1 Corinthians 15:33 (New International Version)
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Oujji boards, fortune-telling and other substitutes for
God's authority seem like harmless pastimes to many of our children. But this story
shows that once a door is opened, even innocent people can be affected by what
comes through.
As a very small child, April was afraid of the dark. But
hers was not the typical childhood apprehension. April's parents were involved
with the occult and black magic, and had thus opened their home and their
hearts to a malevolent force April could not explain. Often she sensed
"presences" of both good and evil in her home. But how could she
describe such things to outsiders? Who would believe her?
"Many nights I would lie awake, crying, just
watching these demons sit in my room, waiting for their chance to pounce on a
defenseless child," she says. "I knew there was a God that loved me,
but I didn't understand why He didn't just waltz into my room, in all of His
glory, and destroy these scary things once and for all." At the age of
thirteen, April moved out of her parents' home to live with her aunt and uncle.
But to her dismay, the demons followed. She was plagued with dark frightening
shadows when she lay awake, and nightmares when she slept. Her physicians could
find no physical or emotional reasons for her problems.
When her aunt and uncle realized what was happening,
however, they had a solution. They were both strong Christians, and they
explained that there was power in the name of Jesus. She was to use that
name--reverently but with authority and confidence--the next time she felt
under attack. April was ecstatic. She could hardly wait for the opportunity to
try out this newfound source of strength.
"I remember it so clearly," she says. "It
was a hot summer night, and I was asleep in bed. The room was pitch black, so
dark it seemed almost void of air. Suddenly I was jolted awake by a familiar,
terrifying presence. My fears came rushing back, and I began to sob
uncontrollably." April felt defeated. She could actually see a figure
standing in the corner of her bedroom, watching her, as if he knew that he was
still reigning over her.
But then she remembered---she could pray! And as she did
so, she could feel a transformation taking place. "Jesus, Jesus," she
murmured softly, then with growing boldness. "In the name of Jesus, I
demand that you flee this room! You no longer have control over me." All
at once, she looked up and realized that the ceiling was becoming a white
sheet. Weightlessly, it floated down upon her, covering her completely, cool
and scented like the night air, as if angel wings were embracing her. April was
filled with an amazing sense of peace. The fears that had held her captive for
so many years were gone, never to return.
"Now I am a grown woman, with children of my
own," she says. "And to this day, on those hot summer nights, I find
myself taking cool sheets from the linen closet, and tossing them over my
children as they sleep. I pray that angels protect them, and once again I am
filled with that same peace that brought me though on that night so long
ago."
Dear Lord we pray that we wouldn’t let the things of the
devil get into our lives. We thank You that You are more powerful than any our
way. Help us always call upon Your powerful name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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