Several weeks ago, my husband, Bobby, who is a local community pastor, had a significant dream. He was meeting with the pastors from our city when several large angels dropped down from the rafters with a message. They looked at the gathering and told my husband, “They don’t know the battle that’s coming. They are unaware.”
As the dream unfolded, the angels started forming smaller groups with these pastors based on their interests and relationships. It appeared their connection with one another was organic in nature, not planned or coordinated by a campaign or project. The heavenly host was drawing these pastors together for heart-to-heart connections with one another to help prepare the way.
After a while, Bobby asked the largest angel if there was anything else they had to say. The angel then said, “People must move from being consumed about their natural health to being consumed about their spiritual health.”
Bobby sensed that “natural health” referred to more than just a preoccupation with one’s physical well-being. It had to do with the attention given to human desires, fleshly pursuits and temporal matters as opposed to a concern about the spiritual man and eternal realities. It was a call to pay attention to one’s spiritual well-being and depth of perception and not focus so much on things that are temporary.
“So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18, NLT).
As watchmen in our community, we knew this was a prayer alert to take seriously. I also believe this is a reality in many other communities across the nation. The pastoral community is largely focused on caring for the sheep and addressing physical, mental and emotional needs of the body. This is certainly a part of their grace and their call.
And yet, if the spiritual leaders in a city do not rightly discern things according to the Spirit of God, they will be caught unaware of the true battle in the heavenlies (see 1 Cor. 2:13). If the spiritual man is not built up, the people of God will not have the wisdom, strength or needed spiritual authority to stand against the enemy in the battles to come.
We know we are already in a spiritual battle in this nation. We see corruption and deception being exposed; but it’s not just in Washington, D.C. The devil’s agenda is targeting many cities in this nation, looking to find footholds in the land. This has already happened in numerous communities where anti-God legislation is now the rule of thumb and biblical, conservative values are being voted out of the city books.
The only way for this to stop is for local leaders to rise up with one voice and say no. The only reason our spiritual adversary continues to take ground is because the righteous stay silent and pastors are hesitant to get involved. There is a rise of local pride parades, drag-queen story hours, acceptance of the Islamic ideology, stripping of parental rights, same-sex bathroom laws and the list goes on. These realities are no longer in some foreign country or metropolitan city. They are taking up residence in any town that lets them.
The doors that have been opened by the politically correct are now allowing anti-God and anti-faith initiatives to flood communities and towns that were once considered “safe.” My husband’s dream should serve as a wake-up call to local pastors as well as other spiritual leaders in communities to look outside their own front doors to truly “see” what is happening. Though the practical needs of the flock will always require attention, there is a spiritual war going on, and it’s about to get bigger if no action is taken.
Being a part of the pastoral community, I can vouch for many pastors who are taking heed, praying for their cities, getting involved in their communities and taking a stand for righteousness. But there are many who are still unaware and simply not ready. There are many who are ill-equipped to lead the charge and take the necessary steps to empower the people of God in their cities. They need our prayers and our support.
Pastors also need one another. Unless you walk in their shoes, it is impossible to understand the pressures and overwhelming responsibilities these pastors face. Many are simply not gifted to be charismatic leaders or cultural change agents. They are primarily shepherds and truly love their sheep. Unfortunately, there are also those leaders who have no vision for their community as much as a drive to grow their own ministry. It is only when the Holy Spirit captures their heart that any shift will occur.
Every city will be different, and every community will have a unique strategy and vision. Even so, the common thread among the many communities that are experiencing God’s favor and blessing, is that the pastors not only work together but truly value one another. Ultimately, it will not be the carefully crafted city-wide campaigns that will bring lasting change, but the heart-to-heart connections of the local body, starting from the top, that will create a covering of protection and power that no spiritual adversary will be able to penetrate.
What is most needed is a deep-felt hunger for spiritual things. As the angel told Bobby, we must all become more conscious and aware of the things of the Spirit and our role in these spiritual conflicts. We desperately need a move of the Holy Spirit that not only wakes us up but fills us with a passion and zeal of the Lord that compels us to speak up, lead the charge and prepare the way for kingdom transformation. {eoa}
Wanda Alger is a field correspondent with Intercessors for America. She ministers with her husband in Winchester, Virginia. Follow her blog at wandaalger.me.
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