Rachel Osborn Wrote:
There is truly a battle going on during Draw Near...a spiritual battle, a REAL spiritual battle. I, myself, and many others are feeling the tension of Satan trying to stir up problems spiritually during Draw Near. I specifically am being attacked through dreams/nightmares that go beyond normal dreams/nightmares. 12,000(+) Christians at Fellowship, seeking true intentional time with the Lord through five practices of Draw Near, is winning over this battle. The scripture warns us that this is exactly what the devil will try to do because he does not want us to draw near to our Father. Think about this! In being faced with this, we can find the answer on how to combat his attempts in James 4: 7 -- “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will FLEE from you. 8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
So, we have nothing to fear, because if we draw near to God and give Him all of the glory, the devil will flee! God is moving in Northwest Arkansas, He is already changing lives, and we are going to stay humble and be confident in Christ who strengthens us! We are a body of believers and in Him we shall seek!
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and I experienced the same thing with the nightmares. I knew as well, that Satan was trying to tamper with our subconscious state of mind trying to fight us during a weak time because during our waking hours, we have been consciously seeking God.
My nightmares were so intense that I remember waking up and fervantly praying and rebuking them in Jesus’ Name. I was kind of angry too that Satan was doing this as I would go back to sleep and pick up exactly where I left off in the nightmare, wake up again and rebuking the devil in Jesus’ name; at least three more times until it stopped and I went to sleep.
My daughter experienced nightmares that she said were very strange. She said there were frightening flashes of the brightest most intense light. The flashes were quick and blinding.She and I discussed the fact that we knew it was because of “draw-near.” Later I gave thought to her dream, I guess out of curiosity wondering, “why did light have her so un-nerved?” and then it came to my mind...Lucifer! I had to look up the translation for Lucifer which was in Hebrew, “bright one.” (Prophecy study Bible KJV)
After I woke up the next morning with a song in my heart, singing and praising the Lord...I had a knowing that Satan had been trying to break me by fear or alter my state of being at a time when I was weak...but it was in vein because the Lord had made me aware...and gave me authority through Him...I even felt a presence of the Lord in strength. I was aggravated with the devil but persistant in my assurance that God was going to intervene.
Before, during and after I thought, “something big is about to happen and Satan is trying to stop it...big time!” I was reminded of the scripture you quoted from James 4:7 “Submit yourselves then to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” I wanted to note a few more scriptures in case it might help someone else who has or is facing this trial or something similar...Or if fear is holding them back from their walk or deciding to have a walk with Christ in any way...
Romans 8:38: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, or any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
My result or testimony is that the Lord stirred me by showing me there are great things ahead for my family...the squeeze of Satan was to try to make us feel like we didn’t belong, and to retreat...to make us feel defeated before we have started...I see how he prowls around like in 1Peter...like a hungry lion...looking for prey (us).....but when we PRAY.....he becomes the hunted...by an all Knowing, All Seeing, All Victorious God! He is cast away for us by our Lord! He will flee and depart because the victory is always in Jesus!
I also want to add this important scripture from Luke 10:17-20: “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.’ And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven, Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scopions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’” Amen to that!
And thank you for sharing, it helps me to share too. - Anne Gwatney