KEY VERSE:
“ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Romans 8:37
Before I get to this verse in Romans, I want to take you to a time in the Old Testament when a terrifying army descended on Jerusalem and surrounded the city. This nation was the Assyrians. They had already conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and most of the Middle East. Outside the city, the Assyrian General was breathing threats and curses over the Jews. He sent a letter of demands to Hezekiah which, if not met, would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and slavery for the inhabitants.
So, Hezekiah took the letter and laid it out on the alter in the temple and prayed (2 Kings 19:15-19):
“O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands… So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”
That night God answered Hezekiah’s prayer (2 Kings 19: 35-36):
And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh.
So back to today’s scripture in light of that. We are more than conquerors and nothing can separate us from the love of God. Write down all the things that you are battling with which are hindering your joy and peace.
Remember Romans 8:37-39:
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Invite God to be with you in all the situations that you wrote down earlier and then re-write them but as an OVERCOMER’S PRAYER, declaring God’s promises over them all.
TESTIMONY
GEOFF WALTON
For me, life began four years ago after being baptised; this is the point where everything changed. Prior to this I had been a proud, independent, nominal Christian, damaging my marriage and family. After hitting my lowest point, I realised that my words no longer held any meaning to my wife and in order to save my marriage and family, I had to obey God with action.
My prayer was desperate and simple, and the answer was clear: say yes to everything God asked me to do! Join a life group? Yes! Daily quiet times? Yes! Love your wife like Christ loved His church? Yes! Get baptised? Yes! Serve on the sound team? Yes! Join the worship team? Yes! Host Four12 guests? Yes! Host an intern? Yes! Lead a life group? Yes! Quit your “dream” job? Yes! All these requests, which I obeyed, changed my life forever.
It has not been easy but the challenges I have faced since that prayer have been God’s battles and I have trusted in His plan for me, no matter the outcome. Looking back now, I can see how He was refining and preparing me to overcome one of the hardest trials a father can endure - deciding whether or not to allow surgeons to do full reconstructive surgery on my two-year-old daughter’s skull. It would have crippled me previously as I would have tried and failed to do it in my own strength.
God’s plan is so clear now. He had been preparing me for this moment. He had strengthened me and my faith, put a family around me who I could and still do lean on, and carried me through those dark hours while our little girl was in theatre. She survived and is beautiful. That day, and having to make that decision of faith, has changed our family forever; I am now God first and He has since provided me and my family with so much more than I could have on my own.
What has God said to you through today’s promise?