“May I become a weapon in your hand, fashioned by fire, sharpened and hammered to perfection, to slay the principalities of darkness and wickedness.”
I would like to say I was deep in prayer on the mountain of glory, kneeling before the throne of God, hands lifted in exultant joy and Godly fervor when I wrote this prayer but that would be a lie. Truth be told, I was sitting at the kitchen table, 3 a.m.ish., lost in a dark, spiritual fog, struggling with sin, tormented with a difficult situation I was in, and seemingly dead to, and a million miles away from my Lord!
It is an excerpt from a prayer that I had written early that morning on a paper towel that was laying on the table. My wife and children found it the next morning still laying there. They loved it, and decided to make it into a huge wall hanging as a Christmas present for me. They bought a canvass, wrote the prayer out in script, decorated it with cool, artsy colors and various other "unique items"....even used some burlap sack and barbed wire! It now hangs in the middle of our living room as a testament of who we desire to be.
It was the best Christmas present I had ever received! My family is amazing and they saw my heart in that prayer and desperately wanted to make it as a tribute to their Dad/Husband.
However...a deep, painful, difficult valley wrought with spiritual deadness, temptation and prayerlessness does not really seem like a thing to create a shrine or “testimonial” piece of art out of, and then hang on the living room wall!
Or is it...?
Do we really want to follow Him? God is tender. He loves us...deeply...we really are the object of His passionate affection. He holds every one of our heartbeats and cradles them intimately in His Heart. He is painting eternity for us right now, with joy unspeakable quickly approaching! I tremble at the thought of the ultimate doom of those who have tormented His children through the ages. He loves us and defends us with passion that rises from the deep...very...very...deep places.
Alchemy-the process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
He loves us...and like a sword we are hammered, folded, twisted and burned of our impurities, tempered only under the most extreme heat...he looks and searches for the perfect ingredient that would complete us...and shape us into the extraordinary man or woman of God He has called us to be. His alchemy is perfect. His love is unfathomable.
He loved me that early morning two years ago. I wonder if He found the perfect ingredient He was looking for. I may have been dried up and struggling, but that prayer was squeezed out of me because that prayer is exactly what he was doing in that moment. Forging me...for a future purpose. I wonder if He found the perfect ingredient He was looking for because I can pinpoint to that day a major shift in my walk. I can pinpoint to that day the beginning of a real steadfastness in my walk that I had been seeking and longing for. I had been through many valleys and struggles the 18 years I had been following Him, and I still stumble. I still struggle. But there has been a deep trust, a deep confidence, a deep awareness of His "ever-presence" that I have been enjoying for over two years now...since the morning of this prayer...a certain level of completeness and abiding joy.
I would like to say I was deep in prayer on the mountain of glory, kneeling before the throne of God, hands lifted in exultant joy and Godly fervor when I wrote this prayer but that would be a lie. Truth be told, I was sitting at the kitchen table, 3 a.m.ish., lost in a dark, spiritual fog, struggling with sin, tormented with a difficult situation I was in, and seemingly dead to, and a million miles away from my Lord!
It is an excerpt from a prayer that I had written early that morning on a paper towel that was laying on the table. My wife and children found it the next morning still laying there. They loved it, and decided to make it into a huge wall hanging as a Christmas present for me. They bought a canvass, wrote the prayer out in script, decorated it with cool, artsy colors and various other "unique items"....even used some burlap sack and barbed wire! It now hangs in the middle of our living room as a testament of who we desire to be.
It was the best Christmas present I had ever received! My family is amazing and they saw my heart in that prayer and desperately wanted to make it as a tribute to their Dad/Husband.
However...a deep, painful, difficult valley wrought with spiritual deadness, temptation and prayerlessness does not really seem like a thing to create a shrine or “testimonial” piece of art out of, and then hang on the living room wall!
Or is it...?
Do we really want to follow Him? God is tender. He loves us...deeply...we really are the object of His passionate affection. He holds every one of our heartbeats and cradles them intimately in His Heart. He is painting eternity for us right now, with joy unspeakable quickly approaching! I tremble at the thought of the ultimate doom of those who have tormented His children through the ages. He loves us and defends us with passion that rises from the deep...very...very...deep places.
Alchemy-the process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
He loves us...and like a sword we are hammered, folded, twisted and burned of our impurities, tempered only under the most extreme heat...he looks and searches for the perfect ingredient that would complete us...and shape us into the extraordinary man or woman of God He has called us to be. His alchemy is perfect. His love is unfathomable.
He loved me that early morning two years ago. I wonder if He found the perfect ingredient He was looking for. I may have been dried up and struggling, but that prayer was squeezed out of me because that prayer is exactly what he was doing in that moment. Forging me...for a future purpose. I wonder if He found the perfect ingredient He was looking for because I can pinpoint to that day a major shift in my walk. I can pinpoint to that day the beginning of a real steadfastness in my walk that I had been seeking and longing for. I had been through many valleys and struggles the 18 years I had been following Him, and I still stumble. I still struggle. But there has been a deep trust, a deep confidence, a deep awareness of His "ever-presence" that I have been enjoying for over two years now...since the morning of this prayer...a certain level of completeness and abiding joy.
Below is the full prayer. I encourage you to pray it. I won’t make any prosperity-gospel promises but I will say it was a definite turning point in my walk! I walked away from the kitchen table that morning thinking…I’m done! I’m done wallowing around in the muck and mire and the “valley of indecision”. I walked away thinking I have one shot at this…one shot for all eternity to walk by faith and allow myself to purely be a weapon in His hand to slay the enemies of God. Why wouldn’t I want to defend the purposes of Him who loves me so deeply?
God, please make me your instrument. May this life not be lived in vain. May I become a weapon in your hand, fashioned by fire, sharpened & hammered to perfection, to slay the principalities of darkness and wickedness. Out of my weakness and your strength, cause enormous faith to erupt from within me. Help me to slay my dragons of fear and confusion. Cause me to ride forth victoriously with valor and vision at my side. Rescue me from my impurities. Cleanse me of my sin. That I may see you & behold the one I desire above all. My longing for the light of your countenance, the deep wealth of your word spoken, and the rich fragrance of your presence are almost too much to bear. I remember how you visited me through the day always close…surrounding me. Your words impregnated my soul without relent. Worship was my every thought, my every breath, and my steadfast response. I pray for a new chapter to begin. Perhaps something deeper, a rekindling,. Perhaps this is a new invitation…to your altar, the secret place.
Thank you for letting me know about this! It was the perfect thing to read before I shut my mind off for the day. I agree that it is the perfect "piece" to "cover" your home. Your hearts are very clear to all that encounter them. I Love them. I also love what God does through those dark times. Out of them, I have seen His beauty like never before! GISG!
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