Are You Ready for the Battle at the Gates?
In Isaiah 28:6, the Word declares that God will be “a Spirit of Justice to him who sits in judgement, and for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.” I believe that is the call and the challenge in this season: to turn the tide of social injustice, unrighteousness, immorality and evil in our culture today. The gate is always where the battle rages to see who will control a city, a nation, a region and a culture of people. The passage in Isaiah goes on to say that those who are called to battle at the gate have lost their battle to influence the culture, because they are intoxicated or drunk on the world system. They have imbibed the worldly culture around them so much that they are no longer holy, different, righteous or influential for God’s cause anymore. (Tom Hamon)1
“But now those leaders are drunk. The priests and prophets are all drunk with wine and beer. They stumble and fall down. The prophets are drunk when they see their dreams. The judges are drunk when they make their decisions. Every table is covered with vomit. There is not a clean place anywhere.” (Isaiah 28: 7-8; ERV)
Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:
- Choose this day whom you will serve – God or the world’s systems.
- Repent if you need to. Repent if you have so embraced the world and its delights and culture that lost souls can’t see any difference in you and the world around you.
- Declare to the Lord the areas of society around you that you know you are called to influence – the family, the schools, government (at the local, state or national level), the military community, business, etc.
- Intercede for that area of influence. Feel the effects of your repentance as you pray in His power and strength.
A prayer you can pray:
Lord, I choose to serve You. Forgive me for letting the world glitter in my eyes. Forgive me for thinking I can live any way I want, forgetting the world is watching. Show me how to be a light in the darkness without being religious. Show me how to go into dark places without living like those that are comfortable there. I declare that You have created me to invade the gates of (your area of influence) in prayer and action. I will intercede now with a cleaned-up heart that is grateful and passionate for You to move in this area of society! In Jesus name, amen.
Today’s decree:
I decree God will use us to turn the tide of social injustice, unrighteousness, immorality and evil in our culture today!
1 Learn more about Tom Hamon here.