That was it. I had enough. I had a renewed sense of determination to fight. I had enough of being beaten down.
After morning squad prayer, where many on our squad confessed to feeling spiritually beaten down, the Holy Spirit spoke very clearly that to fight this spiritual warfare, there needed to be fasting. (Matthew 17:20-21 was put in my heart.) Now, I’ve never done a fast from food, so I know it wasn’t me. I heard very clearly “I declare a day of fasting” in my spirit. I’ve been working on stepping into hard things without fighting them (because I learned I’m actually fighting God when I do that), and I knew I couldn’t keep silent about this. So I power walked home. Normally it takes me 15-20 minutes to walk. That day it only took ten. I cannot explain how I felt… righteous anger, joy, determination, excitement…I sang worship songs all the way back.
I announced to the squad what I felt God calling us to do, and they rallied behind it. The next day, we fasted. Through that, I learned to fight from above the enemy. The enemy is powerful, but our God is greater. That day, instead of breaking bread, we broke chains. No longer would I feel under the oppression, but through Christ’s strength, I would fight from above. I felt like I had been injected with supernatural energy. I haven’t felt like I was being stepped on by the enemy since. That’s not to say I haven’t felt push back, but I’m no longer allowing myself to be under it.
Since then, I have seen C squad’s spirits higher and more excited. There’s still been difficulties, but it’s not quite what it was. Even walking down the street, singing the name of Jesus seems to have lighten the path. I’m telling you, there is power in the name of Jesus. It may sound crazy, but don’t knock it til you try it. It takes you out of your comfort zone and may feel weird at first (I would know- I’ve been there), but the more you practice shifting authority from yourself to Christ, the more natural it becomes and the more spiritually safe you become. If you humble yourself, He will be exalted.
I have a renewed desire to read the Bible as well. I’ve always heard God will show you something new each time you read a verse, but I hadn’t ever truly believed it until this month. It’s been a crazy month. I went from feeling hopeless to hopeful. All because I let God be God, instead of counting on my own strength. Through this, He is also teaching me how to really rest in Him. He renews my strength when I rest in Him. (Isaiah 40) I can’t really explain this, but it’s beautiful.
As I type this, my parents are only a couple of hours away from me. They are in Romania!! Please pray for the parents during the Parent Vision Trip, as well as continued prayers for the squad and the ministries we are a part of this month.
Also, we will be leaving for Africa in less than a week. There is some unrest in Ethiopia, where we will be. Thank you for your prayers and support!!
