Fighting on Your Knees

Me and my Grandmother

 

It’s been almost 9 years since my Grandmother, Tonita Mozelle Tonne, went home to be with the Lord.

My Grandmother was one of the Godliest women I have ever met. This beautiful lady was a woman after God's own heart. She lived her life, one day at a time, trusting the Lord to lead and guide her every step of the way and she was a prayer warrior, connected to God in a real and intimate way. She really knew how to bring her requests to the Lord and lay them at His feet. She knew how to fight her battles in prayer, looking to the Lord for wisdom.

She didn't always have an easy life, trials often came her way, but she trusted the Lord and held to His promises without doubting them.

I know I owe her a debt of gratitude for all the prayers she offered up on my behalf. I'm sure that my life would have been very different without her intercessory prayers. She prayed for our family faithfully for much longer than I've been alive. She consistently read God's Word. She was regular in attending church and served in every way possible. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother to her family and all who knew her were touched by her beautiful and gentle spirit.

As I was digging through a drawer this morning, in search of a list of Bible verses I had noted down, I came across a slip of paper that brought my Grandmother back to mind.

On this paper was a list that had been discovered, by my mother after her passing. On it were a list of 10 principles to live by that my Grandmother had written down.

I was once again reminded of why it was that she was such a blessing to our family. The reason was because of the priorities in her life and her devotion to God and service to him.

Read over these 10 principles and see if you are not convicted, stirred and encouraged by them also.

1.     God alone is sovereign. The Bible is the inspired Word of God and my final authority.

2.     My purpose is to seek God with my whole heart and build my goals around His priorities.

3.     My body is the temple of God and must not be defiled by love for the world.

4.     I will attend a strong, fundamental, Bible preaching church.

5.     My children and grandchildren belong to God, and it is my job to teach them the principles of His Word.

6.     My behaviour must never weaken the convictions of other Christians.

7.     My marriage is a lifelong commitment to God and to my marriage partner.

8.     My money is a trust from God and must be earned and handled according to biblical principles.

9.     My words must be in harmony with God’s Word especially when restoring a Christian brother.

10.  My affections must be set on things in Heaven and not on earth.

As I mentioned before, my Grandmother was a powerful prayer warrior. We were always careful what we asked prayer for, because when she prayed, things happened. Mountains were moved. Chains were broken. Lives were changed. Prayers were answered.  

And if she were here, she would tell you that it was all God. She wouldn’t take any of the credit. She would tell you that it wasn’t her strength, it was her faith and trust in God. She was just a weak person with a very strong God. And because she faithfully walked with God and listened to and obeyed him, the fellowship was such that the door was open, and the prayers were not hindered and God worked mightily and touched many lives because of her intercession on the behalf of others.

After she passed, it began to sink in that never again would her prayers be lifted up to heaven on my behalf. Never again would she cry out to God, interceding for others. I wondered how God would work without such a prayer warrior in our family. A determination set in, that I needed to step up and become more dedicated to making prayer a priority in my life. I don’t think I’ll ever get to the place she was in her relationship with God, but I definitely aim to try!

My sister, Joye, was able to explain something along the lines of the prayers of my Grandmother, that helped allay my fears.

“Our prayers are not deleted when we leave this life. Prayers have a lifespan that exceeds ours immeasurably. God does not have a room set aside for ownerless prayers, dusty envelopes fluttering abandoned to the floor. There are no lost, returned or unopened mailrooms in Heaven, for thrown away, expired and purposeless prayers. One thing I am certain of, that even though my Grandmother’s current prayers for us have ceased, God remembers the prayers that she has prayed. Those prayers are still coming up before the Lord, as urgent and useful as the day they were first prayed! God has a whole roomful of prayers that are pending. God doesn’t work within our time frame. Some of our prayers may not come due to be answered until after we are with the Lord.”

Don’t despair when you pray and pray and it seems as if God is silent, or not listening. He hears. He cares. He is answering in ways that you may not understand. Remember, your prayers don’t have an expiration date.

I want to work on becoming the kind of God- fearing, praying, loving, serving, compassionate woman that my Grandmother was and carry on her legacy of love for my children's children. It's going to take a lot more than just me to become the kind of prayer warrior that she was, but Lord willing, there will be many that take up the challenge and become faithful women of God. Devoted to serving him. Dedicated to study of the Scriptures. Lovers of His Word. Fighting their battles on their knees.  

 

Lord, we need a generation of believers

who are not ashamed of the gospel.

We need an army of believers, Lord, that hate to be lukewarm

and will stand on Your Word above all else.

Raise them up, Lord. Raise them up.

I pray for unity among those that love You.

I pray that You open their eyes so that they can see Your truth, Lord.

I pray for Your hand of protection and guidance!

Raise up a generation, Lord, that will take light into this world.

That will not compromise when under pressure!

That will not cower, Lord, when others fall away!

Raise them up, Lord, that they will proclaim

that there is salvation in the name of Jesus Christ!

Raise up warriors, Lord, who will fight on their knees,

who will worship You with their whole hearts, Lord.

Lord, call us to battle, that we may proclaim You

King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

I pray these things with all my heart!

Raise them up, Lord! Raise them up!
From the movie War Room

 

 My Grandmother's hands were gnarled and wrinkled with age, and yet, they were beautiful. Toil and hardship had aged them but the tears that fell on them as they folded in prayer only helped to soften them. They were the hands of a true servant of God. They were the hands of Godly prayer warrior. 

Although I miss her presence on this earth, Heaven rejoices and the Godly legacy she has left lives on for generations to come. 

xx