Kingdom Foundation: When Your Foundation Is Being Rebuilt

Welcome as you go through this journey with me of unlearning and re-learning. I pray you are blessed by these posts.

Learning to Fight the Battles God Has Authorized

What I learned about prayer, spiritual warfare, identity, and walking in Kingdom purpose.

There are moments in your walk with God when you realize that some of the things you thought you understood require a completely different perspective. You discover that growing in your relationship with Yeshua is not just about learning more Scripture or becoming more active in ministry. Sometimes, it requires unlearning what you have been taught, surrendering your own understanding, and allowing God to transform the way you think.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend Kingdom Foundation 200 at Kingdom University, taught by Apostle Greg Hood. This class challenged me to examine my understanding of prayer, spiritual warfare, the Armor of God, and the authority we have through our identity in Yeshua. What I took away from this class was more than information. It was a reminder that walking in the Kingdom requires us to listen before we move, seek God before we act, and understand that not every battle is ours to fight.

1. Not Every Battle Is Yours to Fight

One of the most impactful lessons from this class was learning to examine the battles I choose to fight.

How often do we see something that appears to be against God, His Word, or His ways, and immediately feel the need to respond? How often do we become defensive, react out of frustration, or take matters into our own hands because we believe we are standing up for what is right?

I had to ask myself an uncomfortable question: Am I responding to the voice of God, or am I reacting to what I see and feel?

During the teaching, the example of Yeshua turning over the tables in the Temple courts caused me to reflect on the importance of hearing the Father before responding. Rather than assuming that every situation requires our immediate involvement, we must learn to seek God's direction. There is a difference between being passionate about the things of God and being led by God in how we respond to them.

Scripture reminds us:

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." — Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

Our struggle is not ultimately against people. Yet, when we allow our flesh, pride, anger, or personal opinions to dictate our responses, we can end up fighting people instead of addressing the spiritual issues that require prayer and discernment. I am learning that I do not have to respond to everything. I do not have to defend every position, correct every person, or enter every conflict. Sometimes, obedience means standing firm. Sometimes, it means speaking. And sometimes, it means remaining still until God gives direction. Before you enter a battle, seek the One who knows the battle, the strategy, and the outcome.

2. Effective Prayer Begins With Listening

Prayer has always been an important part of my relationship with God. However, this class challenged me to think more deeply about how I approach prayer. It is easy to approach God with a list of requests, concerns, and situations we want Him to change. We pray for our families, our assignments, our circumstances, and the things that weigh heavily on our hearts.

But what happens when we spend so much time talking that we leave little room to listen?

One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of asking God to reveal the distractions—the "little foxes"—that interfere with our prayer lives, our relationship with Yeshua, and our God-given assignments.

Sometimes, we do not recognize what is hindering us. We may be distracted by fear, frustration, offense, our own expectations, or the pressure to make something happen in our own strength.

That is why we must ask God to reveal what we cannot see for ourselves. I am learning to approach prayer with greater intentionality. Instead of assuming I already know what to pray or how to respond, I want to create space to hear the Holy Spirit, meditate on Scripture, and seek God's wisdom.

Prayer is not simply about bringing God into our plans. It is also about allowing Him to redirect our plans according to His will.

What Is a Prayer Assignment?

One concept that stood out to me was the idea of a prayer assignment: approaching prayer with a specific burden or situation while seeking God's direction concerning how to pray.

In my own understanding, this means learning to become still before God, listening for His guidance, and allowing Scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit to shape my prayers. Rather than allowing emotions to determine my prayer strategy, I want to be led by the Spirit.

This does not mean that we should treat every thought, feeling, or impression as a message from God. We must remain humble, examine what we believe we are hearing in light of Scripture, and seek wisdom and discernment. The goal is not to make prayer more complicated. It is to become more intentional about seeking God's will.

3. Spiritual Warfare Requires Discernment and Preparation

Before this class, I thought I understood the importance of spiritual warfare and putting on the Armor of God. However, the teaching caused me to reflect on whether I was approaching spiritual warfare with the preparation, discernment, and dependence on God that it requires. We can become so focused on fighting that we forget to seek direction. We can become so focused on binding and loosing that we fail to consider whether we understand the situation or are acting according to God's will. We can become so focused on the enemy that we overlook the importance of strengthening our relationship with the One who gives us wisdom and guidance.

One concept I encountered during the class was the term prayer strike, which I explored further afterward. In the framework presented in my class reflection, prayer strikes are prayers understood to be divinely authorized and empowered to accomplish God's will in a particular situation.

This challenged me to think about prayer beyond simply repeating words or reacting to a problem. It encouraged me to seek God's direction concerning what I am praying for and how I should approach it.

I also began reflecting on the importance of the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10–18. The Armor of God is not merely a set of words we recite. The passage calls believers to stand firm in truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God, while remaining watchful in prayer. The question I am asking myself is this: Am I cultivating the spiritual discipline and relationship with God that helps me stand firm when challenges arise? Preparation matters. Discernment matters. Obedience matters. I do not want to enter situations relying solely on my emotions, assumptions, or personal strength. I want my responses to reflect a life that is grounded in the Word and submitted to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

4. Your Identity Matters in the Kingdom

Another lesson that stayed with me was the importance of identity and words. I have come to understand that discovering who I am in Yeshua is an ongoing journey. The more I grow in my relationship with Him, the more I recognize the need to surrender the labels, mindsets, and expectations that do not align with what He is teaching me. Romans 8:14–15 reminds us that those who are led by the Spirit of God are His children and that we have received the Spirit of adoption.

That truth is foundational.

Before I can walk confidently in my assignment, I must understand that my identity is not established by people's opinions, positions, titles, or approval. My identity must be rooted in my relationship with God. During my reflection on this class, I also began thinking about the difference between merely occupying a role in a church and understanding my responsibility as someone called to participate in God's Kingdom purposes. I do not believe that serving others is unimportant. Service is central to the life of a disciple. Rather, I am learning to see that my relationship with God is not defined by a title or a position within an organization. I want to understand my identity in Christ, recognize the responsibilities that come with it, and faithfully carry out what God has entrusted to me.

You cannot walk confidently in an identity you have never taken the time to understand. When we do not understand who we are in Christ, we can spend years seeking validation, trying to prove ourselves, or waiting for someone else to recognize what God has placed in us. But spiritual maturity requires more than recognition. It requires transformation, obedience, humility, and faithfulness.

5. Unlearning Religion and Embracing Transformation

One of the most personal parts of this journey has been recognizing how much I still have to learn.

Sometimes, growing spiritually feels like starting over. You may have spent years learning certain patterns, developing particular expectations, or accepting ways of thinking without examining them closely. Then God begins to challenge those things.

You realize that knowing religious language is not the same as being transformed. Knowing Scripture is not the same as allowing Scripture to shape your decisions. And being busy with spiritual activities is not necessarily the same as being obedient to God's instructions. I am learning to remain teachable.

I want to be willing to examine what I believe, return to Scripture, ask difficult questions, and allow God to correct my understanding where necessary. This is not about rejecting everything I have learned. It is about refusing to let tradition, personal preference, or familiarity take the place of a genuine relationship with God. The refining process requires surrender. It requires us to acknowledge that we do not know everything, that our understanding can grow, and that there are areas in our lives where we still need the Lord to do a deeper work.

At Unapologetic Refining, I believe spiritual growth involves being willing to face those areas honestly. We cannot become who God is calling us to be while refusing to let Him challenge the ways we think, respond, and live. Refining is not always comfortable, but it is necessary for growth.

6. Your God-Given Purpose Requires Obedience

One of the things that motivates me most is knowing that God has purpose for His people.

I do not want to reach the end of my life having spent my time distracted by things that never aligned with the assignment God gave me. I want to be faithful with what He has entrusted to me.

Over the years, I have learned that discovering purpose is a journey, not a one-time event. Each season can teach us something. Each test can reveal an area where we need to grow. Each act of obedience can prepare us for greater responsibility.

I am learning that purpose is not simply about discovering what I am called to do. It is also about becoming the person who can faithfully carry that assignment. That means allowing God to work on my character, my thought life, my responses, and my relationship with Him. It means being willing to wait when He says wait, move when He says move, and remain faithful when the process does not look the way I expected. It also means understanding that I cannot fulfill my purpose by following my own feelings while ignoring the leading of the Holy Spirit. I want my life to reflect a growing willingness to listen, obey, and surrender. The goal is not simply to do something meaningful for God. The goal is to live in a way that honors Him and faithfully carries out the work He has given me to do.

7. Refining Is a Journey of Surrender

As I reflect on Kingdom Foundation 200, I am reminded that spiritual growth is not a destination we reach and then leave behind. It is a continual process of learning, surrendering, listening, and being transformed. I am still learning how to pray more intentionally. I am still learning to recognize when my flesh wants to respond before I have sought God's direction. I am still learning how to walk confidently in my identity while remaining humble enough to receive correction. Most importantly, I am learning that I must seek God first. I do not want to move simply because I can. I want to move because I have sought His wisdom. I do not want to fight simply because something has offended me. I want to discern what requires my response and how to respond in a way that honors Him.

I do not want to pursue purpose while holding tightly to the very mindsets God is asking me to surrender. I want to be transformed.

That is the heart of refining: allowing God to work within us so that our lives increasingly reflect His truth, His character, and His purposes. And that work does not happen overnight. It happens as we continue to walk with Him, remain teachable, and choose obedience one step at a time.

Reflection Questions: Are You Fighting the Right Battles?

Take a moment to reflect on your own walk with God.

1. When faced with conflict, do you seek God's direction before responding, or do you react according to your emotions?

2. What distractions or "little foxes" might be interfering with your prayer life or God-given assignment?

3. Do you make room to listen during prayer, or is most of your prayer time spent speaking?

4. How well do you understand your identity in Christ? Are you living from that identity or seeking validation from others?

5. Are there mindsets, traditions, or assumptions that God may be asking you to examine through Scripture?

6. What assignment or responsibility has God entrusted to you in this season?

7. What would it look like for you to surrender your own agenda and seek His direction more intentionally?

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Do not rush through these questions. Take them to God in prayer, spend time in Scripture, and give yourself permission to grow.

A Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for continuing to teach me, correct me, and refine me. Help me to seek You before I act and to listen before I respond. Reveal the distractions that interfere with my relationship with You and the assignments You have entrusted to me. Teach me to recognize the battles that require my attention and to stop allowing my flesh, emotions, or personal opinions to lead me. Help me grow in discernment, remain grounded in Your Word, and walk in the identity You have given me through Yeshua. Give me a teachable heart. Help me surrender the mindsets that hinder my growth and become more faithful in following the leading of Your Holy Spirit. Let my life reflect Your purposes rather than my own agenda. Continue the refining work within me. Prepare me to fulfill the assignments You have entrusted to me with humility, wisdom, and obedience.

In Yeshua's name, amen.

Continue the Journey With Unapologetic Refining

Spiritual growth requires more than hearing a message. It requires a willingness to examine our lives, apply what we learn, and allow God to transform us. My Kingdom Foundation experience reminded me that I still have room to grow—and that is not a reason for discouragement. It is an invitation to keep seeking God. As you continue your own journey, remember this: you do not have to fight every battle, respond to every situation, or figure everything out on your own. Seek God. Stay rooted in His Word. Learn to listen. And remain willing to obey.

The refining process continues, and so does the journey toward purpose.

Keep growing. Keep surrendering. Keep allowing God to refine you.

— LaShanda Williams

Unapologetic Refining