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The praises of God's warriors

Unsplash/Ron Smith
Unsplash/Ron Smith

As fresh manna fell from Heaven each day to feed the children of Israel while they were in the wilderness, so does fresh spiritual manna fall from Heaven on those desirous to receive it. It amazes me how something can be so simple and yet so complex at the same time, speaking directly into a needed situation. So it was one Sunday morning recently in our church, both simple and at the same time complex when a new and energizing prophetic word came forth.

Regarding prophecy, I teach young hearts that it is as if you have the receiver in your hand. God speaks into your ear, then you, in turn, tell those around you what God is saying. In fact, intensely praying, truly God seeking pastors will tell you that when they get a message to preach which they are sure has been birthed by the Father's heart, they know with great certainty something heavenly is about to happen. They know that they have an unmistakable increase in anointing as they deliver the prophetic words. They are certain that people in the congregation will without a doubt be immediately affected by that prophetic message.

The scriptures declare “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13a KJV). It is during those wonderful services that often many people will come to the altars to pray and be prayed for. They come acknowledging the necessity for newly realized and urgent needs for Holy Spirit indicated adjustments in their lives.

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I believe that God sent this next word to our church on October 20th of this year in order to encourage a group of seasoned warriors.  As I write it out, word for word as it came forth, see if it doesn’t stir your heart to be willing to praise Him in the most difficult of times, knowing that He sees not only your battles, but also your battle scars!

“Warrior praise, says God. Warrior praise, warrior praise comes up before Me as a sweet smelling savor into My nostrils. Warrior praise comes up before Me in a way that no other praise can come. It comes from people that have endured battle. It comes from those who have been wounded by the sword of the enemy. It comes from those whose hearts are pure before Me and seek Me with their whole heart. It comes up before Me from those who have scars that have healed, those who have been faithful in My battles, says God. It comes up from those who have endured the storms, and the trials and the tests and pressed through the problems and pressed through the enemy’s strategies to accomplish My will, says God. Warrior praise is the greatest praise as you come up before Me, says God. It is from those who have endured through the battle, and are ready to face another battle for Me, says God.

Seek after Me with your whole heart, learn to be a warrior for the cross of Christ. Learn to endure through the times and the trials of this hour that you are in, Endure persecution, endure through the things that come against you, know that you are a child of God and I will never forsake you. I will be with you in every battle, declares the Lord, but know that when you are in the greatest battle, as you praise Me, as you lift up your heart to Me, as you worship Me, though you might be enduring persecution that warrior praise is precious in My hearing, Says God.”

We must realize that God is preparing us for a coming persecution. It will not be like anything we in America have never seen ourselves. We have heard about persecution in other countries but it is not only at our shorelines, its roots are firmly embedded in every major city. It is not just coming from religious extremists or from those who we might expect to attack us for our faith. It is growing in an upswell from within due to years of anti-Christian dogma which has been taught through Secular Humanism and other liberal ideologies.

If we feel that recent attacks on conservative politics have been harsh and extreme, wait until those philosophies turn and attack our Biblical Christian beliefs directly. We will need to all become warriors for God, diligently seeking Him and realizing once again “Enter ye in at the straight gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat;  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)

Bi-weekly I minister at a Christian men’s residential facility. They come there, committing one year of their lives to live and focus one hundred percent on serving God and overcoming addictions. We could all learn from people who get saved out of extremely sinful lifestyles. They seek God with all their hearts because they have to. Warrior praise is their learned necessity of life. 

Scott Wesley Brown once wrote a song and part of the lyrics said: “Some people want to live within the sound of chapel bells but I want to run a mission a yard from the gate of Hell.” To the church of Smyrna, Jesus wrote, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life.”( Revelation 2:10 KJV)

What is He saying to us as a church in today’s world? What was He saying to the church in Smyrna? Learn to put on warrior praise! Learn to praise Him in the most difficult of battles. Learn to offer up that sweetest sounding of all worship, warrior praise! 

Rev Nolan J Harkness is the President and CEO of Nolan Harkness Evangelistic Ministries Inc. since 1985. He spent most of his adult life working in youth ministry. He also felt the calling of Evangelist/Revivalist and traveled as the door was open holding evangelistic meetings in churches throughout the Northeast. His website is www.verticalsound.org.

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