We
spent the last couple of days of training camp in 
downtown Atlanta. All teams were
assigned to do an ATL (Ask the Lord) on the streets of Atlanta. This is something
that they wanted us to get in the practice of doing. We literally ask the Lord
where He wants us to go and who He wants us to talk to, and then wait to see if
He gives us any thoughts, words, visions, etc.
My
team and I were really hungry so we decided to go get food from the street
vendors (which was also part of the assignment) and then do our ATL. On our way
down the street we were approached by a man who could tell that us 7 women
weren’t from the area. We started talking with him and when we told him where
we were headed he responded in a tone of warning, “You girls shouldn’t go down
there. I don’t even go there. When they see you girls walking around on these
streets…anything can happen to you.� FEAR.
Trying to creep up into our minds and spirits. Being the only “all-girls� team
on the August squad, we soon realize that fear is one of Satan’s tactics to get
to us and attempt to disable us. We
refuse.
We
continue talking with him and listened to various things he’s telling us, most
which we figured out were lies. When we offered to pray for him, he refused
because he didn’t like to pray in public. He said he’d get all emotional. When
we left him we gathered and prayed for him anyway. We spoke Truth over our
team.
“For God has not
given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.� 2 Tim 1:7
Again, we refuse to let Satan shake us and
fill us with fear. Jesus Christ has empowered us to walk in His authority,
whether it’s on the streets of Atlanta or in the slums of Cambodia. This was a great
wake-up call that spiritual warfare is very real and we will continue to face
it as we seek to advance God’s Kingdom. But praise God that we are not going
into battle alone and defenseless! The Word of God is Truth that we can claim and speak to one another. Our God is gentle
and loving, but He is also our mighty King who overcomes darkness.
Team
Benkadi (which means “we are stronger together�) is putting on our armor daily
so the arrows that fly right at us do nothing but fall to our sides.
