Bow and Arrow
Once when our Church core prayer group was praying for Robin and me,
I had the impression of a bow and arrow in the hand of an archer.
GOD is the Archer. Robin and I (in this instance) are the arrow
going out into the nations.
The intercessors are the bow.
The arrow cannot go with force and power without the bow.
It is the bow that gives the arrow the impetus to go forth with power.
The bow and the arrow are in the hand of the Archer -
to shoot as and when He desires
in the direction He needs the arrow to go.
As prayer warriors intercede and pray Scripture-based, Spirit-led prayers,
they become bows in the hands of the LORD.
Their prayers become sharp arrows that are powerful
against the forces of darkness in the heavenly realm.
As a result, obstacles are removed and doors are opened for us
to go into places for ministry.
Barriers are removed so that people are released to attend the meetings.
Minds and hearts of individuals are prepared to receive the word.
As Robin and I prepare ourselves to yield to the LORD
and minister to people in His name, we become bows in His hands.
Our words go forth as sharp, polished arrows,
opening the understanding of the minds,
exposing deceptions, breaking spiritual and soulish bondages,
healing illnesses and releasing people
to receive GOD’S love into their hearts.
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In olden times, stones, sling and stone, spear,
bow and arrow
and such were used in combat.
Through our spiritual eyes we see the Archer,
the Almighty GOD,
using His only Beloved Son as the Bow
to shoot the most deadly arrows as punishment of sin
of all of mankind of all time.
The most intense spiritual battle was faced
by our LORD JESUS
as a human being in the garden of Gethsemane.
How did our LORD gain victory?
As JESUS bent His knee,
His soul bent in worship
and He bowed in absolute surrender
of His will to GOD the Father.
At that very moment the bow was bent
in the hand of the Divine Archer.
Through the agony the words, “Not My will, but Yours, be done”
shot out of our sinless LORD’S pure mouth as a sharp,
polished arrow, piercing the darkness.
This arrow hit the target, exposing
and bringing down the very foundation
of the kingdom of darkness - rebellion, pride and self will -
and set the example of true worship!
What a bow and what an arrow!!
And He was withdrawn from them
about a stone's throw,
and He knelt down and prayed,
saying,
"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me;
nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
Luke 22:41-42
Thus, the LORD JESUS CHRIST has set for us the perfect example
of absolute selflessness, humility and worship.
He has become the Author of our salvation
and the One to be worshipped!
And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself
and became obedient to the point of death,
even the death of the cross.
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him
and given Him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
of those in heaven, and of those on earth,
and of those under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:8-11
A true believer takes his place of spiritual victory
when he bends his knee and bows down his soul in humility
in absolute surrender of his will to GOD in worship.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Psalm 95:6
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The Son of GOD Himself was also set as the target
for the wrath of GOD and has thus become
the shield to protect us
from the fiery darts of the devil.
He has bent His bow
And set me up as a target for the arrow.
He has caused the arrows of His quiver
To pierce my loins.
Lamentations 3:12-13
But one of the soldiers
pierced His side with a spear,
and immediately blood and water came out.
John 19:34
And again another Scripture says,
"They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
John 19:37
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GOD’S word brings deep conviction in our soul.
GOD sends forth His arrows
to bring correction to His people.
'I will heap disasters on them;
I will spend My arrows on them.
Deuteronomy 32:23
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
For Your arrows pierce me deeply,
And Your hand presses me down.
Psalm 38:1-2
"The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
He sent out arrows and scattered them;
Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.
2 Samuel 22:14-15
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Christians who are totally yielded in GOD’S hand
and speaking His words in obedience
are a beautiful picture of GOD
using His bow and arrow!
Now I saw
when the Lamb opened one of the seals;
and I heard one of the four living creatures saying
with a voice like thunder,
"Come and see."
And I looked, and behold, a white horse.
He who sat on it had a bow;
and a crown was given to him,
and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Revelation 6:1-2
For I have bent Judah, My bow,
Fitted the bow with Ephraim,
And raised up your sons, O Zion,
Against your sons, O Greece,
And made you like the sword of a mighty man."
Then the Lord will be seen over them,
And His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
And go with whirlwinds from the south.
Zechariah 9:13-14
"Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall.
The archers have bitterly grieved him,
Shot at him and hated him.
But his bow remained in strength,
And the arms of his hands were made strong
By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
Genesis 49:22-24
And I have put My words in your mouth;
I have covered you
with the shadow of My hand,
That I may plant the heavens,
Lay the foundations of the earth,
And say to Zion, 'You are My people.' "
Isaiah 51:16
"Listen, O coastlands, to Me,
And take heed, you peoples from afar!
The Lord has called Me from the womb;
From the matrix of My mother
He has made mention of My name.
And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;
In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,
And made Me a polished shaft;
In His quiver He has hidden Me."
Isaiah 49:1-2
Scripture based, Spirit-led prayers
are powerful weapons of war!
But the end of all things is at hand;
therefore be
serious and watchful in your prayers.
1 Peter 4:7
The true worshipper of GOD
becomes the bow in the LORD’S hand.
His words become arrows shot at the enemy,
the prince of the air, the ruler of darkness,
exposing his works of lies, deception and wickedness.
The bow and arrow can do nothing by themselves.
Yet they become powerful weapons of war
in the hand of a mighty warrior!
They can hit the enemy from afar!!
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GOD’S children are arrows He uses against the enemy.
Our godly descendants and disciples
become spiritual arrows against the devil.
They live as people in the world but not of the world.
Their godly ways, works and words
are powerful weapons against the kingdom of darkness.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127:4-5
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The child of GOD whose motive is not pure
is like a deceitful bow
that hinders the direction of the arrow.
Working on and keeping a pure motive
and maintaining the right attitude
is the responsibility of the believer.
But turned back
and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were turned aside
like a deceitful bow.
Psalm 78:57
They return,
but not to the Most High;
They are like a treacherous bow.
Their princes shall fall by the sword
For the cursings of their tongue.
This shall be their derision
in the land of Egypt.
Hosea 7:16
Everyone who continues to remain prideful
and stubbornly refuses to bend
in the hands of the LORD will be broken!
"The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled
are girded with strength.
1 Samuel 2:4
Therefore we either BEND or BREAK!!
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The devil also uses people as bows in his hand
to shoot out words of deception and lies in this world.
Selfish motives, pride, love of money
and rebellion are what the devil looks for in those
he chooses to use as his weapons.
For look!
The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly
at the upright in heart.
Psalm 11:2
If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow
and makes it ready.
He also prepares for Himself
instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
Psalm 7:12-13
Their tongue is an arrow shot out;
It speaks deceit;
One speaks peaceably
to his neighbor with his mouth,
But in his heart he lies in wait.
Jeremiah 9:8
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GOD breaks the bows of His enemies.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow
and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
Psalm 46:9
Because the plunderer comes against her,
against Babylon,
And her mighty men are taken.
Every one of their bows is broken;
For the Lord is the God of recompense,
He will surely repay.
Jeremiah 51:56
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Babylon means city of confusion.
Spiritually, it depicts the systems of the world.
Human souls easily become prey
to Babylon through their selfish lusts.
We need to let go of Babylon
and also flee from the grip of Babylon
Because the LORD is bringing down Babylon
in His fierce anger.
"Move from the midst of Babylon,
Go out of the land of the Chaldeans;
And be like the rams before the flocks.
For behold,
I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon
An assembly of great nations
from the north country,
And they shall array themselves against her;
From there she shall be captured.
Their arrows shall be
like those of an expert warrior;
None shall return in vain.
And Chaldea shall become plunder;
All who plunder her shall be satisfied,"
says the Lord.
Jeremiah 50:8-10
Do not love the world
or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world-
-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life-
-is not of the Father but is of the world.
And the world is passing away,
and the lust of it;
but he who does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2:15-17
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk in Him,
rooted and built up in Him
and established in the faith,
as you have been taught,
abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Beware lest anyone cheat you
through philosophy and empty deceit,
according to the tradition of men,
according to the basic principles of the world,
and not according to Christ.
For in Him dwells
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
and you are complete in Him,
who is the head of all principality and power.
Colossians 2:6-10
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Let us not only forsake and flee Babylon,
but let us be bows in GOD’S hand
and let our prayers and proclamations be arrows
that bring down the stronghold of Babylon in the lives of people.
"Put yourselves in array against Babylon all around,
All you who bend the bow;
Shoot at her, spare no arrows,
For she has sinned against the Lord.
Jeremiah 50:14
Thus says the Lord:
"Behold, I will raise up against Babylon,
Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai,
A destroying wind.
And I will send winnowers to Babylon,
Who shall winnow her and empty her land.
For in the day of doom
They shall be against her all around.
Against her let the archer bend his bow,
And lift himself up against her in his armor.
Do not spare her young men;
Utterly destroy all her army.
Jeremiah 51:1-3
Make the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
The Lord has raised up
the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the Lord,
The vengeance for His temple.
Jeremiah 51:11
Let us diligently wean out carnality from our lives
and worldliness from our Churches and assemblies.
"Call together the archers against Babylon.
All you who bend the bow,
encamp against it all around;
Let none of them escape.
Repay her according to her work;
According to all she has done, do to her;
For she has been proud against the Lord,
Against the Holy One of Israel.
Jeremiah 50:29
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When we are yielded instruments
and weapons in the hands of the Almighty GOD
we need not fear any weapon of the enemy.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me," Says the Lord.
Isaiah 54:17
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Psalm 91:5
above all, taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Ephesians 6:16
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