January 2009

2009, a New Year with an old enemy. What can we expect in this New Year? Expect Attack! As sincere praying Christians we should understand that we do not pray without opposition. A. W. Tozer once said, "A Church is a living organism and is subject to attack from such enemies as prey on living things." Perhaps all of us shall journey on some new paths in this New Year, and we must be alert and remember that our enemy is Satan. His tactics are the same and his purpose is as it has always been. His number one effort is the same and that is to destroy our prayer life. Fleshly efforts to fight off his evil opposition is fruitless. We must be spiritually awake and fight as God's Word instructs us...fully clothed in God's Armor; we must use "the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith" and resist the plague of prayerlessness.
Renew Your Mind. New Year's resolutions are to be encouraged, but our greatest need is to take charge of our minds. (Romans 12:1-2) While meditation on God is edifying and a necessary companion to prayer, fleshly imagining and dreams lead us away from God's plan for life. Make prayer your thought processor.

In the closet for you,

W. Clyde Martin