A Prayer for When Victory Is Needed
By Tammy Darling
Bible Reading:
“‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6, NIV
Listen or Read Below:
The Napoleonic Wars took place between 1803 and 1815, when Napoleon Bonaparte’s French Empire fought multiple European coalitions. In 1809, Austria launched a major offensive against France, known as the “War of the Fifth Coalition,” which was one of the largest and most significant engagements of the Napoleonic Wars up to that point.
As the world looked on, no one noticed the babies; they only saw the battles. The real victory of 1809 was the babies that were born: Abraham Lincoln in Hodgenville, Kentucky; Alfred Tennyson in Somersby, England; Oliver Wendell Holmes in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Felix Mendelssohn in Hamburg, Germany; Cyrus McCormick in Raphine, Virginia; Louis Braille in Coupvray, France.
The year 1809 scored victory after victory that no one saw coming. And it had nothing to do with the Napoleonic Wars.
This brings up an important question: when we’re watching for victory, where is our focus? The world was watching the battles; heaven was watching the births. In our own lives, are we focusing on the right thing? Are we being distracted by what’s going on around us and missing the real victories? What is consuming our thoughts? Our time? What victories may be taking place all around us, or even in us, that we are unaware of?
If we’re looking at the wrong thing or expecting victory to come another way or another time, we may miss it altogether. We may think we haven’t experienced victory, but perhaps our view of it isn't complete. We see the puzzle piece; God sees the whole picture.
Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV, puts it this way: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”
Consider this example: have you ever tried to lose weight and, despite all you’re doing, the numbers on the scale don’t budge? You feel defeated, and yet there is victory; you just need to recognize it. For instance, many people lose inches before they lose pounds, as evidenced by the fit of their clothing. And then there’s the increase in strength, energy, focus, and confidence. These, too, are victories to be celebrated. Weight loss isn’t all about numbers; if that’s all we look for, we’ll miss the victories for sure.
The mystery of victory is just that—a mystery. We don’t know what we don’t know. Mystery is defined by the Oxford Languages Dictionary as “something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.” Some victories are obvious; others require more observation and searching. More faith, trust, and belief. Many mysteries are not comprehensible until they’re revealed. Because God is at times a mystery, victory will be as well.
In Scripture, mystery refers to God’s secret thoughts and plans. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29, NIV).
Victory is much more than we know, more than we can ever imagine. Christ’s death didn’t look like a victory to those present, but it was. Thank God for the mystery of victory that comes through His Spirit!
Let’s Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank You that every day is an opportunity for us to dive deeper into the great mystery of who You are. We come before You with open hearts and minds to receive revelation, insight, and more knowledge of Your will and ways.
May we recognize our victories, big and small, even when they arrive in unexpected ways. May we rely on You to bring the victory and not strive in our own power, for truly, it is by Your Spirit that victory is possible.
In Your Victorious Name, Amen.
Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/dirima
Tammy Darling is the author of 1,600 published articles and three books. She writes from her home in rural Pennsylvania.
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