Tag: shoes of the gospel of peace

by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach,
CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries

The simple truth is that when stress, burnout and/or compassion fatigue become your norm, then you have reached a place where your tanks are empty, and you cannot pour from an empty tank. You cannot give what you do not have. You will never be effective in ministry when you are operating on empty tanks. In fact, the lower your tanks are, the lower your effectiveness is. There are six self-care tanks, but even with one of them low, it lowers your ministry effectiveness.

Who ministers to the minister?

Every Sunday, church members file into their favorite pew to hear God speak to their hearts and souls through the pastor’s sermon which renews, recharges, and sends them out to face the next week ahead. They sing the worship songs with hands raised and tears running down their cheeks as they worship the God they love. And when they leave (hopefully) they say, “It was good to be in the house of the Lord today!” But who ministers to the minister? Who shepherds the shepherd?

As ministers, in whatever calling you are serving in, people come to us, expecting us to fill their tanks. But where do we go when our tank is empty? How do we stay filled? How do we stay charged up and ready to stand firm on the battlefields we face day after day?

Fueling up your tanks with Self-Care

As a Christian, the immediate and most obvious response would be that we stay filled through Bible reading, devotion, and prayer. Others might add that they listen to sermons on the radio. Some might add that they read spiritual growth books, blogs, and articles. Some will add in worship music. But we must realize that the spiritual battlefield is only one of six battlefields we fight on day after day. We must also realize that if we do not tend to our spiritual self-care first, we won’t stand a chance at self-care in the other five areas.

Research from Thom Rainer

Thom Rainer wrote a blog post in 2013 entitled, “From Burnout to Vision: Twelve Ways Pastors Went from Burnout to Vision.” Mr. Rainer talked with seventeen pastors who had experienced burnout and asked them, “What did you do to reverse the dark spiral of burnout?” He summed up their responses into twelve responses and ranked them in order of frequency. The responses included:

• spent more time in prayer and the Word
• dreamed again
• stopped comparing
• developed relationships with non-Christians
• moved my focus from the negative to the positive
• learned to have fun
• ended draining relationships
• expressed gratitude regularly
• spent more time doing things that energized me
• got in better physical shape
• made a commitment to have a greater servant spirit
• began to pray for my community (Rainer, 2013)

The sum of these responses is that they found a way to practice self-care. However, we need to make sure that when we practice self-care that we are taking care of all the multifaceted parts of who we are. Taking care of our spiritual needs only represents one-sixth of who we are. Each part is like a tank that is empty, full, or somewhere in between.

We lose our effectiveness when we operate on empty tanks

As human beings, created in the image of God, we have six “tanks” that we need to keep filled: spiritual, sensory, emotional, physical, social, and intellectual – one to match each of the battlefields we must face. We can be running low on one tank, several tanks or all tanks. However, even if only one tank is low or empty, we can lose our effectiveness in the ministry.

Take a moment to look through the twelve responses given to Mr. Rainer and see if you can match at least one response to each of the six “tanks.” For each response, name in the “tank” that is being filled.

Self evaluating the fullness of your tanks

Take a moment to do some self-evaluation. Beside each of the “tanks” listed below, determine how full your tank is right now. Then as we explore each of these tanks, I will ask you again to self-evaluate and see if you change your response.

Notice any tank that is on empty. What areas are between half-full and empty? As you look at your self-evaluation, perhaps your spirit cries out to God, “Fill my cup, Lord!” Maybe you look at it and say, “Not doing too bad.” Or maybe all your tanks are full to the brim.

Whether you are reading this reading this blog series because right now you are in full burnout mode and ready to call it quits, or because you want to avoid burnout and compassion fatigue in the future, or because you just simply want to know more about self-care, our self-care blog series will help you find the way back to full tanks or help you keep your tanks full so that you can keep on pouring into others. Just remember that as you pour out of yourself and into others, you must keep coming back to fuel up again and again if you want to keep your tanks full.

In the coming blog posts

As you continue reading, the coming blog posts will help you understand the differences between stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Also, in those chapters, you will learn the danger signs of stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. The following chapter will explain what self-care is. After that, I will explain the six areas in which you should practice self-care and give you ways that you can practice self-care in each of the six areas.

Self-care is not a miraculous cure-all

I must point out that self-care is no miraculous cure-all to what ails in your ministry. It will not fix the problems or make them all disappear. It will not make all your parishioners get along. For as long as Satan prowls this earth like a mighty lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8), then we are on a battlefield, and we need to be able to stand firm in our calling until the day of Christ’s return. Self-care will allow you to keep your “tanks” as full as possible so that you will be more capable of standing firm, steadfast, immovable and always excelling in your work for the Lord. It will give you the physical and emotional strength you need so that you don’t choose to throw in the towel and walk away from your calling.

As we close out this chapter, let’s return to 2 Corinthians 4:8. Paul wrote: “We are pressured in every way…” Look up the verse in your Bible and write out verses 8-9 on an index car or piece of paper as a letter God wrote to you. Write your name on the first line then the verses, exchanging the words “we” for “you” or “I” as needed. At the end write “God” as the signature line. Keep this verse handy where you can refer back to it every time you feel the pressure and troubles of Satan and remember that the battle belongs to God. You do your fighting on your knees in prayer and activate the power of heaven to strengthen you and fight for you.

$399.00 $199.50

Coming December 2021!

Pre-order for a 50% discount. You will get the complete set of downloadable self-care video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions.

Pre-order now to receive a 50% discount! (Releasing December 2021)

You will get the complete downloadable self-care video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions.

We know that ministry is hard! When you serve in ministry as staff or volunteer, you are on a spiritual battlefield 24/7. As you serve God, you fight for the Kingdom of God and our adversary is constantly attacking. He wants you to either lose your effectiveness in your ministry role or get you to quit. We must be sure we are reconnecting to the Vine (Jesus) so that we can refill, renew, and recharge. Then we can keep on pouring into others.

If you are feeling like you are losing the fight or struggling to stay in the fight, Jesus says to you, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31) Self-care is both Biblical and necessary, if you are going to stay in the fight and be effective in the Kingdom of God. Stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue are real weapons that the adversary uses against us.

Even if you do not serve in ministry, if you are a Christian, you too are in a spiritual battle. Every Christian fights the same adversary and our Biblical self-care principles are for every Christian.

What you get in this self-care course:

In Part 1 of this video-based course, you will learn about the spiritual dangers in ministry, discover if God is testing you or is Satan attacking you, understand that ministry is battlefield and how to be steadfast, immovable on the battlefield, learn how the devil uses his wiles and schemes against us, and remember how to use your Spiritual Armor. We will also breakdown stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.

Part 2 is all about Preventing and Recovering from Burnout and Compassion Fatigue as we go through six areas that need self-care. In this part of the course we will provide you with practical ways that you can immediately begin practicing self-care. As you continue to serve God in whatever way He has called you, self-care is vital if you are not going to grow weary in doing good so you can reap at the proper time (Galatians 6:9).

Additionally, this packaged deal will provide 10 group coaching session where we will discuss the weekly assigned videos and do check-ins on where you are in each of the six areas of self-care that include: Spiritual, Sensory, Emotional, Social, Physical, and Intellectual.

Releasing in December 2021, this packaged deal will include the complete video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions with the author, Julia Bruce. In the 10-week program you will complete weekly videos and assignments and then meet virtually for a group coaching session to help you apply self-care where you need it. 

But wait! That’s not all! Check out this Bonus to the self-care course and coaching program.

BONUS: While this course and group coaching is not releasing until December 2021, if you’re purchasing this material, we know you need help now. So, if you purchase before the release date, we’ll place you in our new private Facebook membership page for free through the end of 2021. In January, this group will require a monthly subscription of $19.99. But it will be yours free through the end of year when you purchase the pre-release of the course and group coaching sessions.  

<<<NEW>>> In the Spreadshop Store:

Here in Florida, it does not feel like fall yet, but September is here and that means we are growing our fall line of t-shirt designs. Check out these two new designs:

Sweater weather

See our other fall designs:

<<<NEW>>> In the Spreadshop Store:

Here in Florida, it does not feel like fall yet, but September is here and that means we are growing our fall line of t-shirt designs. Check out these two new designs:

Sweater weather

See our other fall designs:

The slide show below highlights some of our favorite Christian Tees designs available in our Spreadshop and Teespring stores.

See our Canvase prints in the Teespring Store: All Things New

We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.

When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

See our Canvase prints in the Teespring Store: All Things New

We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.

When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

Do you have an event on the calendar and need a speaker?

We’re offering 30% discount on our speaker fees if booked by October 31, 2021. Call today and use the discount code: FALL2021.

We’re excited to be a part of your ministry and can’t wait to see you – no matter what size your event.

904.239.8937

---

Help support our ministry:

---

7 FREE Downloadable Resources

Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template

Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.

[Download not found]

What Satan Does Not Want You To know

This trifold document includes Scripture verses that Satan does not want you to know about. As you hide these verses in your heart, you’ll be able to defeat the lies of Satan when he tries his wiles and schemes on you.

[Download not found]

Stress Journal

We all face stress. How we handle stress, however, has many variables. Learning how to recognize stress, coping with stress, and creating a self-care plan during times of stress can begin by journaling. Taken from our series on Biblical self-care for people in ministry, we’ve created this free download to help you through the things that cause you stress.

[Download not found]

2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan

We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.

[Download not found]

The Path to Sin

Satan is constantly trying to trip us up and he doesn’t even play fair because he uses our own desires as bait to get us to sin. James tells us the five steps that lead us down the path to sin in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This download helps you identify your desires so that you can better recognize when Satan is baiting you and you can avoid falling into sin. When used along with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the desires that Satan baits you with, you can then ask the Holy Spirit to help you not become a victim to the bait of your desires. Download the worksheet today.

[Download not found]

One Year Bible Reading Plan

With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!

[Download not found]

Self-Care Wheel

The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.

Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position (paid staff or volunteer) and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.

[Download not found]

---

Need some music to get you through the day? Check out one of our Playlists on YouTube

You can also watch our animated devotionals on the YouTube Channel

---

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars by Julia M. Bruce

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
• Conversation Starters.
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
• Romance Builders.
• Relationship Builders.
• Personal reflections.
• Date ideas.
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

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Bible Studies, Bibles, Books & More

Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.

Christianbook Distributors Search: Title Author/Artist ISBN CBD Stock # Keywords Publisher

Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.

---

Here’s some of our recent posts.

904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 

Follow us on:

by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach,
CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries

With so fierce a battlefield and so many battlefields to stand firm on, is it any wonder that people who give their all to the ministry God has called them often face the engulfing flames of burnout? It becomes important, then, for every Christian soldier to be on our guard. We need to suit up in our spiritual armor, ready for the fight. But Satan is relentless, and the battle is constant. So, what do we do so that we are constantly battle ready?

Every soldier must return to the source our strength and power

God has given us the Armor of God, but if all we do is fight, we will become weary, battle fatigued, and drop out of the battle. We must take time to rest, regroup, sharpen our swords, and return to the source of our strength and power. We gain our spiritual strength from God, but we must also tend to our physical strength, and we do so through self-care.

Even if you have not yet reached a place in ministry where stress and burnout has engulfed you, learning how to practice self-care now, can help you avoid possible burnout in the future. Understanding self-care can help you recognize when stress, burnout and compassion fatigue are staring you in the face so that you can take a step back, rest, refocus, and renew your strength as you get away with Jesus and reconnect to the Vine where you will receive living water to nourish and strengthen you for the battles you face.

A sobering picture for every Christian Soldier

If you are new to the ministry or at a place where you are excelling and seeing God work in mighty ways, you might think a blog series on Biblical self-care practices is not needed. However, statistics paint a sobering picture.

In an online article from LifeWay Research, Lisa Cannon Green reported on a survey of 1,500 pastors of evangelical and historically black churches in which pastors stated that their professional roles are difficult. From that research, it was found that eighty-four percent of pastors say they’re on call 24 hours a day. Eighty percent expected conflict in their church. Fifty-four percent found the role of pastor frequently overwhelming. Fifty-three percent are often concerned about their family’s financial security. Forty-eight percent often feel the demands of ministry are more than they can handle. Twenty-one percent feel their church has unrealistic expectations of them (Green, 2015).

Missionaries, Religious non-profits and Christian Counselors

If the pastorate is this hard, imagine for a moment the added stressors that missionaries face: living in a different country or continent from their friends and family members, dangers they face if working in a place where proclaiming the gospel could cost them their lives, facing illnesses in third world countries with limited medical help, just to name a few.

Ministry non-profits are also hard as they often depend on the financial support of donors and the work is often done with volunteers. The hours are long and there is a fine line between operating as a business or a ministry. There is long-term strategic planning as well as leading the ministry through today. There are board members critiquing every decision and staff who do not always support the difficult decision that must be made. It’s leaders struggle every day with the next step to take, how to fund it, and how to lead it.

Christian counselors are also targets as they are constantly bombarded emotionally with the life-stories of their clients. They often carry around with them the emotional pain their clients experience. Some even end up with secondary post-traumatic stress disorder.

Volunteer ministry work

Even if your ministry is leading a small group, mentoring, or providing care in the church nursery, serving as a foster parent, or vacuuming the church carpet, the demands on your time, emotions, and energy can become overwhelming at times. You started this volunteer ministry work with passion and zeal but when you reach burnout, your passion and zeal become dread and filled with apathy and indifference. What once was compassion for those you served has become detachment and tolerance.

It doesn’t matter if your ministry is full-time, part-time, or volunteer. At some point, you will experience some level of stress, burnout, or compassion fatigue. It is one of the enemy’s best plan of attack to keep you from achieving what God has called you to do.

Satan’s scheme

In this scheme, Satan lies to us and says, “You’re the only person who can do this and do it right. If you let someone else do this task, they will get it all wrong.” He keeps us busy doing as many good things of God as he can to the point our calendars are full, and we have no time to renew our minds or our strength. The more he can get us to say “yes” to, the sooner we will reach burnout and quit so that we are no longer on the battlefield. And if we are busy doing many things, it prevents us from being the experts in the specific ministry to which we are called.

Satan is willing to take a few loses along the way

It’s the idea of losing a few souls in an attempt to win the entire battle. Yes, you’ll win some souls to Christ, but he’s willing to sacrifice a few souls if it means he can cause you to walk away from your ministry and all the other souls that need you and are waiting for you to reach them. His mission is to keep you from winning as many souls for God as possible, but he knows he will lose some to the Kingdom of God. He’d rather lose a few then all, so by attacking you and bringing you to the point of burnout and/or compassion fatigue, he can get you off the battlefield all together or make you ineffective when you are on it.

$399.00 $199.50

Coming December 2021!

Pre-order for a 50% discount. You will get the complete set of downloadable self-care video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions.

Pre-order now to receive a 50% discount! (Releasing December 2021)

You will get the complete downloadable self-care video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions.

We know that ministry is hard! When you serve in ministry as staff or volunteer, you are on a spiritual battlefield 24/7. As you serve God, you fight for the Kingdom of God and our adversary is constantly attacking. He wants you to either lose your effectiveness in your ministry role or get you to quit. We must be sure we are reconnecting to the Vine (Jesus) so that we can refill, renew, and recharge. Then we can keep on pouring into others.

If you are feeling like you are losing the fight or struggling to stay in the fight, Jesus says to you, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31) Self-care is both Biblical and necessary, if you are going to stay in the fight and be effective in the Kingdom of God. Stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue are real weapons that the adversary uses against us.

Even if you do not serve in ministry, if you are a Christian, you too are in a spiritual battle. Every Christian fights the same adversary and our Biblical self-care principles are for every Christian.

What you get in this self-care course:

In Part 1 of this video-based course, you will learn about the spiritual dangers in ministry, discover if God is testing you or is Satan attacking you, understand that ministry is battlefield and how to be steadfast, immovable on the battlefield, learn how the devil uses his wiles and schemes against us, and remember how to use your Spiritual Armor. We will also breakdown stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.

Part 2 is all about Preventing and Recovering from Burnout and Compassion Fatigue as we go through six areas that need self-care. In this part of the course we will provide you with practical ways that you can immediately begin practicing self-care. As you continue to serve God in whatever way He has called you, self-care is vital if you are not going to grow weary in doing good so you can reap at the proper time (Galatians 6:9).

Additionally, this packaged deal will provide 10 group coaching session where we will discuss the weekly assigned videos and do check-ins on where you are in each of the six areas of self-care that include: Spiritual, Sensory, Emotional, Social, Physical, and Intellectual.

Releasing in December 2021, this packaged deal will include the complete video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions with the author, Julia Bruce. In the 10-week program you will complete weekly videos and assignments and then meet virtually for a group coaching session to help you apply self-care where you need it. 

But wait! That’s not all! Check out this Bonus to the self-care course and coaching program.

BONUS: While this course and group coaching is not releasing until December 2021, if you’re purchasing this material, we know you need help now. So, if you purchase before the release date, we’ll place you in our new private Facebook membership page for free through the end of 2021. In January, this group will require a monthly subscription of $19.99. But it will be yours free through the end of year when you purchase the pre-release of the course and group coaching sessions.  

<<<NEW>>> In the Spreadshop Store:

Here in Florida, it does not feel like fall yet, but September is here and that means we are growing our fall line of t-shirt designs. Check out these two new designs:

Sweater weather

See our other fall designs:

<<<NEW>>> In the Spreadshop Store:

Here in Florida, it does not feel like fall yet, but September is here and that means we are growing our fall line of t-shirt designs. Check out these two new designs:

Sweater weather

See our other fall designs:

The slide show below highlights some of our favorite Christian Tees designs available in our Spreadshop and Teespring stores.

See our Canvase prints in the Teespring Store: All Things New

We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.

When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

See our Canvase prints in the Teespring Store: All Things New

We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.

When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

Do you have an event on the calendar and need a speaker?

We’re offering 30% discount on our speaker fees if booked by October 31, 2021. Call today and use the discount code: FALL2021.

We’re excited to be a part of your ministry and can’t wait to see you – no matter what size your event.

904.239.8937

---

Help support our ministry:

---

7 FREE Downloadable Resources

Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template

Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.

[Download not found]

What Satan Does Not Want You To know

This trifold document includes Scripture verses that Satan does not want you to know about. As you hide these verses in your heart, you’ll be able to defeat the lies of Satan when he tries his wiles and schemes on you.

[Download not found]

Stress Journal

We all face stress. How we handle stress, however, has many variables. Learning how to recognize stress, coping with stress, and creating a self-care plan during times of stress can begin by journaling. Taken from our series on Biblical self-care for people in ministry, we’ve created this free download to help you through the things that cause you stress.

[Download not found]

2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan

We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.

[Download not found]

The Path to Sin

Satan is constantly trying to trip us up and he doesn’t even play fair because he uses our own desires as bait to get us to sin. James tells us the five steps that lead us down the path to sin in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This download helps you identify your desires so that you can better recognize when Satan is baiting you and you can avoid falling into sin. When used along with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the desires that Satan baits you with, you can then ask the Holy Spirit to help you not become a victim to the bait of your desires. Download the worksheet today.

[Download not found]

One Year Bible Reading Plan

With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!

[Download not found]

Self-Care Wheel

The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.

Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position (paid staff or volunteer) and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.

[Download not found]

---

Need some music to get you through the day? Check out one of our Playlists on YouTube

You can also watch our animated devotionals on the YouTube Channel

---

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars by Julia M. Bruce

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
• Conversation Starters.
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
• Romance Builders.
• Relationship Builders.
• Personal reflections.
• Date ideas.
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

---

Bible Studies, Bibles, Books & More

Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.

Christianbook Distributors Search: Title Author/Artist ISBN CBD Stock # Keywords Publisher

Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.

---

Here’s some of our recent posts.

904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 

Follow us on:

by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach,
CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries

The Spiritual battlefield

Of all the battlefields on which we fight, when we serve in ministry, the spiritual battlefield is the most important. It is on this battlefield where the battles of all the other battlefields find strength to win. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:10, “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” No matter which battlefield we are on, we must remember that our strength is in the Lord. It is only in His might that we can be victorious and overcome the wiles of the devil. If we are going to fight the good fight, finish our race, and keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7), then we must fight in the strength of the Lord.

The Spiritual battlefield: The fight for eternal life

Certainly, the most important battle that takes place on the spiritual battlefield is the one that determines our eternity. It is the battle over eternal life or eternal death and separation from God. Each one of us takes a stand on the spiritual battlefield. We either line up on the side of the kingdom of darkness or we stand on the side of the King of kings.

We all start out on the side of the kingdom of darkness and as long as we remain on that side, we are slaves to sin. Paul wrote in Romans 6:16, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” When you defect from the kingdom of darkness and join the King of Kings, Satan loses the battle for your soul.

The Spiritual battlefield: The fight between the flesh and the Spirit

Just because you accepted Christ does not mean that the battle is over. Satan may have lost you for eternity, but that doesn’t mean he won’t trip you up and make you fall flat on your face time and time again. You may have traded in your one-way ticket to hell for The Way, The Truth, and The Life that grants you access to heaven, but Satan does not want you to live in joy and victory. He does not want you to be a witness for Christ so that you take more souls away from him. So, you still fight battles day after day.

Paul put it this way: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:17) Doesn’t that sound like a battle? It is a battle between the flesh (our sinful nature) and the Spirit that dwells within us. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:27, “give no opportunity to the devil.” But let’s face it – that is often easier said than done.

Do not give opportunity to the devil

So how do we not give opportunity to the devil? Paul tells us how to overcome the flesh. In Galatians 5:16, he says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. So not only must we fight in the strength of the Lord, but we must not fight alone. We must “walk by the Spirit.” If we are going to battle spiritual battles, we better have the Holy Spirit with us!

If you think these spiritual battles are hard, then you can bet that when you begin to work in a ministry role, you will draw the attention of Satan and his minions, and you better believe the battles are going to heat up. Even when your ministry is fully surrendered to God, it doesn’t make the battle any easier…if anything, it becomes harder as Satan fights back even more. Satan is always at work in the unseen, spiritual realm to fight every person God calls and sets apart to a ministry position. Behind the scenes in the heavenly realm, he is always at work in each of the battlefields we face. The spiritual battlefield is only one of six battlefields we fight on. Let’s discuss the other five.

The Sensory battlefield

We find ourselves standing on the sensory battlefield any time Satan’s flaming darts are aimed at one of our senses: what we see, hear, taste, smell, touch.

Satan attacks our visual sense through what we see around us, on TV, on the internet, at the movies, in magazines that can cause us to stumble.

He attacks our sense of hearing through TV, movies, radio, music, and conversations around us.

He attacks our sense of taste through the foods we like but aren’t good for us or if there is a past problem with addictions, he will use temptation of drugs and alcohol again and again.

Satan can also use our sense of smell in the same way. Have you ever noticed how good a pizza smells when you’re trying to lose weight? Or if you have given up smoking, what is your reaction to smelling a cigarette as someone walks by you?

Even the sense of touch can be used. The simple touch of someone’s arm around you could be used as a sexual temptation.

The simple fact is our senses are triggers to memories and emotions and they act as stimulants every day of our lives. Satan sees them as opportunities for attack.

The Emotional battlefield

There is also the emotional battlefield that takes place within our own mind and emotions. Satan will use every emotional gift God gave us against us – making our mind another battlefield. The more exhausted we are, the more prone we are to succumb on the emotional battlefield.  On this battlefield, Satan plants seeds in our minds – the seeds of depression, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, lust, sadness, anxiety, guilt, shame or embarrassments. He then uses the people around us or our circumstances or our financial situation as the fertilizer to make those seeds grow. As a result, we doubt.

The emotional battlefield called “Doubt”

We doubt…

• …if we are qualified.
• …if we were really called.
• …that we have the money needed to do what God has called us to do.
• …if we have the skills needed.
• …if we would be willing to be like Abraham and leave our father and mother and go where God is sending us.
• …like Moses, if we can speak well enough.
• …because we have a past that was so totally against God that the seed of doubt is “God can’t use me.”

Whatever it is that God is asking us to do, Satan will plant seeds of doubt and then he will use people in our life to water them and make them grow. Every step we take he will plant a new seed of doubt. Those seeds of doubt, in turn, will stir up every negative emotion available and we find ourselves standing on the emotional battlefield.

The emotional battlefield called “self-esteem”

Such attacks are directly against our self-perception. Satan tries to get us to focus on how we see ourselves instead of how God sees us. We get caught up in our “self-esteem” instead of our “God-esteem.” We need to change our self-perception to God’s perception of who we are. We forget that God doesn’t look at the outward appearance but at our heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

The world judges us by what we wear, the color of our skin, how we talk, how we live our lives, the mistakes we’ve made, how smart we are, or how financially sound we are, and we form our “self-esteem” in how we perceive the way the world sees us. Instead, we need to form “God-esteem” and learn to see ourselves in the way God sees us – we need to be reminded of God’s perception of us. He sees us as chosen, loved, a new creation, reconciled and redeemed, righteous, holy, set apart, a child of God, gifted and fully equipped for the task He sat before us.

The Social battlefield

There is yet another battlefield that Satan uses in his arsenal of “flaming arrows” (Ephesians 6:16) against us: the social battlefield.  Since those of us in ministry are imperfect people and those whom we minister to are imperfect people, we can find ourselves on a battlefield made up of human problems, such as differences of opinion, selfishness, hurt, disappointment, and well…sin of all kinds. Even though we (and hopefully them) are saved by grace, as long as we are in human bodies, we all “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  

The social battlefield called “church members”

The social battlefield might manifest itself as those moments where the church members argue over which side of the stage the piano belongs on or if there should or should not be a pulpit on the stage. It’s the arguments over the color of the carpet or if it’s okay for the preacher to preach from his iPad rather than a Bible in his hand. It occurs around the Sunday lunch table, business meeting, or in the conference room when you are criticized for every flaw and every decision you make. It’s those moments where you look around at the squabbles, tired of mediating, and wonder how church ever got to be about these things instead of saving souls from an eternity in hell and helping Christians develop passionate relationships with God.

People in ministry, especially pastors, are so often putting out these flaming arrows that there isn’t enough time to devote to the discipleship of Christians. Consequently, our churches never mature and grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

The social battlefield called “family and friends”

The social battlefield doesn’t end with our relationship with the people to whom we minister. Satan will use the relationships we have with family and friends, tearing them down and destroying them, effectively pulling out the blanket of support from under our feet. These are the people who know us well. They know our past, our personality, our failures, and our faults. They wag their finger saying, “How could God ever use you? He didn’t really call you. You’re just a ‘dreamer.’”

The social battlefield called “social media”

And then there is social media where we can get caught up in how many people “liked” or “shared” my post. Or the public shaming of people and cyber bullying through social media that has made people commit suicide. As a result, we are more “connected” to other than ever before. We can have thousands of “friends” without every actually meeting them or having a single conversation with them and still feel lost, lonely, and sad.

The social battlefield called “mass shootings”

Another social battlefield takes shape in the growing concern of mass shootings within the walls of churches and the questions begin to rise of how to protect the congregation. Should we be concerned about public ministry events at parks or stadiums? Should we be afraid of prayer walking the community where we serve? How do we reach the lost world and still protect the people in our churches?

The social battlefield called “COVID”

As this book is being written, we are in yet another social battlefield that we probably never thought we would have to deal with: the COVID pandemic. As we looked at isolating at home, ministry leaders had to discover new ways of doing ministry. But even isolation itself presents a battle on the social battlefield because God created us to be social beings. As a result, we saw more battles on the emotional battlefield as people became depressed, anxious, and fearful. We have seen enormous grief as people lost the battle against COVID and the number of infected people and deaths continue to soar with no end in sight. At this point, the churches have opened their doors again, but we do ministry around the CDC recommendations for safety of the people to whom we minister.

The social battlefield called “the appearance of evil”

Social battlefields also arise as we try to make sure we protect ourselves, our families, and our ministry from even the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). There are always those who are watching and waiting for us to mess up so they can point their fingers. They might accuse of inappropriate conduct with someone of the opposite gender or inappropriate misuse of funds. They might say the message you delivered was not Biblical.

The social battlefield called “The pointing, accusing finger”

Satan loves nothing more than to see a minister (whether that is a pastor, missionary, Christian Counselor, or someone in a non-profit ministry organization) of God fail or give up or walk away because of the pointing, accusing finger. It’s one of his best flaming arrows! It doesn’t even matter if the pointing finger of accusation is verified, or all lies. It doesn’t have to hit the bullseye. Accusations are much like hand grenades and horseshoes – you just have to get close to the target to have an effect.  Once the finger is pointed, damage has been done. Credibility is loss. Effectiveness diminished. And Satan scores a point.

The Physical battlefield

Then there is the silent battlefield of dangers that lurk about in the dark waiting to sneak up, kill and destroy those in ministry. These dangers are fought on the physical battlefield and include health issues, burnout, compassion fatigue, and stress. As a result, pastors, missionaries, and others in ministry professions walk away from the calling. Instead of standing firm, steadfast, immovable and always excelling, they call it quits and leave the task of ministering for someone else to do.

Sometimes they quit but find a different way to minister. If they do decide to stay in their ministry field, they no longer have the passion and zeal to serve. Ministry becomes a “have to” rather than an opportunity to serve our God. They risk facing depression, lack of motivation, and anxiety. Their relationships decline and many physical symptoms begin to emerge.

But Satan doesn’t stop with just your own physical health. For some of us, an attack on a spouse of family member’s health can have a bigger affect than if Satan attacked our own health. Most of us would do more to protect the health of those we love than ourselves and spend countless hours getting them doctors, possibly surgery, therapy, or whatever is necessary to get them healthy again. If we are so caught up in caring for a loved one, there is little time or energy left to carry out the ministry we’ve been given.

The Intellectual battlefield

Another silent battlefield is the intellectual battlefield. Here Satan attacks our intellect either by making us believe we don’t know enough to do the ministry God has called us to, or by stirring up our pride in how much we know.

Another way this battlefield comes into play is when a person believes they don’t need to attend seminary or any type of training for the ministry God has called them to. They believe that because God called them, He will equip them. But sometimes equipping comes from learning and to say that you don’t need the training to do your calling is like saying you know more than God, and this is another form of pride.

God may still use you and you might be somewhat effective because God has gifted you for the ministry He has called you to, but you will never be as effective as God intended without the proper training. It would be like going into battle without ever having learning how to use a sword. Remember that the Sword in the Armor of God is the Bible. If you are going to effectively wield your sword, you need to learn how to use it.

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You will get the complete downloadable self-care video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions.

We know that ministry is hard! When you serve in ministry as staff or volunteer, you are on a spiritual battlefield 24/7. As you serve God, you fight for the Kingdom of God and our adversary is constantly attacking. He wants you to either lose your effectiveness in your ministry role or get you to quit. We must be sure we are reconnecting to the Vine (Jesus) so that we can refill, renew, and recharge. Then we can keep on pouring into others.

If you are feeling like you are losing the fight or struggling to stay in the fight, Jesus says to you, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31) Self-care is both Biblical and necessary, if you are going to stay in the fight and be effective in the Kingdom of God. Stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue are real weapons that the adversary uses against us.

Even if you do not serve in ministry, if you are a Christian, you too are in a spiritual battle. Every Christian fights the same adversary and our Biblical self-care principles are for every Christian.

What you get in this self-care course:

In Part 1 of this video-based course, you will learn about the spiritual dangers in ministry, discover if God is testing you or is Satan attacking you, understand that ministry is battlefield and how to be steadfast, immovable on the battlefield, learn how the devil uses his wiles and schemes against us, and remember how to use your Spiritual Armor. We will also breakdown stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.

Part 2 is all about Preventing and Recovering from Burnout and Compassion Fatigue as we go through six areas that need self-care. In this part of the course we will provide you with practical ways that you can immediately begin practicing self-care. As you continue to serve God in whatever way He has called you, self-care is vital if you are not going to grow weary in doing good so you can reap at the proper time (Galatians 6:9).

Additionally, this packaged deal will provide 10 group coaching session where we will discuss the weekly assigned videos and do check-ins on where you are in each of the six areas of self-care that include: Spiritual, Sensory, Emotional, Social, Physical, and Intellectual.

Releasing in December 2021, this packaged deal will include the complete video-based course plus 10 group coaching sessions with the author, Julia Bruce. In the 10-week program you will complete weekly videos and assignments and then meet virtually for a group coaching session to help you apply self-care where you need it. 

But wait! That’s not all! Check out this Bonus to the self-care course and coaching program.

BONUS: While this course and group coaching is not releasing until December 2021, if you’re purchasing this material, we know you need help now. So, if you purchase before the release date, we’ll place you in our new private Facebook membership page for free through the end of 2021. In January, this group will require a monthly subscription of $19.99. But it will be yours free through the end of year when you purchase the pre-release of the course and group coaching sessions.  

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<<<NEW>>> In the Spreadshop Store:

Here in Florida, it does not feel like fall yet, but September is here and that means we are growing our fall line of t-shirt designs. Check out these two new designs:

Sweater weather

See our other fall designs:

The slide show below highlights some of our favorite Christian Tees designs available in our Spreadshop and Teespring stores.

See our Canvase prints in the Teespring Store: All Things New

We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.

When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

See our Canvase prints in the Teespring Store: All Things New

We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.

When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

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7 FREE Downloadable Resources

Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template

Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.

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What Satan Does Not Want You To know

This trifold document includes Scripture verses that Satan does not want you to know about. As you hide these verses in your heart, you’ll be able to defeat the lies of Satan when he tries his wiles and schemes on you.

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Stress Journal

We all face stress. How we handle stress, however, has many variables. Learning how to recognize stress, coping with stress, and creating a self-care plan during times of stress can begin by journaling. Taken from our series on Biblical self-care for people in ministry, we’ve created this free download to help you through the things that cause you stress.

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2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan

We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.

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The Path to Sin

Satan is constantly trying to trip us up and he doesn’t even play fair because he uses our own desires as bait to get us to sin. James tells us the five steps that lead us down the path to sin in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This download helps you identify your desires so that you can better recognize when Satan is baiting you and you can avoid falling into sin. When used along with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the desires that Satan baits you with, you can then ask the Holy Spirit to help you not become a victim to the bait of your desires. Download the worksheet today.

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One Year Bible Reading Plan

With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!

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Self-Care Wheel

The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.

Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position (paid staff or volunteer) and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.

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God, Love and Marshmallow Wars by Julia M. Bruce

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

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• Personal reflections.
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Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

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When Satan drives you to your knees, you are not defeated.

If Satan drives you to your knees in the battle, then fight on your knees as you pray.  As Phil Wickham reminds us in his song, “Battle Belongs”, the battle belongs to God and we do our best fighting when we are on our knees, praying, and allowing God to fight for us.

Whenever we reach the point that we feel as Satan has driven us to our knees, its often because we feel trapped. Israel found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. Let’s look at their story.

Trapped between the Sea and the Army

After the Israelites left Egypt, they found themselves right smack in the middle of pressure and trouble. In front of them was the pressure of how to cross the Red Sea. Behind them was the trouble of a very angry Egyptian army. And the Israelites did what every human being would do – they panicked.

Moments earlier they were standing at the bank of the Red Sea while the idea of freedom from slavery kicked in. I’m sure that somewhere in the mix of the crowd there was a certain group who stood at the bank of the Red Sea wondering how they would get all the people across to the other side. But as they stood around problem solving, someone stopped and listened. Then he began to quiet the others. “Shhh. Listen.” They heard it too.

They turn around and off in the distance was a terrifying sight! The Egyptian army riding hard and fast towards them, a cloud of desert sand stirring up around them. Slowly, more and more of the people get quite and they look. Before long there is full-blown panic from the entire group. They are trapped. There is nowhere to go. (Can you imagine Satan snickering in the spiritual realm thinking he would finally win when the Egyptian army wipes out God’s chosen nation that would one day bring the Messiah to earth?) They began blaming Moses.

Moses’ response

Our omniscient God was not surprised that Pharaoh sent his army after them. He knew they would come. And he knew his chosen people would be trapped between the sea and the army. He already knew what he was going to do.

Moses knew that God had told him He would bring His people to the Promised Land. So Moses had faith that God had plan. Moses responded to them: “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Be quiet

It is interesting to me that Moses tells them to “be quiet.” Probably because he was tired of their complaining. But the truth is when we are trapped and feel driven to our knees, we panic, just like Israel. Often we are also guilty of complaining about our situation. But if we are not complaining about it, then we are probably questioning God. And questioning God, is exactly where Satan wants us.

When Paul told us to “pray without ceasing,” I don’t think he had in mind a constant chatter of complaints and questions so that God can’t even get a chance to speak a single word. You see, if we want to hear from God, then we have to be still and be quiet in His presence. God tells us in Psalm 46:10 to “Be still, and know that I am God.”

When do you see the hand of God at work?

Think for a moment about the times you’ve seen the hand of God at work in your life. You don’t usually see it in the middle of pressure and trouble. We see it in hindsight. After we’ve gone through the trouble, then you can look back and see where God was at work. But what if in the midst of pressure and trouble we stopped panicking, sit quietly, and look for God’s hand at work?

So, if you are experiencing pressure and trouble and Satan has driven you to your knees, Moses calmly and quietly says to you, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.” When you are driven to your knees, do not let it be the in defeat. Rather fall on your knees in prayer.

Daniel’s spiritual battle

When Satan drives you to your knees, you are not defeated – you’re just starting to win the battle. Prayer activates all of heaven. We see this in Daniel 9. As Daniel is praying and interceding for his nation, the angel, Gabriel, appears in response to Daniels prayers. In verses 20-21, the Bible says, “While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.”

Do spiritual battles happen when you pray?

If you ever wondered if there was a battle going on when you pray, then let’s look at Daniel 10:10-14. Here Daniel has had a terrifying vision and he wonders what it means. Let’s read what happens:

“And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. Then he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.

”And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

Keep praying until the battle is won

For 21 days there was a spiritual battle going on. Satan was trying to prevent the answer to Daniels prayer from coming to him. This messenger had to have help. If Daniel had stopped praying, that help may not have arrived. So pray and keep on praying until the battle is won.

We fight spiritual battles on our knees

Satan bring all kinds of pressures and troubles, but our prayers have the power to summon the forces of heaven. So, you don’t have to wait for Satan to drive you to your knees. As soon as an attack begins is the time to get on your knees and activate the power of heaven. That is where we fight spiritual battles!