The Battle Cry
There is a darkness in this world that we will never fully explore. A black void where only the purest of light can venture unharmed. Late at night, a young girl prepares to go into this pit. She is a warrior on the battlefield, a vicious soldier covered in the blood of her slain enemies. She has no fear, she knows no bounds, her spirit does not waver. As she takes up arm and shield and marches into battle, a faint cry is heard in the distance. It is not a cry of pain or fear. It is not an alarm or a warning. It is the Word of God whispered one thousand times on her lips. She repeats her words, unceasing, unafraid of what may come. And as she speaks, the darkness lifts, the fog recedes, and the light bursts through.
With just a few words, the soldier has ended the battle before it could even begin. And at the break of dawn, she stands from her position—resting on her knees at the foot of her bed. She is not on a battlefield, she is not armed as a soldier. She is simply a girl who took the time to kneel in prayer and have a word with the Almighty.
For those of you who do not have an imagination, that is how it looks when you pray. An ordinary human being is suddenly transformed into a fighting machine. And with all those weapons and armor, all you have to do is speak and the battle is won. This is what happens when you give Christ a moment of your precious time. But there are 24 hours in a day—that’s plenty of time for work, rest, and play—so where does Christ come in?
As someone who works from home, many people think I have all the time in the world. Of course, I do have the luxury of working when I want for however long I want, but that doesn’t mean I never find myself getting overwhelmed. Multiple times a day, I take a step back and wonder if I’ve given enough time to Christ, if I’ve dedicated enough of myself to the Lord. The answer is always going to be no.
No matter how many times a week I go to church, or how much Christian music I listen to, there will never be enough praise to offer the Lord. But that doesn’t mean you can’t set goals for yourself. Sunday shouldn’t be the only day you’re in church. The mornings shouldn’t be the only time you pray.
Don’t be afraid to take a moment and re-dedicate yourself to Christ. Prayer is the most important part of our faith as Christians because it is direct communication with the Creator of the universe. Surprisingly, something so serious also happens to be very simple.
You don’t have to close yourself off in a soundproof, candlelit room to talk to Jesus. Prayer can happen anywhere at any time. As long as your mind is focused on Christ, you will be able to speak to Him whenever you’d like. The beauty in this is that God wants to talk to you. How can you get to know Him if you never spend time with Him?
In this busy, distracting life, how do you make time for the most significant relationship you could ever have? When I first realized the importance of prayer, I would set a specific time to stop everything and spend an hour with my Father. There were times I didn’t feel like doing it. Times I didn’t want to stop what I was doing. And even times where I fell asleep instead of prayer—it happens to the best of us. But the point I want to make is that I kept doing it. I reached a level in my faith and my relationship with Christ as my Father where I look forward to alone-time with Him.
Now, I’ve learned that I don’t need to wait until a specific time. I can pray all day, every day, no matter where I’m at. I can have a moment with the Lord on my lunch break, when I step into the bathroom, during commercial breaks on television, while driving in my truck, waiting in line at the grocery store. Anywhere at any time.
Even though I get to spend more time with Christ when I drop everything and pray, I personally believe I have the most intimate discussions with the Lord when I’m out or while I’m multitasking. Those are the in-the-moment prayers, where everything is happening right then and there but, somehow, I still have the frame of mind to put it all in God’s hands. That’s because I’ve gotten close enough to Christ to know that I don’t have to get away to call on Him. God can hear me no matter where I’m at and He has the power to answer in exactly that moment.
Whether you decide to take a break or to pray where you are, always remember this scripture:
“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17 KJV
There is so much meaning in this single verse: a commandment to pray always, encouragement to never give up, instruction on how to pray, and acknowledgement that there is a God who will answer those prayers.
When you’ve made up your mind to serve Christ fully, that scripture will become your manifesto. Don’t just think about your prayer, think about who you are praying to. This verse is a battle cry; the enemy may be pushing you, you might be cornered, but Christ is standing behind you and He will not let you slip and fall. Don’t you ever give up.
God bless.