Heart Check #106: A December To Remember…It Is Time To Contend

Prayer is our currency to have Heaven intervene on earth. Prayer is our weapon to combat doubt, fatigue, and endure the wait of the promises of God being fulfilled in our lives. Prayer should be our starting point and our ending point. Prayer should be the catalyst to everything we do. A major part of praying is contending. I have been in an extended season of contending and fasting. Contending for friends and family and contending for the promises of God to be manifested.

To contend is synonymous with battling, fighting, maintaining.

Contending is apart of spiritual intercession. 

Contending is a battle position. 

Contending is work. 

Contending is building character. 

Contending is building dependency. 

Contending is building fortification.

Contending is putting God in remembrance of His Word.

Contending is praying. 

Contending is Winning with God.

Winning With God 

The way that we do this is depicted in Genesis 32:24-32:

Jacob wrestle with God and with men and he prevailed. His name was changed to Israel which represents one who contends with God. To wrestle with God- means to contend with, win with, collaborate with God. 

When we are bombarding His throne, not letting go of His Promises found in His Word, we are contending. So let’s not let go until He blesses us. Contending with God makes us even more aware of how much we have to depend on Him, lean on Him. 

Don’t Quit Help Is Here 

Exodus 17:10-16 reveals the art of collaboration: 

Moses was dealing with the spiritual battle on top of a hill while Joshua was dealing with the natural battle in the valley. Here we see a few collaborations. Contending is also our ability to fight on behalf of others. We will all get to a point where the trials of life can be overwhelming so we need others to hold us up. 

Contending pushes us to not quit, to not lose hope. This has been a challenging season of life for a lot us and we need one other. We cannot do life by ourselves because this life can be taxing and just like Moses one of the greatest leaders ever, he had to receive help/encouragement to not relent and give into the weight of the pressures he was experiencing. We all need an Aaron and a Hur. If you don’t have someone like that yet who can fight for you and hold you up when you are battling life, today is a good day to start to contend and pray for that. For some of us we need to ask for help because we can’t walk this life without it. Put pride aside, put aside your stubbornness. Seeking help doesn’t depict weakness it actually denotes strength. We are all going to need someone one or some bodies to help us a critical junctures in our lives. Contending can lead you to your people or as the culture likes to say your tribe.

Ask, Seek, & Knock

Matthew 7:7-12 is the template to persistency:

Contending is Asking, Contending is Seeking, Contending is Knocking. “Dr. Tony Evans states that prayer is an earthly request for heavenly intervention.” We need to be relentless in our asking, our seeking, and our knocking. What have you stop praying for, contending for because the waiting period became your NO not God’s NO but your NO?

Bold Prayers

James 5:16-18 is the formula to witnessing the supernatural:

Elijah was a man like you and me and when he prayed he experienced the supernatural. Prayer is the link between what we see (the natural realm) and what we do not see (the spiritual realm). Prayer grants us access or as I like to say the Holy Spirit downloads insider trading information to us on what’s going in the spiritual realm so we know how to navigate the natural realm we are living in. Knowing how to navigate this current world is of upmost importance. We can’t thrive in this world if we are not praying and bombarding Heaven with the words and promises of the Word of God. When we pray the Word God hears Himself. John 1:1 states, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 reveals, “Make your life a Prayer.” Never Stop Praying, having a posture of prayer throughout our day. An attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude showing our dependence on Jesus who is our Lord. 

Don’t let what hasn’t happen YET rob you of what has. Perseverance, Persistency, Patience these are signs of maturity. These are signs that we are growing up. As we mature in our faith walk, mature in our development, the Lord is going to require us to dig deeper, He is going to require more of us, become more bold and audacious with our prayers, our contending, to be unflinching, to be resolved, to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil (labor) is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58) 

It is too costly to make decisions independent of Him. Major decisions and let me take a step further ANY decision should trigger a time of prayer and fasting which is apart of contending. Some things are only revealed, some answers are only released, some break throughs only come with the tag team of praying and fasting.

What do you need to contend for? What do you want to Win with God In?

We are at a critical time in our culture and world but NOW IS THE TIME to boldly, audaciously contend with, collaborate with, win with God. 

It is Time to Contend!!!

| Heart Check with Niña Tené