Wednesday, October 31, 2007
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Okay, here's a quick sports quiz. How many men on a football team? Eleven? Yes, well, if it's the visiting team. If it's the home team with the support of their fans on their field, there are twelve players on the team. You won't find the twelfth man anywhere on the field, of course. He's all those noisy fans cheering for the home team and trying to demoralize the opponents. In sports, those fans are literally known as the twelfth man. They are one big reason why teams play to have the best season record, so they can play at home during the playoffs. The twelfth man is a big part of that home field advantage. Those supporters never go on the field, but their influence is felt by every man there.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Warrior Who Wins it."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Exodus 17. It's a true story out of the wilderness experience of God's ancient people. Moses tells Joshua to go and fight the Amalekites who ambushed them. In verse 9, Moses says, "'I will stand on top of the hill...' and as long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning." The Bible says that two men held up Moses' hands when he couldn't. Because of this symbolism of his upraised hands, and what it really meant (which we'll look at in just a minute) it says, "Joshua overcame the Amalekite army." What was this thing that was going on as Moses held up his hands? He says, "Hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord." That's what Moses was doing on the hill. He was fervently praying for God's warriors and probably against the enemies of God's soldiers. Moses, who was interceding on the hill, was standing between God and his warriors; bringing their need and their battle into the throne room of Almighty God.
Moses was like that twelfth man in football. He never set foot on the battlefield, but what he was doing was felt by every person in the battle. For me, this is the most revealing passage in all the Bible as to actually praying for someone and praying against what the enemy is trying to do in their lives. Literally, when we are faithfully interceding for someone, they win; when we stop praying, they stop winning. Which leads me to ask you, "Are you the faithful prayer warrior for the members of your family, for some servants of God that He's laid on your heart, for your pastor, your church leaders?"
So often people will say, "Well, I guess all I can do is pray!" What? All you can do is go into the very throne room of Almighty God and pray down His unbeatable power? Man, there is no more powerful, no more decisive position you can play on God's team than that of a prayer warrior. And anyone can play that position anywhere - close by, far away, from a hospital bed, a prison cell, a room alone.
Time after time I've been in situations where God's power seemed to suddenly be flooding that moment, overruling my weakness, overruling Satan's opposition, overruling what seemed to be impossible obstacles, overcoming discouragement, overcoming my fatigue and my lack of strength. I've felt this wave come in sometimes that has taken a moment when I had nothing to give and suddenly work miracles. I know what's happening. That's a wave of prayer. Those people who promised to pray have been prompted by the Holy Spirit to do it now, and they are making the difference!
As you support God's home team from the stands of prayer, get excited about the decisive position you're playing. The victories are ultimately not just won by the warriors on the field but by that prayer warrior on the hill.