WE HAVE FOUGHT HIM BEFORE— DECLARING WAR ON HALLOWEEN
Spending Shekinah with people in song and prayer has been a tradition for us on October 31st for the last few years. This is a night we shine our lights as Christians really bright against the power of the adversary, declaring that he has no power over our homes this evening. Instead of hiding in the basement as we have for years, with all the lights off, we now celebrate life, light, and holiness by gathering with others —saying this house is a house for the Lord—remembering that our God is stronger than any opposition and that He will ultimately triumph. Shekinah in Hebraic literature means “God’s manifested glory” or “God’s presence” whenever ten are gathered for prayer.
QUICK ANOTHER PLAN
This year I had again planned a gathering to gather in prayer, sing sacred songs, and possibly hold a gospel discussion. I had a large banner that read “Holiness to the Lord” made for my front door and lights leading up to the front porch. I was ready for “battle” in declaring my home stood for something. We have loved the feeling and the presence of the Lord that can come through this special evening, all while the world is celebrating the Evil One. However, this year took us on a detour away from singing praises with others as many of us were sick. After canceling our planned gathering with friends, I was left with no idea what we would do in an effort to thwart evil.
As thoughts of ‘standing for truth’ circled in my head, I finally had a low-key idea hoping it would do! Standing against opposition comes most times through knowledge and knowing who you are —so began an idea in reading our Patriarchal Blessings as a family and a new tradition was born.
WHEN WE LEARN OUR IDENTITY
The Lord says when you are awake, you need to stand up and bear testimony of truth because we did not come down at this time as an accident. What we do now will determine what kind of future our children and our grandchildren will have. This knowledge comes from knowing who we are and learning our identity.
So, with our blankets and a warm fire in the house, we gathered to sing a few songs and then began sharing our Patriarchal Blessings, and admonitions the Lord had given us along with all of His beautiful promises. A peaceful spirit entered the room, bringing a determined resolution to rise. It had been many years since we had listened to each other’s sacred blessings, and now hearing each other’s forewarnings, counsel and gifts brought us together as a family in the cause of right to really unite us stronger as a family in battling the opposition. Lucifer already knows who we are from the other side, and has his demons at full guard next to us hoping we will never know who we are. It is we who do not know that we once stood up against the dragon, it is we who have been lulled to sleep with the lustful traditions and shiny trinkets of Babylon. That night as we read our Patriarchal Blessings together as a family, we made a pact to help each other defend against Satan by fulfilling what has been asked by God.
ADDITIONAL BLESSINGS
The rest of the night continued with more blessings. Mark, our son-in-law, gave each of us a Priesthood blessing. From oldest to the youngest sweet words from our Heavenly Father were announced. Hearing those things that were relevant for the moment in our lives fueled the fire, even more, to pick up our sword of truth. Words such as “Satan wishes to have you in his kingdom”, “communicate openly or Satan will destroy your relationship”, or for others “consecrate your life and you will find joy which Satan wishes for you to not experience” and so forth.
“Every father, after he has received his patriarchal blessing, is a patriarch to his own family, which blessings will be just as legal as those conferred by any patriarch to the Church: in fact, it is his right; and a patriarch in blessing of children can only bless as his mouthpiece” (The Gospel Kingdom, ed. G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1943], p. 146).
THIS LIFE IS A BATTLEGROUND
What we thought would be just another October 31st evening— hiding in the dark from sickness, because we could not physically make a stand against the lifeless night of death, instead became one of the most powerful evenings we have shared as a family. That night I was reminded that this life is a battleground and NOT a playground. Our responsibility is to awaken to the contest of ideas and the battle for souls. Before this life, each of us learned that many of us will fall, even the mighty ones. We learned that the weak and the foolish can become the strongest of all. And the battle between good and evil is the same regardless of the time or place. Once we learn who we are, we can defeat the adversary, not just on October 31st by turning on our lights and praying, but every day as we stand for Holiness— for we have fought him before!
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