How many of us realize that when we signed up to have Jesus as our Lord and Savior we also signed up to be a part of an army? As believers in the Lord and what He stands for, we have joined the Army of God. You likely didn't understand that your choice meant voluntary conscription into military service but that is exactly what has happened.
The devil knows this only too well, however. And that is one reason why it attacks you in numerous ways. Its goal is to weaken you on the battlefield and remove you from the equation (John 10:10). If you become an ineffective soldier, the area you were meant to defend suddenly becomes susceptible to the devil.
This is why many people report that their lives got worse when they chose to walk with God - when a person truly commits to the Lord that the enemy sees them as a threat. Once that happens, it will do everything it can to get that individual to give up their position in God's army. That way, the territory under their protection is left undefended and is easy to attack. That territory could be the person's family, their office, their neighborhood, or even a specific individual God wanted them to cover with the anointing upon their life.
Do you see why it is so crucial to keep forging ahead with the Lord even when things get difficult? Think about the countless lives that will be affected if you drop your spiritual weapons and walk away from your duty post. Job experienced this. The devil wanted him to curse God and turn from Him. If Job had submitted to satan's will, his friends would not have been blessed when he prayed for them. Additionally, he would not have received the double restoration God had waiting (Job 42:10).
This should remind us why praying for others is so important as opposed to just praying for ourselves and our loved ones. Each of us has someone or something God wants us to prayerfully watch over. He has given us the authority to wield the weapons of our heavenly warfare and determine the outcome of situations for individuals, families, nations, and even generations (Psalm 149).
Are we going to let satan punk us out of our assigned position? Shall we go AWOL from the battlefield abandoning the vulnerable that need us? Will we leave our fellow Christian soldiers undefended? Will we let the enemy win?
This year, we have to be mindful of our status as soldiers in God's army. He has strategically positioned us to bring His light into dark places. Put on your uniform, Christian soldier. Pick up your weapons of prayer, praise, fasting, evangelism, and intimate time with God's word. Strike the enemy down wherever it is trespassing, knowing that this earth, along with everything in it, belongs to the Lord (Psalm 24:1). Remember that Jesus has given us great power. Luke 10:19 - I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
We are well-equipped soldiers in God's army and cannot be harmed by the enemy. Plus, no weapon formed will prosper, by His grace. So, sign up for the Lord's army today, and don't quit. Don't let the enemy convince you to give up on God and His plans for you. Be on the offensive, using Your spiritual weapons to wage war as Your Commander instructs. Onward, Christian Soldier. Onward.
From M22 - Abba, I pray for regions affected by war, natural disasters and man made disasters. I pray for restoration in this regions. I pray that you will restore everything citizens have lost in thousandfolds. I pray that you will send them every aid neccesary to receiver IJMN. I pray that you will accept the departed souls in your bosom IJMN! I pray against every reoccurrence IjMN amen!
CLOSING PRAYER
Holy Father, thank You for assembling us this day for Your glory and by Your grace.
Thank You for arming us for battle and the knowledge that You are right there by our side. No harm shall come to us!!
I pray for those who participated in today's fellowship. May they each remember that they are not ordinary but warriors who have been well-equipped and continue to be trained to battle and win. IJMN Amen.
From M22 - Thank you Abba for today's word! Thank you Abba for giving us the strength to endure life's challenges. Thank you Abba for the privilege to be in your army. Thank you Abba for renewing our strength. May we never get tired of running this heavenly race. I pray that we will not abandon our battle post and responsibility IjMN amen!
From M22 - Abba I want to thank you for everyone that prayed for my brother here today. Thank you Abba for giving me the strength to share this issue. I bless you for every single person that prayed for him. I pray that you will take care of every source of worry in their lives IJMN. Amen.
From M22 - Abba I submit my brother to your care. I know this situation might seem bleak but I pray father you will break every protocol on his behalf. You have seen how hard he has tried to raise funds and please for more time. I pray Abba tht your will be done in his life. His life is your hands Lord! Grant him clarity and Discernment moving forward! Amen!
Abba I pray for my sisters, that you will take care of them and support every spirit of fear, anxiety, comparison and depression from their lives. Help them to seek you above everything else ijmn Amen !!
Continue to be our father, mother, shield, buckler and safe haven IjMN amen.
LAST 10 MINUTES
As we remain aware of our status as soldiers in God's armies, let us also keep the following in mind.
2 Timothy 2:4 - No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
We must focus on the instructions of our commanding officer. That man is Jesus Christ. He shall one day return as described in Revelation 19 at the head of God's army to bring justice and judgment.
Each believer will serve in their capacity as a soldier while on earth and we need to be fortified by the word and the anointing of God.
Lord, we bow before You. The Lord of the Heavenly Armies. Father thank You for being Almighty. We call on You to bless us with strength and wisdom as we stand at attention, ready to serve as You demand. We pray over ourselves the word in Psalm 110:3 - Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. We shall be arrayed in the Armor of God, armed with the word of the Lord to destroy and terrify the works of satan on earth, IJMN Amen.
Thank You for this grace, good Lord!
From M22 - Abba I pray for people in the waiting season. I pray that you will grant them the patience and strength to withstand the storm, trials and challenges they are facing. I pray that they will not wait in vain. I pray that your will be done in your lives. I hold on to your promises in their lives according to your word in Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 17:7-8. Isaiah 40:31. Let your name be exalted IjMN amen.
From AC - Thank You Heavenly Father, for Your intervention regarding J and the mercy and grace You showed Him this week. Only You, in all Your power and greatness could have turned this crisis around. May he seek Your forgiveness and turn his heart towards You and away from this way of life that is destroying him. I pray for His deliverance. I pray You will break this bondage. I pray that You will rescue him and all those imprisoned by addiction, trauma, and depression. Please reassure him that no height nor depth, nor the powers of evil or anything else in creation will be able to separate him from Your love in Christ, and remind him that he is the one that Jesus left the 99 to come and save. Thank You for all that You are doing in his life. In the name of our Saviour Jesus', I pray, Amen.
From M22 - Abba I pray for people stuck in abusive situations that you will rescue them. I pray that you will send communities, individuals and organizations to help them and move them to spaces where their sense of self, safety, confidence and trust is restored. I pray that you help them process every trauma they have endured and help them heal at your pace IjMN amen.
God, You are Jehovah Jireh. God all unto Himself. Hallelujah!
Proverbs 23:18 - There I surely a future hope for you and your hope will not be cut off.
Father I pray that the joy of Your people will not be cut off. That the enemy's plans to keep people in cycles of depression, anger, and despair fall apart miraculously.
Remember our praises God. May they go into the enemy's camp and decapitate each one seeking to rob Your people of their joy.
I pray that You refresh Your own by pouring out Your oil of joy upon them. May they forever lift Your name in praise. IJMN Amen.
From M22 - Abba I pray for people that don't have a clue of how to navigate the new year since it started. I pray that you will guide and direct their steps. I pray that you will grant them supernatural clarity and discernment moving forward. I pray that your peace which surpasses all understanding will guard their hearts, minds, bodies, spirits and souls IjMN amen.
From M22 - Abba I pray for couples seeking the fruit of the womb. I pray that they shall become fruitful and conceive this year IJmN. I pray that you will bless them with beautiful healthy babies that they will you will help them nourish and nurture in your ways. IjMN amen.
From M22 - Abba I pray for the sick and recovering ( thank you for sis @AC's baby). I pray that your permanent healing power radiates every inch of their bodies including their cells, organs, vessels, systems. I pray that you will heal them beyond what doctors or technology can do. I pray that you will coordinate their eyes and hands of every operating surgeon so they can carry out successful surgeries IJMN amen. By your stripes we are healed Father!! Amen
From M22 - Heavenly Father I lift up children across the world into your care. I pray that you will continue to shield them from abuse, violence and harm. I pray that you will continue to nourish and nurture them in every aspect of their lives. I pray that they will continue to be soldiers in your army. I pray that you will strengthen them to keep running this heavenly race IJMN amen.
From M22 - Thank you blessed Lord for your generosity! Amen
Praise be to You, Jehovah Sabaoth. You lead Your army and ensure Your soldiers can stand even after having done everything.
Joel 2:11 - The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?
Father, thunder at the head of the battle. We Your soldiers shall obey Your command and be made mighty in warfare this year. All by Your grace and to Your glory, IJMN Amen.
From M22 - Heavenly Father I want to say thank you for another fellowship day. Thank you Lord for very Peppers both online and offline. Thank Abba for life, mobility, provisions, security, your kindness, grace, mercy, generosity and love over us. I thank you for being the Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Mighty man in Battle and the lion of the tribe of Judah. Amen.
PRAYER TIME
We have worshipped and now we lift up prayers of intercession for people. Pray for 2-3 people or on 2-3 issues that groups of people are dealing with.
Just like Jehoshaphat and his army, we shall see the enemy scattered on the floor and unmoving. We, and those we are praying for, will walk into the enemy's camp and carry away plunder as was the case in 2 Chronicles 20.
But first, let's pray.
Thank You God for making us commanders in Your army!
We didn't earn the title. You granted it by grace and have given capacity to walk under that anointing. You hold us by Your righteous right hand and empower us so that it is known that You alone are God!
From PBS -
From AC - Thank You Jesus that the weapon formed did not prosper! Thank You for what the enemy meant for evil, You turned around for good!
Thank You for the breakthroughs and battles You fought and won this week concerning my loved ones.
All glory and victory belong to You alone!
From M22 - Thank you Abba for your guidance and direction always. Amen!
Bless the Lord oh my soul!!!
Lord, I thank You for Your faithfulness and grace!
Thank You God!
Thank You God!
We are grateful to be soldiers in Your army. Thank You for arming us with the full armor of God. Praise You for giving us a breastplate, a helmet, a sword, a shield, a belt for our weapons, for fitting our feet with shoes, and a cloak of zeal.
Lead us Lord!!
PRAISE TIME
Do you remember the story of Jehoshaphat and his army in 2 Chronicles 20? They went to war singing. They marched out to meet an enemy that consisted of 3 separate armies.
All they did was worship and sing as they approached the battlefield. By the time they got there, their opponents were dead already!
Let's do the same over the next 25 minutes. Let's march out with praises on our lips as we prepare to battle in prayer on behalf of others.
From AC - Isaiah 43:19, “For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway in the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert.”
Yahweh Yireh, I bless and honor Your mighty name! We thank You, that You are the God of provisions, the One Who sits on the throne, ruling over our affairs. Because of Your faithfulness and Your greatness, we are confident that You will make a way for this family, provide for their needs, and open up doors of opportunities for them, that no man can shut. We ask that while they wait on Your appointed time for this breakthrough, You help them to remain in Your Spirit and keep their eyes fixed upon You (Matthew 6:33). Please cast out the spirit of fear and doubt, and fill them with Your transcending peace, hope, and steadfast faith. In the lovely name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
@Mimzy22 I will continue to lift your family and your brother's matter in prayer. The Lord is Your strength and there is nothing impossible for Him to do.
From AC - Friday blessings to my Pepper family and thank you @FFJ for today's word. Whew! this message is so powerful and resonated with me deeply.
The past few days had been awful. As soon as I posted my praise report in the testimony thread, the enemy attacked hard. The licks were hitting back-to-back within just days.. financial... relational.., but the worst was my baby suffered an urgent medical situation that came out of nowhere and none of the treatments were working.
I thank God for His grace, mercy, and forgiveness because after days of no sleep, and seeing my child in pain and distress with no relief, the enemy got the best of me and I came out of my character. I didn't 'abandon my duty post or walk off the battlefield' but I was angry and I started to struggle with prayer, however, thanks to the Holy Spirit I mustered the strength to keep going. During Tuesday’s P&P we were actually at the urgent care, and I was so exhausted but I knew I had to join you guys in worship and prayer because I felt that is what the enemy wanted, for me to be too distracted and tired to participate in the first P&P of the year.
Then on Wednesday, I began to fast as we were told that my child would have to be admitted if there wasn't improvement by Thursday morning, but by God, it didn't get to that point. Thanks to God, in all his faithfulness and grace He healed my child and revealed a possible cause/explanation that was missed by the first doctor we saw HALLELUJAH!!! Last night my family was able to finally get a full night's sleep in like a week, and this morning my kid is doing much better and smiling and eating, praise the Lord!
God bless you for bringing this point to our attention. I'm ashamed to admit that it's something I hadn't paid much consideration to until recently. We need Jesus, but we also need to be able to rely on each other (our sister and brother soldiers in Christ) on the battlefield. I came upon this verse recently from Paul's letter to the church
Carry one another’s burdens and in this way, you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love] - Galatians 6:2 (AMP)
Thank You God, for Your confirmation!
From SN - Good morning, sisters!!!!!!
He is risen.
He is here!
From SN - Sis. . . This is an extremely powerful Word, oh my goodness! I bookmarked it before I even finished reading it!
This Word confirms a lot of things for me and God spoke to me in great detail while reading it.
Father God, we bless Your name. You are so good and merciful. Thank You for the powerful provision You have given us for 2024 and beyond!
Lord, we cannot wait to do Your Will and be about our Father's business in this corrupt world. Lord, may Your light shine upon us as You order our steps in this land.
May You exceed all of our expectations and may You continuously bless us with overflow and abundance in all areas of our lives. Lord, let us be overwhelmed with Your good gifts. Let us need to take a vacation after sorting out everything You've blessed us with, including the funds for the vacation.
Lord, may Your favor saturate us so much that the world may know that You and only You are God. And, Father, we thank You in advance for these extraordinary blessings and much more. In Jesus' name! Amen.
From PBS - Happy New Year, Peppers!!!
Praise the Lord—-we have triumphed, cried, prayed, and praised through 2023, despite the trials and obstacles we faced—and we have now been blessed to enter a new year!
Glory to God for His endless goodness, grace and mercy! Thank you Jesus—thank you Lord!
Lord God, please cover us with your armor, protection, and boldness—-fully equipped and ready!
‘Heavenly Father in the Name of Jesus, we boldly come before your throne of grace with the petitions we’ve presented. We trust in You with all of our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding. In all of our ways we acknowledge You, and allow You to direct our paths.
Lord, we accept your paths of peace, favor, healing, prosperity, protection, forgiveness, change, renewed strength, love, confidence, sound mind, discipline, self control, discernment, faithfulness, wisdom, understanding, patience, joy, rest, and all of your countless spiritual and physical blessings.
Through salvation in Christ Jesus, we are worthy of it all!
You are calling us out to be more bold—fully confident that You are alive and active in us.
YOU ARE ALIVE AND ACTIVE!
You are the Living Word!
You are God!
Therefore, we declare that we are strong in the Lord and in the Strength of His Might!!!
Thank you Lord, in Jesus Christ name we pray, Amen!
From EC - Amen and good morning ladies!
From M22 - Please Family and sis @FFJ. I know I should have brought this up earlier but I didn't want to overwhelm anyone. Please I need prayers for my brother, he's due to graduate from medical school in June and he has only been able to cover 3 years of tuition from the start of his degree out of 6 years. The remain 3 years he's been trying hard to raise money to pay the rest. He's only raised 1/4 of his remaining fees. His studies have been suspended for a year and he'll be sent home. I have prayed and fasted for him, reached out for help and I don't know what I am not doing right.
Sis @FFJ I am sorry I didn't bring this up with you privately, I didn't want to overwhelm you because of your support.
I felt this was too personal to post as a prayer point on here that's why I never mentioned it here but it has taken a toll on my mental health that of my sisters and his especially. The country he is in won't allow work for years and it has not been easy.
Please I need your prayers and encouragement Peppers. God bless y'all
From M22 - Thank you for another fellowship day Abba! Thank you for bringing us together despite our schedules. Thank you Abba that we have more than enough time to be in your presence. Help us to seek you above everything else. Help us to focus on that spiritual. Cleanse our hearts, minds, bodies, spirits and souls. May we continue to be a vessel for your glory Father! Amen
Thank you for today's word sis @FFJ . Today's word deeply resonated as usual and it's really emotional for me. It's not easy to run the heavenly race at all. The devil ties and tries to belittle our efforts and attack us but God always holds our hands even when we are weak and at the edge. The enemy has been trying to attack me through my mental health and all but I refuse to give up. I would remain steadfast in prayer and not leave my battle post. It's not about me, it's about our Father! I pray that we will continue to decrease so God can increase within us. I pray that his will be done in our lives. I pray that he will continually strengthen us so we don't give up at all. IjMN amen