The Devil was in her bedroom: I felt someone crawl into bed with me. It was a presence, not a person. My husband was out of town.
“Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”
Ephesians 6:11
Every morning, I begin my day by asking God to direct, empower and protect me so I will be able to please Him in all I do, think and say. I want to be in tune with what He wants for me. Often, there are times during the day when I take back control of my life from God and try to do things my way. When I do this, I leave a door open for the enemy.
One night, after talking to Marvin on the phone, I went to bed and fell asleep. Suddenly I awoke. I thought I felt someone crawl into bed with me. My first thought was a joyful, “Oh, Marvin must be home.” Then I realized that I had just talked to him on the phone and he was in Orlando, Florida.
I got really scared. Silently I prayed, “Lord, who is it?” He let me know it was the enemy. I knew I had to pray aloud and I prayed,
“In the name of Jesus, I command you to get out of our house.”
As soon as I prayed the dark presence left. I lay there for quite a while until I had the courage to turn on the light. Yes, the name of Jesus is powerful indeed!
Dramatic attacks of the enemy like that are rare. Far more often he attacks with fiery darts. The enemy uses someone’s careless remark or our own imaginations to tell us that no one appreciates us or that we are of no value. Within minutes our self-esteem can plummet to rock bottom because we listened to the enemy instead of listening to the Holy Spirit.
We must be alert so that we are able to discern whose voice we are listening to. Our thought life has two channels: one is alert to God and one is alert to Satan. We have to choose which channel we listen to. If we ask Him to, God has promised to direct our steps. As we spend time with Him, He will teach us to hear His voice.
Father, thank You that You are faithful and will strengthen us and protect us from the enemy. Cause us to be alert and listen to Your voice. Thank You that You are the Almighty God. Amen
When I was in my thirties, I believed in God—was a Christian, was a churchgoer, but I did not know that I was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. I learned that to experience a full and meaningful life, I needed to yield the control of my life to God (I had never done that), then I could experience His love and power moment by moment. This is the prayer I prayed. You can too!
“Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.”
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, bow in prayer and trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now.
FURTHER READING
Prayers – Asking Specifically
Practicing the Presence of God
Hailing the Chief
Why Should We Pray?