First of all, this is an excellent sermon by Paul Washer on prayer. I would like to share some thoughts on one point he brings out, but you should listen to the whole thing, it's good.
Brother Paul talks about "Philistines" in our lives that aren't going to get out unless we fight them in prayer. So, I started thinking about David's encounter with one such Philistine.
Goliath's challenge to the army of Israel is this: "Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us." (1 Samuel 17:8-9)
I looked at the maps in the back of my Bible and the one of the 12 tribes of Israel has no country of Philistia, but the next map, of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah does have a country of Philistia. Which means that piece of property occupied by the Philistines was a part of the promised land.
Let's think back to when the Israelites first laid eyes on the the land that was promised to their forefathers, a land they had been told about, a land they had dreamed about, a land said to be flowing with milk and honey. What did they see? "A land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size... and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight" (Numbers 13:32-33).
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, in that I know the Lord has brought me out of Egypt. He has delivered me from slavery. He has rescued me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). And yet, as the Israelites, I see things in the promised land, in the Christian life that make me feel like a grasshopper, unable to do anything but wait to be squished.
So, if we fast-forward to David's time, the Israelites are now in the promised land, but still there are giants in the land, taunting God's people.
As I see it, I have two choices. I can be like the Israelites, walking by sight, and I can refuse to enter in. Or, I can be like David, walking by faith, and I can, by the Holy Spirit, face these giants head on. The Israelites (they didn't change much in the hundreds of years from entering the promised land to the time of David) again were terrified. When David, scrawny little shepherd boy David, comes on the scene, no one will answer Goliath's challenge. I understand that. I feel like sometimes if I just ignore the sin or the struggle in my life it is easier than facing it head on. Cowering in fear seems like a much safer option.
How did David kill Goliath? By his superior strength? By his extensive training? By believing in himself? Certainly not. He was victorious because he knew who God was. And so, I choose to face the giants, the Philistines, in my Christian life in prayer by faith in God.
I hesitate to share this because I actually have no idea what I'm doing, but I know practical examples are always helpful. We don't want to just understand abstract concepts. We want to live them. So, keeping in mind that there is no formula and I have no idea what I'm doing, here is my real life example. One of the Philistines in my life is insecurity. The other day, I grabbed my Bible and knelt down on the floor in my bedroom. I started by asking the Lord to be my strength, asking Him to take away insecurity in my life. Then I began to speak to insecurity, battling its lies with truth. I opened my Bible to Romans 8 and spoke each poignant truth out loud, personalizing it to me. "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I am in Christ Jesus and there is no condemnation for me... I have been set free by the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus... I am no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit because the Spirit of God does indeed dwell in me... I have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but the spirit of adoption. I am God's child, and I cry out to Him." And so on all the way through to: "Nothing, nothing, nothing can separate me from God's love."
Principle: Always put God's word above your feelings. Believe and amazing things will happen. Your small stone will sink into the head of the giant... and he will fall.
