Intimidation
Recently, I had my second Get Back Your Roar Retreat with some amazing ladies. One of the main things the Lord had me teach on this time was intimacy with God. Intimacy is the key to knowing how to rule and reign as a king in the last days. First Peter 2:9 says that we are a royal priesthood and Revelation 1:6 says that Christ has “made us kings and priests unto God.” Intimacy gives us access to the revelation secrets of God. Intimacy with the Lord is a weapon of warfare and a shield of protection. One of the main tactics of the enemy is get you out of intimacy and worship by using intimidation and fear. A few days before my retreat, I woke myself up in the middle of the night praying and hearing in my spirit “be on the lookout for intimidation and fear”. I prayed through it and went back to sleep. I forgot all about this happening until this morning when I was listening to Graham Cooke talk about intimidation through intimacy.
We had such incredible time in God’s Presence at our retreat and saw God move mightily. When I returned to life as usual, it was a whirlwind with daughter turning 16, buying her a car, flooding at our office, having a marriage squabble and dealing with family situations, etc. I haven’t had time with the Lord like I usually do and have been missing the sweet times in His Presence. Yesterday, my daughter failed her driving test, my son got in a minor car accident and my husband had a really hard day at work. I was letting my negative thoughts and words spring forth from my mouth.
This morning the Lord got my attention and showed me how I stepped out of the protection of intimacy in Him and was being intimidated by the enemy and my circumstances. There was a holy anger that rose in my spirit for not recognizing the state of my heart and mind. My intimacy with the Lord is my greatest threat to the enemy and I had allowed my circumstances to get the best of me. We must be practicing intimacy, worship and praise with the Lord on a daily basis so that we won’t be intimidated when negative situations, circumstances and people come our way.
Graham Cooke says “Intimacy creates the space that allows you to live in the Presence of God and abide. Intimacy keeps that Presence real, strong, vibrant and alive. We are in Christ and our DNA is victory.” My retaliation to this intimidation is offensive worship and praise. Psalm 100 in The Message says:
On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into His presence. Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.
I don’t know if you feel like you are being intimidated by your circumstances or certain people BUT I challenge you to Get on your feet now and applaud God! TURN THE TABLES and INTIMIDATE THROUGH INTIMACY, WORSHIP and PRAISE!!