
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170. As you feel strength returning, begin to face your fears and try to see the good that I can bring to you from such an ordeal. Praise Me for letting you better understand My great love, and for all the times I have loved you in spite of yourself. Praise Me for the humbling and that the Enemy's attacks have once again driven you to My bosom. Praise Me and keep praising Me until the light is streaming into your heart and spirit, and you are overwhelmed with thankfulness for the victories that this attack has brought you—even though the Devil did bring it. By then you will not only be well out of the Devil's danger zone, but you will have turned his attack back on him and he'll be getting as far away from you as possible.
171. Through taking the path of aggressive praise, you have turned what you had previously been nursing as a weak or sore point into a point of strength and faith and spiritual power. The Enemy cannot use it against you‚ and in its place you have a spirit of confidence and trust in Me.
172. Through learning the secrets of praise power I want to show you how you can take every dart, every dirty blow, every evil device the Enemy uses on you, and make them into great and terrible weapons you can use to rout the Enemy and turn his firepower back upon him. It will take courage, discipline, and real faith, but you can do it!
173. You must strive to see every test and trial, every event, as an opportunity to give Me the glory somehow. Refuse to just accept the obvious, "Well, the Devil won this round for sure!" Never vacate the field of battle to the Enemy without firing a shot, no matter how horrible or horrifying the physical situation may at first appear. Look to Me in prayer and refuse to let go until you begin to see some good or some wonderful possibility that just is not obvious.
174. Remember that even in the face of death and destruction, you can find My love and mercy revealed. And most situations aren't nearly that bad. So don't just blindly accept the obvious bad circumstances, but look above and beyond to Me for the good reasons, the good fruit I can bring out of whatever is happening or has happened, which is not always easy to see at first.
175. Focus on the good no matter how bad the situation seems to be. As you recall the wonderful things I have done and can and will do, faith will take hold and grow in strength.
176. As you gain victories in your own life through the transforming power of praise, you can move to the next phase‚ that of learning to use praise to crush the Enemy's attacks on others. I'm not talking about some glib or self-righteous dismissal of another person's trials with a comment like, "Well, just praise the Lord, brother." I'm not speaking of a spiritual brushoff with a few memorized words, but learning how to actually go on the attack and use the power of praise to break the power of the Enemy's attack on someone, or his hold on them, as the case may be.
177. You must use wisdom when facing down the Enemy and using praise to help deliver someone who is under his attack or hold. You must believe personally, and then gently impart to them‚ that no matter how great a blow the Enemy has delivered, I can and will turn it around and eventually make it a thing of wonder and beauty and good for them.
178. Look for even the tiniest seed of positiveness or hope or praise‚ and build on that. The tiniest spark is all you need to build a fire of praise and victory. The tiny spark will usually be easier for you to see than it will be for the person going through the battle. Once you see it, pray for wisdom in how to use it, and then gently blow upon it until it ignites. That doesn't mean you have to disregard the battle, or pretend it's not there or not so serious. But as you look to Me for wisdom, I will show you how to build their faith and encourage them, and as you praise Me, it will bring positive spiritual power into the atmosphere. You might have to praise Me for a while before they have the strength to start praising Me themselves. But encourage their every effort, for it's that decision to praise that drives the Enemy far away, and brings the healing balm that will renew them and help them to recover from whatever they have suffered.
179. As you grow in praise power, your resistance against attacks will also grow—not just around you, but around those close to you as well. Just as fear can get ahold of many‚ praise has the opposite effect and can strengthen the faith of many.
[Box:]
When the Devil smashes your life and leaves you in broken pieces, God can come in, take those pieces, and create the most beautiful stained glass window the world has ever seen. God loves to turn our every impossibility into the most wonderful opportunity you have ever had.
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180. (Mama:) I thought it was interesting what the Lord said in the preceding message about using praise to help others, and the need to be wise and sensitive in how we do it‚ so we won't come across as if we're minimizing the other person's difficulties. I was thinking about it and realized that is something that could really stand in the way of our desire to change our speech habits and become more praiseful, if we're afraid of coming across unsympathetic or self-righteous or lacking in understanding when someone is explaining a difficulty that they have. Whether you're just greeting someone in passing and they mention a minor difficulty or trial, or whether someone is pouring out their heart in a much more serious setting, either way it could be difficult to know how to respond with praise, while not minimizing the trouble or making the person think that you don't care and don't understand or relate.
181. It's much easier‚ more relatable, and sounds more understandable to respond with, "Oh, bummer, I'm so sorry!" or, "Oh dear, that's terrible!" Those types of responses validate the problem and make the person feel like you understand, but they don't bring the power of praise into the situation and they don't help in winning the war.
182. So I realized that this could be a legitimate roadblock to our making praise a habit in our lives, if we're hesitant to say something praiseful or to manifest a spirit of praise in those kinds of situations, for fear that it will come across trite, insincere‚ self–righteous, or as if we're glossing over the difficulty. We asked the Lord how we can learn to be praiseful and still supportive and understanding and encouraging at the same time. His counsel was wise and enlightening, as always, and very doable!
183. (Jesus:) On the one hand, you want the person who is sharing their heart with you to know that you feel for them and you understand their pain, yet you also want to help them to find the remedy for their discouragement or sadness by giving them the healing potion of praise. However, it is difficult to hand someone the cure when you both realize they would rather just have the sympathy. But, as with a physical wound, you would sympathize with the one who is hurt and hug them and let them know that you understand why they're crying, yet that wouldn't stop you from tending to their wound.
184. It's the very same principle when you're dealing with someone's spirit. When someone has told you about something difficult they're going through, or some bad thing that happened to them in the past, or whatever, they're in essence showing you a wound on their spirit. It's your responsibility to treat them lovingly and with great care, but it's also your responsibility to help treat the wound.
185. In this case I'm showing you that the correct treatment is praise. In order to help that person not only feel understood but also feel better spiritually, you must learn to lovingly apply the potion of praise. It does take tact and wisdom, because you definitely don't want to come across as self-righteous or as if you're downplaying their hurt.
186. A key to "getting it right" is found in checking your heart. If your heart is right and your motive is right‚ then you're more likely to come across right in your actions and speech as well. When that person is sharing their heart with you, or even blurting out their problems, your heart should be one of understanding and sympathy. You should listen and show them that you care. You can do this by hugging them or nodding your head as they talk, actively showing that you're listening.
187. Once you've shown that you do care and understand what they've expressed to you, you then need to take the next step by offering them a dose of praise. It's important for you to listen and sympathize first. Just as a doctor listens to his patients describe their illness or symptoms before he prescribes any medication, so must you listen to their hearts before you prescribe the pills of praise. If you cut them off before they're through sharing their heart, then they will most likely be closed off to hearing your praises or positive response.
188. Once you've listened, then claim the keys of brotherhood, or the keys of praise, or the keys of love and tact, so that you can present the praises in the way that will turn their key and help to heal their wounds.
189. Let's say someone is having a very difficult relationship battle. Perhaps this has been going on for many months and they're very discouraged and weary of the fight. They've shared their heart with you and are in tears; you've listened and sympathized, and you're wondering how you can lift their heart up with praise without sounding insensitive or unfeeling.
190. Each situation and person will require a different presentation, so it's very important to be in tune with Me and the keys of love. In a situation like this, saying something like, "Well, let's see what there is to be thankful for instead of sitting here grumbling" probably isn't going to help them accept the balm of praise. But you could say‚ "You've definitely been through a lot with this situation. The Lord must certainly think you're special by giving you such an experience." Or‚ "The Lord must have something very precious in store for you because of what He's asking you to go through now."
191. Although you weren't necessarily saying‚ "Thank You, Jesus, for such-and-such," you were drawing attention to the positive. You were placing the focus on Me and speaking faith and hope, instead of only sympathizing with the sadness. To be praiseful you don't only have to say‚ "Praise You‚ Jesus, for this. Thank You, Lord, for that." Positive speech is a big part of praise as well, because it's manifesting faith in Me. And as they hear those positive words and statements of faith, it will help them to focus more on the positive as well. It will remind them that, "Yes, the Lord must have a reason for allowing me to go through this. I'm sure there is a good purpose to it all."
192. Even in your praises you can show your concern for the person. It's okay to sympathize with the person, but you can do so in a positive way. You can acknowledge their pain or trial with a praise. And note that a praise doesn't necessarily mean thanking Me for the exact opposite of what they're going through.
193. If someone is having a battle, you don't always have to use praises like, "Well, thank the Lord you're not battling with that instead." Or, "Aren't you thankful you're only battling this little thing and not all this other stuff as well?" An alternative is to acknowledge their battle with understanding coupled with praise. You could say, "Oh, Jesus, thank You for trusting so-and-so to go through this difficult battle. You know that it's causing him to grow closer to You‚ which is so important to You." Right there you've acknowledged his difficulty with a praise, and already he feels understood, as well as more positive about that particular battle.
194. It'd help you to remember that saying a positive comment that testifies to faith in Me is often as helpful as saying a praise, and can move things into a more praiseful vein. Positiveness and praise are interrelated.
195. Each situation is different, and the only way to know how to say the right thing is to ask Me. On the spot, just ask Me to give you the words to say. Then don't be afraid to apply that potion of praise, mixed with love and humility. You owe it to your brother to care for his spiritual health.
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196. (Jesus:) Learning to help another see the good and praise Me for the difficulties or challenges they are facing is part of learning to take on My mind‚ become more like Me, and allow Me full possession. I am all-loving, all-caring, all-understanding, and I weep with you when you weep. I share your burdens and heartaches. Yet I also ask you to praise Me for the difficulties, battles, and heartaches. I teach you to rise above, to fight with the new weapons of the spirit‚ and I give you direction‚ help‚ and even a push in the right direction when you need it.
197. Calling on the keys of full possession, and asking Me to help you be My love‚ care‚ and support to the one you are talking with is the first step. Make sure to ask for My love to fill you so that you don't come across self-righteous, uncaring, or unsympathetic.
198. The next step to ensure you are not minimizing the other person's struggle is to let them finish talking before you try to offer help or advice. Once someone has been able to express their battle or problem, they are much more likely to feel at least a bit relieved, which will make it much easier for them to accept a solution.
199. Then you can gently and lovingly bring up the need to praise. If you start with a sympathetic or understanding comment (especially when someone is really going through it or struggling with a very intense battle) and then move into praise, it will also help make it easier for the person to receive. There are many different ways you can respond that will help you to do this. I'll give you some examples, but these are just starting points and ideas. It's best to hear from Me on the spot so I can show you exactly what to say to that person at that moment. Here are some examples:
200. "That's really rough, I'm so sorry. Can I pray for you?" And then you can start your prayer with praise. For example, "Thank You so much, Jesus, that we have You to run to when we're facing problems or difficulties. Thank You that You've given us the power to rise above, and as we praise and wield the keys, You always give solutions and answers to even the most difficult problems."
201. "Wow! I'll keep you in my prayers. I can help you think of things to praise for in this situation if you'll help me next time I'm struggling."
202. "I'm sorry. Sometimes when I'm really low I start by imagining the worst scenarios I can think of, and I thank the Lord that it's not that bad. It helps when I really don't feel like praising, but I know I need to."
203. "You're such a fighter! I really admire you for carrying on in spite of that. I think we need to praise the Lord; a little undefeatable weapon wielding could certainly help."
204. Watch your tone of voice and your body language. If you have a concerned, understanding tone of voice and approach the subject humbly, it really helps. Simple affection when someone is going through it is another very effective way to show understanding and support, and avoid coming across hard or judgmental.
Changing our speech habits, and learning to show concern and understanding while still using praise
205. (Mama:) Somewhat related is the scenario I mentioned earlier about the smaller difficulties, and how we often respond to one another by validating the difficulty rather than using the weapon of praise.
206. For example, say you're going out with the kids for an appointment, and the car you're supposed to take is late in coming home. You voice your difficulty to someone ... how can they respond praisefully without sounding like they're minimizing your difficulty? Or, you've just worked hard on laying out the Home newsletter, when your computer crashes and you lose your work. You're telling someone about it at dinner … how can they respond sympathetically, and still with a spirit of praise? You come home from a long day of outreach with very few tools out or visible "proof" to show for your hours of labors of love. How should those who greet you and hear about your day respond with appreciation and understanding for your long day, and still wield the weapon of praise?
207. These types of daily interactions and exchanges are smaller instances, but it's still important that we make the change to become more praiseful. That way we'll not only be a lot more victorious even in the smaller battles, but we'll also build good habits and first reactions‚ so that when the bigger things hit, we're well versed in wielding our praise weapons! Here's some counsel from our Husband on how we can make it a habit to bring praise into our conversations more faithfully, without fearing that we're coming across self-righteously or minimizing each other's efforts and difficulties.
208. (Jesus:) Even in the small things, it's important to build the habit of speaking faith and praising Me. One way to do this without coming across self–righteously or condescendingly is to all discuss it as a Home, and make a push on it together. You could also talk about what presentation people prefer when those types of scenarios come up.
209. Some people prefer to be treated a little more "tough," perhaps with a comment like, "It's just a 'praise the Lord' situation," or, "We need to find something to thank the Lord for‚" or something to that effect. For others, a more gentle, encouraging approach makes it easiest for them to start praising when they're expressing difficulty. If each person thinks and prays about this and shares what is most helpful to them in these types of scenarios, it can be a good, uniting experience, and very helpful in knowing how to help each other.
210. However, if you're not sure what someone's preference is, it's always safer to go the gentler, more understanding route. You don't want to risk coming across uncaring or self-righteous, so unless you know for a fact that the person wants and appreciates a more straightforward approach‚ be gentle.
211. Agreeing together that you're going to make a push as a Home to change your speech habits and build the habit of praise together also helps the reminders not to be so "personal‚" and can help those who are sensitive to more easily accept the praiseful responses without taking it personally. Having a "code word" that you all agree on as a reminder to praise can also help to make it more matter-of-fact, and less difficult to accept.
212. Remember that the more secure your mates are in your love for them and your appreciation of them (which you have to voice—and the more often the better!), the easier it will be to give and take reminders and to accept help from each other. A good rule of thumb is that for every "reminder" or "heads up" you give, also give at least two compliments, hugs, or loving deeds. That way no one will feel they are being picked on, and everyone will be much less likely to respond sensitively when something is pointed out to them.
213. Here are a few examples of approaches that you might want to try, or responses you can use and adapt as you're trying to make praise more of a natural response to any situation.
[Box:]
214. (Mama:) You could start by discussing the scenarios listed in paragraph 206‚ or come up with other similar ones that will make for relatable discussion in your Home.
215. Some people don't really like having specific examples like the ones the Lord gives in the paragraphs that follow, because they feel it's corny to follow them and put them into practice in real life. And it can be a little awkward or embarrassing, because everyone knows you're copying what you just read. But the Lord gives us examples because He wants to make it easy for us to put "skin" on the lessons He's sharing. And when we're trying to form new habits, or break old ones, it sometimes helps to have specific examples even of things to say, to help you apply the lesson until you get the hang of it.
216. So sometimes we just have to follow the Lord's instructions, even if by rote, until we learn the lesson or make it a habit. You can also ask the Lord to give you other examples that accomplish the same purpose.
217. When you find yourself in a situation where these praise principles apply, look at it as an exercise in using the spiritual weapon of praise, something that you're going to put into practice even if you feel like you're just copying exactly what the Lord said. After a while it will come more naturally and the awkwardness will be past, and we'll all have formed good habits of praise.
218. It will probably be a little awkward at first, but that's why the Lord suggests discussing it as a Home, so you all agree together that you're going to work on it, and just treat it as a homework assignment from our Heavenly Teacher, a practice exercise in using your spiritual weapons, and all do it together!
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(Jesus continues:)
219. —"Tell her she's beautiful" approach: Compliment the person and appreciate them for how well they're handling the situation, even though it's not easy or smooth. Even if they're struggling with it a bit, they're probably doing quite well, all things considered. That way you're bringing praise into the situation while still showing concern and appreciation for the difficulty they're facing.
220. —Praise Me that it isn't worse: Even thinking of outlandishly horrible circumstances can help you realize how much there is to praise Me for, and can bring a touch of humor to the situation as well.
221. —Praise Me for what I might do through it: Think of all the things I could want to bring about as victories through the situation, and praise Me that something wonderful is going to come of it. And, like spiritual gravity, something wonderful will come of it when you create that spiritual vacuum for Me through faith and praise!
222. —Grab a huge slice of humble pie: Just approach the situation realistically, saying something like, "This must be one of those tests to see if we're just going to praise the Lord anyway. And we're going to pass it!"
223. As you discuss these things as a Home, I'll give you other ideas of ways to approach situations humbly, and yet become proficient in wielding the weapon of praise at all times!
224. (Jesus:) I want to tell you a few things about praise that you might not have realized.
225. First, when you praise Me‚ your spirit is surrounded with supernatural power. You don't understand much about the realm of the spirit, and how locations and time and space all have different rules in the spiritual realm. But if you can receive it, praise dwells in the highest parts of Heaven, and when you praise‚ your spirit is surrounded by those attributes of Heaven—spiritual power, happiness, peace‚ and protection against the attacks of the Enemy.
226. Second, when you murmur, doubt‚ entertain negativity, and especially when you voice those things, you are providing actual pathways for the Enemy to enter your "atmosphere." So while praise is a protection against the Enemy—and not only protects your spirit, but actually provides a degree of protection for the physical space around you too—those negative attitudes and words actually provide what could be compared to a superhighway for the Enemy to get in.
227. If your Home is praiseful, full of thankfulness and words that glorify Me and honor Me and uplift Me, you have a great degree of protection against the Enemy—not only protection for your collective spirits, but also protection for your location—your house, the transport you're taking, wherever you are. That is another of the benefits of praise and how it is part of your armor and offensive weaponry of the spirit.
228. As far as a proactive weapon, you can often keep the Enemy and any other evil spirit away from you or your place of habitation by having a praiseful spirit. If you continually praise Me in spirit and are constantly thankful, the evil has a hard time having its way with you. You have to realize that things like fear, murmuring‚ cursing, complaining, etc., provide actual pathways for the Enemy to enter your atmosphere. So if you maintain a godly attitude, a praiseful spirit, it's like raising the drawbridge‚ and the Enemy has no entrance into your place of being. I'm not talking just about your spirit when I say "place of being," but in this case I mean more your vehicles, your house, the road you're on—not only your spiritual place of being‚ but the physical place too. You can actually keep the Enemy out of those physical places by keeping an attitude of praise around those places.
229. If an attitude of praise inhabits everything you do and permeates everywhere you go, the Enemy simply can't find entrance. He'll try sometimes and he might buffet you, but if you keep your arms up in the spirit, as Moses did, he cannot gain entrance into the ground you have claimed‚ whether it's the road you are driving on, the store you are entering, or the house you are living in. That's why I have My people do Jericho marches‚ and that's why I have called it that, because it is a literal takeover of the physical place in the spirit with praise and prayer.
230. Praise is an offensive and proactive weapon that can defeat any enemy, and even keep the Enemy out of your territory, so use it! It's powerful‚ it's valuable, it's precious, and it's one of My prime weapons that I have given you, My Endtime army in training.
231. Third, praise also has a great influence on those you're around. If you're in a situation that is dangerous, frightening, difficult, or taxing‚ maintaining an attitude of praise not only strengthens your spirit and helps you have the connection to Me that you need, but it also influences the situation positively, because it limits the influence the Enemy is able to have.
232. By yielding to a praiseful attitude, you create an atmosphere around you that destroys the power of all of the evil spirits that oppose the heavenly realm, all of the ungodly attitudes that emanate from the Enemy's realm. Let's say you have to give a talk to a large group of people and you start to get attacked by fear. Well, praise can destroy that attitude. If you start thanking Me and praising Me in your heart and letting a spirit of praise fill you, you begin to destroy the fear and the grasp it has on you.
233. If a spirit of fear is attacking you, start praising Me, even if it is quietly and in a whisper. Start yielding to a praiseful attitude. Start praising Me in your heart. Lift up your hands and your voice if you have to. But the main point is to yield to and establish a praiseful attitude in your heart and mind, and out of your lips and your body if you are able.
234. The atmosphere of fear cannot coexist with the atmosphere of praise, and by yielding to praise you are destroying the hold that the spirit of fear has on you. You might not feel like it at first‚ or you might. But the point is to yield to praise in spite of your fear, and the fear will have to leave, no question about it.
235. It's the same with any number of attitudes or spiritual vapors of the Enemy. If you're being questioned by someone who is suspicious of you, strive to take on an attitude of praise in your heart; start rebuking the Enemy in your spirit and start yielding to praise. Praise can uproot and fight against the spirits of suspicion or any other spirits that might be in their hearts attacking you.
236. If you yield to an attitude of praise as much as you can, what you are really doing is letting Me into the atmosphere, and I am more powerful than any attitudes or spirits that others might have motivating them.
237. Your praise is a more powerful attitude than any negative or evil attitude those around you may have had. I'm talking about real praise, a real attitude of the heart. If you can garner praise about you and absolutely yield to it, it will defeat fear and disarm suspicion.
238. That's how powerful praise is, and it's about time that you realized this, for I have given you, My children, the most powerful of weapons‚ and you need to begin to use these weapons to disarm your adversary and to release his hold on anyone you meet. Of course, there will come a time for many of you that it will be My time to call you Home, or that you will be persecuted as a witness, and in that time the Enemy will think he's claiming his due. But even in the case of death, you will simply turn around and see your body behind you and say, "Death‚ where is your sting?" as you pass into My arms.
239. Remember, everyone on Earth is yielding to spirits, to attitudes, and when you encounter murmuring, foul-mouthedness‚ complaining, hatred, bitterness, backbiting, jealousy‚ criticalness, or any of a number of foul spirits, what you need to do is start yielding to praise in your heart, in your mind‚ and in your body if you can. This will displace these spirits and they will have to flee and let go of their hold in the face of praise, if you plant your feet and make your stand there.
240. They cannot exist there. Why? Because praise dwells in Heaven—and not only in Heaven but in the heights of Heaven—and these spirits do not. So when you bring the heights of Heaven to your very spirit, attitude, heart and mind, and from thence into the atmosphere around you, these evil spirits have to leave. They have to take their Hell and get out of there, because you have claimed the land and staked it out for Me.
[Box:]
241. (Jesus:) Through praise, My children attacked and defeated the spiritual forces inhabiting their enemy. As long as Moses could keep praising Me, while Aaron and Hur held up his arms, the Israelites would prevail. It was a tough battle, for this was war in the physical and in the spiritual, but as long as Moses could maintain the spiritual attitude of praise in such a spiritual war, and as long as he could maintain the spiritual high ground, eventually the enemies would have to leave. He grew weary of praising, and his arms were heavy, so I sent My soldiers to uphold his arms, and his praises literally won the war (Exo.17:8-13).
[End of box]
242. (Jesus: ) Here are a few more examples of situations you may face and how you can fight and win them with praise. Say you're on your way to an important appointment, to meet with someone of influence. You already had a hectic time getting out the door, and the day hasn't gone as smoothly as you'd hoped. But you're on your way, getting prayed up, and trying to do your best to prepare for this appointment, because you know that if you can win this man‚ it will greatly help your work to continue in your field.
243. But on your way‚ you get stopped in a big traffic jam due to an accident further up the road. There's nothing you can do but sit there and try not to get frantic. In this case you don't have a way to contact this man to tell him that you're going to be late. Your initial reaction might be one of panic. You feel it would be a very negative testimony to be late, but there's nothing you can do but sit there and wait for the traffic to clear.
244. The Enemy would like to get you worked up and frazzled about it, thus in the end defeating you, because he doesn't want you to win this victory. But instead you take the opportunity to fight the battle with praise. You start praising Me for your many blessings, for the victory of getting an appointment with this man‚ for the faith that I'm going to give you as you speak with him, for how it's going to open wonderful doors of fruitfulness and witness in your field. You praise Me that the Enemy is not going to be able to defeat you. You praise Me that even if you are late, there's a specific reason for it‚ and you're not going to get in a frantic spirit, which will hinder your witness in the end. You praise Me that somehow I'm going to work this out and bring about a Romans 8:28.
245. As you're fighting the battle in praise, I miraculously start to clear the traffic for you. It seemed an impossibility, but I do it for you, because your praise has empowered Me to do the impossible and to open the way before you. You make it to your appointment just in time, and you're not all hurried and worried, but rather full of thankfulness and praise and faith. You are shining for Me‚ and this immediately draws this man to you and you have a wonderful connection with him right from the start. This is an example of a battle won through praise.
246. Picture yourself in bed fighting a serious illness. It's so easy for one who is sick to give in to feelings of despair or discouragement, and that is exactly where the Enemy wants to keep you, because he can not only slow the healing process, but rake you over the coals at the same time and make you feel miserable for as long as he can.
247. But you decide you're not going to give in to him and that you're going to praise Me even through your affliction. As you begin to praise Me, even if all you can do is whisper the words and say them in your heart, you begin feeling My comfort and My love in a supernatural way. As you continue praising, I ease the pain and I bring you relief and sweet sleep, and through this thankfulness of spirit, and the subsequent rest you receive of both body and spirit, your healing process is greatly speeded up. You are not only given grace for the trial, but you come through faster and with more faith and strength than before.
248. No matter what the battle, if you can turn the discouraging, negative feelings and reactions of the Enemy around and shoot them back in his face through your praises, you will win. It doesn't matter if the physical manifestations of the victory are not immediate; your spirit is uplifted and you are put in a position to fight much more effectively. And by having that spirit of faith and praise, you get an extra dose of grace and power to see you through the battle, no matter what it is, even if you are facing death, or serious pain, or a very trying emotional battle. Use praise to defeat the Enemy and to lift your spirit above the clouds, as you soar on the wings of praise and rise above.
249. (Mama: ) All of this instruction from the Lord about praise is very inspiring and motivating‚ and it sounds pretty simple—and it is. The catch is, you have to do it. And usually in the midst of battle‚ praise is the very last thing you feel like doing. That's because the Enemy knows that as soon as you start praising, he is defeated. So he tries hard to keep you from praising. But forcing yourself to do it even when you don't feel like it is how you become tougher as a soldier, a better fighter. That's one way of becoming more skilled—learning to use these weapons of the spirit when you know they're called for, even—and especially—when you don't feel like it.
250. (Jesus:) Praise is one of the most powerful weapons I have given you. Why? Because it is effective instantaneously, and the effects are felt immediately. It's so fast that it zaps the Enemy's power before he has a chance to get started. When used at the onset of a battle, it throws his weapons out of order and defeats them, sending him spinning, confused, unraveled, and unable to launch a clear attack.
251. It is also effective when used in the midst of a battle, and is a key to instant victory. However, when you don't use it immediately, the Enemy has a chance to take root in your spirit, to weaken you and win a few rounds; therefore you aren't as strong as you could be had you wielded the weapon right away when faced with a battle. The longer you let the Enemy have the advantage, the stronger hold he gains in your mind and spirit, and the harder you have to fight to get rid of him.
252. The fastest way to win a fight is to defeat him before he even gets his act together. As soon as he pulls out his little guns, as he'll use those first in the hopes that you won't notice the attack and will be drawn into it, grab hold of the mighty weapon of praise and whack him good! Knock him for a loop so that he is totally disabled and in disarray. If you use praise right at the beginning, you'll find that often you won't even have to fight the entire battle because he becomes disoriented and immobilized and he retreats, because he needs time to regroup and get his act together or come up with new tactics. Praise, when used right at the beginning, always gives you the advantage and makes you an instant winner. Even when at times the battle continues for a little while, you can be sure that it will be easier and over quicker than if you hadn't used your praise weapon.
253. In these days of battle, it is imperative that you, My brides, learn to wield the weapon of praise in a proactive way.—That you learn that you can't wait until the Enemy has you engaged in serious combat before you pull it out and begin using it, but that you should launch an offensive against him right at the start of the battle, when you first feel those little nudges, those little thoughts, those little trials coming on, or you foresee some difficulties or problems arising. By using this weapon of praise in an offensive way you will generate more power and spiritual energy‚ because you won't be weary from having to fight a long battle. You will impair the Enemy at the onset, destroy his weaponry, and force him to retreat.
254. Another way to look at the weapon of praise is to imagine a spray of disinfectant. When the kitchen is dirty, when there are some spills or messes, you take out that bottle of disinfectant and a nice clean cloth and whish, whish, whish … the bad smell, the dirty mess, and the harmful germs are gone. Things are clean and pure again, and you can now pull out the fresh good food and begin your preparations. Similarly, in the spirit you can take the spray bottle of praise and aim it directly at any oncoming attack and instantly kill any evil "bacteria" before it has a chance to settle or be absorbed into your spirit. It purifies your spirit. It removes any blockages that zap your strength, or any filth that would cloud your vision, and immediately boosts your faith.
255. Faith brings on the victory, and praise is the voice of faith! Any attacks of fear, disunity‚ anger, loneliness, selfishness, desire for the world or its temptations, fear of persecution, negativity or doubt can be given a fatal blow as you take up the weapon of praise and use it against the Enemy. It requires very little effort on your part, compared to the results it gives you. The power that is generated through praise, in conjunction with your yieldedness and letting go, wins the victory every time.
[Box:]
256. (Jesus: ) I have made you vessels of My Spirit, and the things you will accomplish through Me are going to be so mighty and so great you have only begun to dream what they will be like! As you keep yielding to Me, as you keep giving Me more of your time, your spirit, more of a place in your heart and attitude and mind and being, I will do miracles on Earth through you, just as My Father did through Me, yet much greater.
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257. (Jesus: ) Praise is also a weapon which thwarts any oncoming attacks. In that sense it's not only offensive and proactive, but also counteractive. It's like an anti-ballistic missile that you can use to destroy the enemy's incoming missiles before they have a chance to hit. Think of that! When used in this way, it becomes a more powerful and effective weapon than when used after an attack.
258. This is why I have encouraged My brides to praise Me always, to continually be voicing words of praise‚ of gratitude and of victory throughout the day, as by doing so, you create a shield of defense that the Enemy has a harder time penetrating. It lessens his blows by defusing them before they reach your spirit. You are less weakened by his attacks and are more empowered to face the challenges before you, whatever they may be.
259. Praise is not only a weapon of combat, but a weapon I have given you to help sharpen your spiritual life and outfit you for combat. Every day that you hone this weapon, even if there are no present battles or you're not faced with any major fights at that moment, you prepare yourself and get stronger spiritually through its use, so that when the battles do come, you are not overwhelmed by them.
260. Regardless of what kinds of battles you face—whether for your personal life and walk with Me, for your Home and its needs, for others, or your children, your teens, or even for the future—your spirit is stronger to deal with them and the Enemy's power in these attacks is lessened through your praise power. You rise above these problems and obstacles much more easily, and the battles are not as intense or debilitating as if you hadn't been in the habit of using praise offensively.
261. In the days to come, each of you, My fighters, will be engaged in many battles. But I have given you these weapons to use not only to defend yourselves from oncoming attacks‚ but more importantly as offensive tools so that you will have the advantage in battle. You will be stronger, more agile, quicker to respond and counterattack at the slightest hint of an attack. You won't wait until the damage is done, but you will learn how to use these weapons in order to deflect the bullets shot at you, to defuse the bombs and destroy the missiles before they even reach their intended target. This is what I am teaching you and how you will learn to rise above in battle.
262. But you must hone these skills faithfully and continually—during big battles, during small battles, even during peacetime when your spirit is quiet and there are no major upheavals. For as you do so, you will then be quick and sharp when faced with any battle and will have instant power to cause the evil one to retreat and be set back on his heels, reeling from a mighty blow.
263. (Jesus:) Yieldedness is a key element in the full functional power of the weapon of praise. When faced with a battle, by using praise and lifting your spirit to glorify Me, you are in essence giving Me full control of the battle. Your praises tell Me that you trust in Me and My power to bring victory. Your praises prove to Me that you're depending on Me to win the battle‚ that you are letting go of your own works and depending on My power to save and deliver‚ to supply and work miracles, to care for and faithfully shepherd the flock of My pasture, to love and nurture My little ones, to help you overcome any temptation, to keep you dropped out and revolutionary, and to draw you closer to Me and make you into the man or woman that I need you to be. This declaration of dependence and praise greatly empowers you, My loves. I tell you now, the weapon of praise is one of the strongest weapons you can master. When used in conjunction with My will, you will be victorious in any battle.
264. (Mama:) The Lord gave us a list of some questions you can ask yourself to help determine areas in which you can do better in using the weapon of praise. This list isn't to make you feel bad if you're not doing all of them. It's to challenge you, and give you ideas how you can do better! This is the year of strengthening‚ and in order to be strengthened, you have to find your weak points and work on them. So take this quiz with faith, happy that you'll have a clear idea of where you can attack and practically apply all this wonderful counsel in your life!
[ ] When I wake up in the morning, are my first thoughts ones of praise and spending time letting Jesus know how much I love Him, and receiving His love?
[ ] Is praise/loving Jesus an integral part of my daily Word/personal time with Jesus?
[ ] Do I know who my praise angels are?
[ ] Do I communicate with my praise angels on a regular basis, getting practical tips‚ ideas, and instruction in the use of the weapon of praise?
[ ] Do I put into practice the personal tips and counsel I get on the subject of praise from the Lord and my praise angels?
[ ] When praising the Lord do I default to saying, "Thank You Jesus, thank You Lord," or do I make a conscious effort to make my praises specific and meaningful?
[ ] Do I make an effort to praise the Lord in tongues whether or not I feel I "have the gift"?
[ ] Do I lift my arms to praise Jesus both in public and in private?
[ ] Am I an active participant in united praise times?
[ ] Do I put prayer, thought, and planning into my personal praise times, as well as those I lead for the Home, or with the children, so that our times of praise can be as meaningful and worthwhile as possible?
[ ] Do I praise out loud at "random times" during the day in front of others?
[ ] Is my first reaction to a difficult situation or problem to sincerely find something to thank and praise the Lord for, and think about how Romans 8:28 could be fulfilled through it? If I respond to bad news with "Oh great," or "Bummer" (or even something worse, Lord help me!), do I catch myself and turn it into a praise?
[ ] Do I use the weapon of praise when I am personally attacked by the Enemy in any way? Do I wait until I'm well into the battle, or do I use it right at the beginning as an offensive weapon?
[ ] Do I use the weapon of praise when I am praying for others, or counseling them or helping them? Am I experienced in using it not to minimize whatever they're going through, but in a way that it brings the Lord's answers and solutions and a spirit of faith into the conversation?
[ ] Whenever I hear an answer to prayer, or win a victory, or finish a project, etc., do I take time to thank and praise Jesus? Do I get excited about the many daily miracles He does for me, and let Him and others know?
[ ] Is praise an integral part of my prayers and prayer vigil?
[ ] Do I keep a list of praise ideas, tips‚ quotes, etc., to help me during those times when I don't feel like praising?
[ ] Do I have a reminder system of some sort to help me remember to praise?
[ ] When I am discouraged or battling heavily‚ do I pull out the weapon of praise as my first attack against the Enemy?
[ ] Would others in my Home‚ my children, and sheep consider me a positive, praiseful person?
[ ] Do I make an effort to use spare moments throughout the day to praise?
[ ] Are the praise/LJ songs part of the music I listen to?
[ ] Is praising, encouraging and appreciating others, especially the children, a strong point in my life? If not, am I taking definite steps to make it a strong point?
[ ] When I pray for the night‚ am I faithful to include praise and to count my blessings?
[ ] Is the spirit of our Home one of praise and thankfulness for the Lord's supply, protection, provision, and leading? Or have we taken on a spirit of weariness and complaining and are just trying to survive?
[ ] Are our children gaining practice in praise and thankfulness, and learning from our good sample?
[ ] Does our Home regularly include singing and praise time as part of our meetings‚ devotions, classes, etc.?
265. (Mama: ) We asked the Lord if there was anyone else we should be working with in the area of learning to use praise more, and specifically in learning how to use it as an offensive weapon. We know we have Natalia, who leads us in praise, and we have our personal praise angels, who nudge us and remind us to praise. You can review the information the Lord has given us about them in the Letter Links file, and if you haven't yet discovered who your personal praise angels are, that would be a good priority for one of your next personal prophecy times! But we wondered if, in addition to them, the Lord had anyone else He wanted to reveal at this time.
266. As the Lord has told us before‚ if you imagine all the departed saints, and all the angels He's created, it's obvious that there are a lot of helpers up there, and we will probably be discovering more and more until we get there! But the Lord lets us know these things when it's necessary‚ and reveals new ones when we need them. And now He has chosen to reveal a new squadron of warriors who are activated by our praises, and at our command when we use the weapon of praise—Peter mentioned them in one of his recent notices. They are called the Victory Squadron, or the Praise Squadron. These new helpers are warriors, and are here to help us learn how to use praise offensively, as a weapon of mass destruction against the Enemy! Before we introduce them, here is a little explanation from our Husband.
267. (Jesus:) When I speak to you of the Victory Squadron, I am emphasizing the use of praise as a weapon in defeating the Enemy. These angelic beings are here to be an integral part of the process of turning your praises into the victory. Your praises activate My power. That power is then channeled through these beings to overcome those who fight to hinder you, stop you, defeat you, or even destroy you.
268. Just as faith can bring new life, heal‚ uplift, envision‚ and destroy the works of darkness, stop the Enemy in his tracks and drive him back, praise can bring healing, salvation, joy and hope to the lost, or it can devastate, confound, send into confusion and bring suffering, pain and My wrath on the heads of the Enemy's forces and those who give themselves over to them.
269. The children of David have learned to use praise as a powerful weapon for good and are familiar with its positive power and fruits. I'm sending in the Victory Squadron at this time because as the darkness grows‚ you are going to have to develop your skills in the use of praise as a weapon to drive back and destroy the Enemy.
270. You need to become more militant, more furious with Satan and the hell on earth which he is trying to bring. You need to launch attacks on his gates through militant, on-fire praising of Me for the victories. Praise Me for what I will do on your behalf‚ and as you praise Me in full faith, you trigger the release of the power which the Victory Squadron can then use to help bring it to pass.
271. There is a time for gentle love‚ patience, longsuffering, binding up the wounds and tending the flocks, and praise—and the other gifts of My Spirit are instrumental in bringing down the spiritual power to accomplish this. But there are also times to use the weapon of praise to curse, attack, aggressively track down and destroy the wolves and those whose purpose is to devour and drag into darkness. In the days ahead you'll need both. I'm striving to strengthen this aspect of your weapon of praise to bring it into balance.
272. (Vision:) I'm seeing what appears to be a formation of beautiful white birds flying high in the sky above me. But these are no ordinary birds, because they're huge and they're flying at incredible speed in a v-formation, like geese do.
273. Now‚ in unison, the angle of their formation is starting to move upward toward the sun, and instead of looking like birds they appear to be a formation of fighter jets. But they still have beautiful, majestic, birdlike wings. There's this beautiful harmony of wings, glistening white and armored silver.
274. Now their formation is flowing to the left, then downward, until I see the point of their formation pointing vertically and sharply toward Earth. It appears they are preparing to form some kind of "attack" position. I'm now able to zoom in and see them more clearly.
275. They're beautiful angels of some kind. They have massive angelic wings which appear to be part of their arms. On their torsos and different parts of their bodies they're wearing beautiful shining silver armor. That's probably why they looked almost like fighter jets from afar, also because of the speed and formation in which they were traveling.
276. They have a very serious, determined look on their faces—a look of intense focus. Now I'm seeing what lies below them: It's a massive dark and dirty horde of the Enemy's forces gathered at ground level. Now I'm zooming out again and I'm seeing an incredible display of angelic force and power. This formation of angels is moving at what appears to be supersonic speed toward the Enemy's forces! It looks like they're actually going to smash right into them, but just as they're about to do so, there's a powerful blaze of laserlike light that emanates from the tip of the angelic formation, eradicating the Enemy's forces of darkness below them. I'm looking at the Enemy's forces, and it looks like "ground zero" where they were—a complete wasteland! They are literally G-O-N-E—completely eradicated! Wow‚ that's so cool! They were literally evaporated, hallelujah! The angelic formation swoops over the wasteland below, before soaring into the air again with perfect ease and synchronization. They're obviously familiar with this sort of mission—true professionals in every sense of the word!
277. Now, as if in conclusion of this awesome display of power, they all move downward again—although this time it's as if they're performing an aerial ballet, it's so graceful and beautiful. Still in their "formation" positioning, each one of them floats gently to the ground. As they lower their wings, their wings disappear and they each raise their arms in jubilant praise to our Husband and Lover.
278. (Jesus:) These praise angels are who I want you to start calling on when it comes to using praise specifically as an offensive weapon against the Enemy. They are professionals!—Created and empowered to annihilate the Enemy every time. They are sharp and skilled angelic military strategists of the highest level—My "fighter jets" of the spirit! You may refer to them as the "Praise Squadron," or the "Victory Squadron‚" named after their echelon military formation and because praise is the victory and always wins out over the Enemy. So according to your personal preference, you may refer to them as either one.
279. (Question:) Dear Love, are these the same as our praise angels? Do our praise angels become part of this Victory Squadron when they need to, or are they separate entities?
280. (Jesus:) This Praise Squadron is separate from your personal praise helpers. The Praise Squadron will help you learn how to be more militant and aggressive in your praises and use them to target and defeat the Enemy. The Praise Squadron is an integral part of the praise hierarchy in the spiritual realm, as well as part of the link and connection between you first using the weapon of praise and the "performance" or "completion" of the weapon of praise being used offensively against the Enemy's forces.
281. I wish for My brides to learn to use the weapon of praise more as an offensive weapon on a regular basis—in preemptive strikes against the Enemy—rather than the more defensive approach with praise when you find yourself under attack.
282. I want My children to get stirred up in spirit when it comes to praise and actively use it in a more militant style of spirit and speech. When I say militant, I mean that you are trained and disciplined personally in your use of praise‚ and you do it whether you feel like it or not—you throw yourself into praise to Me, you call on the help of those who assist you in praise and in defeating the Enemy through your praises‚ and through that decision, you become strong against the Enemy, for praise is the undefeatable weapon! This is where My Praise Squadron comes in: They are skilled military strategists in the field of praise and its power against the forces of evil.
283. So it would behoove all My children to call on the Victory Squadron to give them more of an aggressive "fighter" nature when it comes to using praise as an offensive weapon against the Enemy. Any one of My children can call on the Victory Squadron to not only remind them to not take the Enemy's attacks lying down, but to spiritually instruct them in becoming a more skilled and accomplished proactive strategist and fighter in the spirit when both praying and praising.
284. When each of My children seek Me as to how to personally become a more militant fighter and praise-wielder—which each one of My brides should do—calling on the Victory Squadron as part of your offensive weaponry of praise is an important part of being able to receive all the personal and custom–made instruction I wish to give each of My brides.
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285. (Jesus:) The Victory Squadron are both activated by your praises and are the official executors of My praise power against the Enemy's strongholds and attacks. They are also skilled instructors in spiritual warfare.
286. Looking at it in a military sense, when you call on the Victory Squadron‚ you'll instantly be assigned your own praise "combat companion" in the form of one of the Victory Squadron going into battle with you, instructing you in the art of strategic offensive praise warfare. They will guide you in the how-tos of offensive praise so it's executed with pinpoint accuracy against the Enemy.
287. These Praise Squadron angels work in unison with your personal praise angels, but they are specifically equipped and empowered to help you and personally instruct you in tough, rigorous times of combat and warfare against the Enemy. As I said‚ as you call on them, they will go into battle side by side with each of you, My brides.
288. So, yes‚ just as your praise angels do, they will prod and remind you to praise, but their specific expertise lies in instructing and teaching you how to use praise proactively and aggressively against the Enemy. Just as a soldier has to be skilled in not just one area of combat but many, My Praise Squadron have a three-fold mission and portfolio: To prod and encourage you to praise; to instruct you personally in becoming a more powerful offensive praise–wielder; and to execute My praise power against the Enemy and his forces.
289. Each one of you has an invisible and powerful "soldier at arms" beside you from one of the many Victory Squadrons when you activate their power in preemptive strikes against the Enemy, as well as during times of protracted battle against his forces. There are literally Victory Battalions of the spirit—made up of thousands upon thousands of Victory Squadrons—further than the eye can see! They are at your command when you call on them, and their full power is seen when you let loose with unrestrained praise!
[Box:]
290. (Jesus:) You might wonder, if I've told you that even one of My angels could take on all the demons of Hell and Satan himself, why do you need all these multitudes of Victory Squadrons? Why not just send down Michael and let him blast away, and presto-chango, problem solved?
291. The answer is similar to why not just drop a nuclear bomb on any enemy you might have? Problem solved—or is it?
292. If your only goal is total destruction, that might work. If your goal is as Mine is: to do all I can to help each soul I have created to choose the light of their own free will, then it becomes an entirely different scenario.
293. Millions in the days ahead will turn to Me in their times of desperation. These multitudes of Praise Battalions are designed to ensure that the minions of Satan are silenced, held at bay‚ or driven back in accordance with the choices of man in these days of darkness. They are the manifestation of both your prayers for the lost and the prayers of all My children in the spiritual realm for those who must pass through these days of Great Tribulation.
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294. (Mama: ) One question that has come up is what the Lord means when He says that your prayers and praises "obliterate," "destroy," and "annihilate" the Enemy. We know that Satan's demons have a part to play‚ so we're not going to be able to wipe them all out or permanently destroy them. Later on, the Lord will cast Satan and his demons into the Lake of Fire, to remain for a long time, or until they repent, or whatever the Lord sees fit. But until then, it doesn't seem like we can permanently ban them from coming around or permanently get rid of them.
295. So we have several times asked the Lord what He means when He says we have power to destroy them or obliterate them. He has explained that when He says that, He means that we are destroying their power, we're obliterating them from the area around us, and in that sense we have won total victory right then. Depending on how great the defeat is for them, we sometimes even have a little rest in the spirit before they regroup and attack again—or sometimes we have to face another attack right away.
296. Our prayers and praises are powerful, and have the power to silence the attack, completely cut off the Enemy's power, and send him screaming in defeat, but they don't completely and permanently destroy the demons, because the Lord is allowing them to continue to serve His purpose. So when the Lord uses words like "eradicate‚" "devastate‚" etc., in regards to what we can do to the Enemy, He's referring to the effect we have on the Enemy's power that he's trying to use against us‚ not necessarily that we are permanently destroying the demons themselves. Most of you have probably come to that conclusion already, but since I had the question, I figured some of you might have it too, and so I wanted to share the Lord's answer with you.
297. May the Lord help us all to progress as ever better warriors for Him, wielding our powerful spiritual weapons offensively, and bringing His light and salvation and deliverance to as many as possible!
Fighting right beside you, Mama
298. Keep the keys of praise on your lips at all times, and you will be invincible.
299. The keys of praise unlock the door to greater faith.
300. Call on the keys of praise to drown out Satan's voice and dissipate discouragement.
301. Release the power of the keys of praise and they will help you to overcome in spite of everything.
302. The keys of praise will lift your spirit and keep you on a positive track.
303. The keys of praise protect your thoughts and open the door to My mind.
304. Praise Me for everything in your life—the good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly, the joyous and the sad—and you will experience peace and contentment that transcends the boundaries of the earth or flesh.
305. Call on the keys of praise to fill your heart, mind, and entire being with the positive attitude that you seek.
306. Praise, the power of the keys, and looking to Me are the secret. So don't start looking at the waves. Claim My keys, praise Me, look to Me for guidance, and I will never fail to calm the sea, give you safe passage, and make the mountain of obstacles fade away.
307. The keys of praise will defeat the Enemy and all his ways.
308. The keys of praise are an unbeatable force that you can tap into at any time. Use them and you'll always come out victorious!
309. The keys of praise are mighty, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. They are ready and willing to cut the Devil right to the heart and send him screaming. When you're weary and discouraged, and feel like you have no strength to rise above the circumstances, call on these keys and they will lift you up and out of the stormy seas, and set you on dry land again.
310. Use the weapon of praise with your whole heart and you will break the Enemy's hold on you.
311. Praise will release all that you need for any trial or difficulty. Call on the keys of praise to help you praise Me.
312. Those who hold on to praise with their whole hearts, putting off pride‚ will do great and mighty exploits.
313. Praise will keep you through every tempest and storm.
314. My children never need to worry or fret when they have the undefeatable‚ unstoppable, almighty weapon of praise on their side!
315. Praise‚ and do not stop praising Me, and you will know no boundaries.
316. Claim the keys and praise your way to victories that the Devil will never be able to recover from or resist.
317. The Enemy cannot stand praise. Use the amazing, power-packed keys of praise to slam him to the ground in defeat.
318. The keys of praise are a powerful, miracle-working weapon that you possess; use them and you will see magnificent results.
319. Praise Me even when you don't feel like it, for the keys of praise will bring victory out of seeming defeat. It's always the right time to praise.
320. The keys of praise will outlast, outlive, and overpower anything that comes against them. Use them, and see the results!
321. I ride upon the wings of your praise. Therefore claiming the keys and praising in any situation, especially a negative situation, brings Me right to the forefront of the battle, where I draw out My sword and cut the Enemy to the heart.
322. Praise leads directly to the center of My heart. Claim the keys when you praise and I will run quickly to you with all My power available to win the battle.
323. Praise is the atmosphere of Heaven. It's what the inhabitants breathe in to nourish their souls, and it's what they breathe out to nourish the framework of a loving society. Call on the keys and praise to create the same atmosphere in your Home.
324. Praise is the hand of faith that pulls the trigger and eliminates the Enemy. The keys of praise will always bring you victory or reprieve.
325. In a standoff with the Devil, the keys of praise will help you to blind the Enemy and overrun his position immediately.
326. The keys of praise are the weapon of choice for anyone who wishes to be one of My champions.
327. The keys of praise should be your primary offensive weapon. Use them to obliterate any evil spirit or negative mindset.
328. Using the keys of praise sends a spiritual shock wave across the Enemy's territory, clearing the way for you to march in and claim the land.
329. Having your new weapon of praise powered up and ready to fire at all times will give you the advantage you need in any situation where the Enemy might try to preempt you. The keys of praise work best if fired first. So fire them at all times and keep the Enemy running and dodging your spray of spiritual munitions.
[ ] "Faith and Healing," ML #M:16-20, 23–24, 35-37, DB4
[ ] "Organization 1," ML #54:6-12, DB4
[ ] "Run the Race‚" ML #1374, DB1
[ ] "Endure Hardness, as a Good Soldier‚" ML #2786:4-30, DB11
[ ] "Issues, Part 10," ML #3397:8-27, GN 990
[ ] "Brazil National Prayer Day 2003," ML #3456:170-182, 184-185‚ GN 1042
[ ] "Crowns on the Ice‚" ML #3465:195, GN 1053
[ ] "Getting Stronger—Part 2," ML #3518:268-269, 274, 276-285, GN 1109
[ ] FJWL 1: #427
[ ] FJWL 2: #376, 454
[ ] "Fight The Good Fight" (excerpts), MOP 1
[ ] "Trials and Triumphs" (excerpts), Good Thots 2
[ ] "Suffering‚" #8, Word Basics
[ ] "Trials, Temptations and Tribulations," #6-7, Word Basics
[ ] "Dumps‚" ML #33:21-23‚ DB4
[ ] "The Halloween Wheel," ML #363:22, 26, 27, 30, DB6
[ ] "Count Your Blessings," ML #1259:2, 6-13, DB1
[ ] "The Power of Positive Praise," ML #1375:2-5‚ 12, 17-19, DB1
[ ] "How to Go on the Attack," ML #2128:2, 4, 5, 8-9, 11–13‚ 18, 22, 24‚ DB7
[ ] "Praise and Sing Your Way to Victory," ML #2833:1-7, 10, DB11
[ ] "Shepherding Our Children and Young People," ML #3191:99-101‚ GN 796
[ ] "According to Your Praise Be It Unto You," ML #3432:7, 8, 12, GN 1015
[ ] "Praise Your Way to Victory," ML #3449:3-16, GN 1034
[ ] "Death to Depression, Part 2," ML #3464:225-231‚ 235-241, Post-it GN #11
[ ] "Practicing Praise," ML #3471:14-20, 40-42, 56–58, 81-84, GN 1059
[ ] "Renewal: A Praise Celebration," ML #3494:11-17, 67, 69-70, GN 1079
[ ] "Shooting Straight, Part 1‚" ML #3499:162, GN 1086
[ ] "World Currents!—No.102," ML #3528:361-363, 366-367, GN 1122
[ ] "The Art of War, Part 1‚" ML #3532:92-95, GN 1123
[ ] FJWL 1: #333, 339
[ ] FJWL 2: #86, 99
[ ] "Praise" (excerpts)‚ MOP2
[ ] "Communion with God: Praise and Thankfulness," 52‚ 130, Thots 1
[ ] "Thankfulness," 2, 3, 7, Word Basics
[ ] "Praise Him," ML #3265:3, 128-129, 133-135, GN 868
[ ] "Christmas Praises 2001," ML #3372:5-8, 11-12, 14-18, GN 967
[ ] "Practicing Praise," ML #3471:107, 109-110, GN 1059
[Box:]
Note: For more on the power of praise, see the inspiring personal testimony Prison to Praise, now available among the book summaries in the Overflow section of the MO site.
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Copyright © 2005 by The Family International. Art by Tamar and Sabine.
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