Woosh . . .

Imagine a room, filled with people in a kingdom buzzing and chatting, and suddenly the double doors at the room's end open and in comes a son or daughter of the king. There is, somehow, a sudden shift in the atmosphere and everyone pauses and takes notice. If you are on their good side and love them, you find in their presence a strength. If you are on their bad side and hate them, you tremble and glare because you know they carry royal authority, and you know that authority is over you. Whatever you feel about them---good or bad---you are affected by them. You can't help it. They are royalty . . .

Tonight I wasn't going to be able to be with Mary Ann as she read to the girls, prayed with them, and tucked them in. I suddenly felt compelled to pray over her before she went to do it (sometimes it isn't as pretty as it sounds if the girls are tired or push it). As I was praying over her I found myself saying, suddenly, out loud, something to the effect of, ". . . and I remind you, Satan, that Mary Ann is a daughter of the King. She is the daughter of the Creator of the Universe. She is related to Jesus of Nazareth, who defeated you and whom you hate. Where she is you have no authority because she is the King's own."

I don't know how to describe it---it wasn't like it was a vision or anything---but suddenly, as I spoke, I saw her in my mind "gliding" into the girls' room and as I saw that I felt(?) "woosh" (a highly theological term, I know) as I suddenly felt/perceived the power of her royalty as the daughter of the King. It sounds funny, but it is really the best word: woosh. I literally could feel the spiritual presence she would carry into the room that, like a wind, would touch the farthest corners of the room and alter the entire room. As I reflected on it in the moments that followed, I thought, "I'll bet that is how it is in the spiritual realm when a follower and lover of Jesus comes in. Woosh, and the room takes notice as someone royal just entered and the entire room's atmosphere and attention shifted."

I think we don't realize who we are in the spiritual realm as God's adopted children who carry His authority and Holy Spirit. I think this is because we too often interpret who we are by how we FEEL about ourselves, and not by who God says we are: forgiven, loved, adopted, sealed, His children, joint heirs with Christ, those with bold access to His throne, His chosen people, His ambassadors, those who operate in His name (authority). While, in reality, we carry HIS righteousness, HIS authority, HIS seal, HIS Spirit, we FEEL all OUR darkness, OUR failures, OUR aging bodies, OUR lack of faith, and we identify that as who we are.

I wonder if, when we enter a room, feeling like we are just sort of dragging ourselves in, there maybe really is a "woosh" in the spiritual realm---the angelic hosts notice and, marveling at this love of the King they can't quite fathom, say, "There is one of the King's children---one whom He died for and loves and whom He has a covenant bond with and who speaks for Him," and the hosts of darkness draw back and tremble and hope that we don't realize who we are or begin to exercise our place of authority over them and their works.

I don't know how theologically correct all that is, but I have a feeling it might be more true than we realize.

---Think about who our God is, and who He has made us to be. It is actually amazing!

---Reflect on the testimony we have from the Gospels and Acts of the early disciples and Apostles when they understood and walked in the authority Jesus gave them. We don't see drawn out, flamboyant, long-winded, fever-pitched battles and screaming. They simply spoke and commanded (I get the sense probably quietly and confidently) and darkness and its works (sickness, bondage, torment, etc.) submitted.

---Think about Genesis 20 when Abimelech (a gentile) was right and on the higher ground and Abraham (God's covenant partner) was at a low point of faith and conduct. It was still Abraham's prayers that were required to heal Abimelech's household! Even at his weakest, Abraham carried more influence in the spiritual realm than Abimelech did at his strength! What a lesson in who we are in Christ that is for us, the children of God in the New Covenant!

When we meditate on these things it becomes no wonder the Bible promises that the devil WILL flee when we resist him. It is no wonder Bill Johnson could say that when a Christian enters a room the entire equation and situation changes because the Spirit (presence) of God Almighty enters with him (or her).

I wonder, if we really realized who we are in Christ and actually walked it out each day bringing that awareness and authority to bear in every situation we are in, what this world would look like . . . I wonder what might happen if we spoke in Jesus' name and actually expected something to happen---expected it to the point where we would be shocked if it didn't . . . I wonder . . .