Eyes awaken; I see the bright rays of sun shining through the window. The exact opposite of the pain shooting through my abdomen. I quickly tell myself, “It will be okay, and it will pass.” I scoop myself up and make my way to feed sweet Caleb, my beagle, her breakfast.
The cramping continues as I finish my morning routine. With slight frustration I continue to strengthen myself. “Ashley, not a big deal. It will be over before too long.”
You see, I have been dealing with Crohn’s disease and other gastrology stuff for about seven years now. I am very used to severe gas pains, bloating, and every possible bowel movement you can think of, manifesting many times throughout the day. Yeah, I know, gross, but those are the facts.
It all started after my dad’s first bout with cancer, which is a story for another day. All I can say is that during the times I took care of my dad, the weight of his sickness affected my body, and affected it severely. Trauma and stress can do so much to the body.
I make my way to my couch with no creamed coffee, just water. I lay down and read a little of the Bible on my phone as I think, “If I just rest a little, my stomach will ease up.” Hours go by, and the pain only increases.
I sprawl out on the floor trying to do anything I can to ease the pain. I start to cry. Emotions of all kinds stir up. “What caused it this time? I can’t be sick. I have so much to do. The book, teaching prep, ministry stuff, meetings, ugh.” I reach out for prayer coverage, and people start to intercede on my behalf.
The day ended, and I crawled into bed around 8:30 p.m. I eventually drifted off to sleep. I awoke to the physical pain a couple of times throughout the night but stayed calm and thankfully was able to fall back asleep. Morning came, and the sun rays shone in the window once again, and this time, the sunshine mirrored how I felt! My stomach was so much better, and the pain was practically gone!
“Thank you, Jesus!” I hopped out of bed, tested my tummy by pressing on it, and yep, my stomach had calmed down significantly. Jon awoke as well and made his way to the living room and said, “People must have been praying last night.” I replied, “They sure were!”
Later that afternoon I was reminded of a verse I recently heard a pastor teach on:
“For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
In my spirit I felt, “That is what happened with my stomach the last couple of days.” The pain that was shooting up in my stomach and around the tummy, as well as into my back, was unlike any pain I have ever had, and it did come on suddenly.
I then felt the Lord say, “Remember the battle plan.” “Yes, the battle plan,” I responded in my inner core. Many years ago, I felt the Lord place on my heart the importance of a battle plan for when the going gets tough. It was made up of various things to be remembered when I need strength.
We can be really good at reading the Scriptures, praising the Lord, and doing spiritual warfare when life is peachy, full of rainbows, cupcakes, and sprinkles. However, when the storm clouds roll on in and it gets dark, it can be really hard to call to remembrance the Lord’s strength, love, guidance, and various Bible verses.
With that said, I felt a nudge from the Lord to create a battle plan template for me and you! This battle plan can be for things we are facing like health, marriage, legal issues, children, or school situations. The battle plan can be for emotional struggles like depression, anxiety, or loneliness. The battle plan can be for, as the true context of 1 Thessalonians 5:3 alludes, the end times (which we will discuss next month).
With the following five-step battle plan, you could copy these suggestions on a piece of paper, type them on your computer, or even enter them on your phone. Make sure to spend time and respond to the following recommendations now, so if crap does hit the fan, you have something to strengthen yourself in. Prior to writing out and doing the five steps, on top of your paper (or screen), state what you want the battle plan for.
Spiritual Battle Plan Template
Subject: ____________
1. Do Praise and Worship When the Situation Arises. (Speak out Jesus’s attributes and put worship music on.)
2. Read Specific Scriptures for What You Are Facing. (Find verses that you can eat, swallow, and digest to give you strength during this difficult time.)
3. Lean into Truth Statements/God Statements. (Ask the Lord what He says about the situation you are facing. If He presses something specific on your heart, record it.)
4. Put on the Armor of God. (You could draw it on a piece of paper too!) The Armor of God is made up of six pieces and is found in Ephesians 6:10–18. They are the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit.
5. Thanksgiving. (Tell the Lord what you are thankful for.)
I have an example of my battle plan for health below. Since I drafted this battle plan, I have used it around four times already. I pray I will never have gastrology complications again, but if I do, guess what I will go grab again?! That is right—my battle plan. I will encourage you to create a battle plan or even multiple ones for the various things in your life. Jesus has you. He so has you.
You are loved!
Blessings, Ashley
