Over the past couple of months my family have been going through a real intense amount of warfare and attack spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. As we have walked through the past few weeks, we have pressed in to the truth of Christ our healer, our provider, our protector, our deliverer, and defender. We have felt at times like the wind was knocked out of our chest. As we have faced this difficult time, we knew it was an attack, an ambush, and remained steadfast in our pursuit of truth and resting in the promises of the Lord. Still, it has been tough to say the least.
A couple of weeks ago in my prayer time with the Lord He simply spoke to my spirit one word, "Ziklag". I knew right away that there was some revelation in the story of David and the Amalekites, so I looked it up and here is what it says in 1 Samuel:
“Now it happened when David and his men came [home] to Ziklag on the third day, [they found] that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev (the South country) and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; and they had taken captive the women [and all] who were there, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off [to be used as slaves] and went on their way. When David and his men came to the town, it was burned, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they were too exhausted to weep [any longer]. Now David’s two wives had been captured, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. Further, David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all of them were embittered, each man for his sons and daughters. But David felt strengthened and encouraged in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:1-6
I have often wondered what David's prayer time was like during this moment that lifted him from such grief and despair to then feel "strengthened and encouraged". I was reading in Psalm 39 and this verse gave me an idea of what David's prayer may have sounded like.
““Hear my prayer, O Lord, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were. Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, Before I go away and am no more.”” Psalms 39:12-13 NKJV
The story continues...
David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this band [of raiders]? Will I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue [the captives].” So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor; there those [who could not continue] remained behind. But David pursued [the Amalekites], he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor stayed behind. They found an Egyptian [who had collapsed] in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they gave him water to drink, David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man from Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master abandoned me [as useless] when I fell sick three days ago. We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” Then David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band [of raiders]?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or turn me over to the hand of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.” When he brought David down, the Amalekites had disbanded and spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Then David [and his men] struck them down [in battle] from twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode camels and fled. So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. Nothing of theirs was missing whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David recovered it all. So David captured all the flocks and herds [which the enemy had], and [the people] drove those animals before him and said, “This is David’s spoil.”” 1 Samuel 30:8-11, 13-20 AMP
As I considered this story and asked the Lord to reveal what He wanted to show me about the battle my family and I were in and this amazing testimony of David over the Amelikites, I came across this prophetic word from Lana Vawser:
Lana Vawser on 3/30/23 Recently, I had an encounter with the Lord and I saw Jesus walking through what looked like a land that fire had ravaged. I watched as Jesus walked through this land, the ground looked burnt in some areas, there was dryness in other areas, there was barrenness in other areas. As I looked around, the sense of ‘ruin’ surrounded me strongly. There was a strong sense of the intensity of hardship of the season/s that had been walked, and many were left feeling disorientated and carrying the weight of the hard season. The feeling of disorientation was really strong in this encounter.
As I watched Jesus walking through this land, I noticed in his hand, He had a pen and a clipboard. As He was walking through, He was looking at all the different areas of dryness, areas where the land had been burnt by fire and the disorientation. I thought to myself, “Oh, He’s assessing the damage that has been done,” but suddenly the Holy Spirit began speaking to me.
“Lana, I have taken note of the damage and the hardship of the season and seasons many of My people have walked through. I have been with them, I have been close to them, and I have been carrying them; strengthening them and ministering to them in the midst of the intensity they have walked on many levels. My hand is upon their hearts, bringing healing to the places of grief, pain, trauma and disorientation. My breath is lifting off the heaviness and despair that has attempted to steal their breath and life from them. But Lana, what I am actually doing here, right now, is I am taking note: but I am taking note of the INCREASE that is being added to their life. I am calculating INCREASE to be poured into their lives. Where the enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy, where the enemy has come and attempted to knock them down and take them out, I am here to now add MORE increase to their lives than they have ever known. I am here to rebuild the ruins in greater increase than ever before. The enemy thought he could attack and attempt to break down and wipe out; but his attack has positioned them for increase and a demonstration of Me turning what the enemy meant for their harm, for their good — in the greatest demonstration of power that they have ever seen.”
Here is the word in its entirety: https://lanavawser.com/i-heard-the-lords-voice-thundering-increase/
I came away with these 8 points that hopefully will encourage you as much as it has me and my family as we press towards FULL recovery in our lives.
Burned, but not destroyed: Though we feel the fire of the season, we know by faith that this is a purifying and redemptive flame and we will not be taken out or destroyed by it, rather renewed and set ablaze for the Kingdom of heaven.
Taken captive, but not killed: This is definitely a season where we see areas in our life that have been ransacked and shackled by the enemy, but we will emerge victorious and stronger, with greater freedom than before.
Distressed, broken and abandoned but not forsaken: The Lord is faithful and He is our defense and our source of life ALWAYS
Strengthened and encouraged before the Lord: There is such a ROAR that is arising within us and it is the Holy Spirit boiling up within us to "be strong and of good courage" in the Lord's strength and in His might.
The word of the Lord brings courage and strength in the midst of pain, Hope in sorrow: AMEN
Overcome the enemy during their boasting and celebration: Just when the enemy counts us out, "through our God we will do valiantly" and pursue the enemy to the ends of the land until we have overcome!
Complete victory: We will RECOVER ALL
Return with what was stolen PLUS a spoil for ALL: This victory is not just for us, but for all those who will receive it and for generations to follow. He is faithful through the ages!
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