Psalm 144:1 Blessed be the LORD my Rock, / Who trains my hands for war, / And my fingers for battle—”

May 29th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

David’s confidence was securely placed in the Rock-solid, unshakeable foundation of God Almighty. David prayed here, as a submitted king, for God, the King of Kings, to empower him so that he could subdue his enemies. David’s prayer was for actual physical warfare, but we need the very same kind of empowering in spiritual warfare.

This may seem like a strange prayer request at first glance, but it should be a regular prayer for those of us who are engaged in the battle for people’s souls. God is teaching our fingers how to fight in a different kind of war. This verse may speak of the gentle fingers and hands holding a crying child. Or maybe the student writing a paper for an atheist teacher. Or maybe the frustrated husband and father, navigating his big rig through a maze of small cars on the interstate as he tries to get home for an important family event. There is a spiritual war out there that each one of us is participating in, whether we realize it or not. How do we prepare for battle; how does God train our hands for war?

National Geographic ran an article about the Alaskan Bull Moose, complete with pictures of huge males as they went antler to antler, crunching together as they collided. When one of their antlers breaks, it’s the end of the battle and defeat. The biggest moose, with the largest and strongest antlers, will ultimately triumph. That means that the battle being fought in the fall is really won during the summer, when the moose eats continually. The one that consumes the best diet for growing antlers and gaining weight, will be the strongest in the fight. Those that eat poorly grow weaker antlers and have less body weight. There is a bull-moose application for our own lives here. Spiritual battles await all of us, but Satan chooses the season to attack. We will be victorious if we prepare by consuming the right spiritual diet of the Word, fellowship, and prayer. Faith, strength, and wisdom for the coming trials are best developed before they’re needed.

“LORD, we ask for You to be our Rock and prepare our fingers, hands, and hearts for the battles that You can already see coming at us today.”