"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)
Called To a Spiritual Battle?
I had the privilege of going on a mission trip to Mexico with Reaching The Hungry during the Christmas season. This was one of my first mission trips... and it was life-changing. This trip was not all what I had expected. I had expected to go and make balloon animals and have fun with the children but the Lord had something else in mind. When it came time to register for the trip, I felt a pull to choose prayer as my choice of service so I was placed on the prayer team.
On the way to Mexico, the thought of how I was going to communicate a prayer over people evolved into a puzzling question. However, I realized that the Holy Spirit has no barriers of language. I just needed to trust what it could do. When we got there, we started to set up for the outreach and the prayer team began to pray for one another. While we were praying over one another, my senior pastor had a feeling that God was going to speak destiny over my life and my ministry.
This thought remained in my mind throughout the day but not many people were walking over for prayer. One woman stopped by and asked for healing over her chest and so I, along with a Spanish-speaking pastor, prayed for healing. Immediately after I finished praying, she looked up and took a deep breath. She said that she felt like she could breathe deeply again. I did not realize the impact of what had just happened in that moment but I came to understand that the Holy Spirit was active and moving in this place.
A couple of hours went by and no one else stopped by. I was sitting in a chair and a woman came up to a couple of the other prayer team members. She started explaining to them her situation (which I could not hear) and then they started praying over her. Something was happening in that moment and I felt like I needed to go over there and join them in prayer. After a couple of minutes of agreeing with what was being said and praying for her in my head, I touched her shoulder. Immediately she jolted her shoulder away from my hand. I was a little confused but felt that we were not just praying for this woman, but fighting spiritually for her.
One of the Spanish-speaking pastors started asking her questions (which I could not understand so I just continued to pray over her life). After about 10 minutes and after the pastor was done talking to her, she started to grab her throat. She began to make a gagging motion and was shaking her head. Eventually, she crouched down, continuing to hold her throat. After she had jolted away from my touch I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to continue to hover my hand over her shoulder. As much as I wanted to touch her shoulder, I knew that it was not the time. She was crying as she was crouched over, and everything inside of me wanted to touch her. Then she began to spit up blood and a little after her countenance completely changed. Then I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to touch her; I did. I could see freedom in this woman. She looked up with a face of complete shock and peace. We gave glory and praise to the Lord for freeing this woman from her bondage.
She then got up and began to hug everyone around her. There were about eight people around her praying for a breakthrough for this woman. Throughout the prayer time, there was three kids, between 10 and 12 years old, also surrounding her. It was an amazing sight to see different generations, different cultures, and different people, all surround this woman and faithfully fight for her freedom. You could see her gratitude. The Lord had brought us all together for this woman. Each of us had played a role in her freedom from what was inside her.
She hugged me last and as she did, she turned her head into my chest and started crying. I hugged her for about two minutes letting her hold on to me and cry. I felt the Lord tell me to pray a blessing over her, her children, and her husband. I was crying by this point.
A Spanish-speaking man came over and asked her what had happened when I touched her shoulder. She said that she felt a burning sensation when I touched her. She also said that she wanted to throw me and get me away from her. I was taken aback; my touch was fighting what was inside her.
The pastor then asked what had happened when she hugged me afterward. She said that there was something peaceful and safe about my touch. She just wanted to stay and rest on me; the Spirit was working through me for this woman. She proceeded to say there was something beautiful and peaceful about me. Her daughter also came up, hugged me, and told me thank you. I then hugged the woman once more.
I came to find out that the conversation she and the pastor had amid the praying was about how she was a believer in Jesus who was holding onto not forgiving someone in her life. The pastor told her to free what had manifested inside her through not forgiving. Instantly after he told her to do so, she grabbed her throat. I had not known any of this. I did not know what we were fighting for, but I felt the Spirit very strongly.
His voice was so clear in what I was to do. We were fighting for her life. We were fighting for victory over whatever was held up inside her. Whether it be a demon, spirit, or anything else, it was holding onto her and keeping her from walking in victory. The Lord had used my touch to fight what was inside this woman. He used me to provide a place of peace and rest. I was shaking afterward and not truly understanding what was going on.
God had used me and simultaneously He brought me back to what my pastor said. God spoke destiny over my life and my ministry through this woman. While I am unclear of what that looks like, I have never felt the Spirit so active than in this moment with this woman. What a beautiful moment it was when the Lord freed this woman. I'm extremely grateful for this trip and all that the Lord did.
Have you been called to a spiritual battle?