This is a battle

6:29 p.m. Today's project was to comfort and be of assistance to one of my grown children. Just as I have been experiencing lately, one attack or discouragement has followed the other for them. But today, with inspiration from C.H. Spurgeon's Morning & Evening devotional portion for the morning, I felt energized and full of the Holy Spirit to help face the latest "giant."

In Matthew 6:9, the beginning of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus says,

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven..."  Spurgeon builds upon this:

This prayer begins where all true prayer must commence, with the spirit of adoption [Romans 8:13], "Our Father." There is no acceptable prayer until we can say [like the prodigal in Luke 15:18], "I will arise and go to my Father."  

And go to our heavenly Father we did, praying through text, telephone, and written supplication in my journal. Then, knowing that this is a devilish attack, an harassment against my offspring, I sought godly counsel from an old friend known for taking on large public entities in battle for the glory of God. He helped me many a time when my public service was mocked and slandered, when I was president of a statewide caucus of believing school board members. His explanation of the paperwork, and his guidance to appropriate action will be invaluable!

As I met with my sleep-deprived child around noon today, I told them, laying on hands and praying, "This is an attack of the enemy and we're not having any of it! The Lord is going to fight for us and the victory is assured!We are going forward into this battle and will not succumb to the enemy's lies and libels, and will use all means and expect all miracles to win the day! In Jesus' name, Amen!"

Having now taken all Spirit-led and rightful steps and procedures for this incipient stage of the conflict, we can now be at peace and we can continue on in the Lord's prayer:

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Next: knowing that honest admission of any part they had to play in the incident must be made, we follow Jesus' model of confession:

Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Now we acknowledge the utter ownership and omnipotence of our God:

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.

AMEN!