Anointing the Land

Fighting Back Against Spiritual Attacks

Demonic spirits were messing with my sleep and that was not okay. I knew how to discern the atmosphere and fight the battle of light versus darkness.

While there are multiple ways to battle in the spiritual realm, there are two basic ways to begin in a space, such as a house. One is to pray out the bad spirits by name when the Holy Spirit gives you such discernment. And another is to pray in the good spirits by name, as written in Galatians 5. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Cleansing the Home and Inviting the Holy Spirit

I began praying through the house including each of the rooms welcoming the Holy Spirit, praying in the fruits of the spirit, and commanding any evil spirit to leave (in the name of Jesus). As I finished the interior space, I sensed the leading of the Holy Spirit to do the outdoor spaces, garage, patios, porches, and to walk the perimeter of the land.

As the property is fully fenced, I would later be instructed to walk the exterior perimeter of the land as well. The view, my perspective from the outside, changed even though I was looking at the same thing (the roof for example). By standing back or outside the fence, I was able to see things differently. With each item spotted, I would ask the Holy Spirit what I was looking at and why. You can try this over your own home.

Discovering Darkness at the Wendy Shed

On this property were two additional buildings. The main house had been separated into two homes, one which is now being used as an Airbnb and there was a shed. Called a “wendy shed” the origin would later be discovered as a place where the man of the family would go to escape. I had heard of these in West Virginia in my husband's family, but this generally occurred when there were a lot of children and the man needed some quiet time after work or just an escape from the growing and needy family.

The Airbnb was vacant that day so I prayed through each room of that space. This only left the Wendy Shed. When you are praying through spaces, you should be able to sense if there are dark spirits. It is hard to explain, but you can feel it. Sometimes emotions will overtake you.

This was the case with the Wendy Shed. From the moment I opened the door, I knew something bad had happened here. My spirit was grieved and angry at the same time. I not only prayed, but I got some prayer partners on the phone as well and we all asked the Holy Spirit what we needed to know.

Unearthing the Sin and Redeeming the Land

It was confirmed by the Holy Spirit that something dark had taken place on this land. It was connected to the darkness I experienced when praying through the garage. Going back to the garage led us to more clues. We began a search through public records, historical documents and blueprints of the property which began to confirm and highlight information the Holy Spirit was sharing. The owner also had information from the neighbor who had lived in the neighborhood with two previous owners. Although some may have been gossip, much was able to be confirmed.

Sins of the families who lived on the property were being revealed. Generational lines of unforgiveness between two sisters were common knowledge in the neighborhood and this had escalated over time. We believe that there was a murder on the property and that the land was crying out just as it did in Genesis with the story of two brothers, Cain and Abel, not 100% certain, but it’s what we sensed from the Holy Spirit.

We began to repent of the sin, honor the deceased and take tangible steps as instructed by God. Eventually, more of the story would come to light. We would burn some of the items involved and dispose of them as instructed in Deuteronomy. Our obedience would free the spirits hovering over this land. This was God’s desire as he wanted to right the wrongs and redeem the land.

This day, I would spend hours praying, anointing, weeping, repenting and sitting with God. It would not all be finished this day, but huge steps of faith were taken and decades of sin were being exposed. We do have the privilege of repenting for the sins of others. Our family. Our cities. Our country. And more.

Experiencing God’s Redemption and Rest

You see, God had other plans for the Wendy Shed and for this property. We didn’t know it that day, but he was just beginning his plan of redemption.

We prayed over the people living there. And eventually I fell into bed. The spiritual atmosphere had definitely shifted. That night I slept 9 hours. It was glorious. I felt like a new person refreshed and ready to start my time in South Africa still thinking I was prepared for the reason God brought me here.

Insert baseball picture

The Battle Wasn’t Over Yet

I showered and dressed, prepared to go watch the boys play baseball with their youth leagues. The weather was beautiful. The sun was shining. It was the first time in four days I had left the property. I thought this battle was over. I was, oh, so wrong.

With a ten minute ride to the ballfield and two games to watch, the day was looking bright. Thirty minutes after arrival, my stomach began rumbling. South Africa is not like America. There were no restroom facilities, portable or otherwise. It was a five minute walk to the car and a ten minute drive to the house. I had no reason to think that passing gas would soil my underpants. And yet, that is exactly what happened.

What I thought was simply a physical issue turned into a diabolical spiritual battle that would span several days into weeks.

One peaceful night of sleep deceived me from the real plan of the enemy.