“Remember how sure you were, and remember how no one in your Sunday school class appreciated what you had to say?”
“Who are you to think that you hear better than all these people? No one in this room except you—the brand new Christian—believes that this jail is from the Lord. Don’t you think you’re being a little arrogant? And we all know that arrogance is a sin,” added Intimidation.
Confusion broke over her like waves; she felt like she was going crazy. Malta suggested she open her Bible to Matthew chapter 25. She half expected it not to be there. When she read verse 36, “I was naked and You clothed Me; I was sick and You visited Me; I was in prison and You came to Me….” she started to cry again. Malta gently whispered, “Yes Sarah, you heard from the Lord. See how the Holy Spirit rests on you when you read this verse? Do you feel how your heart grieves when you hear plans that go against Father’s heart?”
“Intercede for Father’s will, not the will of the people, to come to this town,” said Joel. “Never stop standing for God’s will, even if you feel like you’re standing alone. You’re never alone when you’re standing for Father.”
Malta was incensed from listening to 45 minutes of prayers that were addressed to God, but were contrary to His will, all begging Him to do something He had no intention of doing.
“Get up Sarah,” encouraged Malta. “You’re the only one here tonight who can pray God’s will about the jail—the only one!”
With great physical and emotional effort, Sarah shuffled toward the microphone. Joel and Malta were providing invisible yet necessary support on her right and left. She was trembling as she bowed her head and closed her eyes.
“Lord,” she began, her voice wavering, “I believe You’ve shown me that this jail is Your will. I know that’s not a popular thing to say. I also believe that You showed me that I and other church members have the responsibility to visit the inmates and tell them about Your love for them. So I would just ask that You bring about Your will in our town on this matter.” When she opened her eyes and looked up, the whole congregation was staring at her. She had planned to read Matthew 25, but realized she would break down sobbing if she tried. She felt far too vulnerable to cry in front of this group. She closed her Bible and with her two unseen helpers imparting strength to her fragile frame, she shuffled back to her seat. As she passed each pew, heads turned to watch her go by. The silence was loud.
I should have expected this from her, thought Paul. Why am I not surprised? Now how do I close this meeting? Lord, how do I wrap this up nice and neat?
“Why do you want things nice and neat Paul? Jesus stirred controversy everywhere He went,” said Saldu. “Desire the truth, not the path of least resistance. You don’t need a wish bone, you need a back bone.”4
He walked slowly to the microphone. “Lord, thank You for the people who came out tonight to pray; bless them. Thank You that You see what lies ahead for our church and community. Bring Your will to pass. Amen.”
Sarah didn’t understand the impact that her prayers would have in Heaven, but she was pretty sure that between Paul and the church members, she’d just signed her social death warrant.
Lying immediately criticized Respectability and Intimidation for their failure at keeping Sarah from praying.
“Don’t worry,” said Respectability, “this is just round one. There’ll be lots of other opportunities.”
Driving home, Paul vented to Kathy.
“I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it,” He gestured wildly with his hand. “But yeah, I really can. If I’d expected anyone to stand in opposition, I’d pick Sarah.”
“Be nice. She has a right to pray her conscience. Last I checked this was still America, you know.”
“Very funny. You obviously don’t understand the seriousness of the situation. Her actions are just going to cause division and strife. She’s going to get everyone all riled up, even more than they are now, if that’s possible.”
“Well, maybe the Lord did speak to her.”
“Are you crazy? She’s clearly in the minority; her views oppose every other church member’s and my own. Either she’s deceived or I am. One of us sure needs to hear more clearly. We can’t both be right.”
“That’s right, Paul,” said Saldu. “The humble man can consider the possibility that he may be the one who is incorrect. Don’t rationalize, don’t cover up. Just admit your mistake, apologize, and go on; that’s humility. Losing at something doesn’t make you a loser, and failing at something doesn’t make you a failure. The Lord is waiting with open arms to show you the real plans He has for your life and ministry. You must learn to seriously consider the possibility that you are wrong. Defensiveness is hidden pride.”
The silence in the car the rest of the way home was as thick as the darkness outside.
Joel and Malta stood at the foot of Sarah’s bed while she slept that evening, as they did every night.
“She’s sleeping fitfully,” said Joel.
“She knows she’s a leper in the eyes of the church.”
“Especially with Paul. He has a sincere heart, but he’s just too ambitious for his own good—not for Father’s good.”
“He’s filled with pride and wants the people’s approval more than anything. More than he wants to hear from God, although he doesn’t know that yet; more than he wants his marriage to work, and more than he wants a healthy relationship with his son,” said Malta.
“He’s paying way too high a price for things that don’t satisfy. Father is trying hard to put him on the right path, but he’s actively resisting. It’s a shame the damage that will be done in the mean time.”
“God always resists the proud. The only path to exaltation is through the small door called humility. You have to crawl through on your knees, and that is repulsive to Paul.”
“I rejoiced when Sarah found the boldness to pray tonight, especially with Respectability and Intimidation whispering in her ear. What courage she has to go against the flow.”
“That’s exactly what Paul lacks,” said Malta, shaking his head.
“Only in church could you pray for God’s will to be done and stir up a hornet’s nest!”
CHAPTER 10
“Q: What are the four virtues of the Christian life?” “A: Humility, humility, humility, humility.”
Bernard of Clairvaux1
A hornet’s nest was putting it mildly. Sarah was the hot topic with everyone who’d been at the prayer meeting. Wilma’s auto dial numbers one to nine, got a workout. Frustrated, she deleted Sarah from number ten. That same verse about bearing false witness kept popping into her head, but with persistence she was able to throw it off again. This was just too juicy not to tell. By the time those who attended had called those who hadn’t, practically the whole church had heard.
Ardare’s heart was breaking as he watched the malevolent spirits of Gossip and Slander tighten their stronghold on Wilma’s mind. His hand was on his sword, but he knew he could not draw it without her repentance and cry for help. He shook his head, “The tongue weighs mere ounces, but show me the man or woman who can hold it.”
Oblivious to the supernatural realm or the spiritual warfare around her, Wilma dialed the phone again. The spirits taunted Ardare before turning their attention back to Wilma. Then they whispered destructive lies clothed as truth.
Joel and Malta were still there when Sarah woke in the morning. They hadn’t slept, but weren’t tired. They had never slept since they were created, not even a catnap, but they never grew weary. They were always watching, always alert, always diligent to carry out God’s will. After Sarah had her prayer time, they watched as she struggled to sit up and position herself on the edge of the bed. She rocked back and forth, exerting great effort to make it to her feet. She shuffled off to the bathroom.
“Their temporal bodies always wear out from one affliction or another. Thank the Lord that their eternal spirits don’t perish along with the flesh.”
By the time Sara
h got dressed and out of the bathroom, she was a little steadier on her feet. She made a pot of coffee, ate a bowl of cereal, and then started her prayer walk circuit. When she had the strength, she would prayer walk three blocks, on a really good day, four.
Sarah was forcing herself to come out of her shell. As she walked she made an effort to say “Hello” and introduce herself to her neighbors who were out in the yard. When she didn’t know who lived in one of the houses on her four-block prayer route, she checked the mailbox so she could pray for the family by name.
Lord, let me make it four blocks today. I hear that Linda Sprague fell and broke her arm last week; I’d like to make it to her house. She started down her block, flanked on each side by her unseen intercessory companions. They protected her from hazards and demonic attacks she never knew existed. But, unbeknownst to her, one of the biggest foes she had was right inside the house at 1745 Cypress Drive, and his name was Pastor Paul.
Sarah stopped in front of his house and prayed, Lord, let him see the truth about this jail. Show him the same way You showed me. Let him have compassion for the prisoners. Draw near to him and bless him; bless his wife and sweet son. Send guardian angels to protect them. Let them be healthy and have enough money. Lord, if it’s Your will that Paul be called as full-time pastor, I pray You would show the committee in a clear, unmistakable way. Bless Paul today, let him hear Your voice and feel Your love for him. Amen.
Thanks to Joel and Malta’s assistance, she made it the full four blocks, arriving home in about 90 minutes. She poured a cup of coffee and perused the Gazette, which was still using all caps in 82 font to thwart the new jail. She shook her head. “Jesus, please bring Your will to our town. Don’t let anyone, especially the church members, stop it.” It seems so strange, she thought, that the whole church could be standing in opposition to God’s will. Lord, have mercy on our confusion. She prayed fervently for the church for the next ten minutes.
Then a Scripture reference flitted across her mind, Joel 2:28–29. After a frustrating search for the book of Joel, she gave up and looked in the index, page 1245. She shook her head as she thought, I wish I knew my Bible better; I wish I’d grown up reading it.
And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
She noticed the cross reference, and turned to Acts 2:17–18. She began reading, “‘And it shall come to pass in the last days,’ says God, ‘that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh….”’ How strange, she thought. It’s the same verse in the Old and New Testament. It must be really important.”
“Sarah,” said Joel, “praying in the Spirit is one manifestation of the Holy Spirit. It’s a special prayer language, a spiritual gift from God. It’s like a foreign language; you probably won’t even understand what you’re saying. But, it’s your special, sacred love language with the Lord. It’s your own unique, secret song that only you can sing to Him. Jesus says that those who believe in Him will ‘speak in new tongues.’”2
She began to pray, Lord, pour out Your Spirit on all flesh; pour out Your Spirit on me. I want to experience Your gift of speaking in tongues.
Joel drew his brilliant, two-edged sword. The tip was ablaze. He touched the flame to her lips. “Be filled up and overflowing with the fullness of the Holy Spirit.”
Malta played a melody on his flute that washed over Sarah, and she was hit with heavenly joy. She began to praise the Lord in English, and to her surprise, a flood of unintelligible words rolled out. It was as if her tongue had tripped or suddenly had a mind of its own. Sounds were still coming out, but she couldn’t understand any of them.
For the longest time she prayed and sang in tongues, interspersed with laughter. She had read about speaking in tongues in Paul’s writings3 and in Acts.4 She’d never heard teaching against it or knew it was considered controversial by some so she entered into the experience with wild abandon. Joel and Malta led a full-fledged worship service and Sarah followed along. She raised her hands, she cried, she paced, and she danced with unseen angels as much as her failing body would allow. These treasured petitions in Sarah’s own prayer language were received with great joy by the Father and were echoed by multitudes of angels through His throne room.5
After 15 minutes she flopped down on the couch, physically exhausted.
“Get in the habit of praying in the Spirit all the time. Even if it doesn’t feel anointed, it’s powerful because the Holy Spirit is praying His prayers through you. He prays His perfect will. It’s not tainted by your opinion, preference, or prejudice,” said Malta.
“Also,” said Joel, “since there is no time or distance barriers in the Spirit, you may be praying for people and situations on the other side of the world, things you’d have no way of knowing about. Praying in the Spirit shakes the devil’s kingdom and thwarts his plans.”
Joel turned to Malta, “Because of her obedience, Sarah will do many good works for the Lord. By the time He matures her as an intercessor, she will be armed and dangerous to the enemy’s kingdom. She’s halfway there already.”
“This sweet little woman doesn’t know the devil sees her as a dangerous warrior in the Spirit.”
“Nor does she realize how badly he’d like to take her out.”
In addition to taking their regular beating from Sarah’s prayers during the next day’s prayer walk, plotting against Sarah was more frustrating than ever for the demons.
“Great, just great,” moaned Depression, “She’s got her prayer language. The Spirit of God prays through her now.”
“Shut up! I know what that means. You don’t have to talk about it,” whined Discouragement.
“Can it get any worse?” asked Lying. “We have no weapons that can overcome that.”
They tried several low-level physical attacks—placing twigs on her path or steering her toward cracks on the sidewalk that she could trip over, but these were not even challenges for Malta and Joel.
The three demons crouched behind a rose arbor in a neighbor’s yard. “I just unlatched the gate,” snickered Lying. “When Sarah rounds the corner that Rottweiller will be on her before she knows what hit her.”
Joel sensed something wasn’t right in his Spirit. He paused for a moment and then offered a prayer. “Father, send a spirit of slumber to Rex.” Immediately, Rex trotted to the porch, turned around several times, laid down, and fell asleep. Discouragement and Depression prodded and yelled at him, but he would not be roused. Lying shook Rex’s body violently up and down to no effect.
As Sarah and the angels strolled by the open gate, Joel nudged Malta and then called out with a big smile on his face, “You know what I always say, ‘Let sleeping dogs lie.’”
CHAPTER 11
“God grant me a spirit of humility—but not weakness—in the face of the forces of evil
St. Augustine1
After her walk, Sarah relaxed on her porch swing, thinking about her prayers.
I know that one reason we pray is to develop intimacy with the Lord Himself. I love those times each morning when I meet with Him, but I wonder why we have to pray for things that are God’s will? Shouldn’t those happen by themselves? I know the Bible says it’s God’s will for everyone to be saved.
“Don’t fall for that old line from the enemy. He’d love to see you quit praying,” said Joel. “God’s plan is for everyone to be saved, but He has commanded believers to partner with Him in this redemptive process. He exhorts all Christians to pray for workers to be sent to the harvest field.2 Prayer is a mighty weapon that He gives you from His armory to make sure His perfect will is accomplished. Intercessors are the stewards of God’s promises to the lost, His Church, the nations, and the world. But if Christians fail to pray, God’s full purposes won’t be accomplished.
“Think of all the faithful people in the
Bible who prayed until the answer manifested, even though they knew what they were praying for was God’s will,” said Malta. “For example, remember Elijah and the drought? God said it would rain, but instead of grabbing his umbrella and dancing home like Gene Kelley, Elijah prayed intensely. I was there! It took seven times before even a small cloud came in the sky. Only then did he quit praying.”3
“And don’t forget my friend Daniel,” said Joel, jumping to his feet. “In response to his prayer, an angel was dispatched immediately to answer him. He was hindered by a powerful demon spirit. They fought for 21 days while Daniel continued to pray. Finally God dispatched our marvelous comrade, Michael, to help the angel break through.”4 Malta drew his sword, tossed it back and forth between his hands, and then sliced the air so quickly the blade seemed to disappear. “Your prayers are spiritual warfare that help defeat the enemy’s kingdom by releasing warring angels. There is constant spiritual warfare going on against God’s perfect will and plan.”
“Sarah, there are even times when God stated He would do something and people’s prayers changed His actions. King Hezekiah received a prophecy that he would die. He prayed and the same prophet returned and told him the Lord had granted him 15 more years.5 Moses interceded for the children of Israel.6 Abraham bargained with the Lord to not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there were only 10 righteous people there.7
Joel sheathed his sword and stepped aside as Wesley Kruger, the mailman, came up the stairs and startled Sarah.
“Here ya go, Sarah.”
“Oh, goodness. I was totally preoccupied with my thoughts. Thank you, Wesley,” she said, taking the mail. “You have a nice day.”
“Oh, I plan to, the autumn and spring are always the best time of the year for me weather wise. I’m just enjoying the cool day.”
Angels of Humility: A Novel Page 7
