Always on the Winning Side

God doesn't answer your prayers. This thought haunted me repeatedly as I prayed.
It seemed an unlikely time for Satan's whisper to make any impact. Some of us were sensing God's presence in unusual power as we met daily to pray. Yet I found it extremely hard to ignore this accusation.

Finally in desperation I determined, "Even if God doesn't answer my prayers, I'm going to pray anyway." It was the best I could do. Immediately after that declaration, the temptations to doubt disappeared.

In prayer we fight battles as intense as the battles the Israelites fought. Deuteronomy 20 tells that before every battle, the priest was to go before the army and assure them that God would go with them, fight for them, and save them. In any war that Israel fought, if it was His will for that particular battle, they could be assured of victory before they began fighting.

Jesus, help me remember that when I refuse to give up praying, You assure me of victory.
 
"Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory" (Deuteronomy 20:3, 4).

"This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).