While victory is ever the Lord’s, it will not manifest on the earth if you as a believer do not fight for it. This is your time on the earth to see that God’s will is done during your watch. You, who have jurisdiction on the earth while you are here, must stand in the gap and tell Satan, “No, I will have none of your monkey business here!”

Praying earnestly—and ultimately victoriously—in such matters is to strive in the spirit through mastery of the techniques and disciplines of prayer. In praying earnestly, there is a heavy exertion of energy consistently propelling you forward to obtain the object of your faith. The greater work Jesus said you would do will not first be done with hands reached out to others, but will first be done by hands folded in prayer and hands reached out to God. (The Art of War, p. 25-26.)

May your prayers this week be infused with fresh insight and renewed boldness. May you stand firm on every front, grow stronger in prayer every day, and through prayer do great works for God in Jesus Name!

John 14:12-13 NKJV: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Satan does not want you to be a persistent, methodical, importunistic believer who lives by prayer. He doesn’t want you to be so disciplined and tenacious in prayer that once you begin to pray, no matter how long the answer is delayed, he has no hope of winning.

If we had more Christians who prayed like that, then there would be an inevitable, unstoppable, step-by-step, day-by-day dismantling of the kingdom of darkness that he could never withstand. The end of his kingdom of bondage, disease, deformities, and emotional torment would be written on the wall.

Satan is quite content to keep Christians thinking that all the big things are in God’s hands alone, so they never need to worry about more than their own needs and those of their immediate family. (The Art of War, p. 31)

You must learn to live by prayer—to be a tenacious, persistent, and stubborn believer who prays without ceasing. May God make you a champion of prayer—a prayer-warrior—who never surrenders until victory is won. There is nothing more effectual than the faith-filled prayer of a believer.

Ephesians 6:18 AMP: Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

God planted within each of us the desire to make a difference in our world—a difference that will bring good and not harm, peace and not strife, prosperity and not poverty. But too few of us realize that the groundwork for this overcoming lifestyle begins in our prayer closets. Not only is it the place of training and preparation, but it is also the place of overcoming.

There are battles still raging for the peoples of the earth, and those battles are fought in the spiritual realm before they manifest in the natural. I remind you that the spirit realm is the causal realm. If you prevail in the spirit, you will win in the natural. If you can learn the art of victory through intercession, then such struggles that steal the souls of humanity need not ever manifest at all.

The issue is not the power of our God, but how disciplined and prepared we are to win the battles of our spiritual war in prayer. (The Art of War, p. 17-18.)

May God show you where and how to target your prayer so that His light and truth neutralizes every dark and hidden operation of the enemy.

Ephesians 6:10-12, 18 MSG: God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels…Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long.

Wisdom is not about how much truth you know, but how much truth governs your life.

There are many scholars who never do anything but debate the finest points of theology, and then there are simple saints who don’t know a fraction of what those people do, but they act on what they know and miracles happen around them regularly.

Knowing what is true, knowing what works, having discernment and discretion are all a part of being wise, but learning to know God’s voice and how to act on it is what makes the difference in the heat of battle. (The Art of War, p. 86-87.)

Paul said, “This one thing I do.” If you were to focus on doing one thing this week, focus on hearing God’s voice. Practice listening for it daily – and then act on what you hear!

It’s not complicated.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

Get the truth about your situation directly from the Source of all truth. The more time you spend connecting to that Source, the more empowered you will be to live a life governed by it.

Galatians 5:16: So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Each of us has a part to play in manifesting God’s Kingdom on the earth. Prayer is a call of duty, a practice and principle for every one belonging to Christ. After all, if He is our Lord, how can we honor His lordship if we don’t communicate with Him daily?

We will each be led to pray in different ways and with different intensities, but for all of us, prayer is as foundational a Christian discipline as reading the Scriptures or obeying the law of love. It is the place of apprenticeship for learning the voice of God so that He can teach and empower us to live as His representatives on the earth.

Prayer is the key to our success and to winning battles in every arena of life. This is why we must become people who live in the way of prayer. (The Art of War, p. 39.)

May God grant you a heart to pursue Him in prayer daily—an ear that hears His voice and a will to obey it. May you prevail through prayer in every area on every front at every juncture in every moment of every day. May you live and prevail this week in the way of prayer.

Isaiah 50:4 MSG: The Master, God, has given me a well-taught tongue, So I know how to encourage tired people. He wakes me up in the morning, Wakes me up, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders. The Master, God, opened my ears, and I didn’t go back to sleep, didn’t pull the covers back over my head.

Many times we blame the devil for our problems when in fact they are due to our own lack of diligence, discipline, courage, conviction, or character. The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, is able to help us discern where we actually stand with God in such situations—but we have to be willing to hear the truth about our own selves.

Although God is always on our side, there are times when genuine repentance needs to take place before He can effectively address what is happening in our lives. God is not looking to bail people out who won’t grow up and take responsibility, but He is quick to stand with those who desire to grow up enough that they can reach out and help others. (The Art of War, p. 86-87.)

Be honest with yourself. Take responsibility for the health of your soul. Paul wrote to the Romans that by renewing your mind—or regenerating your thought life—you will transform your entire life!

Pay attention to what goes on in your mind, be willing to hear the truth about the toxins contaminating your inner world, be quick to repent and reshape how you think to conform to God’s Word, and allow God to bring out His best concerning you.

Romans 12:1 NCV: Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

A brand new year stretches out before you, packed with all kinds of potential–like an open sea on the other side of which are undiscovered shores of possibility. All you need to do is set sail.

As we face the dawn of a new year together, I want to empower you to expand your capacity for greater impact. I want to give you practical tools and innovative strategies for tracking with God’s best plan and purpose for your life. I want to help you harness the divine potential hidden within you to achieve maximum greatness in your lifetime.

My goals are to engage you on all levels–to educate and equip you with the tools you need to succeed–and to empower you to live the life of your dreams.

What are your goals?

Before creating your next “to do” list, envision the kind of person you want to become, the people you want to impact, and the type of individuals you want to collaborate with in the process. What kind of person do you need to be in order to partner with the sort of people you want to lock arms with?

Whatever it is you want to do, you will need a team of people around you to make it happen.

Wherever it is you want to go, you will need a crew of reliable, knowledgeable, and teachable people to follow your lead–and it will be up to you to demonstrate those qualities if you are to be a leader who commands–not demands–respect; A servant leader who sets an example and brings out the best in others.

To be empowered, you must learn to become an empowerment specialist.

I invite you to join me on a 52-week leadership and success journey. I will show you how to build a seaworthy ship by establishing a clear vision, setting definitive goals, and leveraging your key strengths. I will show you how to trim your sails so you can harness the resources you have in hand to gain speed and build momentum. I will teach you to set your keel so you can overcome adversity. Most importantly, I will equip you to be the kind of leader that leaves a legacy of empowerment that lasts for generations.

If you want to build the capacity of your ship to go farther–if you want to sail across the sea of success and reach the shore of your greatest potential–than get on board with the Navigating Success System. It is the complete personal and professional life transformation system that will empower you to change–no, empower–your world.

Empowering you to empower others for life. That’s how I envision doing life with you in the year ahead.

Job 9:25 MSG: My life is going fast, like a ship under full sail.