Hey, friends! Jennifer Devlin here with a CAN Board member post. Today, I want to focus on the importance of staying “prayed up” as we serve God through writing and speaking. Prayer is not only the foundation of everything we do in life and ministry; it is absolutely essential to our success and survival as we endure struggles, disappointments, triumphs and victories.

All too often when we have a sudden crisis, prayer takes a back seat to our plans and ideas of how we can solve the thing in our own wisdom and strength. It is an honor to have a front row seat with the King of kings, being able to openly communicate with God Most High at any time about any issue. So, why don’t we pray more? Seems to me that prayer is our front line defense against the enemy. When he attacks, we simply call in the cavalry – the rescue team. Most importantly, even if tough times remain for awhile, God can give us the peace and strength we need to get to the other side of that situation.

I was reminded of this importance of open communication with God by a friend who wrote me lately to say that Satan will surely attack those who are about the business of the Father. As writers, we are keenly aware of the ways we can get side tracked by Satan’s schemes as we are attempting to follow God’s call on our lives. Satan will do whatever it takes to keep the gospel from spreading, but we serve a mighty God who has already conquered the grave, and who will carry us through any spiritual warfare we might face. Our job is to stay focused on our calling, and steadfast in our commitment to prayer and honest communication with God. As we keep the prayer lines open, God will help us conquer distraction and discouragement, and keep us on the narrow path of His plan for our lives.

Prayer is a personal thing, but we also need to have a group of prayer warriors who are committed to lifting us up in prayer as we go about the Father’s business. Do you have a prayer team? Do you have a group of people who you consider prayer warriors who are committed to praying for you, your family, your ministry, and your current projects? As you serve God, it makes a tangible difference to have others praying on your behalf. You wind up with a spiritual wall of prayer surrounding you like a shield, warding off the darts of the enemy. Cool, huh?

My friend’s thought went right along with the Sunday school lesson I taught this past Sunday. In class, we discussed the “bulls eye” that seems to be stuck to believers. See, when we don’t follow God, Satan really isn’t bothered by us because we are really on his side already. It’s when we seek the Lord’s will, and begin to serve Him and share His gospel message that a spiritual bulls eye of sorts appears, and the enemy (Satan) seems to hunt us down in one way after another, trying to get us to quit, back down, compromise, or scream out in defeat. It’s our job to remain openly communicating with God – voicing to Him our concerns and frustrations, laying our struggles at His feet, and allowing God to be our authority in those areas, and heeding His wisdom.

I have to admit, the timing of these topics was perfect – I needed to be reminded that God is bigger than problems I experience. In the last 48 hours, my son has broken his arm, and my computer’s hard drive has completely crashed. Yet, in the midst of these things, writing deadlines remain, work schedules keep ticking along, and my dreams for future projects still brew in my mind.

So, I have two options: I can have a pity party, and allow Satan to have his silly little way in my life by getting me all flustered and discouraged, or I can press on knowing that God will be with me every step of the way, and even when weeks like this happen, God can and should be glorified in all things. I choose plan B – glorifying God, and encouraging you to live each day with a vibrant prayer life and a commitment to following God’s victorious path in times of spiritual warfare. For we don’t battle flesh and blood…and we are called to take every thought captive to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). It is in that way we secure our victory, and live each day free from the fray of Satan’s schemes.