Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you, and take your head from off you. 1 Samuel 17:45'46 WEB.

It was early morning, and we were polishing brass plumbing faucets at our buffing machines. I was trying to listen to an audio bible with my headphones, but the guy who was working beside me was blasting death metal so loud I could barely make out the words of it.

I had my little CD player turned up as far as it would go, but the other guy had a huge boom box about three feet wide. His music was so loud I could feel my shirt moving from the bass. It made my teeth hurt, and it was only 6 AM in the morning.

Now I have been a musician for twenty-five years, and for many of those, I played bass guitar in classic rock groups. When I tell you the music was loud, you can take that to the bank.

This particular morning, I had been fasting for a week and praying in the spirit at my buffing machine. Polishing brass is mind-numbing, repetitive work. So I listened to the Word to prepare for an upcoming quiz at bible college. I find that fasting, praying, and listening to the Word of God will prepare you for anything you will face.

As I was praying, I began to feel the words "This Ends Now" rise up in my spirit. It wasn't fleshly anger but righteous indignation within me inspired by the Holy Spirit. He had grown tired of the darkness overshadowing the place. I mean, it was skid row. People openly did drugs at their machines, and those who noticed joined them. Most were just living for another weekend. After being out of work for several months, it kept me from becoming homeless.

Though you couldn't have heard me over the noise, I stopped, put down my parts, and spoke these words out loud: "I claim this place in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and declare it to be Holy Ground! satan, if you have anyone here you want to keep, then you better get them out of here now because this place is coming to Jesus Christ!" Then I picked up my parts and went back to work.

When the morning break came, the guy beside me with the death metal suddenly unplugged his giant boom box, packed up his things, and quit. I never saw him again. A few others left the following week.

Then the people who stayed began to turn to God one by one. People taped scriptures to their buffing machines. The centerfolds in the bathroom came down. We prayed in a huge circle before we began work in the morning, and the bible played over the intercom all day. We began to attend church together, and they couldn't get enough of Jesus.

The words I spoke that morning that no one had heard in the natural had a devastating impact in the spiritual realm. They had sparked a small revival in a dark place.

In the scripture above, David stood with his brothers and listened to Goliath taunt them one morning. When he felt the Holy Spirit inside of him, say: "This ends now." David declared what would happen, then he stepped out in faith to meet the giant. David told him, "I will strike you down and cut off your head." Then he went out and did exactly that. David declared the word, and he followed it with action.

Sometimes the Lord will put us somewhere we don't like to bring a change. You may not be there for yourself, but for others, and He has already prepared you for the fight. Our weapons are not carnal, and our enemy is not made of flesh and blood. The real battle is happening in the spirit realm (2 Corinthians 10:4). Take a stand for God. Proclaim His Word, and then align your actions with it. Watch the victory come to pass.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that You give me wisdom and let me hear Your voice clearly. Please help me know when it's time to take a stand and when I should keep my head down. Have Your way in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: FAAD group members (Fight Against Anxiety & Depression) today is"Feel Good Friday!". This event is about lifting up each other up! We all have times when we are weak, but together, we can get through it! We invite you to share anything that may have prompted a good feeling in your heart today. Even if you're having a bad day, perhaps look to encouraging scriptures, prayers or thoughts, and testimonies of God's work. Whether you are suffering from anxiety or depression or just want to help, all are welcome to join!: FAAD Group:

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