Essential #10 Emergency Shelter – Be Persistent in Prayer

Be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. [Ephesians 6:18c]

I love being outdoors, especially in the mountains with the majestic views, bubbling creeks, wildflowers, and serenity. It’s my sacred place to be alone with the Lord and it’s a place where I hear God the most.

Speaking of the outdoors, we are on essential number ten which for the backcountry is our emergency shelter. This is a great physical item to compare with our tenth spiritual essential which is being persistent in our prayers for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Praying over others gives them shelter and protection.

The emergency shelter is yet another critical component of any outdoor enthusiast’s essentials to carry. Whether you’re an experienced backpacker or a novice hiker, having a reliable shelter can mean the difference between comfort or disaster when unexpected things happen.

When you are in the exact place God wants you to be, walking in His will and doing what He has called you to do, the enemy will try to become more of a jerk. Trying to get you distracted from your purpose. He will try to sneak in comments like who do you think you are, you can’t do that, you are not qualified, etc., etc. This is exactly why we must pray for each other to keep one another from stumbling, being distracted, changing course, or even quitting. We are each other’s emergency shelter!

Be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. [Ephesians 6:18c]

You can carry a few types of shelter such as a tarp. This is good for an emergency or to use with another form of shelter to cover the ground or to put over top. A tarp can be used as an a-frame, a lean-to, or as a tent.

A bivy sack is a compact, waterproof shelter designed to encase your sleeping bag, providing additional protection against moisture and wind. It’s an ideal option for minimalist adventurers seeking lightweight, portable shelter without the bulk of a tent.

An emergency bivy or a space blanket is a compact and affordable, emergency essential for basic shelter and insulation, offering temporary relief until help arrives or a more permanent shelter can be set up.

If you are backpacking, you already will be carrying a tent or some other form of shelter system. These are typically super lightweight, with durable materials, and weatherproof. If it is light enough you can carry this even on a day hike.

We are the shelter for our sisters and brothers in Christ when we pray for each other. As a friend, we can be on alert for someone when they don’t see the enemy’s schemes.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. [Colossians 4:2]

We should consider it an honor, not an obligation to pray for others. As we are all in the same spiritual fight and we need one another to stay strong. Be obedient to pray for each other when the Holy Spirit puts it on your heart.

Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit [Romans 15:30]

When one of us falls, there shouldn’t be condemnation. We should help one another stay on the path just like we are hiking. If someone gets off the path, help guide them back on if they have stumbled on a rock or slipped into a creek. We are a new creation in Christ and are living our lives in the Spirit. However, sometimes the enemy can blindside us and we go in the wrong direction. There is nothing like the love of a friend to come beside us and help us back on track.

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. [Galatians 6:1-3]

Our mission here within the Stand Firm community is to help each continue to stand firm on God’s Word. We always want to be bold in sharing the Word and to speak the truth. The Word says we will be persecuted for this, so therefore we must have other people praying on our behalf that we will continue to stay the course. Prayers that we will live our lives to the end as a living sacrifice doing the work and the assignments that God has given us.

For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. [Philippians 1:19-21]

The physical emergency shelter can protect us from the elements of cold, rain, snow, wind, and other conditions. It can give us a little bit of safety and some security during an unforeseen incident. The shelter can prevent hypothermia, which can be a potentially life-threatening condition caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. Knowing that you have a reliable shelter if the need arises can also provide a little peace of mind. Having this tenth essential allows you to focus on enjoying your outdoor adventure!

As the spiritual tenth essential praying for one another is that shelter that offers protection from the stupid enemy.

Praying for each other protects us from evil elements or the enemies’ deception and lies. Every one of us is called to share the message of hope and the love of God with this hurting world. Just as Paul asked for prayer as they were out doing their assignment, we too need the prayers of other like-minded believers to protect us from the wickedness and evil of this world.

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. [2 Thessalonians 3:1-3]

Pray for one another’s safety as we speak the truth and STAND FIRM. Pray that we will not live in fear for God is our refuge and strength! We are the Lord’s workers, and we will be protected from the enemy.

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! [Psalm 46:1-4]

There is security in being a believer and we can walk without fear because the Lord is with us. He already has defeated the enemy! The only power the enemy has is what we give him. Pray that we will never live in fear but will always live in strength and victory!

I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant. For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing. [Isaiah 41:9-11]

The best way to prevent the enemy from sneaking into our lives is we need to work to enter into God’s rest. Being in God’s rest means trusting Him with everything in your life; becoming that living sacrifice. Pray that each one of us will grow our belief in what the Word of God says about us and for us. God’s Word has all power, but all that power will not be released until we believe it. Also speaking the Word (that we BELIEVE) prevents the enemy from even getting near us. Speak the Word to the lies and deceptions of the enemy.

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news that God has prepared this rest has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. [Hebrews 4:1-3a, 11-12]

There is nothing else in this world that can give us true peace of mind, than having a relationship with God almighty. There is nothing to fear and nothing that can harm us when we walk with the Lord. Pray that we will continue to STAND FIRM on God’s Word.

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. [Deuteronomy 31:6]

By having the physical emergency shelter, it gave us the ability to enjoy the outdoors. We knew that this essential if needed would protect us from the elements, provide safety, and security, prevent us from harm, and give us a little peace of mind.

Likewise, when we pray for each other as believers we offer that shelter from the enemy. With prayer and the Word of God we certainly are protected from the elements of the enemy, we are safe and secure in the Lord, He will protect us from any harm from evil, and there is nothing like the peace that our relationship with the Lord can provide.

We can run our race, do what the Lord has called us to do, and continue to Stand Firm because of the persistent prayers from other believers and the Word of God.

The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another! And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately. Then He added, Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven. But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! Even those closest to you your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends will betray you. They will even kill some of you. And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But not a hair of your head will perish! By STANDING FIRM, you will win your souls. Luke 21:6, 9-12a, 13-19