Man your battle stations!

You’ve heard the alarm – some for real and many just in a movie. A long siren blares and then a voice declares…

“GENERAL QUARTERS. GENERAL QUARTERS. ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS.”

Adrenalin flows and everyone knows. It’s time to drop what you’re doing. Grab your gear. And sprint to your battle station.

We’ve all felt the adrenalin rush of life sounding the alarm – The phone call in the middle of the night; The doctors report, blunt but piecing; The notice in the mail…at work. Smooth sailing is about to turn to stormy seas. The siren is a warning the tornado is about to hit. Blood runs cold. Face turns red.

We all have this one thing in common – in this world we have tribulation. We’ve been talking all week about it. I have battle scars – I’m pretty sure you do, too. Some we talk about – others we’d just as soon forget.

The truth is – there are more battles ahead.  But that doesn’t mean we should live in fear or dread. Whatever the battle – loneliness from the loss of a loved one; the hollow hurt from a wayward child; the haunts of regret; the ache of a relationship gone wrong; the gnawing of hunger; the clawing of creditors… it may be hard – but we can win.

And in my humble opinion, here is how we can do it.

Preparation is the key to success they say. I agree. With a slight modification I call it: “Preprayeration;”(Pre-prayer-ation.)  

“Man your battle stations…” The operative word being “your.”  We have been created unique. We’re customized to best operate, under stress and in battle, in a certain way. Knowing ahead of time what gear to grab and to what station to run, BEFORE the battle starts, is key.

“Pray that you enter not into temptation,” Jesus told His disciples just before they were about to enter the biggest battle of their lives. Battles are won before the fight by those who pray.

And that is how Jesus could say on the same night in which he was betrayed;  "My peace I give to you… Let not your hearts be troubled.”

Holy Man! Wow. He was fixin’ to get beat up, ripped up and nailed up on a cross and He said – "My peace I give to you…let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Think about that. It must be some powerful peace to calm that tornado of trouble about to blow.

He cues us in on how to obtain that kind of peace as He preprayers..."Not My will but Yours be done." Surrender is key to victory in Spiritual warfare.

 Victory is in the eye of the beholder. For example:  When I play a game, many times, I win by losing. The object isn’t to win the game, but to win the heart, and be champion of time well spent.  The goal is to be able to say; I have fought a good fight. The prize is to hear The Father say: “Well done.”

When we pray we are actually talking to The Champion of All. He knows what lies before.  And what we consider loss – He may see as gain. That’s why we must pray.

And then say, “OK. Father, if you can fix this mess, I’d like it. But I trust You more than myself, so, not my will but Yours be done. Amen.” 

And then even if all hell breaks loose – like it did when Jesus prayed that prayer we can say:

When peace like a river, attendenth my way,

When sorrows like sea billow roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is wll, with my soul.

~