My Stand
Provided below is another "prayer hour" in my personal breviary.
Its prayerful purpose? To remind me of who I am, of whose I am, and of the spiritual weapons God's given me. It includes also a militantly confrontive narrative intended to be whispered into the heavenlies over and over again so as to disorient, disarm, and, ultimately, assassinate the enemies of my soul and yours.
Men and women, we are at war; it's a heavenly war; and it's being fought over the hearts and minds of the whole of humankind. Strangely, the enemy's not really all that interested in you and me. What He's really after is hurting God. By hurting and enslaving us, and by keeping us from God and each other, he hurts God. Or tries to.
I've had enough of his hurtful ways. Have you?
Rise with me, if you dare, and make your stand with the Warriors of the Most High as we execute our assaults on the kingdom of darkness. To quote the late Malcolm Wallace (to his surviving son William) in the movie Braveheart, "Your heart is free; have the courage to follow it."
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The Blood of Christ
Lord Jesus Christ...
May Your Blood be upon me and every aspect of my life.
The Spirit of Christ
Lord Jesus Christ...
May Your Spirit be upon me and every aspect of my life. As the Scriptures read, I've been freed from fear and anointed with the Spirit of Love, Power, and Soundness of Mind. May Your Power, oh God, work in and through me to the praise of Your Glory.
The Words of Christ
Lord Jesus Christ...
May Your Words be ever upon my lips, and may they be forever hidden within the deepest recesses of my innermost being, where desire is awakened and instinct refined.
My Authority in Christ
Lord Jesus Christ...
All Authority in heaven and on earth was given You. In turn, You gave it to Your followers and to all who would one day follow after them. As Your follower (and as Your Father's slave, friend, and son), I have the very same Authority You had, and I've been empowered by Your Spirit to accomplish even greater things than You did. I trust You with my life, Lord, and I choose in this moment to walk whole-heartedly in the Authority You've given me. Thankfully, it's an Authority based solely in my belovedness as Your Father's child, and not in my sinlessness.
My Prayer for Protection
Lord Jesus Christ...
Place a hedge of thorns around my heart, soul, mind, and body. Please protect me from the attacks and assaults of my enemies. Rise up, O Jesus, and defend me. Come quickly to my aid, and rescue me from the fowler's snare, for Thou Art My Refuge and Ever-present Help in times of difficulty and trouble.
My Ethos
For freedom's sake, I punish myself in training, drive fear from my heart, and empty myself out before God. Like a rescue swimmer, I brave the deep so others may live.
My Motto
Semper paratus...(Ever prepared...)
Semper fidelis...(Ever faithful...)
Semper volens...(Ever willing...)
De oppresso liber...(To find and free the oppressed [having been found and freed myself]...)"
OOO-rah! (Godspeed! God-willing! Good hunting!)
Mindful Commands to the Enemy
Move behind me, Satan. Your words and actions are contrary to the Purposes of God. In the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat (see Note 1).
Warmongering spirits, nations, tribes, gangs, and people...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
World System...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
False Self...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Death, Illness, and Injury...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Abuse, Oppression, and Slavery...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Fear...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Pride...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Lust...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Greed...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Gluttony...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Envy...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Bitterness...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Deceitfulness...in the Name of Jesus, please step away from my mat.
Notes:
1. More than fifteen years ago, when I fought in MMA (and just before each fight or training match), I'd address my opponent with the following silent question/accusation: "What the flip are you doing on my mat?"As crass as my pre-fight meditation might have been at the time, it had a way of galvanizing my neurology for what was about to take place. My opponent was on MY MAT, and I wanted him off it as soon as possible. About a decade ago, I began calling my life "My Mat." So now, when I command the enemy (Satan and his forces) to step away from my mat, what I'm really saying is this: "Get off me, and leave me alone!" As a follower of Christ, I have the Authority to say and require such things. And, consequently, the enemy must comply. They must, because when I confront them, I do so with respect and resolute firmness in the Name (that is, the Personhood, Character, Power, Sovereignty, and Absolute Authority) of Almighty God.
IKIGAI Weekly Blog Schedule (per The Training Trinity):
Mondays: Meditative Prayer
Wednesdays: Holistic Discipline
Fridays: Martial Arts Practice
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