A Prayer For God To Be Your Shield And Portion Today
By Chris Eyte
"When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 'Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?' the servant asked. 'Don’t be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.' Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." - 2 Kings 6:15-17
I love this passage in the Bible because it sums up the spiritual reality in all difficult circumstances. How many times do we see the enemy and opposing forces against us, just like Elisha’s servant? And that puts us in a panic - yet the angelic armies of the Living God are unseen but present nonetheless, and far greater. We just need to see that substantial truth!
Faith is not only confidence in our hopes for the future (Hebrews 11:1) but “assurance about what we do not see”. That means here and now. This is why our faith in Christ gives us the leverage needed to win the daily battles in life. If the Lord is your portion (Lamentations 3: 24) - the bread in your life - wait for him to act in the impossible. He is omnipresent in the conflict.
It seems to be a recurring theme in the Bible that when a situation is presented as impossible, God makes it even more impossible before He acts and changes the outcome. Think of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who gives birth at a very old age. Impossible! Think of Moses trapped by the sea as he leads his people away from Pharaoh. God rolled the sea back. Impossible! Think of Elijah, who pours water on the altar again and again after the false prophets fail to set alight their sacrifice to Baal. The Lord sends fire from heaven and sets the drenched wood ablaze. Impossible!
Or think of Gideon who was told by God to squeeze his army down to a handful of men before going into battle. He wins against overwhelming numbers. Impossible! Or Paul the foremost opponent of Christians, made blind, then sees and becomes the foremost proponent of Christians. Impossible! All these situations were impossible and made more impossible - but God acted in the end.
Perhaps the most impossible of all is humankind, plagued with the infection of evil, rescued from hell by the self-sacrifice of the living God in the guise of the first-century humble carpenter, Jesus Christ.
Derek Richmond was a runner in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. In the 400m semi-final, Richmond tore his hamstring about 250 meters from the finish line. The runner crashed onto the ground but got himself up and limped heavily around the track. Suddenly, TV cameras focused on an older man trotting onto the pitch who reached the runner. The stranger put his arms across the younger man’s back and helped him to complete the lap, reaching the finish line at a walking pace. It was Jim Redmond, father of Derek, helping his son to end the race, to rousing applause from the 65,000 spectators.
That iconic moment in sporting history is an illustration of how God is our shield and portion. We don’t need to complete the race alone when we are in trouble and face the impossible. God is holding us up, walking with us arm-on-arm as we cross the finish line.
Let's pray:
Father God.
You are God of the impossible and to be both loved and feared. When situations overwhelm me and the odds are against me, I thank you that your love stands firm and is reliable. I don’t understand why things work out so difficult sometimes, but always you show through and prove once again that it is your good, perfect, and pleasing will that concludes a matter. Your grace is sufficient for me. You are my strength, my shield, and my portion now and forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/kieferpix
Christopher Eyte lives with his wife Céline and three children in Swansea, Wales, UK. He has worked as a journalist for many years and writes his own blog (hislovefrees.life) encouraging others in their walk with Jesus. He became a Christian in February 2002, after a friend explained God's amazing grace!
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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