I went back and forth on this particular article, even renaming it, and keeping it as a draft for quite a while now. I felt like God gave me this thought, but I never felt like it was complete. Well, I feel God took me in a new direction this morning, and I pray it admonishes us to WATCH AND PRAY! This article hits me personally, and a thought I feel we can all glean from. It’s a sobering call to ALL SPIRITUAL LEADERS! 

For the last year or so, I’ve had a reoccuring dream. (Disclaimer, I know dreams are usually the affects of a busy mind, but I also believe in the supernatural….not spooky, I just believe God works in mysterious ways!) Now, hopefully I haven’t lost you already, but my dreams have went something like this: In my dream, it’s usually always night time, and I seemed to always be walking around my house. [I have a habit every night before I go to bed, to check all the doors and windows to ensure the safety of my family. It’s an inherent trait I believe God instills in “us men!”] In my dream, I would usually be walking around the house and I would see a man trying to sneak into my home. Many times in my dream, it was the back door, and because I was up and watching, I was able to prevent him from entering my home. Sometimes, I would catch him at the door, other times I would always have a bat (Probably Becuase I’m a baseball player at heart) and would fend off the intruder. This dream got me wondering if the Lord was warning me that someone was going to break in my home??? This definitely heightened my awareness at home. Eleven years ago, three men tried to break down my front door in the night, and that memory has always stuck with me. Thankfully, the Lord kept His hand on us that night! Last night, it seemed the Lord finally showed me what my dream has been about all this time: Last night, I dreamed I was at home with my family, it was late at night and I was on the phone with my father, and I’m talking to him and I happen to look outside and immediately felt an evil presence. The appearance changed outside, and it grew extremely vile looking, and I’m telling my dad “something isn’t right!” So I go to the back of my house to find a window that had been tampered with, and I tell dad, someone has been trying to get in my house. Immediately I see a couple of men walking towards the back of my home, and I ran to grab a weapon, (of course it was a bat!) I hollered to tell my wife to dial 911. By the time I go back into the bedroom, two of them are standing in the room, and this time when I attempt to fend them off, I’m unable to: the bat was useless, and by the time I woke up, I was pinned to the ground by about five men who seemed demonly possessed. Immediately, my mind went to the purpose of my dreams, and the connotation God meant for it: Ephesians 6:12_(KJV) “ 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.”

We have an adversary who is as a roaring Lion roaming and seeking after his victim. He constantly walks around the perimeters of our lives, our families lives, and our homes looking for a broken hedge, or an open window to climb through. He’s relentless, and will stop at nothing to destroy us if he can. Satan thrives on those who fail to WATCH AND PRAY! He thrives on those who slumber in their duty as the protector of their home. He loves to see men consumed with life, and the follies of this world and neglect his God given responsibilites to his family.  If you think this is far fetched: Read the book of JOB! Satan went about roaming the earth looking for his next victim. He approaches God and lets us in on a secret: Satan told God, “I can’t get to Job because there’s a hedge around him and his family!!! Why did he know that? It’s obvious he had already tried to sneak in his back window, but the HEDGE WAS UP!!! Job was a righteous man, one who esteemed his families well being above his own. Job took his responsibility as the leader of his home serious! 

MEN…..we are called to be the watchmen on the wall for our family. We’re called to watch and pray, staying sober and vigilant to ensure our families well being. We are to be prudent, wise as a serpent, and harmless as a dove! It’s our God given responsibility! PETER knew all too well about slumbering, and that’s why he later wrote I PETER 5:8_(KJV) “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” PETER finally realized the devil will never quit looking for a broken hedge, neither should we stop WATCHING AND PRAYING! 

This is a sobering call for all Men to make sure you’re watching and praying for your family. Just as we walk around at night locking all the doors, and checking all the windows; We need to make sure there isn’t a broken hedge in the lives of our wife, or our children. Call their names out before the Lord, and ask God to give us wisdom and discernment to properly be able to lead them. If we don’t, WHO WILL? Men, drop your games, toys, selfish ambitions, and grab hold of the horns of the altar and plead the blood over the lives of your family! This article may seem fanatical, or extreme, but if I can reach out to someone to sober them up, and get them to see the importance of their responsibility, call me what you will. The world is plagued with Spirtual leprosy, where we can’t spiritually discern or feel the principalities working behind the scenes to get us off track, and dull our senses to the reality that the forces of hell are real. The devil is real, and we better WATCH AND PRAY if we plan to keep the hedge up! It’s time to Be GOD FEARING APOSTOLIC MEN THAT HE WANTS US TO BE! Arise out of your slumber, and arm yourself with the Armour of God! 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians 6:10- 6:18 KJV)

God Bless, JDS 🙏