Friday 16th January

Quiet your heart and mind. Consider breathing deeply and exhale slowly. Speak out who God is for you right now.

“Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me."

Psalm 66:16

Ponder: What breath prayer do you often repeat? A breath prayer is a Bible phrase that helps you focus on God in the moment. You intentionally speak this phrase to remind yourself that God is God and He is here.

Scripture

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

Ephesians 6:10-17

What do you know about this person’s situation when they are praying this? What does this prayer mean for the person praying? What phrase in their prayer stands out for you? Can this be a breath prayer for you?

Be strong in the lord

Being on Home Assignment can bring about some needed time for reflection. Recently, I was sharing about our ministry in Thailand and what a spiritual battleground it is we serve in. However, as I am home in the US, I find that the same kind of spiritual warfare is still very prevalent. In one of my recent quiet times, I was reminded of this passage in Ephesians that admonishes us to be strong and stand firm. It really does not matter what side of the ocean we are on and where we are. We are always going to be in conflict with spiritual forces in this world. But I was encouraged and reminded that I can be prepared for battle when I put on the armor of God. As I read these passages aloud, I could imagine myself donning the armor with its defensive and offensive weapons. I feel I have the courage to stand firm and resist the temptations of the devil and to fight for living a life of obedience and service in the Lord’s army.  I pray that each of us in our own way will acknowledge God as Lord of the universe and that he has given us the tools to be strong in the Lord. 

Stephen Anderson, Director, Head of School, Thailand

Now ask God who you can pray this prayer for. What part of this prayer could you pray for them? You might want to say, “Father, please help [name] understand…."

Kids’ Question: Write three key words from today’s passage on a paper for your kids, reading the words to them if necessary. Have them decorate the words as they reflect on the passage and devotional for today.