photo #9281050

•Prayer to Have Victory Against Your Spiritual Enemy•By Anthony Valente👉 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8-9)One famous and effective tactic thieves often use to rob a store is to distract. They enter the store as a group. Then, one or two separate themselves from the group while the others start a loud commotion in another section of the store. This grabs the attention of the customers, as well as the store clerk.As all eyes are turned to the disturbance, the accomplices fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, and then leave the store before anyone even suspects what happened. Hours, or even days later, the merchant realizes things are missing and calls the police. But it’s too late…. the thieves are long gone.This strategy is effective for stealing—as well as for tempting! You see, the enemy loves to seduce us into paying attention to the distractions of life, all the while causing havoc unnoticed in other areas. And if this tactic is successful, we don’t realize it before it’s too late and sin has already taken hold of our lives!It’s crucial we check our spiritual pockets now and then to stay on-guard against satan. It’s helpful to have others in our lives who can point out weaknesses in our defense as well. When you keep watch against the enemy, you’ll be better positioned to fight off temptation to sin and experience victory in your daily spiritual battles!Let us pray.🙏 Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You for the reminder that the enemy is looking for someone, anyone. I realize that being alert and sober-minded is a moment-by-moment choice. I know that I easily get distracted and derailed by the chaos of this world. Please help me to surrender my thoughts to You in an effort to remain alert and sober-minded. Please help to keep me more in step with You and less distracted by the chaos of this world. Thank You for the reminder that failure isn’t really failing so much as it is learning. Thank You for choosing me. Thank You for creating me unique. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for making me Your most prized possession and not seeing me as “anyone.” In Your eyes, I am someone. I am Your beloved child. Thank You Almighty God, for sending Jesus to break satan’s stranglehold over us. Through the Savior's death You have assured me that mine won't be the end of our relationship, but the beginning of life with You. Father, keep me humble in spirit and help me to cast all my cares and worries upon You…. knowing that satan is prowling around seeking to destroy my witness and cause me to stumble. I pray that I may take this warning seriously and rely on You in all things, so that I may not stumble and fall but stand fast in this evil day. Through power and in the name of Jesus I pray. AMEN 🙏 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.(James 4:7)Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.(Ephesians 6:11)And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”(Job 2:2)And give no opportunity to the devil.(Ephesians 4:27)The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.(1 Peter 4:7)Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.(1 John 3:8-10)So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.(1 Thessalonians 5:6-8)But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”(Luke 21:36)Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.(Romans 13:11-13)I call to you, God, because I'm sure of an answer. So-answer! bend your ear! Listen sharp! Paint grace-graffiti on the fences; take in your frightened children who Are running from the neighborhood bullies straight to you. Keep your eye on me; hide me under your cool wing feathers From the wicked who are out to get me, from mortal enemies closing in. Their hearts are hard as nails, their mouths blast hot air. They are after me, nipping my heels, determined to bring me down, Lions ready to rip me apart, young lions poised to pounce. Up, GOD: beard them! break them! By your sword, free me from their clutches; Barehanded, GOD, break these mortals, these flat-earth people who can't think beyond today.(Psalm 17:6-14)(pic verse)Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover.(Psalm 17:7-12)