“Thou are my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” (Psalm 32:7).

“For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee” (Psalm 33:21-22).

It seemed that no matter how challenging my life became when I was younger, I could always find clarity after going to my room and closing the door. It was as if closing the door meant that the situations that I was battling, would disappear. I could actually breathe deeply and regroup for the next round. My room didn’t have technology, or gadgets or fancy furniture, but it did have what I needed: a place to be myself. I could think, write, pray, rest in that room. The bible said that “no weapon formed against me would prosper,” so I held to that promise as I lived day by day.

At times I felt like I was riding on a roller coaster: I could reach the pinnacle of happiness, only to have the bottom fall out of my world and plunge me into the depths of despair in the valley. It was always so unsuspected although I found myself bracing for the next valley if I reached happiness.

I was no different than many other teenagers trying to find their way, but at the time it felt like my world would never be stable. Yet, through all of those dark times, I kept walking toward the light and hope. I found hope in the church that I was going to. I rode the church van, and for every time they braved my doorstep, I was grateful. I learned that although I couldn’t control my circumstances, I could control my response to them. I had a choice to make: defeat or victory, I chose the latter because it gave me a way up out of the valley.

Fast forward five decades, plus, and I still find refuge in my room. I am so blessed to have a space to just be myself, and I am grateful that the Lord didn’t give up on me as I was learning how to lean on him. The world has changed since that time, and so have the circumstances we are faced with on the world stage daily, yet, I still feel that separating myself from it to find clarity with the Lord is my key to being victorious in this hour.

Never underestimate the power of prayer that is given from someone who is committed to worshiping the only one who can save us: Jesus Christ. Yes, my prayers are more complicated these days, and the situations seem insurmountable at times, but one thing remains constant. In Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord asks, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

We are the ones who delay our own prayers, because of unbelief. That is a battle in itself, but if we ever are able to push those thoughts aside and realize that God is all powerful and that he will supply all of our need according to his riches in glory, we will still be triumphant over the enemy.

It’s time to find a secret place to spend time with the Lord. We owe it to ourselves to wrap ourselves in his protection, so that he is able to fight our battles for us. He promises to go before us, so why don’t we allow him to do so?

In this week’s Lattereign, we are being called to prayer. Do you want to live a victorious life? You can, when you learn to hold your peace and let the Lord fight your battles. Come Unto Me Take the Time to Pray