The Unseen Battle
This Weekly Prayer Summary was written by Esmi Lukman, from the CBC English Prayer Ministry Core Team, and edited by Lisa Ang
#SeeingEye
Watch the sermon here
This Sunday’s sermon is brought by Pastor Him Djuhana from Colton City Blessing. Thanksgiving greetings and exciting testimonies from Colton City Blessing are given by Pastor Him as he is extending a heart of gratitude to all of us. He shared the experiences of several individuals from Colton church for miraculous healing testimonies.
Pastor Him continued his sermon titled “The Unseen Battle” by reading a quote from Helen Keller that said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”
Helen Keller was an American author, a disability rights advocate, and a lecturer, she was an amazing woman with great accomplishments who by the age of 19 months lost her sight and hearing. Nonetheless, she was able to go to school and did everything normal people could have achieved. Sight is a function of the eyes that allows us to see, and this is something a blind person doesn’t have. On the other hand, vision is the mind or the mind’s eye that is a proactive portion of our imagination.
There are individuals with eye sights to see but they don’t have visions. They couldn't see beyond their problems and circumstances. When we complain, we're not in agreement with God. When we complain it wasn't the will of God.
Have a vision
Proverbs 29:18
NASB “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained but happy is he who keeps the law.”
TPT “When there is no clear prophetic vision, people quickly wander astray.”
When there is no vision, there is no hope. Vision works like a restraint. Pastor Him gave an example of seat belts. Seat belts save lives. When somebody didn’t have a vision, they don’t restrain themselves. When somebody has strong and right visions, they will watch what they say and do. They will develop their characters with the right visions.
Psalms 127:1-2 NKJV
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.
Pastor Him shared an anonymous quote “God is the architect, the financial backer, the owner, the foreman, the building crew, the editor and chief. Our part is to cooperate with God as He builds us.” He also briefly shared about our church-building project to build a ministry center. He brought us together to pray in agreement corporately for the building project.
The Unseen Battle
2 Kings 6:8 NKJV
Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
We are currently at war that we couldn’t see it with our physical eyes, but the war is there. Pastor Him pointed out that the King of Syria was at war against Israel, and we are the spiritual Israel. We cannot stay neutral and even though we hide, the enemy sought to target us since we are in a spiritual battle. This is the season we are in now.
2 Kings 6:9 NKJV
And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.”
In this story, the man of God, prophet Elisha, heard and saw a vision from God of the path the Syrian army would take to attack the Israeli army. Prophet Elisha would then warn the king of Israel to avoid the path where the Syrian army has planned to attack.
Pastor Him encouraged us that we are the men and women of God just like Elisha. We are the anointed children who are raised and were born for such a time as this; for us to flourish and rise up and be radiant.
Pastor shared another testimony when a man who prepared satay for the building fund at the Colton Church got dust in his eyes. He was completely and miraculously healed. He is a man of God who obeyed and experienced God’s healing. God wants to use each one of us; no matter how young or old we are.
2 Kings 6:10 NKJV
Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice.
The king of Syria was not able to trap the Israeli army because Prophet Elisha warned the King of Israel multiple times. When you have the vision, God will give you insights. God wants to use us to foil the scheme of the enemy and He will do it for us over and over again.
2 Kings 6:11 NKJV
Therefore, the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”
2 Kings 6:11 MSG
“Tell me, who is leaking information to the king of Israel? Who is the spy in our ranks?”
2 Kings 6:12-14 NKJV
And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.” Therefore, he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
Pastor Him pointed out why the King of Syria sent horses, chariots, and a great army to capture Elisha; the old prophet of God, but God has a reason.
2 Kings 6:12-15 NKJV
And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
Pastor Him explained that it was normally our response when bad things happened in our lives. We reacted with fear, insecurity, and feeling of hopelessness. In 2 Corinthians 5:7, we need to walk by faith, not by sight. We need to rarely confess negative things!
2 Kings 6:12-15 NKJV
So, he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Pastor Him explained that whenever we face challenges and if we see with our physical eyes, we will be fearful. But if we have the eyes to see beyond the physical realms, we will see that God is with us. When God was with Elisha, He sent horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. The key is for us to pray, give thanks, and acknowledge that God is at work.
Pastor Him also mentioned Pastor Paul’s words that said, “The natural eyes give you sight, but our spiritual eye gives you insight.” If we walk and see with our natural eyes only, we can be depressed.
Judges 21:25 NKJV
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Pastor Him mentioned these words since the people of Israel at that time thought that they were doing the right thing without looking to God’s words of truth. They went with their own feeling. Even in our current time, we tend to follow what is popular in the world instead of looking to God’s words of truth.
Ephesians 6:11-12 NKJV
Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
1 Kings 22:34 NKJV
Now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So, he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”
Pastor Him used this above verses to point out that when we had sins or compromises in our lives, we created a gap in our armor. The enemy would shoot us at random and can find its way to wound us. Our whole body needs to be armed, not partially armed. The enemy is very cunning to find its way to harm us.
Closing
1 Samuel 11 NKJV
Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition, I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.”
In this story, the Jabesh Gilead tribe was about to give up and compromise to serve Nahash, the King of Ammonite. Nahash's name means “the cunning one” or “a serpent”. Nahash gave a condition for the covenant that he would put out all their right eyes. Why Nahash wanted to gouge out their right eyes? At that time, young Israelite men learnt to fight with a shield in their left hand, a weapon in their right hand, and their right eye would watch the enemy. If they had given up their right eyes, they would have given up their capacity to fight; and they would no longer have the ability to see the enemy's movements. The enemy would have robbed them of their strength, their livelihood, their future, and destiny. This is what the enemy would do to us too.
In closing, Pastor Him warned us that the enemy is very cunning through deception, schemes, and tricks that we could be deceived. He prayed for us that our eyes are open to see through our challenges and that we are given insights from the Lord to see that those who are with us are more and can smite the enemy surrounding us.
Prayer points:
Pray that we will not walk by sight but walk by faith
Pray that will not be deceived and manipulated by the enemy
Pray that our fellowship with God will not be broken
Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance any compromises we had in our lives so that we can come to repentance to restore our relationship with our Father
Pray that we will not be disconnected from Jesus, the true source of all power
Pray for the exposure of the enemy’s deception, so that we can stand strong in the days of battle