Prayer

These last couple of days, but especially yesterday and this morning, I've been realizing how decieved I am about life. I won't be able to go too in depth, but after an eye opening dream last night, I realized a small bit of all the spiritual warfare that is constantly going on around us.

Part of my dream...
As if all the muscles in my body were suddenly seized with terror, I found myself laying face down on the ground unable to release myself from this sudden grasp of fear. Mouth open with no words taking form, I heard again the commanding words of the idol before me; "Worship Me!". Two words. Two words that lunged forward with a tenacity unable to be stopped by mere skin and bone. The words cut to my very soul. The words resounded through me; echoing inside the very framework of my consciousness. Fear. Fear was the only thing I was breathing now. As I began to cry out to God, I found myself able to stand up; but this still did little to the fear that had been thrusted into me. As if a seraded blade had burrowed itself into my chest, I stumbled about like some pathetic wounded prey. This fear raped my every thought. Crying to God, the tears from my eyes became to me some small comfort as this blade of fear began to withdraw. I saw a friend. I was nearly consoled by his presence until I heard the words once more. "Worship Me!" A quake of instability struck me and I found myself falling on to this young friend. Once more mind and body are pounded by this supernatural terror... eyes open. back in my room with heart pounding. It was only a dream....

Only a dream. Lying in bed looking into the dimly lit room, I stopped. Bewildered by one thing, I stopped. If dreams are only thoughts, why?... why then is adrenaline coursing so rapidly through my veins? Why then is my heart pounding as my lips are muttering incoherent prayers to God? These questions were only shortly endured as racing thoughts cascaded through my mind. In the midst of all this, the Holy Spirit began to speak to my heart. In clear and unmistakable words, I heard, "Aaron, you need to pray!" The reality of the statement was brought to light by the Spirit as I began to understand exactly what the Lord was saying. The Lord allowed me to experience just a glimpse of the spiritual realm and of the war that is going on all the time. I had only been asleep for 30 minutes during all this dreaming, but the reality of the thing was brought to life by the lucidity of the dream. I need to be praying. "Put on the whole armor of God...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..." (Ephesians 6) Let's hear that again. "Put on the whole armor of God...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..."....This is a war! This isn't some game I can expect to prance about in! We are saints, called unto God to be holy as He is holy; ambassador's of Christ and joint-heirs with Him; we're a royal priesthood, a holy nation, soldiers in a war for light in darkness... Can I dare think that this branch can even survive apart from the vine?
I am astonished by these verses in Revelation 12, "And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deciever of the whole world...then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus..." (v.9, 17) We're told two major things in these verses; Satan is the deceiver of the whole world (that includes you too Christian), and that he is set on making war against those who hold to the testimony of Jesus (surprise surprise, that's you again Christian). Now, pure common sense would tell us that if Satan, the deciever of the whole world, "a roaring lion" (1 Peter 5:8), is furious and has vowed war against Christians, we should probably prepare to be attacked. Right? Right!? Sure, this sounds good, but you see, this roaring lion is a lot smarter than most give him credit for. As the Word of God has declared, he is a deciever. When was the last time a demon ran up to somebody and beat them up on the side of the street? hmmmm...and the idea of it even sounds funny. And yet we're told that we're entrenched in a war? I have to cut this short because I'm running out of time to write, but know this, Satan's work is in deception: if a person is decieved, guess what, they won't know they're deceived because, and here's that catchy part, they're decieved! The only way we'll ever be able to realize the reality of this war is through spiritual awakening; the gracious act of God alone to open our eyes. God opens our eyes to this war as we are walking in the Spirit, as the verse in Ephesians 6 tells us, through praying always in the Spirit. We can't fight with our eyes closed and we won't even know there's a dang battle going on until our eyes are opened by the Spirit through prayer! Prayer... We must pray! "Aaron, you need to pray!" "(your name), you need to pray!" We're involved in a spiritual war and we're dancing to the soothing symphony of illusion. Satan's painting all sorts of pretty pictures and the heart of God is grieved as Christians, those called by His Holy name, run off to affair after affair with damn illusions! We're getting torn to pieces in this war because we haven't seen it convenient enough to open our eyes and see the war that is ravaging our churches, our homes; our lives! ...Christian. Brother; sister. Pray!