Greetings from the battlefield! Yep, the spiritual war is raging! I wanted to share a few quick updates and put a call out to prayer warriors everywhere.
First, the release date for Armor of God has been moved to May 4th. I was in College Station visiting my oldest at school last week and decided to spend a few days in a quiet hotel room to catch my breath and get caught up on projects and deadlines. I sat down in the quiet, relishing the few hours I would have to work when my phone buzzed. It was my publisher asking if I had a few minutes to chat. I picked up my phone and called him, and he started the conversation with, “Well, I’ve never had to have this conversation with an author…” I thought, “Uh-oh…that doesn’t sound good.”
The short of it is…
The printer lost the digital file for Armor of God. I mean, of course they did! My publisher has printed more than 400 books with this company, and to date, a lost digital file has only occurred once. Yep, with Armor of God. This means books won’t be available until the end of April. Okay, so no biggy. We decided to bump the release date to May 4th. How perfect would that be? May the Fourth be with you! This sounded like an even better date for Armor of God. I rolled with it.
My publisher and I were working through a strategy for the new date when the hotel fire alarm sounded….repeatedly. The positive part of this was I had FULL confidence if there actually was an emergency, I could never sleep through a sound that piercingly loud. The unfortunate part was the inability to talk with my publisher. Still…I rolled with it.
Fast forward to my arrival home on Thursday night. My husband pulled me aside to share some heartbreaking news about his job. My husband was visibly upset and shaken. My heart hurt for my hubby, but I felt no fear. I felt strangely calm, which helped soothe my guy in return. All I continue to feel is God’s provision and protection, especially for T. We shared the news with a few trusted people, who joined us in storming the gates with prayers for my husband. I might have appeared calm on the outside, but on the inside, my spirit looked something like this:
Seriously. Y’all, prayer is critical to the spiritual war raging around us. Even when the battle takes you to your knees, PRAY. Thankfully, God responded immediately to our prayers for my husband. We can’t share details yet, but suffice it to say, GOD WINS.
Everywhere around us, people–good people–are facing incredible hardships. If you are for God and being faithful to the Kingdom work God has called you to do, expect attacks.
It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when.
The enemy is sure to score a few hits. You may even take more than your fair share. Yet, even bloody and limping, you can not lose this spiritual war with Jesus Christ on your side. Our God is fierce and he is fiercely protective of his people. No one and nothing can take us away from him.
I give them a life that is unceasing, and death will not have the last word. Nothing or no one can steal them from My hand. My Father has given the flock to Me, and He is superior to all beings and things. No one is powerful enough to snatch the flock from My Father’s hand. (John 10: 28-29 The Voice)
Stay the course, friends. Lean deeply into the Word and remember to put on the armor of God every single day (Ephesians 6). The spiritual war is raging. Whether we like it or not, it’s here. It’s time to fight. Arm yourselves with the sword of the Spirit, and pray without ceasing. Pray for your brothers and sisters who are with you on the battlefield, even those you do not know and cannot see. Pray for your enemies. Trust me. After the week we’ve had here, I know how difficult this is. But pray for your enemies even when you don’t want to.
Join me in praying for our families, our friends, our neighbors, our communities, our country, our leaders. Please tell me how I can be praying for you, too. Reply to this post or submit a request for prayer here.
We are in this together, so be encouraged whatever your current circumstances may be. Know you are not alone. You are loved.
