2 Corinthians 10:4-5 - Weapon of Love

Step 1: Pray. Select.  

I woke up this morning thinking about some interesting theological conversations I had with a few individuals over dinner last night. I didn't think so much about what was said, but I pondered that if we do not feel seen or heard when we express our opinion while conversing, topics can become heated and burn down relationships like wildfire in the heat of the moment.

Thankfully, our evening ended on a positive note. However, I realized how we walk a fragile line of valuing our own opinion so much that it can result in devaluing the person we are sitting across the table from.

As I sit here and ask the Holy Spirit what we are truly fighting for, God quickly brought a scripture to mind, one of my favorites, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. This scripture is a powerful reminder of whose side we want to be on in a fight and to evaluate these situations at a moment's notice.

Let's begin there and see what advice the Holy Spirit has to offer today.

Step 2: Write. Read. Circle

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ

After reading the scripture three times, the following words stood out:

• Weapons

• Are Not Carnal

• But Mighty In God

• Bringing Every Thought Into

• The Obedience

• Of Christ

Step 3: Re-Write

Adding my name to the front and with a focus on the words that stood out, here is the sentence(s) I came up with for today:

• Jennifer, weapons are not carnal but mighty in God, bringing every thought into the obedience of Christ.

Step 4: Visualize

I close my eyes and am sitting in the dark for a moment. I hear a heartbeat in the distance that grows louder as I focus on it.

Now I see a visual. The heart I have been hearing is now floating in front of me but is not attached to anything. It appears as if levitating in the air of this black void I am in. As I focus on the heart, the sound grows louder and louder. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

It begins to speed up, and something disrupts the constant steady bloodstream flowing upward, which I imagine eventually provides oxygen to the brain.

A question arises. How much blood does the heart flow to the brain? I looked up the answer and learned that 80% of the brain's essential oxygen-rich blood flow is from the heart's internal carotid arteries, and the remaining 20% from the vertebral arteries feed the brain.

Wow! If this heart doesn't get unclogged, the brain will collapse from lack of blood flow. But what caused the backflow?

I examined it closer; it appeared years ago, and this heart was damaged.

Looking at it even closer, I see it has scar tissue that has never healed. I see there are lots of scars, making it challenging for this poor heart to pump blood smoothly through all the obstructions. I am surprised it has lasted this long.

So what is causing this reaction now, making the heart anxious and its beats to increase? It is afraid to be hurt again. So it does the only thing it knows how. It fights with what it has left so it can't get hit and damaged any further. But the problem is, it is not the young heart it once was. It is weakened. What is the solution for this heart to fight and see another day? Allowing itself to come out of the dark and be in the presence of others. The answer is pure love.

It is proven that love hormones released when we are cared for have been proven to combat and counteract the stress hormones that can kill us. Love is the weapon!

If this heart can move forward from the past and love in the moment, it can heal and grow stronger.

I refer back to the sentence the Holy Spirit gave me. The weapons are not carnal but mighty in God, bringing every thought to the obedience of Christ!

The thoughts causing damage to the heart are all in the mind. They stay strong when we are alone or don't allow ourselves to be loved, giving them more power.

Instead, we should focus on the obedience of Christ and how even though he knew he would eventually be crucified, he was willing to live and love fully, experiencing the joys of being human and focusing on what was still good during his time on Earth before walking into eternity. The only way he could have done that is to let the love of God flow through him to us. He demonstrated unsurpassed obedience through giving and receiving love, precisely what the Father intended.

This is needed in today's world, receiving love pouring down from Heaven to kill the carnal wars on Earth. I have some things to confirm with the Holy Spirit, so I move to Step 5.

Step 5: Ask. Seek

The main question(s) that came to mind were:

• Holy Spirit, in a world where so many hearts are broken seemingly beyond repair, how do we help those in need of restoration to even begin to receive love?

Step 6: Hear. Write. Receive

Holy Spirit, in a world where so many hearts are broken seemingly beyond repair, how do we help those in need of restoration to even begin to receive love?

"You begin with listening. Be slow to speak and quick to listen. You must focus on the Holy Spirit as they speak. We need to hear with our spiritual ears before our carnal senses. You must wait for me to reveal through their words where they have been hurt. Many lies flow out of the mouth, revealing everything you need to know about where someone has been hurt. As you take note of others wounds you must nail the words attached to the wounds to the cross and pray on their behalf. Only Jesus can help them see their flawed perspective, preventing them from receiving agape love. If you are afraid to bring them close to you, then the scars of the enemy will prevail. Bring them closer to you as you stay close to me. Let me flow through you and your burden will be light. Wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. The wisdom of dealing with a fleeting situation and not getting caught up in the current of a flood is to look up and focus on my word raining down like manna from Heaven. Put the whole armor of God on every day; the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, and the sandals of peace to ensure you are guarded with the armor I have given you as stated in the word. If you do this, you will be able to endure more than you could ever imagine, and your heart will be full as you continue to come to me with your troubles so I can answer you from an eternal perspective, which is far more important than the moments of the world you are currently in."

Step 7: Pray. Confirm

Bring Him closer so I can bring others closer. Wow! I must admit that seems a little scary, but I feel empowered by today's prayer time to try.

I will remind my two witnesses to continue to pray over me as I allow the love of Jesus to flow through me to others who may be difficult or challenging to love. Let me constantly be reminded of your love, God, so I remain full and have an abundance of overflow.

If you used the scripture of the day and need prayer or someone to pray with you, connect Here. Remember, you are not alone!

Step 8: Share. Testify

I did have a small praise report to share on the beautiful preparation of God.

Before walking into our dinner last night, my husband had been praying and received a revelation that he needed to become a more compassionate communicator. As we drove together, I admired his self-reflection and what the Lord revealed to his heart.

Little did we know that we would both be put to the test later when opinions arose, and conversations got tough. But thank God he prepared us in advance to listen with compassion before reacting, allowing us to have a peaceful evening.

I share this because, friends, we need to be prayed up wherever we go. These days, whether you are on social media, the internet, at a sporting event, or anywhere, we Christians can be called into action at any time. And we cannot wait to put the armor on after the battle has started. Let's ensure we are dressed and ready so love prevails over all.

If you workshopped any of the verses mentioned above using the 8-Step Prayer Practice, we would love to hear from you in the comments below about what the Holy Spirit showed or spoke to you today.

Don't forget to Spread Hope and share HERE if you have a miracle or testimony. We want to see how God is working in your life!

Conclusion:

Put your full armor of God on before you start your day.

Bring God closer, so you can bring others closer.

Remember, love conquers hurt, so allow yourself to be filled up with agape love daily by remembering the sacrifice and obedience of Jesus, and you will prevail against the wiles of the enemy.

Make sure we don't lose sight that sitting across from you at the table might be a brother or sister with a scarred heart, so be slow to speak and quick to listen so you can quench the fiery darts of the enemy cloaking them with love.

Let's go out there today, and let love prevail, honoring the way our savior did for us!

God bless you!