Women, in a unique and powerful way, are God's search and rescue team. When God's heart is pursuing a lost person, often He sends a woman on the chase.

God knows that women have been especially created to care extravagantly about people who need a bit of help and some extra tender loving care. After all, God should know what women are capable of ... He created women just the way we are for His particular purpose. 

And, may I just say, that God's purpose for your life should be your purpose for your life.  No questions asked. No excuses given. Just your life for God's will.

For much of my life I have been content to be a nurse who quietly, gently and kindly gave encouragement to those who were bruised on the battlefield of life. What joy and what safety I have in fulfilling that merciful role. I have loved being a vital part of God's Red Cross.

Recently, however, God has spoken a word to my heart that has emphatically changed my focus and my job description.

God spoke to me and said, "It is time for women to go to war!"

There is a battle raging for the lives of men, women and children, and it is time for the women of this generation to exert their influence and their power and to strategically battle on behalf of those who are caught in the crossfire.

You see ... women can either be content to care for the wounded or we can rise up and fight so that there will no longer be so many who need critical care. We must lend our voices, our hearts, our gifts and our time to the great commission and  thusly prevent someone else's pain.

It's time for the women of God who are alive on the earth today to rise up against the powers of darkness, against the slavery of sexual predators, against the thief of depression, and against the lie of eating disorders. 

It's time for the women of God of this generation to say, "No More!" to abuse, to pornography, to addictions and to self-harm. 

It's time for the women of God to raise a standard of moral purity, to demonstrate the strength that is only extracted from the joy of His presence and to live the abundant life that only Jesus gives.

It's time.

I believe that God is raising up a generation of Esthers. He is not raising up just one "Esther" but He is raising up an entire generation of women who have been born for such a moment as this moment. God is raising up a generation of women who know the power of fasting, who are not intimidated by the compromise of the culture and who are willing to stand against demonic spirits. God is raising up a generation of women who are not afraid of dying but are determined to live boldly and courageously on the battlefield of life.

What will your role be? Because you will, indeed, play a role in the plan of God during your lifespan. Will you cower or will you care? Will you be afraid or will you be a force to be reckoned with? Will you truly live or will you merely die?

It's time for the women of God to go to war. It's time.

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written five books, No More Ordinary, Holy Estrogen!, The Rooms of a Woman's Heart and Defiant Joy! Her most recent book, Refined: Finding Joy in the Midst of the Fire, will be released on August 1. Her teaching DVD, The Rooms of a Woman's Heart, won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.