Joel 3:9-11 Proclaim this among the nations - Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

This is no time for passivity.  You are in a war whether you like it or not.  None of us is immune to it.  To name a few, there are financial wars, health wars, economic wars, street wars, foreign wars, and even family wars going on.  What we see in the natural is going on in the spiritual.  “The battle is the Lord’s” means the Lord will strategize it and be victorious.  It does not mean we can stand by and be spectators.  We need to participate in the way he calls us.  Meditate on each of the following points this week to know how to prepare for war.

1. Prepare for war (Day 1) Don’t stand alone. You need to stand with others. Be part of a like-minded prayer group. Pray for each other. The Enemy will attack from the rear so don’t be complacent when things are going well. Be vigilant. Don’t take offense easily. If you are so busy taking offense, you will be caught off guard.
   
   
2. Prepare for war (Day 2) Your greatest enemy is your own fear. Know who God says you are even if you don’t see it yet. Once Gideon accepted God’s word that he was a mighty warrior he started acting like one. The fearful were sent home. Only the alert men were allowed to join. This is necessary so that you are not a war casualty. Being fearful does not mean war will not come near you. It means you will be easy to defeat.
   
   
3. Prepare for war (Day 3) Deal with your own sin. Repent and forgive those things in your life you know are out of alignment with God’s word. Repent of thoughts that war against God. Repent of behaviors that displease God. Repent of words that contradict God. Sin gives the Enemy an open door to enter into your life. Sin is an alliance with evil so your fight for good becomes useless.
   
   
4. Prepare for war (Day 4) Get a plan from God. God knows the enemy better than you do so He has the best strategy. Gideon followed God’s plan on how to gather the army. It was not a numbers plan. Gideon used trumpets (declarations) and torches (fire of God) rather than conventional weapons. They watched the enemy be thrown into confusion and destroy each other. Every successful war in the Bible was won by following God’s plan. God will tell you when to wait and when to move forward.
   
   
5. Prepare for war (Day 5) Worship. David and his men were spent when they returned to Ziklag to find their village wiped out. He worshiped the Lord to find strength and strategy. The enemy will try to get you when you are tired and weary. He will try to convince you you’ve lost everything. Don’t give up. Don’t keep fighting in your own strength. Find strength in worshiping the Lord
   
   
6. Prepare for war (Day 6) Obey God. He will ask you to do something you can do. It will always be in line with His word. He operates out of strategy, not retaliation or revenge. Not all depends on you. All depends on Him and you are to carry out the orders. He will be there for you. Even in today’s army, obedience to orders is foremost. Can you obey while in the line of fire? Training is important.
   
   
7. Prepare for war (Day 7) Trust Him. He has your best interest at heart. If you have trust issues, you need to resolve them. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any wounds that caused you to shrink back from trusting. He only reveals what He intends to heal. Receive the healing so you can trust the Lord to work out the good in your life.