Anna, and Kristi, and Christie, and Vonnie and Connie and ?

Today is Veterans’ Day, and I have been thinking of all the men in my family who have served during times of war: my father and father-in-law, my brother and brothers-in-law, my husband, my son and now my grandson.  Some of those wars were bigger than others, some longer, but all of those men  risked their lives for their military service.

As I was thinking about that, it occurred to me that we are also in a war, we who stay home, a war for the eternal lives of those around us, and our own life.  Scripture is pretty clear about this.  Consider John 3:17 and 18, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Those who do not believe that God loved them enough to send Jesus who also  loved them enough to die for them, taking on Himself the punishment for all their sins are condemned. 
Our soldiers, my family members, left all that was home and security, risking their lives that we might have a safe life humanly speaking. But what about us, what about me, our battle has much more long lasting results…eternity. What are we doing about that battle?

This morning as I was writing in my journal, I started listing the women, in particular, who are serving God in missions or vocational ministry, soldiers for Christ: Anna in France and going to Africa, Christie in England,  Kristi in Germany, Laura in Ireland, Connie – in the Far East, Becky in Togo, Vonnie in Kazachstan and my niece Heather, working in England but active in seeking opportunities to show Christ. 

I have been reading about and studying intercessory prayer these last couple of weeks, and feel the weight of it today.  We do have an enemy out there, who walks about seeking whom he may devour.  But I wonder if we really believe it, especially in regard to those who are on the front lines of this war for the eternal life,  Paul asked his readers over and over to pray for him, to pray without ceasing.  The writer of Hebrews speaks of how Jesus “offered prayers with a loud cry and tears to the one who could deliver him out of death.  And God heard his prayers.” (5:7)

As I read and thought about it, I wondered if we pray anemic prayers, “God be with the missionaries,”  like sending soldiers out with BB guns or water pistols. Paul, in Ephesians 3: 16 prayed that “from his glorious unlimited resources he(God) will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.”   In Ephesians 6:14, Paul writes this, “Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.”

As I read those words, it was like reading a soldier’s orders: Be on guard. Stay alert all the time.  And use your weapons, pray!  In the power of the Holy Spirit, God Himself!  The big guns!!  We, you and I can pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We can load our weapons in the Word. 

We can get fit

• by exercising prayer,
• by earnestly seeking God’s leading for what we do with what He has given us,
• and grace to love and forgive(as need be)  and serve those around us,  
• and strength to believe when the battle rages  ( the evil one speaking lies and doubts into our ears), 
•  and wisdom to speak the truth in love, first for us, and then for those out front – our pastors and church leaders and missionaries. 

And not just today, but daily, because this is one war that will not get over for us until the return of Christ.

photo from http://www.theeverydaywarrior.com/2011/12/31/soldier-story-saturday-hardest-part-of-being-deployed/