“They conquered him completely through the blood of the Lamb and the powerful words of His testimony. They triumphed because they did not love and cling to their own lives, even when faced with death.” Revelation 12:11 (TPT)
Navy Seal training takes many hard hours to complete, but at the end only a handful are standing. Only the best of the best make it through the strenuous challenges that the Seal training requires! Likewise, many more were standing two years ago. But the testing has been tough. Only a few are left standing! And you are it!!! God is deploying you! The reality is God doesn’t need our help, He simply needs our faith! Hebrews 11 is full of definitions and examples of faith. We are told that without faith it is impossible to please God, and indeed, our faith has been tested during this past season. Our faith is required to believe that God exists and He is who He says He is! He says that He will reward those who diligently seek Him. Is that you? You cannot expect others, even the “professionals” to do it for you. In fact, according to a recent Barna study, some 38% of pastors want to quit the ministry. Yes, you definitely need to pray for your pastor, but you need to ask the question, are you one of the remnant, one of Gideon’s army, one who will not give up the faith, one whom Jesus will find faithful when He returns (Luke 18:8)?
Declare that you are one of God’s faithful ones, that you will not back down or tap-out. Declare that you will stand alone and believe even if everyone rejects you. Declare that you will trust God, even if it costs your life (Revelation 12:11). Pray that God would grant you the grace to seek Him wholeheartedly until you find Him! Ask Him to increase your faith, and show you how to walk in it with even greater boldness in these days. Pray for your pastor to be encouraged today, for every place of discouragement to be torn down, releasing a new hope. Ask God to restore the joy of their salvation and calling, and to lead the congregation forward with faith in Jesus’ blood and His testimony!
