Promises As Weapons

Promises as Weapons

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the LORD’S battles. 1 Timothy 1:18

WE DON’T KNOW WHAT PROPHETIC WORDS were given to Timothy or who said them. They weren’t scriptural words, but they were an accurate expression of God’s heart and his will for Timothy when they were given. They may have been spoken by Paul or one of his associates, the community of believers in Timothy’s hometown, or any other combination of people listening for God’s voice and declaring it. Regardless of the source, they were seen as authoritative and sufficient to fuel Timothy’s calling and keep him focused.

God’s words have that kind of power. When we hear them, whether directly in our spirits or through other believers, we have a divine invitation to cling to them and let them shape our focus. With all the distractions and obstacles that come against us, we need that. We won’t stay on course in our prayers and faith if we’re questioning the foundation we’ve put under them. We have a nearly limitless capacity to second-guess ourselves, and many of us constantly reconsider whether we’re heading in the right direction. Confidence in what God has said gives us all the clarity we need.

Cling to what God has told you. You will have to go to battle with it later. When you pray, you will need to use his promises and instructions as weapons against doubt, compromise, and apathy, especially during long delays. Paul urged Timothy to fight with the words he had been given, recognizing that Timothy and those around him might begin to question his calling. Promises and prophecies that have fueled your faith in the past become an anchor when you begin to question your faith in confusing times. In God’s Kingdom, when the going gets tough, the tough will use God’s past words as weapons against every misleading thought, suggestion, distraction, and obstacle. You can use them to keep your prayers on course because his words remain valid until they are fulfilled. Whenever you begin to lose heart, look back to what he has told you, and pray it with unyielding resolve. His words yesterday are your key to victory today.

Prayer is the mightiest of all weapons that created natures can wield.