Two Strategies for Victory (By Lory Persaud)

I recently had a dream in which God warned me of a strategy the enemy is currently employing to attack God’s people. The dream portrayed the enemy as mangy cats, prowling about, ready to pounce and scheming to claw out the eyes of their prey.

Just as the enemy is strategic and even systematic in how he is attacking the vision of God’s people right now, so is our Father prepared and strategic about giving His children the specific tactics necessary in this hour to be victorious over the evil one.

So let me ask you: have you felt distracted lately? Has it been a temptation to dwell on the negative circumstances around you? Do you feel you are able to see with clarity, God’s heart for you?

If you recognize our enemy has been coming against your eyes in this season, I hope you will find encouragement in what I am about to share with you as it is the counter-strategy God showed me.

Strategy #1: There is strength in numbers.

The “Teacher” in Ecclesiastes, chapter 4, gives us this wisdom:

9 Two are better than one because a good return comes when two work together. 10 If one of them falls, the other can help him up. But who will help the pitiful person who falls down alone? 11 In the same way, if two lie down together, they can keep each other warm. But how will the one who sleeps alone stay warm against the night? 12 And if one person is vulnerable to attack, two can drive the attacker away. As the saying goes, “A rope made of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Though I will be the first to admit the difficulty of being transparent and asking for help, this is precisely the path towards being strengthened with our Christian brothers and sisters. Are you praying with anybody these days? Take some time to consider how initiating a prayer time with someone you know might change your current difficulty. Though it may not change the harsh realities of your circumstance, could bringing your needs to the Lord together offer you strength and encouragement to move forward in victory? My hope and prayer for you is that you will take courage and action towards this truth.

Strategy #2: The gateway of gratitude, leads to overflow.

In a recent time of prayer with others from St Aidan’s, a number of ideas came to my mind as I listened for God’s voice: a picture of a storehouse structure, the tune “Give Thanks with A Grateful Heart” and the word “overflow”. I waited for God to tie all these ideas together and this is what He showed me:

God has an abundant storehouse of provision and blessing for His children. He is the Good Father and is always looking for ways to give good things to His children, no matter what the enemy may be bringing against them. These blessings can be accessed through the gateway of gratitude. When we take our eyes off of what the enemy is doing and put them on our Lord by moving in the posture of thanksgiving, we open ourselves to seeing and experiencing the many blessings God is giving us in the midst of our trying circumstances.

The Kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom. This means that when the enemy brings forward his plans to harm us, God turns those same circumstances on their head to bless us! (Esther 9:25) May you access and experience all the blessings God has stored up for you and may you “Enter His gates with thanksgiving.” (Psalm 100:4)
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When searching the scriptures for a verse to back up the strategies God was giving, I sensed the Holy Spirit lead me to Colossians 4:2, in which Paul directs the people of God with this instruction:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Thank you Father for showing us how to live victorious in this difficult season. Give us grace to reach out to others so that we can pray together and share our needs. Grant to us the heart posture of gratitude so that we can access the many blessings you have for us. In Jesus name, Amen.