I usually start my mornings off in prayer. This morning, I was praying with my face and arms down on a chair cushion. Off I went and baby it’s gettin’ good; when all of a sudden my arms started to tingle. WTW? As I lifted my head, I noticed a few critters in hot pursuit. As I looked my attacker in the eye, I’m thinking, ‘Why are y’all not running from me? Don’t you know I’m under the anointing and the power of God is present? You shouldn’t even be able to be in my presence.’ Okay, so I didn’t actually think all that in the moment, but that’s how I felt. Almost immediately, the Spirit of the Lord revealed this. I thought that when God’s anointing was present or when things were going well, that evil spirits or haters couldn’t bother me. But sometimes they can, simply because that’s their job. Haters hate, meaning they will try to stop me.
That was life-changing for me, because I used to think that the opposite was true. But what God wants to teach us is that sometimes the enemy doesn’t leave, just because He’s there. Jesus experienced the same thing in Mark 9 when the father brought his son to be healed. One might think that the evil spirit that was oppressing his son would have left when he saw Jesus. But instead, ‘…the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.’ (Mk 9:20) Like the Lord, in those times when folk are still acting up, we are to stay focused on our assignment and not be moved by the distractions.
Within a matter seconds of the Lord showing me that, wouldn’t you know it? Up pops another critter. But this time, instead of thinking that God’s Spirit had lifted or questioning why it was here, I took authority. And though it continued to boldly head my way, instead of thinking that something was wrong, I bound its ability to bite me. I told that bug, ‘I bind your ability to bite me!’ Jesus said ‘whatever I bind in heaven, is bound on earth (Mt. 18:18).’ In that moment, God opened up Isaiah 54:17 to me. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper...’ Though I saw the weapon (the bug), it was not able to prosper (in its efforts to bite me), because I’d taken authority over its ability to prosper. I know this sounds strange, but God teaches us lessons in small ways.
'Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise.’ Proverbs 6:6
God used a bug to teach me a powerful lesson. And if you’ll pay more attention to the lesson, as you are with the fact that I have bugs, then get it. The presence of your enemy means nothing. You’re supposed to see what they’re doing because that’s a part of the bluff. Don’t be distracted by their attacks. Just stay focused on what you’re supposed to do. When those bugs launched their attack, I was praying. And while they were attacking and after their death (cause you know I had to get ‘em) I continued to pray. And the same is true for you. Keep praying and doing what you’re doing and don’t be moved by the pests in your life.
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