Hey everyone I hope you all are doing well and I hope this blog comes as an encouragement to you. This first couple of weeks here in Botswana have been hard on me. I have been dealing with spiritual warfare. For me, I didn’t really take this seriously until I experienced it first hand. During one night in the first week we were here in Gaborone, I awoke from a dream in shear terror, anxiety and anger, all at the same time.
I began to wonder what in the world could I be scared of? What is going on? GOD, ARE YOU THERE?
The sleepless nights continued for the next 9 days and became overwhelming. Then one morning I finally heard The Father speak to me.
That morning as a team, we were doing prophetic prayer to encourage each other. As I sat down I felt confused and not at peace. I became so frustrated I walked out into the courtyard and feel to my knees.
I looked up with tears in my eyes, my body weak and my spirit confused. I said “Lord speak if you are there. I need you. These demons keep tormenting me.” Of course, like every time I doubt Him, He comes through.
I heard Him say, “Mack, if you want to drop all these temptations and worries of what back home looks like you have to trust me in what I’m going to ask of you.”
I couldn’t imagine what else He could want from me. I mean in my selfish thoughts I said, “I gave up a year for you to help build your Kingdom, I gave up comfort, I gave up pursuing a future, I have given up friends, I gave up everything for you. WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT!”
He said, “My son didn’t you ask for me to break you of all your past wants? That no matter the cost, to break your heart for what breaks mine? Didn’t you say time and time again you want to be a man who BOLDLY speaks the Truth that will save all people? A servant of mine is never comfortable. If you want to lay these things down, come spend time with me at 3am and 3pm everyday for 40 days and you will began to see these demons leave and be replaced with MY PEACE AND JOY INSIDE OF YOU!”
So needless to say, after talking with Amy and Drew (my squad mentor and squad leader) I realized that this is my next step in what God has for me. They also brought up a story in the bible I hadn’t read. And it reads:
“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.””
??Matthew? ?12:43-45? ?NIV??
This was so key for me to read and understand that the demons can come back. But they cannot re-enter the house they dwelled in for so long.
Because the Spirit of the Living God resides there now.
I can’t explain it but getting to talk to my God has seriously brought me this overwhelming peace, joy and discernment of pure and impure spirits. So with that, I would love to pray for all of you and whatever you all need back at home. Please send this to a loved one and ask them to email me prayer requests so I can be praying for all of you.
Much Love,
Mack
