00:00Battle-Ready Morning Prayers
00:01Theme, God is with you, do not fear, Isaiah 41 verse 10 and Joshua 1 verse 9.
00:08Welcome back, dear friends.
00:10If you're praying with me today, I want you to know that this is not a coincidence.
00:14God knew you would be listening to this message today.
00:17Before this morning began, He already knew every challenge you would face,
00:21every conversation you would have, every decision you would make, and every burden you would carry.
00:26That is why His Word is so powerful.
00:28It speaks directly into our lives, reminding us that we are never alone.
00:34Perhaps you're listening while preparing for work.
00:37Maybe you're driving to your workplace.
00:40Perhaps you're caring for your family, recovering from illness,
00:43or waiting for an answer to a prayer you've prayed for months or even years.
00:46Whatever your situation, I encourage you to stay with me as we reflect on God's promises together.
00:52The battles ahead of us may be real, but the presence of God is even more real.
00:57Let us now turn our hearts to one of the most comforting promises found in the Bible.
01:01The Bible says in Isaiah 41 verse 10,
01:04Fear thou not, for I am with thee.
01:06Be not dismayed, for I am thy God.
01:09I will strengthen thee.
01:10Yea, I will help thee.
01:11Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
01:14What an incredible promise from our Heavenly Father.
01:17Notice that God begins with these simple but powerful words.
01:21Fear thou not.
01:22God knows that fear is one of the greatest battles we face.
01:26Fear whispers that things will never get better.
01:29Fear tells us that we are not strong enough.
01:32Fear magnifies problems until they seem impossible to overcome.
01:36Fear convinces us that we are fighting alone.
01:39But God immediately answers fear with his presence.
01:42He says,
01:43For I am with thee.
01:45He does not promise that we will never face difficult days.
01:48He does not promise that life will always be easy.
01:51He does not promise that every prayer will be answered exactly the way we expect.
01:57Instead, he gives us something even greer.
02:00He gives us himself.
02:02Think about that for a moment.
02:04The creator of heaven and earth is saying,
02:07I am with you.
02:08The God who parted the Red Sea.
02:11The God who fed Elijah in the wilderness.
02:14The God who shut the mouths of lions for Daniel.
02:16The God who walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
02:21The same God says to every believer today.
02:24I am with you.
02:26Dear friend,
02:27If God is with you,
02:28Then you never face today's battles alone.
02:31Perhaps you are carrying financial burdens.
02:33God is with you.
02:35Perhaps your doctor has given you difficult news.
02:37God is with you.
02:39Perhaps your marriage is under pressure.
02:42God is with you.
02:43Perhaps you are grieving someone you love.
02:46God is with you.
02:47Perhaps you are struggling with anxiety that no one else knows about.
02:51God is with you.
02:53His presence is not determined by your feelings.
02:56Some mornings you may feel spiritually strong.
02:59Other mornings you may feel weak and discouraged.
03:02But God's presence never depends on your emotions.
03:05His promise remains true.
03:07He is faithful even when our hearts are weary.
03:10The Lord continues by saying,
03:12Be not dismayed, for I am thy God.
03:14The word dismayed speaks of losing courage,
03:17becoming overwhelmed,
03:19feeling defeated before the battle even begins.
03:22How many people start each morning already discouraged?
03:25Some have not even left their homes before worry fills their minds.
03:29But God gently says,
03:31Do not be overwhelmed.
03:33Why?
03:33Because He is still your God.
03:35Your circumstances have changed.
03:38Your job may have changed.
03:40Your health may have changed.
03:42People around you may have changed.
03:43But God has not changed.
03:46He is still the Alpha and the Omega.
03:48He is still seated upon His throne.
03:51He is still working behind the scenes.
03:53He is still answering prayers according to His perfect wisdom and timing.
03:58Then listen carefully to what He promises next.
04:01I will strengthen thee.
04:03Notice that God doesn't simply tell us to be strong.
04:06He promises to be our strength.
04:08There will be mornings when you feel like giving up.
04:11Days when you don't know how you'll continue.
04:14Moments when your own strength simply isn't enough.
04:17Those are the moments when God's strength shines brightest.
04:20His strength is greater than your weakness.
04:23His grace is greater than your failures.
04:26His power is greater than your obstacles.
04:29His love is greater than your fears.
04:31And then He says,
04:34Yeah, I will help thee.
04:35Isn't that wonderful?
04:36Our God is not distant.
04:38He is not watching from heaven without concern.
04:42He is a God who helps His children.
04:44Sometimes His help comes through unexpected opportunities.
04:48Sometimes through wise counsel.
04:50Sometimes through peace that calms an anxious heart.
04:54Sometimes through miraculous intervention.
04:57Sometimes through giving us the endurance to keep trusting Him one day at a time.
05:01Whatever form His help takes, it always arrives at exactly the right moment.
05:05Finally, the Lord says,
05:07Yeah, I will uphold thee, W.
05:09At the right hand of my righteousness.
05:12Imagine a loving father holding the hand of a frightened child while crossing a busy street.
05:17The child walks confidently, not because of personal strength, but because the Father's hand is securely holding them.
05:24In the same way, God's righteous hand holds every believer who trusts in Him.
05:28Even when you stumble, He holds you.
05:32Even when you grow tired, He holds you.
05:35Even when you cannot see the road ahead, He still holds you.
05:40Dear friend, never forget this.
05:42Your security is not found in your ability to hold on to God.
05:46It is found in God's unfailing ability to hold on to you.
05:50Now, let's continue with another remarkable promise that perfectly complements Isaiah's message.
05:55Joshua 1 verse 9.
05:57The Bible says in Joshua 1 verse 9,
06:00Have not I commanded thee?
06:02Be strong and of a good courage.
06:04Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.
06:07For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
06:10Imagine Joshua hearing these words.
06:13Moses, the great servant of God, had died.
06:16Joshua was now responsible for leading an entire nation into the promised land.
06:21The task seemed overwhelming.
06:23There were fortified cities ahead.
06:26Powerful enemies.
06:27Unknown challenges.
06:29Great responsibilities.
06:31Humanly speaking, Joshua had every reason to be afraid.
06:35Yet God didn't begin by describing the obstacles.
06:38He began by reminding Joshua of his presence.
06:41The same principle applies to us today.
06:43We often spend more time thinking about our battles than about our God.
06:48But faith grows when we focus on God's promises instead of our fears.
06:52Notice that God says,
06:55Be strong and of a good courage.
06:56Courage does not mean the absence of fear.
06:59Courage means choosing to trust God even when fear tries to take control.
07:03Faith says,
07:05I don't know exactly what today will bring.
07:07But I know who goes before me.
07:10I know who walks beside me.
07:12I know who holds my future.
07:14That confidence changes everything.
07:16Perhaps today you're standing before your own Jordan River.
07:21Difficult diagnosis.
07:23A broken relationship.
07:25A financial crisis.
07:27A major life decision.
07:29A season of uncertainty.
07:31Remember this.
07:32The God who led Joshua into the promised land is still leading his people today.
07:37He has not abandoned you.
07:39He has not forgotten your prayers.
07:40He has not overlooked your tears.
07:43He's already working in ways you cannot yet see.
07:46As this morning continues, choose to replace fear with faith.
07:50Replace worry with worship.
07:52Replace anxiety with prayer.
07:55Replace discouragement with God's promises.
07:57And whenever fear knocks on the door of your heart today,
08:00answer it with these words.
08:02The Lord my God is with me wherever I go.
08:05What a wonderful promise to carry into every meeting.
08:08Every challenge.
08:09Every conversation.
08:11Every decision.
08:13And every battle.
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