Don’t Hang Your Cleats Up Yet

“Do you only want to go so far in Christ? It’s painful sometimes to go farther. The tests, the bitterness, the judgements, the beatings, and the betrayals can be brutal. Everything in you screams, ‘You did a good job. Just hang up the cleats.’ I tell you, America’s stadiums full of new Believers are still waiting for us. We are going to want to have our cleats on. All of us have a story that needs injected into the storyline of this season. I can’t tell you Chuck Pierce’s story. I can’t tell you Dutch Sheets’ stories, but I can tell you my own! All of our stories are significant. Somebody needs to hear your story, your testimony. Don’t put your cleats away as long as there is someone left to tell your story to!” (Lou Engle)1

“They won the victory over him because of the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life so much that they refused to give it up.” (Revelation 12:11; GWT)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

  • Have you been feeling tired, worn out, beaten down, or discouraged? Have you wanted to stop? Maybe retire? Ask the Lord to heal you, spirit, soul and body.
  • Grieve, repent, forgive, or anything else you have to do to gain the energy and vision to get those cleats back on and fully engage in the game.
  • Ask the Lord to share His dreams for this era with you so you can dream His dreams.
  • Get your stories ready. Write them down if you need to. Rehearse them and watch for opportunities to share them with a person in need of what only you have to share with them. Watch Holy Spirit go to work!

A prayer you can pray:

Father, where I am tired and worn down from disappointment, testing, and betrayal, heal me. I choose to forgive, even as You forgive me. Wipe my tears away and stand me on my feet again. Share Your dreams for this season of revival and awakening with me. My life is not over. My stories are needed. Help me remember how You brought me through. Give me the best words and way to share so that any bitterness or grief does not sneak through my words. Holy Spirit, let’s go share my stories with the sick, the oppressed, the dying and the lonely. Use them to draw the lost to Jesus, my precious Savior. Amen.

Today’s decree:

Our testimonies will break the captives free!

1 Learn more about Lou Engle here.