Friday, April 21, 2017

Shadow Dweller

Have you ever done something that may not have been the brightest idea, but you did it anyway?  I’ve proved not to be the sharpest tack in the box by doing this a ton of times. I probably shouldn’t admit that openly, let alone in writing. 

There are just some things that we know we shouldn’t do, but often time restraints keep us from thinking clearly.  That’s something Brandy experienced a few weeks ago.

Her day began as usual, but not long after Brandy left the house the supernatural world became real through the help of neighbors. 

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New on DFB – Argentina;  Bangladesh; Barbados; Edmonton, AB, Canada; Equatorial Guinea; Waitara, Taranaki, New Zealand; Tanuku, Andhra Pradesh, India; DasmariƱas, Calabarzon, Philippines; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Antilyas & Kasrouane, Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon; Mazabuka, Southern Province, Zambia; Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands; Fiorano Canavese, Piedmont, Italy.  

USA Fairfield, Fontana, Temecula & Vacaville, CA; Castle Rock & Westminster, CO; Belle Glade, Brownsville, Johnson, Pembroke Pines & Timber Pines, FL; Peachtree Corners, GA; Pearl City, HI; Chester & Reisterstown, MD; Owendale, Saginaw & Sebewaing, MI; Cumberland, Cranford, Glassboro, Milltown, Pine Lake Park & Williamstown, NJ; Canby, OR; Ephrata & Linglestown, PA; Sherman, TX. 

I am so thankful for your visit and hope that you come back each week to participate in the weekly challenges.  Join us in our new series as we spend time in the study of Daily Favor Prayers. 

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Keep your motor running …Not!

Brandy had just dropped her one year old son off at daycare and was heading to work.  Realizing that she had forgotten a package to be mailed that day, the young cook made a quick turn around and returned home.

Not wanting to be late for work Brandy left her vehicle running leaving the door wide open as she made haste into the garage to retrieve the parcel.  At the same time her roommate Leslie was coming out of the house on her way to work, when she saw a strange man lurking near the back of Brandy’s truck.  Keeping silent she dialed 911.

The man had lowered the tailgate and started to put his bicycle in the back of the truck when Leslie called out to her friend in the garage.  Seeing he had been spotted the man pulled his bike out of the truck bed and tried to make a getaway.

Running away the “almost robber” started disrobing, tossing his very identifiable bright red jacket in a bush and a greyish sweatshirt in a yard a few houses away from theirs.  Ditching his bike, back and forth he ran from house to house trying to find a place where he could make an escape.  His efforts were to no avail, because every home on the street had a fenced in back yard that was joined together at some point!
 
Auto Zone

Hardly believing what they saw, the two girls watched in fear from their front porch as the “would be thief” tried to find shelter by hiding in the bushes.  The easterly morning sun made plain where he was by revealing his shadow.  Abiding in man’s shadow surely wasn’t a safe haven for him.

Within minutes the police converged on the neighborhood like a swat team ready for action.  Tension grew when the armed officers drew their guns.  Tracking the steps of the criminal they swiftly moved wasting no time apprehending the fellow and arrested him.

The following day the two women learned that the auto thief was definitely not in the right zone and had a list of priors and warrants for his arrest as high as the truck itself!

It Was Prayer

Last week, after the event, Leslie saw her neighbor getting out of his vehicle when she motioned for him to come to the fence that divided their yards.  After hearing the details of the almost robbery that literally took place ten feet from their home, he went inside his house and shared the news with his wife.  Immediately she knew why the man’s plan to do evil was destroyed … it was prayer!  
 
Something unbeknown to Brandy and Leslie is that their neighbors are not just Christians, but gateway to Heaven’s courtyard prayer warriors.  In prayer each night the middle aged couple activates the promises of God by giving voice to Psalm 91, calling on His angels to form an invisible cover of protection over the entire community.

 
The Favored Saints Prayer

I’m not going to rewrite history by giving a long dissertation about all the ins and outs that pertain to Psalm 91, but will share that it’s one of the most powerful songs of prayer in the Bible.  Scholars refer to this passage of scripture as the “Favored” Saints Prayer, because of its limited access to the Throne of the Almighty.
 
Although there are only sixteen verses, it is packed with promises of God for those who dare to enter "the secret place" reserved for a chosen few.  It is clearly broken down into sections describing what each is for and the privileges that pertain to those who God makes these assurances to in His “circles”.

A Guest of God’s

Prayer isn’t foreign to anyone, not even those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior. People “pray” or call out to a higher authority whenever they’re in a situation they can’t face alone.

New believers learn to pray from the time they’re babes in Christ, but they don’t always know how to do it with the authority they received upon salvation. Although God hears the prayers of all His children, not every person that prays is invited into the Throne room of God as His guest in the inner court.  There’s a reason for that.

Let me explain what I mean without going into too much detail about the kinds and types of prayer.  What I’m referring to involves fellowship in prayer with God where an individual “dwells” or “abides” with the Lord.  It’s a place where friendship is formed and builds upon the foundation of trust. 

Only those who put their complete faith and trust in God enjoy the full benefits found in Psalm 91.

The Inside Scoop 

Scripture tells about such relationships like that of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah or Enoch, and these are only a few mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible.  Don’t get me started with the New Testament folks or this article would never get finished!  The trust between the covenant partners was so great that miraculous things happened and angels were a common sighting.

Take Abraham for our first example. His relationship was valued by GOD so strongly that He made a covenant with old Abe that no one could break, ever! (Abrahamic covenant ceremony Genesis 15) Talk about being on the inside track for a news scoop, Jesus and His angels popped in for a meal before sharing with His friend the plans about destroying Sodom and Gomorrah.

The LORD trusted Moses’ faith in Him to give him the sacred Ten Commandments in private meetings where they fellowshipped for long periods of time without interruption. (Exodus 20)  The anointing and favor of God fell on Moses’ second in command, Joshua, because he learned how to spend time with the Lord as did his leader.  How many people do you know asked God to stop the sun from setting and He did it? (Joshua 10:12-14) 

Who else in history strolled with God all the way to Heaven without dying, because the Heavenly Father valued the fellowship of a friend so much He didn’t want it to stop? (Enoch - Genesis 4:21-24)  That’s really sitting at ringside in the court of God wouldn’t you say?

The favor of God on Elijah was so strong that Elisha asked for a double portion of the anointing before he witnessed the Prophet ascending to Heaven in a whirlwind. (2 Kings 2:9 -11)  I can hear him now … ”Where can I get some of that?”

Abiding in His Shadow

It was during a difficult time when I first learned how to pray and understood that angels only move into action when they heard the Word of God spoken.  Knowing this was another good reason to memorize passages of scripture, especially in times of danger.

Breaking down the psalm there are key elements that believers sometimes overlook.  From the opening the psalmist (not really known, but believed to be Moses due to Psalm 90 being written by him), share the key to being invited into the secret places of the Most High God. 

In order for us to dwell (live or abide) under God’s protection, we have to trust Him and actually go where He is when seeking our refuge.  Only those who dwell with God get a place under His shadow to be covered from the works of the devil.  It’s like if you’re caught in a rain storm but your husband has the umbrella in the car! (That just happened!)  Without a covering of protection believers are vulnerable and prey for satan.
 
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.   Surely He shall deliver you
from the snare of the fowler  and from the perilous pestilence.

 He shall cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”
(Psalm 91: 1-4 NKJV) 

When you abide with God, there’s safety in His presence because His shadow always goes with Him.  It’s a secret place for the favored because of their personal relationship and abiding communion with God near His mercy seat.  

It’s a privilege to be a guest with the Lord where He pours out protection, refreshing, comfort and favor to those who love to sit and chat without seeking “favors” all the time.  God values those precious times and is a rewarder of those who seek Him and not His handouts.
 
They’re His Angels 

Another promise of God for those in the secret place is that He sets angels over any situation that comes against the person who has taken refuge under His shadow. They are His angels, not co-workers of satan or flunkies that lost access to the Throne room of God. 

Not only do “shadow dwellers” have God’s protection, they have angels ... that's plural, not singular angels surrounding them.

“ Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you,
nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
for He shall give His angels charge over you,
to keep you in all your ways.”
(Psalm 91: 9-11 NKJV)

If you read the life accounts of the few individuals I mentioned there would be no doubt that they spent a lot of time under God’s shadow.  Angels were everywhere pulling them out of situations as only God’s servants could.

He Did it for Them, He’ll Do it for You 

Like Brandy there are times that we make innocent mistakes in judgment, and it’s those times we really need the angels of the Lord surrounding us as a shield to guard against the enemy.  She trusted in the fact that the neighborhood was a pretty safe one and didn’t expect evil biting at her tires.

Brandy’s vehicle (or anyone else’s for that matter) didn’t get stolen because of diligently praying the Daily Favor of Psalm 91.  Angels prevented the man from fleeing, the officers captured a “wanted” criminal and no one was harmed.

Taking Psalm 91 to heart and trusting God as your refuge will allow anyone who believes in Jesus to abide in His shadow of protection.  If we set our love on God, what God did for the people in the Bible, He will also do for you or me.  

He promises to be with us when we’re in trouble. God will answer our prayers, honor our relationship, deliver and satisfy us with long life.  Personally God will reveal the benefits as Kingdom heirs, and we will experience the fullness of our salvation. 

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name.
(He has a personal knowledge of My unmerited favor, love, and kindness. He trusts and relies on Me,
knowing that I will never forsake him.)

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”
(Psalm 91: 14-16 NKJV emphasis mine) 

When someone truly loves and trusts you, keeping that person safe and showing them endless favor is something you just want to do! 

This Week’s Challenge:
Neighborhood Prayer Watch 

Praying over our neighbors should be one of the first things on our list when we go before the Lord with our petitions.  Safety is a number one priority for us when we think of our family, so shouldn’t we be praying for anything and anyone that could come into their path each day? 

We have no control over what happens around us when it comes to what people do, but we can make sure that when “stuff” happens we’re already under the “Shadow Protection” plan of God.  Whom shall we fear when we’re standing in the shadow of the Almighty? 

From this point on our challenge is to make sure that every day we pray Psalm 91 over our neighborhood and put God’s angels to flight in keeping everyone safe.  Get it down deep in your soul that God’s protection acts as a shield around the Righteous who take refuge in Him.   

Be more than an “ordinary” Christian, be a “Shadow Dweller” and the favor of God will always surround you as a protective shield of armor. 

“ For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”
(Psalm 5:12 NKJV) 

 
 
If this article has encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post. 

Until next time, take refuge in the shadow of God’s favor!

“I’ll shadow you with My favor.”
Jesus Christ 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: Emphasis is given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take away from the inspirited Word of God. 

When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

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Psalm 91 by Peggy Joyce Ruth
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Scripture references provided by Gateway Bible in the New King James Bible Version or as noted. 
 
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Psalm 91, Daily Favor Prayer, Protection, Safety, Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, The Favored Shield Weapon, Christian Living, Phil Driscoll, Shadow of the Almighty, Favor of God, Prayer, Weekly Challenge

2 comments:

  1. This is very reassuring that somehow in this world, people pray for us even if we don't even know and that God is there watching us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary, we have been praying over you and your husband since the first time I met you online. We have never stopped. God loves you and so do we. It's for real!

      Delete

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