On Day 141 of The Red Shoe Project you could find me strolling along the downtown streets of Dundee in my RED shoes. And then, like a revelation from above, it hit me. Remember that thing that I just couldn't quite put my finger on?
First my sister and I
went by Caird Hall...
a concert auditorium.
Next, we walked down the street
to see the Museum.
From there, we had a great view
of The Courier building.
Across the street was Dundee High School.
The kids were just being released for their lunch break.
Street after street
consisted of
flats and shops.
The structures of the big stone churches were bold and magnificent!
And of course we saw
"The Clock."
As I took it all in, I began to notice the architecture of the city was for the most part, Gothic. (Go back and take a look at the pictures). For a moment I thought it funny that it reminded me of Gotham City in the Batman movies. The heavy, stone architecture with its dreary, sharp features reflecting the hard, cold spirit weighing over the land. The mysterious air of depression and indifference covering the city like a cloak, every time the fog creeps in to visit.
Remember my prayer time from the other morning? I closed my eyes to pray and all I saw in the Spirit was Darkness and a Stone Wall. I remember thinking, "What's with that?" And although I didn't get it at the time, I found it necessary to put on the whole armor of God before stepping any further into my day!
Spiritual Oppression of a geographic area is when
a specific area of land, ( a street block, a community,
a town, an entire city, even a country), is spiritually
bound resulting in its doors being CLOSED to the
Gospel message.
The region may appear cold... spiritually lifeless; dark... sinfully rampant; poor and poverty stricken; heavy with indifference, contentions, and rabble-rousing; depressed, sick and broken. The list goes on and on.
It's a buffet of spiritual poverty and
is the result of dark, spiritual forces
of evil hovering over it, taking claim
to it, and controlling it.
Sometimes it has been that way for hundreds of years.
The only way to break through it is
Prayer and Fasting!
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world, and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms."
Ephesians 6:12
Keep in mind, the people may be wonderful. (I know all of the ones I met certainly were!) They may have fine, good paying jobs, terrific families, and kind hearts. But generally speaking, there's an overall heaviness and dreariness in the atmosphere that causes a hardness or "closed" mentality or even an emnity towards God in many.
Now I'm not saying the entire city is completely void of Believers. I wouldn't know that first hand. I'm just a visitor taking a little tour. I'm confident that God has His people in place to win the Lost. And a mighty task they have at hand. They can certainly use our intercessory prayers!
But I can feel the heavy opposition in the spiritual realm. It's a sharp contrast to what I'm used to. It has been weighing on me since the moment I arrived. I have found myself unnecessarily tired and worn down - something that's well beyond jet lag. For days, I have been unable to share a word of testimony... not a word! People aren't interested in the things of God. They aren't interested in a relationship with God. Some are steeped in religion, some in the occult, others are just simply uninterested in Christ. A few have boldly professed to me... "I'm not a Believer!" and have made it clear they have no interest in talking about it further. It's just pushed aside, swept under the rug, quickly forgotten about and the conversation moves on.
But as the song goes... "Nothing is wasted!" God has used this time to present to me, first hand, an impactful lesson on Missions. I will leave this place with a clearer understanding of Spiritual Oppression and Warfare that I never could have imagined had I not experienced it myself. So that's why we need intercessors! So that's why there are times I've woken up in the middle of the night, moved to pray for a land that I know nothing about! Oh that spiritual breakthroughs might take place around the world!
God has changed me! My prayer is that I will never forget what He has shown me. I am certain that He will one day put it to use. He never gives me insight and understanding for nothing. There's always a reason.
Regarding, The Power of Prayer... I still don't know the half of it!
But evidently God is changing that as I travel abroad in RED shoes!
Never again will I take so lightly
the call to intercede for those who
are doing the work of the ministry
in far away places!
Regarding, The Power of Prayer... I still don't know the half of it!
But evidently God is changing that as I travel abroad in RED shoes!
Gail
