Always a Student, Never a Warrior

The other day, I went on a spiritual retreat with some of the pastors and staff at South Shore. It was a time that we could just spend a few hours by ourselves in prayer to the Lord. To say I needed that time would be the understatement of the year. My prayer life had been really dry and almost non-existent. I spent hours on a dock with nothing but my Bible and Journal. It was truly Me and God for a while. I could spend a whole other post talking about how refreshing that alone was.

For now however, I want to tell you about what God revealed to me that day. As the title of this post proclaims, I realized that I am always a student of the Word, but never a Warrior in the battle. I realized that my 'quiet times' with the Lord were too quiet. What I mean by that is that I always spend my time with the Lord reading His word, but never praying. Never would I sit with Him for hours or even half an hour praying.

My life and ministry was full of knowledge about God; seeking to be a student of the Word and to 'know Him' (Philippians 3:10), but never stepping into the mission  battle that He has called us to fight. We have been called to know Him yes, but we have also been called to make Him known! How in the world do I think that I can come against the "spiritual forces of evil" (Ephesians 6:12) if I never assume the battle position; on my knees?

Let me be clear, I believe that being a student of the Word is of utmost importance. 2 Timothy 2:15 I believe is very clear that we must be able to "rightly handle the Word." Besides, we have such a great privilege to know God through His Word. But just as I believe there is no substitute for the Word, there is no substitute for "fervent prayer" (James 5:17). It's interesting that James doesn't say the fervent study of a righteous man has great power; he says it's prayer that does.

You can't always study but never pray. Neither can you always pray but never study. It's not either/or, it's both/and. If you're always a student, you're powerless to put your study into action, if you're always a warrior, you're clueless as to how to fight and Who you're fighting for.

I have a feeling that there are others like me out there. For me it's just easier to always study the Word. Prayer is hard work for me, I get way too distracted. I also like to approach God intellectually; I want to be able to know Him in a very deep, personal way and I feel as though His Word gives me the best chance at that. But there are ways that I can know Him through prayer that I could never know Him through His Word.

So my challenge to myself is to continue in the Word, but to stir myself up to fervent prayer. I want the whole armor of God and I don't want to always be a student, but never a warrior. It takes work, and I know I'll be fighting this until Jesus calls me home. But if I have been called to a God-sized mission, I am going to need God-sized power. Don't let your time in the Word take from your time on your knees and vice-versa. Become a student who is also a warrior!