Today I want to share with you a breakthrough that I had earlier this year.
It all started while I was in Japan.
I had some free time to walk around the small town of Ishinomaki. I decided that I wanted to go visit the local temples that were scattered around town. This was not an uncommon thing for me to do. But every time I did, I would focus on prayer and “taking back ground” for the Kingdom.
Anytime I visit temples and shrines I stay in constant Communion with the Holy Spirit to show me how to pray and what to combat. Spiritual atmospheres at shrines and temples are usually very intense and can be overwhelming. I typically tried to come in to these places ready to fight. But this time God had something different in store.
I approached the first temple. I was already praying protection over myself and praying against all the foul things that were residing there. I approached the main area of worship, where the spiritual atmosphere was most intense.
Then God told me to stop fighting.
“What!? What do you mean Father? How can I walk into this place and be okay if I’m not fighting?”
Then God showed me something that changed my mind on spiritual warfare forever.
“Just Worship Me.” He told me.
“Don’t try to fight the darkness, just Intimately be with Me and let me take care of everything else.”
It went against every fiber of my being and every “spiritual instinct” that I thought made sense. But thanks be to God, I obeyed.
As I stood in front of this place of ancestral worship, I laid down all my “defences” and simply started to Intimately Worship Jesus.
I couldn’t even feel the darkness anymore. It was as if a bomb of Light went off in the spiritual realm and there was nothing left except me and Jesus. I no longer even cared where I was or who was against me because I was with my Beloved.
All of the sudden, visiting temples and shrines was no longer draining, it was life giving, and also Giving Life!
I was thrilled to continue to walk to the rest of the temples in town. The day turned from a task of duty and fighting into an honor of privilege and Joy. I couldn’t wait to get to the next temple, I was overjoyed at this newfound way of warfare.
I’ve never approached another place of worship the same after this experience. I realized that Intimacy with God is powerful warfare. Simply being with Him changes everything.
After finding this place with the Lord, I understand in a new way what Psalm 23:5 says.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Having a table in the presence of my enemies speaks so deeply into what it means to Commune with God no matter where you are. It speaks of the availability of Intimacy with God. If Intimacy is available around my enemies, it’s available anywhere!
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
– 2 Corinthians 10:3?-?4 ESV
You don’t need to go to temples or shines to practice this. The moment I feel any unclean spirit, I don’t try to fight to anymore. I just start to worship and change the atmosphere until that unclean spirit cannot stand to be around anymore. Any anger, fear, envy, gossip, perversion, nor any other evil thing can withstand Intimacy with the Lord.
