Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them;
for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.
He will not leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJ
What is courage? The dictionary definition is . . . “The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, without fear.”
I counted seventeen times in the Old Testament that God tells us to be of good courage, and I am sure there are more.
In order to have courage to face the difficult problems Christian’s face today, one has to have a very strong faith. Jesus is the only One who will endow us with the courage needed to face each trial bravely by putting our total trust in Him.
If one believes that Jesus is the Saviour-God of this world, then it logically follows that Satan is the Anti-Saviour, and will do everything he can to make life on earth as hellish as he possibly can.
In my own life I find that the paralyzing fear Satan loves to throw my way that depletes my courage, manifests itself in two ways. The first is to make me feel weak and powerless; The second leads me to think I can be successful in my own power.
Negative thinking is always used by Satan to make us feel weak and helpless. Words like – “I’ll never survive this; I’m going to fail; I can’t beat this; This is destroying me; This is just impossible; I’m too old to make a difference; I am not qualified to take this on!”
Or else he loves to appeal to our pride, especially when we feel strong in our own abilities – “I feel adequately prepared for this task; I can raise great kids who love God; I can do ministry effectively; I can be successful in life; I can handle this task by myself.”
Dan Schaeffer writes “When you’ve learned to quit, to surrender, to imagine failure in all you do, your eyes are constantly on your weakness, not on His power. When you’ve learned to think positively, to believe in yourself and your own ability to succeed, your eyes are constantly on your own power, not on God’s. In both situations we are finding the answer to the test or challenge within ourselves – forgetting God and His power that is available to us.”
Tara McKnight is a young mother of two who goes to Bethel Pentecostal Church in Huntsville. I met Tara last year as she is a fellow volunteer with Samaritan’s Purse OCC Shoeboxes.
Tara sends out a weekly Prayer for Muskoka OCC region. I find her prayers inspiring as they bring encouragement often at a time most needed. Encouragement to step out in God’s power not our own!
Recently she wrote . . . “Today I pray for courage. The courage for one person to open their heart and life to Jesus. Courage to not only hear a calling, but to accept a calling. Courage to live life and laugh through life. Courage to walk the path and faith in the destination. Amen.”
How many people around the world are forced to practice their faith in secret having the courage to face persecution and death every time they dare to share their hope in Christ Jesus? Then again . . . how many of us are free to practice our faith openly, but keep it a secret lacking the courage to tell others about this hope?
Dan continues… “The New Testament is itself an anthology of change — change in people and ultimately change in culture. Christianity didn’t begin with powerful people. In the early years of the church, Christians were unpopular, persecuted, and maligned. Yet, 300 years later the official religion of the Roman Empire was Christianity. If we don’t see the power of God here, we are missing it in one of its greatest forms. The power of God poured out on the human heart is an amazing thing to watch.”
Pray to God for courage and He will supply you with all you need to overcome whatever Satan throws your way. Recognize where the true Power lies and be transformed in your faith, your character, and be filled with His strength.
When You feel like you’re drowning in life,
Don’t worry, be courageous — remember —
Your LIFEGUARD walks on water. Anon
If you would like to receive Tara’s Prayeragraph then email her at -Tara McKnight –th************@ho*****.ca and ask to be put on her prayer list.