And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand:
and thou shalt have no more soothsayers.
Micah 5:12
Something strange and frightening happened to me last night, but the Lord protected me...
and thou shalt have no more soothsayers.
Micah 5:12
Something strange and frightening happened to me last night, but the Lord protected me...
I share this story cautiously and guardedly, as I am not a person given to having lots of dreams and visions or unusual experiences. For all my years as a Christian, this is the first time that I ever experienced what I am about to share.
Last night, I went to sleep after midnight. I said my prayers and then got under the covers. Later I awoke to empty my bladder. It was dark in my cell, and I was very tired. So after I used the toilet, I sat down on my bunk, checked the time on my wristwatch (it was 3:01 a.m.), and I got back under the covers.
Several minutes later, before I had fallen back to sleep, and while I was still fully awake, an ice-cold wind rushed into my cell. I felt it hitting my body. It was scary because the wind blew so hard. It quickly sent chills all over my body.
As soon as I felt this cold wind blowing, I raised my head off the pillow to see if I had left my window open. It was closed. Yet I noticed that none of the paperwork that was on my little desk was blowing around. Then, as I was sitting upright with the covers held up across my chest, I suddenly noticed a black bat flying right towards me. It was moving so fast that I instantly reacted by yanking my blanket in front of me so as to block the bat from crashing into me.
In the dark, I could not tell if the bat actually hit the blanket, or if it quickly darted away. With the possibility of a bat flying around my cell, I did, however, get under the covers. But I kept my head on the pillow while my face stayed uncovered. I was looking for the bat, but I couldn't see it.
Seeing bats flying around the prison is common during the summer. I've had bats fly into my cell before. These buildings with their high ceilings and long corridors, plus being located in the mountains and surrounded by dense woods, is a big draw for these creatures.
I happen to like bats, and they're harmless. If one comes into an inmate's cell, it will usually fly around in circles for a few minutes, until it manages to find its way out through the open spaces between the rows of iron bars that are at the front of each cell.
But the way this bat suddenly appeared, heading straight towards me with wings flapping frenzy-like, all I could do was instinctively throw my blanket up.
This entire experience with the mysterious wind and the flying bat probably lasted no more than fifteen seconds. Yet as I lay on my bunk feeling chilled to the bone, I immediately began to sense that I was in some kind of indefinable danger. So I began to pray out loud and call upon the Name of the Lord.
Then, after about ten minutes of watching for the bat, I decided to cautiously get off my bunk, turn on my cell light, and look around to see if perhaps the bat had hidden itself in my clothing, or perhaps it was hanging up somewhere along the walls. I found nothing, however.
Here I was in my boxer shorts on this hot muggy night, walking about my cell with the light on at 3 0'clock in the morning, poking around for a bat that may have gotten spooked by my sudden movements and sought refuge in the clothing that I have hanging on hooks on one side of my room. Or maybe it slipped into the dark area under my bunk? I searched and found nothing.
I then got back under the covers, but now I was wide awake. Although I was tired, I couldn't fall asleep. I felt unsettled. And as I laid down on my bunk in the darkness, I continued to feel chilled. I had goose bumps all over, and the sense of danger did not diminish.
By this time, however, I understood that this was a spiritual attack of some kind. I began to believe that the bat was not real in a physical sense. But most assuredly something appeared, and it charged towards me.
Finally, though, I got back to sleep around 5:30 a.m. At 6:30 a.m., the wake-up bell rang throughout the cellblock, a bell so loud it would ring in your ears long after it was shut off.
I had to get up for the "count.". Yet I felt very tired as I did not get a normal night's sleep.
Nevertheless, although I was exhausted, I sensed God's peace. I began to sing some gospel songs. I believe that, at this time, God gave me the understanding that someone was trying to cast a spell on me. They were trying to use witchcraft against me. But they were not successful!
God has been so merciful to me. For even this strange and obviously demonic attack--the first of its kind that I have ever experienced---turned out to be a blessing. The Bible says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Therefore, I say that this weird event was a blessing, because it is one more piece of evidence that my life is going in the direction the Lord wants it to go. It has been said by many a preacher that when the opposition against a Christian is the greatest, a spiritual breakthrough is usually right around the corner.
Once more, my faith has been buoyed.
D.B.
Last night, I went to sleep after midnight. I said my prayers and then got under the covers. Later I awoke to empty my bladder. It was dark in my cell, and I was very tired. So after I used the toilet, I sat down on my bunk, checked the time on my wristwatch (it was 3:01 a.m.), and I got back under the covers.
Several minutes later, before I had fallen back to sleep, and while I was still fully awake, an ice-cold wind rushed into my cell. I felt it hitting my body. It was scary because the wind blew so hard. It quickly sent chills all over my body.
As soon as I felt this cold wind blowing, I raised my head off the pillow to see if I had left my window open. It was closed. Yet I noticed that none of the paperwork that was on my little desk was blowing around. Then, as I was sitting upright with the covers held up across my chest, I suddenly noticed a black bat flying right towards me. It was moving so fast that I instantly reacted by yanking my blanket in front of me so as to block the bat from crashing into me.
In the dark, I could not tell if the bat actually hit the blanket, or if it quickly darted away. With the possibility of a bat flying around my cell, I did, however, get under the covers. But I kept my head on the pillow while my face stayed uncovered. I was looking for the bat, but I couldn't see it.
Seeing bats flying around the prison is common during the summer. I've had bats fly into my cell before. These buildings with their high ceilings and long corridors, plus being located in the mountains and surrounded by dense woods, is a big draw for these creatures.
I happen to like bats, and they're harmless. If one comes into an inmate's cell, it will usually fly around in circles for a few minutes, until it manages to find its way out through the open spaces between the rows of iron bars that are at the front of each cell.
But the way this bat suddenly appeared, heading straight towards me with wings flapping frenzy-like, all I could do was instinctively throw my blanket up.
This entire experience with the mysterious wind and the flying bat probably lasted no more than fifteen seconds. Yet as I lay on my bunk feeling chilled to the bone, I immediately began to sense that I was in some kind of indefinable danger. So I began to pray out loud and call upon the Name of the Lord.
Then, after about ten minutes of watching for the bat, I decided to cautiously get off my bunk, turn on my cell light, and look around to see if perhaps the bat had hidden itself in my clothing, or perhaps it was hanging up somewhere along the walls. I found nothing, however.
Here I was in my boxer shorts on this hot muggy night, walking about my cell with the light on at 3 0'clock in the morning, poking around for a bat that may have gotten spooked by my sudden movements and sought refuge in the clothing that I have hanging on hooks on one side of my room. Or maybe it slipped into the dark area under my bunk? I searched and found nothing.
I then got back under the covers, but now I was wide awake. Although I was tired, I couldn't fall asleep. I felt unsettled. And as I laid down on my bunk in the darkness, I continued to feel chilled. I had goose bumps all over, and the sense of danger did not diminish.
By this time, however, I understood that this was a spiritual attack of some kind. I began to believe that the bat was not real in a physical sense. But most assuredly something appeared, and it charged towards me.
Finally, though, I got back to sleep around 5:30 a.m. At 6:30 a.m., the wake-up bell rang throughout the cellblock, a bell so loud it would ring in your ears long after it was shut off.
I had to get up for the "count.". Yet I felt very tired as I did not get a normal night's sleep.
Nevertheless, although I was exhausted, I sensed God's peace. I began to sing some gospel songs. I believe that, at this time, God gave me the understanding that someone was trying to cast a spell on me. They were trying to use witchcraft against me. But they were not successful!
God has been so merciful to me. For even this strange and obviously demonic attack--the first of its kind that I have ever experienced---turned out to be a blessing. The Bible says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Therefore, I say that this weird event was a blessing, because it is one more piece of evidence that my life is going in the direction the Lord wants it to go. It has been said by many a preacher that when the opposition against a Christian is the greatest, a spiritual breakthrough is usually right around the corner.
Once more, my faith has been buoyed.
D.B.
