“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty… You shall not be afraid of the terror by night…” Ps. 91:1, 5a (NKJV)
Nine-Eleven
Just two numbers…
Who knew they could evoke such strong emotions? If you’re old enough, you remember. You remember where you were, what you were doing, and who you were with. You remember that a blanket of fear quickly settled across the globe like a dense fog.
I remember. I remember that Terror, in the form of two airplanes crashing into Twin Towers, had struck a blow that completely dismantled our nation’s foundation of security. I remember that everything changed. We slowed down…even came to a complete halt. But that’s the purpose of Terror…to stop us.
In my own personal life, Terror began striking when I was young and continued on into my adult life. It was the fog that kept me stumbling through my day-to-day activities. It impaired my vision. It hindered my growth. It stopped me from whole-heartedly pursuing God’s purposes for my life, until one day…
Two numbers became three…
Nine-One-One
These three numbers represented my cry to God, the Lover of my Soul, who had gently and graciously wooed me into the Secret Place of prayer and intimate communion with Him. It was there that I felt perfectly loved and perfectly safe. One night during prayer, standing in my closet, I had a vision of myself standing at the foot of the cross. It was quiet and almost dark. Jesus had just said, “It is finished,” and then He died. I stood there for the longest time…and then, the revelation came. Even though I already knew the scriptures about our authority in Christ as believers, it was as if that knowledge suddenly jumped from my head to my heart. I finally “got it.” Satan is such a liar! Jesus had taken any power he had, and he could no longer affect me, unless I let him.
And then I heard the Lord say this, “Satan’s reign of terror is OVER!” And then I heard myself reply, “Satan’s reign of terror in my family is OVER!” After making several other declarations that night, I left my prayer closet and glanced at the clock on my phone. It was just before midnight. My eyes blinked and my jaw dropped as I looked at the date – it was 9/11. Well, the Lord certainly wanted to drive home a point for me.
Two numbers…Nine-eleven, would no longer evoke the feeling of fear, because on 9/11 my “Nine-One-One” cry to God became my night of freedom. Jesus corrected my vision and I have been free ever since.
Scripture readings: Hosea 2:14-15; I John 4:18; John 19:30; Revelation 1:18; Hebrews 12:2; Ephesians 1:18-23 & 6:10-18; Luke 10:19; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Isaiah 54:17
Lord, when terror strikes, lead me to the secret place of prayer. Keep me there until I feel the assurance of Your perfect love for me, and the peace that comes from being in Your presence. Help me to stand for the truth, taking authority over the lies of the enemy, so that I may continue to walk in the freedom that only comes from knowing You.
— Sara Interrante
Comments