Archers and Marksmen. . at the Ready

The English Long Bow has a vast history, enough for this curious scribe to dig up some facts on it as I keep comparing prayer warriors to archers. Sorry if anyone here prefers the cross bow, I'm a long-bow fan and have been since I saw the archers at the Renaissance Festival three years ago.

To start with, there were laws governing archers and archery in England. One document of interest is The Assize drawn up in 1252AD at the behest of King Henry III. In that grouping of early law, it stated that all free men who owned land worth between 40-100 shillings had to acquire bows and become proficient with them.

In 1285 King Edward I extended this in the Statute of Winchester to say that every free male who had income less than 100 pence had to obtain a bow and they had to practice on Sundays and holidays and be ready to stand up for the king if he had need of their skills. *

The King ordered all men of a certain rank and class, to be prepared to do battle and to fight with him should the enemy attack.

Hmmm. That sounds kind of vaguely familiar in a way. Lettsee. . .

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT

¹⁶" Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus"

The italics are mine. But unlike King Edward I and King Henry III, the edict of this Eternal King comes with some pretty wild promises. Look here:

Matthew 15:19-20

"I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything that you ask, My Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three are gathered together as my followers, I am there among them."

Luke 11:5-10 NLT

"Then, teaching them more about prayer He used this story: 'Suppose you went to a friends house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him ,'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit and I have nothing for him to eat.' And suppose that he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and I and my family are all in bed. I can't help you.' But I tell you this---though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need for your shameless persistence. And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

You fathers---if your children as for a fish do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him."

Pretty wild stuff. Now, we could get into a discussion about how some prayers take longer to be answered, and some go unanswered all together, but that's not what I want to do right now. If enough people express interest, I'll create a separate place so that we can discuss those things. Right now, I want you to put arrow to string, and pray.

When Wayne came in to sign a book for one of his fans, I asked him to give us ONE THING to pray for throughout the week. ONE THING.

He thought for a moment and then asked if we would pray that he and Christopher have TIME to write together. They have deadlines for Nelson, they have deadlines in their own fields, and they have all kinds of things that the want to do with their families, that they need to do for their families, and TIME is in short supply.

Now both of these gentlemen are extremely disciplined, I know they aren't goofing off.

They just would like a storm of arrows, to flash over their heads as they settle down to do what the Lord has called them to do, write.

Archers ready? Put bolt to string, and let your prayer fly on their behalf.





* Taken from Disputed Pleasures :Sports and Society in Preindustrial England by Thomas S. Henricks, P. 56