I asked everyone Sunday to think about the battles that they personally face.  For some, physical and emotional battles rage from the moment they wake up until they burn out to sleep.  A battle that you don’t always think about facing is a spiritual one that Christians face just by being part of the Church.  By definition, if you are on Jesus’ side, the world hates you, and Satan is against you.  So, whether we’re asking for trouble or not, we shouldn’t be surprised that Christians face many hard battles.

Now, I want you to answer a question:  How would facing your battles be different if you had some encouragement?

I think about the reality tv show, The Biggest Loser.  Those contestants are able to lose weight, build muscle and regain self-esteem all because they have a motivational personal trainer.  With that kind of encouragement (and it’s not always the lovey-dovey kind) they are able to achieve things they could have never done on their own.

So, how could you fight your daily struggles differently if you had the right kind of coach? In Exodus 17, the Israelites were so encouraged by God that even though they were ill-equipped and untrained for war, they were victorious as God cheered them on.  Moses named that place Jehovah Nissi…which means The Lord is My Banner.  In other words, The Lord, Himself rallied the troops to victory.

Take a look at this video clip from The Patriot…It displays how someone carrying the US banner into the battle motivates the troops to run straight into the heart of the fight.

Now, I hope you’ll discover that God wants to encourage you in those physical, emotional and certianly the spiritual battles you’re facing right now.