EP 19 What it Means to Contend

After a decade of gathering women together for prayer, we are inspired to bring our words of encouragement to you. This is iRefresh. Welcome to today's podcast of iRefresh Women. And today we have Laura Watson, Cheryl Clare, Veronica Scott, and myself, Christy Waters. We're going to be speaking on contending, which is a topic that you, Laura, have done a lot of research on, and you're going to kind of lead this discussion with us today. So why don't you start and tell us what is contending? All right. I really started the study of contending because in the past with different women I was praying for, or different women, when we would talk about the Lord, they would mention they were contending for specific promises or specific things in the Word. And so it just made me kind of, you know, want to dig in and find out, okay, what does it actually mean to contend for something? And you, even in the context of hearing people say, you know, they were contending for a loved one to be saved or... contending for a specific promise or a specific spiritual gift or, you know, Veronica mentioned earlier health or finances or any of those specific. And my first step was to go to the dictionary and say, okay, what does actually contending really mean? And what I found was it meant to be engaged in a fight or a struggle. So it is something that takes action on our part and something that we have to on purpose enter into and do. And it also means to compete, to strive in opposition against difficulty. And striving in itself is a vigorous activity. It's not a stand back and see. It is a participate, pursue, press in, and grab a hold of. So that's kind of what started it is when I realized that I realized, okay, I have to take action and I have to do and I have to start. And it's against opposition in any form, whether it's, you know, someone, you know, relationship, I think we talked about that earlier, or the enemy. And I think we've all ran across examples in the Word when we find someone who's contending for something. I'm sure you ladies have examples as well. Is there a specific reference or person or circumstance or passage that you can think of where you noted that the person was contending for something? I really appreciate the story of Hannah. She, I believe, contended for her child. And God met her where she was and granted her wish. But it wasn't an easy process. And it took time, and she had to stand in the gap and wait it out. And so, to me, that's a great example of the contending. Okay. That's an excellent example, Veronica. I love that one. Christy, did you have one that you could think of? Personally, I know that I have had grandparents that have contended for my family members, even myself in prayer. Contending, every time you say that word, I'll be honest, if I was listening to this podcast, I might go, oh, I don't know if I want to listen to this podcast because it is probably not an easy thing to contend because it takes action just like you said. So when I think of my grandparents, I'm grateful because I know that they did fight, they did contend for my salvation and for my loved one's salvations. And it's not an easy position, but I know it's very worthwhile. So I encourage you that if you're listening right now and you're going, oh, I don't know about this message, hang in there because there's a lot of, information that will benefit you. So just hang on tight. We will encourage you with this message. I love that, Christy. That is great. You said grandparents, but I had a grandmother as well as a grandparents. And then my mother was really one who really fought through... I look at throughout my life, contending for my sister and I, through different seasons in our life, we knew that there was much prayer going through on our behalf. When we would converse, we would know that there was something backing up what we were going through. We knew the prayers of a righteous woman. Amen. That's great. I love that example, and what a blessing for you to have that. And I didn't have... necessarily a grandparent or a mother or I wasn't blessed with that but I did have my mother-in-law she prayed for me even before she knew me and I am so grateful that she was one who would contend and press in and just stand her ground and claim her ground and One of my favorite examples in the Bible when I'm reading the word is in Genesis 32, the story of Jacob. We all know that story where, you know, he was a deceiver. He was a surplanter. That's what his name meant. And, you know, he came by his birthright, the blessing, by deception. And so the story where the angel came down and wrestled with Jacob, and he wrestled and pressed in and he contended with, for his blessing and he contended for the promise and he contended to have his purpose and his definition of who he was changed. And God himself came down and revealed Jacob's true identity and changed it. But if he hadn't contended, if he had given up at any point, if he hadn't desired it so greatly that he would not continue to not get, you know, he didn't give up. He just kept pressing in. Look at the breakthrough and the promise and the blessing that came out of that. And so I just, as I was studying, I realized, you know, yeah, it's not, as you mentioned, Christy, it's not fun to engage in the battle. It's not a feel-good message, Laura. It's really not. You know, Laura, I think that that's so right, though, is I don't think it's just meant for just certain personalities. Because you think about it, some of these people were very tenacious people. They maybe they were just very confident who they were. But don't you think, though, in that contending, that could be any one of us? Yes. Even the people that might be listening like, well, that's not my personality or I give in too quick or, you know, I think we can look at our past and think that we can't contend. But I think we can have the hope that no matter who we are, as far as our personality, that we can, with the help of the Lord, do. contend for what God's called us to do. Exactly. And another example where it wasn't a wrestling in the physical sense or it wasn't being quite as tenacious in that aspect of the personality is this Unamite woman because what she did it with such grace and she did it just with such resolve, but it wasn't an outward necessarily wrestling or struggle or anything. It was more her choosing and recognizing and having complete faith in the promises of God and complete faith in what had been spoken over her and over her son. I'm talking about the story where she was given a son and that was God's promise and then her son died. And she went and laid him on Elisha's bed and went out and told her husband, you know, prepare the servant, prepare donkey. And, you know, he's like, this is not a holy day. You know, where are you going? And she's like, oh, all is well. Do not worry. You know, she got on. She went. She looked for Elisha. She found him. And, you know, his servant came out and said, what is wrong? She's like, nothing. It's fine. And. So, but she persevered and she pressed through because she knew what God had promised. Yes. And, but it wasn't a physical, no one that was talking to her would know that she was struggling or contending or vigorously fighting for those promises. So that was a great point, Cheryl. I love that because it's, you don't have to have that tenacious personality. You don't have to have that strong, bold, outspoken personality. You can be a quiet, reserved person, or you can be more even of an introverted person, but yet you can still contend because you know what the Word is promising you. True. That's right. Personally, I'm thinking, what if... A believer listening is weary. What if they've been doing this for a while? What if they're in a marriage that's very difficult? Or maybe they have a sick relative or something, and maybe their faith has waned a little bit because God hasn't come through. Because Jacob wrestled for a knight. The Shunammite woman went and found the prophet, and the prophet came back. And those are questions. quick turnarounds. I mean, they were major deals, obviously. But what happens, Laura, when someone precious to the Lord still has this ongoing battle, or maybe they don't feel well, or what a child that's gone away from God. How do we as believers encourage them to continue to stand in faith and contend? That is a great question. And as Veronica shared earlier, one example where it wasn't a quick breakthrough was Hannah. I mean, she went many, many years watching others have children and their families expand, but yet, you know, her womb was still closed. And the verse that comes to mind is Galatians 6, 9, where do not grow weary in well-doing, but if you do not give up in due time, you will reap a harvest. And sometimes it's not about finding the quick answer or having a quick breakthrough or actually seeing the results. Like for example, we were talking earlier about even the grandparents praying for you ladies or us and praying for people in the family. they didn't always get to see the results of what their contending produced. But yet you have to have that trust and that faith in God's word and that he is going to do what he said he would do. And his word will perform it. And you may not see it come to pass, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will not come to pass. Because sometimes, as we know from life and from, you know, circumstances, situations, we don't always get the benefit of seeing the fruit produced. But that doesn't mean that it wasn't produced. But yet God does find a way to encourage us. You know, I think as we, as friends... we can be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Who knows that at one point when we feel a tug to reach out to the other one and connect with them, whether it's through a text, a phone call, some activity that we do that is just that thing that we're supposed to have ignited within them, like, oh, God, you hear me. You knew I needed this encouragement. I mean, God has a way. to help us to keep pressing through for another day. Or we'll see some breakthrough. And someone else, one of us might be able to say, hey, I can rejoice. Like this happened. You know, Veronica had something happen, and I'm excited for her. So, Lord, if you can do that in her life, then I'm going to keep believing for what is within me. Amen. Excellent point, Cheryl. I love that. And that is so true. And it's, you know, how many times does the Lord allow you to listen to someone or come across someone's path or, you know, you go to a meeting and run into someone, or you're in an airport and you run into somebody that you haven't seen in forever. But just the little ways, if we ask him to help us recognize those little ways that he encourages us and kind of keeps spurring us forward and keeps spurring us on and just allowing us to continue to stand. What is the posture you take for contending? I hear you say you need to stand. So let's say I'm new to the faith. What do I do in this standing? There are so many different ways. I think it depends a little bit on your circumstances, what it is you're contending for, what it is kind of you're believing for. But there are many different and great avenues. I think praise and worship is a wonderful tool to use to contend. Because when we enter into praise and worship, it changes our focus from what those circumstances and situations are and what we're standing for back to the Father. And it shifts our focus. It shifts our perspective. Another one is just sometimes just being still before the Lord and just waiting on the Lord to see what it is that he has for us. And the Holy Spirit can give us an encouraging word, can give us just a verse even for us to meditate on. And sometimes it's finding that promise. Finding that verse, finding that passage, and just decreeing and declaring what it is that the Lord has promised us. Because when you decree and declare it, speak it out loud. Say it over yourself. Say it over the situation. Say it over the circumstances. You are encouraging yourself. and you're changing the spiritual atmosphere. Is that kind of what you were thinking? That is, and that is the action that you were referring to earlier, that you have to be an active participant in what you're believing God for. No, that's a great point, Christy. So, Veronica, what about you? When you think of contending, what posture do you take or what position? How do you contend? I like what Laura mentioned with praise and worship, number one. And then I also like just finding the scripture and meditating on that scripture. What does that scripture mean to me and how it builds my faith to where I can stand in that position no matter what the length of time is. I'm not going to be discouraged if I don't have a quick turnaround. if my faith is in what the Word of God says, the promises, then I know He's true. And He's faithful to His Word. I can stand longer. How have you found then, Veronica, scriptures? You said, I want to take a scripture, I want to stand on it. How have you, what's different ways, have you personally have found, that applies to what you're going through? There's great resource with the iRefresh website. I use that frequently going on to the iRefresh.net and looking up according to categories, which is an awesome resource. That saves me time. I can share those with friends, and they give me the scriptures that I can use to get me through until I can get back to my Bible, I can search for myself, or maybe that's all I needed was just those few, and I can get them anywhere, on the go, at home, at the office, wherever I am. That's great. And I'm seeing as we're talking the common theme that goes into kind of hand in hand with contending is having a foundation with the Lord and trusting in him and having faith in what his word says and faith in your relationship with him. And so we really, truly can only kind of contend and strive for those things if we're coming from a position of faith. And patience, because that is truly one of the fruits of the Spirit and one of the things that, you know, in your walk with the Lord, you'll have those quick breakthroughs. But there's also times when you wait upon the Lord and you have the patience. And, you know, different ways you can kind of do that is, for me, I state... I am equipped and I am prepared. And part of that is the armor of God. So it's like making that choice every day of, okay, I am going to put on the full armor of God. And, you know, it's your thoughts, your physical, your emotional, your mental. It's from all aspects. So it's, you take the scriptures and you take the promises, but then you also take the other aspects of what he's given you, the tools, and just apply them and use them in conjunction. with striving and pressing in. So is there any other scriptures or any other tools that you ladies can think of that? Laura, you talked about it right there though. It's your time with the Lord. It's a relationship with him that is an ongoing fluid. When you talk about foundation, that means it's spending ongoing, ongoing time in the word, in worship, listening to teachings, being in the church where you're hearing those words because they do come back. It's amazing what the Holy Spirit does, that when you're asking God for something, it'll drop down. Maybe it's a sermon that you've heard before, or it's a Bible study you were in, and something's nugget came out. a part of God's Word and the promises of what it's Word, that's where sometimes I'm like, oh, that was a good one. And I'll mark it. I'll put it on a card, and I'll put it in my Bible. I'll put it in my purse. And I start looking at that Word because it gives me hope. And then I start meditating. I just keep thinking about it. I keep what I call pondering and making myself... ask God, what does that mean for me? And I find that that helps me then for the contending is I begin to tell God, this is who you said, or this is what, when I'm believing for, maybe for my children, is I go back to what I see in the word. And like, Lord, help me to pray your will, your word, your timing. And I think that's part of it is too, is we're in such a world where everything's immediate. It's at the tip of our hands with our phones, and we expect that God operates the same way in which our world's become, and yet God is also in the process trying to teach character within us. He's more concerned... about the process, not necessarily the outcome on the other end. I mean, yes, he'll keep his word, but if he can develop the Christ-like attitudes, his virtues within me, it's about changing me from glory into glory. And so part of that contending is... God is doing a work in me, and it's even the way I react. If God didn't answer me immediately, am I going to get upset, and I'm going to act like a spoiled kid, or am I going to be mature and complete, not lacking anything? Because the Word says in James, if you lack anything, you ask of God, and He will give us generously. But it's in His time and His way for my own good. So sometimes I just need to wait it out. And maybe something's going on, there's spiritual warfare going on. There are so many things that can be happening, but I know that God is more concerned, though, about how am I reacting or responding in this process because a journey that's short, I don't learn a whole lot. As a matter of fact, I'll forget about it, but if I had a struggle, like if something happens in the process, I remember that, you know, when something like a car breaks down, you know, or something, a little thorn in the flesh happens or an obstacle in our way happens, I remember those moments, and it helps me then to recognize, God, you're faithful. Because God answers our prayers in most unusual ways and connects us with people to encourage us along that pathway. Exactly. I love that, Cheryl. That is wonderful. And everything as we're talking, I think it... One thing I'm kind of gleaming is everything we do, if we do it in a coordinated effort with the Lord, that is how we want to walk it out, is when we do it coordinating with the Lord, walking with the Lord, contending with the Lord, not doing it in and of ourself, in of our own desires, our own wants, but when we're coordinating our efforts with the Lord and allowing Him to work in us, it's working something in us that, as well as fulfilling his promises and what's in his word. So we've learned many different ways to contend, many different ways to apply and to put into action what contending is. We've talked about praise and worship. We've talked about pulling out specific scriptures or specific passage or specific promise or something that's been spoken over you and really kind of study and meditate on that and just think, Decree and declare that over yourself. And then allow the Holy Spirit to show you what it is he's wanting to work out or to actually kind of enlighten you on or reveal to you, give you revelation and understanding on. Is there other ways that we've talked about that I might have forgotten to mention? Well, you did mention earlier the whole armor of God back in Ephesians 6.10, which is a great way to be prepared for the battle of contending. And you did bring that up, but that's just a great way. If you're not familiar with that, I encourage you to go in there and read. There's some incredible studies out there regarding the whole armor of God, but we need to be prepared because the world we live in is... definitely needing us to be ready for battle and to do God's will. That's a great point, Chrissy. And I loved how Veronica mentioned the iRefresh website and pulling the scriptures up. And just that's one way to find it by category and subject to pull up scriptures that you're wanting to meditate on and concentrate on and... Was there anything else, Veronica, that I... I just think it's a great resource because we all have different areas of life that we are contending for. And so one scripture doesn't meet everybody's need. So you can go into the categories, find what you need, and I love the armor of God. You know, starting your day with that is just that extra protection because you are in a battle. The battle is yours and the victory is yours and you will overcome if you just continue to walk it out with the Lord as you've already stated, Laura. Christy, you mentioned earlier when you were talking about if someone is a new believer or if someone's been contending for a long time, and we mentioned the verse in Galatians where they grow weary. Veronica gave the great example of Hannah, and Veronica, I think Hannah's story really truly relates to that. I agree. I think with Hannah's story, weariness was the obvious reaction. Because as we already stated, her answer didn't come quickly. And through her process, she... went through a lot of ridicule. She went through isolation. She was also possibly looking at envy and jealousy from those around her were very fruitful. Her womb was closed. She desired more than anything to have a child. So she probably went through a lot of the... very familiar emotions that we go through today with, you know, just anger, loneliness, rejection, despair, you know, maybe even a possible depression. And I think that the Word of God has the scriptures that we can stand on to fight against those things. that sometimes may be the natural reaction when we're standing in the gap, when we're waiting and contending for the answer. And we know that God's word is true. We know the answer will be there. But what do we do in the meantime? Where do we go when these other negative emotions try and affect us? Go to the word of God. As I stated before with the website, there's, you know, praying God's word. Go to the website, look up praying God's word, find the category that is most important, affecting you at that season and that time. And it can be multiple ones. But it's great to have that resource. Then you can pull those scriptures no matter where you are. If you're home, if you're at work, wherever you are on your cell phone, your iPad, whatever, pull them off, print them. You might even find that you share those scriptures with friends. I do that. I print them off a lot and refer to them with my friends. So I think that's a great example. I love that. And I love, too, that your example also reiterates the fact that Hannah didn't quit. She didn't give up. And we find sometimes when we're contending... When we're fighting for something, when we're pressing in, it is very easy to quit. Quitting is so easy and so many people do it, but we also have to recognize that quitting doesn't produce any fruit. We only produce fruit when we press in and we contend to actually see the work done and we work in time. conjunction with the Lord to see those things come to pass. I agree. I agree. I think another thing, Laura, that we have to remember is that the Lord is gracious and he loves us, but he will not do it without us. That's true. That's where contending comes in. That is our part that we have to participate with the Lord to get to the final goal. I love that. And as we talked, there's so many ways to apply the action of contending. We talked about just doing praise and worship, putting on some praise and worship when you're in the car, when you're in the shower, when you're... Cleaning your house when you're at the office, you can put it on anywhere, and you can really enter into His presence through praise and worship by changing our perspective. And Veronica, you also previously mentioned some other great applications as well. Yeah. Another thing is just relationships. You have people you pray with. You can bounce off with them. They can help pray and lift you up in those moments of feeling despair. teachings a lot of ways that you can get teachings especially in today's environment you can go on podcast you can go on the website you can watch tv you know there's just such a great resource of teaching out there and those also will inspire and will build you up when you need to hear a word from heaven That is so true. I love that. And you had even mentioned as well, you know, just the scripture, standing on the promises, taking those and speaking those over your life, over your situation, over your circumstances, and then having that faith and knowing that His word is true and that His promises are yes and amen. Amen. Amen. So another quick idea, if you're a visual learner, how about a vision board? What are you believing God for? Do you have a picture of a loved one that you're believing to be saved or healed? Put that picture up there. Find those scriptures. Print them off. Put them there. Keep it before you as you're contending, and God will help that work through. Because I'm a visual person, and I need to see it. But I think that that's just a great way you can do that. Remember, contending is worth the price. The loved ones you're fighting for, they're worth the price. Your health, your marriage... We encourage you today to contend in faith and believe God because he is faithful. Amen. Amen.