Discerning God’s Battle Strategy

Life can be full of Battles, crises, and unexpected life events. It is not a matter of if but when they occur. Our instinctual fight or flight response to the unexpected events of life may not serve us well in accomplishing God’s will for our lives. Our personal experience and personality may lead us to respond in well-practiced patterns which may or may not have served us well in the past. 

The Christian, however, has another option as demonstrated in the Biblical book of Joshua.

1. Set yourself apart to God(Joshua 3:5), wait on God Isaiah 40:31 and trust in the Lord Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Be at peace and remember 2Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has not given us a spirit] of fear ... Because you have this faith, I now remind you to stir up that inner fire which God gave you at your ordination
Let Christ rule in your mind 2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.was

2. Throughout the book of Joshua when God’s people sought Him and waited on Him for His strategy they were successful, but when they did not, they failed to obtain the victory God intended for them. 1st at Ai and then with the Gibeonites who deceived Israel.

Day Five: Learning to Pray With an Open Door to the Father

Deception in the garden.

Satan, the Deceiver with his cunning deceptions, says one thing but his message is twofold.

1   He causes her to doubt God;  ‘you surely will not die’ in other words God is lying to you

2. He appeals to her pride; your eyes will be open, you will be like God 

The truth, however, is that We were created in God’s image. Therefore, we are like God already.

 But Satan wants to sow doubt in God and plant the lie that only by seeking knowledge to know good and evil can we be like God. 

This deception is the root of human insecurity and the motivator for our unending quest for knowledge apart from God’s plan, boundaries and authority, through which we were created by God to become perfected in His image, To rule and reign with God throughout eternity.

Alignment with and submission to God allows us to thrive within  His plan, under His authority, and within His prescribed boundaries. To some, this means we are limited, but in truth, it is the Creator and designers way. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that even Jesus did this. 

‘fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

Day Five:  Conclusion

1. Our perfection is only complete as we align ourselves with God.

 Acts 17:28a ‘For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him, we actually have our being], ’

2. It is only from this position within God that we discover the complete freedom to communicate in prayer with God.

What Enoch teaches us.

Day Four: Learning to Pray With an Open Door to the Father.
What Enoch teaches us.

In our reading, We looked up scripture about Enoch. The Bible tells us He pleased God, that He walked with God for 300 years and that He had a reputation of pleasing God and that He had faith. It tells about His faith. In Hebrews 11:5-6
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6, And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
This tells us about God and some of the primary factors in our relationship.
He Exists and He is the creator, and He is the one who sustains all that exists.
He rewards everyone who diligently seeks Him
Faith in God and belief in His existence is not merely intellectual acknowledgment but as John 1:12 say believing in and receiving Him.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.
The receiving comes with accepting His authority, structure, and boundaries, which is the opposite of What Satan the Deceiver offered in the Garden
If we desire to be in relationship with God, it must be on His terms, with His authority ruling our lives
We must diligently seek Him, His ways, His Rules His authority in our lives.

Tomorrow’s Reading assignmentGenesis 3:3-5
3but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" 4The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! 5" For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
What lies are in Satan’s statements and what else is saying?

Day Three: Learning to Pray with an Open Door to the Father,

So far we have explored the idea that prayer is a conversation with God.
We also explored the framework of our relationship with God and how it shapes our communication with Him,
In our assigned reading we see how Jesus came to 'seek and save that which was lost.' when we examine Genesis 1-4 we know what was lost.
The reading of Genesis 1-4 shows us that what was lost in the Garden was our relationship with God and the loss resulted in the loss of the benefits from being in proper alignment with God.
Luke 19:10, John 10:9 and Genesis 1-4 give us a clear message of Jesus restoration of our relationship with God so that we once again have an open door between God and us.
In these passages, we find the foundation of our prayer life or as we have stated open communication with God.
Reading Assignment: use a concordance and look up all references to Enoch. Answer this question:
What did Enoch's life of walking with God look like? Use your imagination. What did those conversations sound like? Do you think Enoch asked God about what was on God's heart that day or what God had planned for the day?

Day Two: Learning to Pray with an Open Door to the Father,

I trust your answers have been enlightening so far in our studyToday we want to build on our study from yesterday. If you read the Bible you'll see God having conversations with individuals,Long before we see any formal examples of people praying. Today we have more questions.

1. Based on our study so far can we define prayer as conversation with God?
2. The character of our conversations with someone are based on what we believe our relationship with that person to be and what we believe about that person and ourselves. Describe how you perceive each item here. 
3. In our assigned reading in John 10:9  "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture." What does this mean to you?
4. So does this mean we are able to come and go from God's presence freely?
5. How would you describe your relationship with God? How do you think that effect your prayer life?
6. Reading assignment: read the first 4 chapters in Genesis. & Luke 19:10 which says "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. What is the most important thing we lost in the garden?"

Pray with an Open Door to the Father

Day One: Learning  to Pray with an Open Door to the Father, 

All you need is a Bible, a teachable spirit and a heart after God, a notebook physical or electronic; The answers are private and just for you.

Let’s get started by answering some questions.

1. When someone says there is a book, class or seminar on prayer what is the 1^st 3 things that come to your mind?  Write your answers down now.
2. If you were ask to define prayer what would you say? Write your answer down now.
3. Why do you think prayer is so hard for many people to understand and do? Write your answers now.
4. Try to remember the very 1^st time you prayed. What did you say, what were you feeling and thinking as you prayed.
5. Use a Webster’s or other dictionary and look up the words, pray, prayer, praying then in your own words write your definition. You can also find Webster’s online at https://www.merriam-webster.com
6. What other term, word or concept could you replace prayer with in your walk with God? Yes, write it down.
7. Tomorrow’s Assignment: Read John’s Gospel Chapter 10 verses 1-30