Eleven years ago I took a trip with my campus ministry to shadow another group at Arizona State University. While I learned a little more about campus ministry while there, one of the things I most clearly remember wasn’t anything about the campus–it was a vision of an enemy attack. On the plane ride there I got to imagining things about the ministry housing we were provided–mostly that a bunch of demons converged on the place. At first I followed along with my imagination, then realized that I wasn’t just imagining the enemy doing something bad–I was being shown a vision of demonic plans. I shared this vision with my roommate, who was also a close friend. Both my roommate and I were regular intercessors for the church so we prayed against the enemy attack in-flight.
The trip was minimally informative, but I recall that one night, four or five days in, I woke up in the middle of the night. This time my vision was of a demon sliding its way into my room. I began to address it in prayer when I began to perceive that this was happening all over the house–my vision had come true and the house was being infiltrated. I walked quietly through the house praying over everyone both in tongues and in English, and still nervous, I attempted to wake a pastor to let him know. Unable to rouse him, I woke my roommate instead. He is very prophetic and became aware of the problem as or before I even told him. We spent some time in prayer over the ministry and everyone there, then went back to sleep.
All was not well on that trip and my roommate and I were on the receiving end of some unpleasant rebukes from a pastor, but what I remember to this day was the difference in response from the pastor and my roommate. My roommate woke up and supported me in prayer when I brought a concern to him. The pastor found out about our prayer session later and informed me that he would have been extremely angry if I had successfully woken him up.
Around this time the church was also going through a period of growth and the Board of Elders were in discussion about buying a new property and constructing a larger church building with gym facilities for outreach. The entire group of intercessors were against it–God had shown each of us separately that the new building was a bad idea. Although we brought this to the pastor’s attention, he had set his mind and ignored the multiple prophetic warnings. The only thing left to do was take it to prayer.
The end result was that they built the building, and ten years later the building is still there, but the church I isn’t. Well, the organization with the same name is there, but half the board and the majority of the pastoral staff left. While one could say that this is normal change, it’s not that everyone moved away from town. Many of them still live there–they just aren’t part of the church or campus ministry any longer.
As I was reminded of these events, it struck me how pivotal not just intercession is, but guided intercession. God is in the business of giving us visions, dreams, and words of direction to know how to pray and how to act in our lives. Whether about a demonic attack or church building project, or for something far more mundane and seemingly unspiritual, God has things He wants to share with you. No part of life is more or less spiritual than another, and God wants to intimately connect with you about life events–ALL life events. He wants to reveal areas of weakness and plans the enemy has to tear you down, but also God’s plans to build you up, encourage you, and set you on a straight path.
While I have enjoyed periods where I was able to spend hours on end in prayer, my life does not support that approach at this time. Nevertheless, God still communicates things He wants me to know and how I can pray His will on earth as it is in heaven. I am not some super-special person that God speaks to differently than everyone else. God has new things to show you, pitfalls to help you avoid, and advice to make your day more enjoyable. I encourage you to take a few minutes today and ask the Lord for wisdom and direction–for your family, your job, and your church, whether traditional or organic. Spend a few more minutes praying over the wisdom God has given you and make your life today just a little bit more like heaven on earth.
Blessings to you.
