SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN THE FIRE OF AFFLICTION
April 15, 2022 10:55 AM
DANA R
On 3/4/2022 I dreamed that I attended a dinner party. Now the configuration of the room was a bit peculiar since there were many dinner tables surrounding a massive floor-to-ceiling oven with a glass door.
As I walked by the oven, I happened to glance inside and, lo and behold, I saw many different animals being cooked. But it was the miniature horse that caught my attention. You see, when he blinked, I realized that he was still alive! In fact, all the animals were still alive!
WHOA!
I just could not believe my eyes! In shock and dismay, I quickly tracked down the hostess to report the matter. Strangely, she did not seem the least bit upset, but stated that this was the way they had always prepared food. So, then I began telling others about the situation, but no one seemed very concerned. End of dream.
At first, I had no idea what the Lord was trying to say. Then I came across an old journal entry that shed some light on it. On 7/23/2021 in a vision I saw me about to walk into an oven. End of vision.
So basically, I was the horse in the fire! That’s right. The Lord wanted me to talk about my six-month ordeal of sexual slavery, which I first introduced in my testimony “Saved from the Fowler’s Snare”.
You see, that story did not end there on 12/23/2021. What happened is that my first attacker was replaced by attacker #2!
Now at the time I was convinced that my ordeal was over and that I was out of the woods. So, when attacker #2 showed up right after Christmas, I was thrown for a loop. I just could not understand why it was continuing. The Lord had shown me tangibly on 12/23 that He could intercede and save me at any time, so why was the torment ongoing? Why didn’t He deliver me from it once and for all?
One day I came across an article by Anita Alexander called “Dancing in the Rain”. When she was going through a very difficult time, the Lord said to her:
“Anita this season is not about you learning to use your faith to change the unfavorable situations, I already know you can do that. I know you believe I can perform for you. This season is about being able to be at peace in an unfavorable circumstance or situation. That takes great faith indeed.”
Now that was a lightbulb moment! I had not yet mastered the fruit of the spirit of long-suffering. Long-suffering is an adjective that describes someone who patiently endures negative situations for long periods of time without complaining. You see, when I am in extreme duress, I tend to moan and complain. And let’s just say, there was a whole lot of that going on!
One night in January, I was in extreme agony from a particularly vicious attack. The enemy had forced so much air into my bowels, that my stomach actually looked pregnant. So not only was I dealing with rape and insomnia, but also extreme pain from the gas pressure. I tried the usual things – spiritual warfare, praying in tongues but no relief.
Then I remembered a word God gave me in May of 2018. He said, “PREPARE FOR WAR.” When I asked how, he said “2 CHRONICLES 20”.
Now that passage describes what to do when you are surrounded by the enemy on all sides, and you are out of options. The take-away from that passage is that when they began to sing and praise the Lord, He showed up for them! So, I figured that I was going to sing to Jesus.
Now there was just one little problem with my plan. You see, I cannot sing. I am 100% tone deaf. It doesn’t matter if I sing high or low or somewhere in between, my voice literally breaks in all the wrong places. The result is more like a croak than anything resembling music.
The other little problem was that I really did not know any praise and worship songs except for The Goodness of God by Jenn Johnson.
But hey, I was desperate. Perhaps those demonic spirits would run away screaming just to get away from my off-key notes. Since I only knew the chorus, that is what I sang, over and over.
All my life you have been faithful.
All my life you have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able,
I will sing of the goodness of God.
After a few minutes something quite peculiar happened. Suddenly my voice did not break any more. Suddenly, it did not sound off key anymore. Not only that, but dare I say, it almost sounded like music!
After about 30 minutes of singing, I noticed that the pain in my abdomen started to decrease. It went from feeling like knives piercing my insides to strong discomfort. Then it decreased further to just mild discomfort. At that point, I actually fell asleep.
Another time, I decided to pray PSALM 91 out loud. But I didn’t just read it, I turned it into my own personal protection prayer and DECREED those promises. I changed all the 3rd person pronouns to 1st person like this:
Father,
I DECREE in the name of Jesus that because I dwell in the secret place of the Most High, therefore me and mine shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely, He shall deliver me and mine from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence. He shall cover me and mine with his feathers, and under his wings shall we trust: his truth shall be our shield and buckler.
We shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day; Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at our side, and ten thousand at our right hand; but it shall not come near me and mine. Only with our eyes shall we behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because we have made the LORD, who is our refuge, even the most High, our habitation; There shall no evil befall me or mine, neither shall any plague come near our dwelling places.
For He shall give his angels charge over me and mine, to keep us in all our ways. They shall bear us up in their hands, lest we dash our feet against a stone.
We shall tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the serpent shall we trample under foot in Jesus’ name.
Because we have set our love upon Him, therefore Jesus will deliver us: He will set us on high, because we have known His name.
We shall call upon Jesus, and He will answer us: He will be with us in trouble; He will deliver us, and honor us. With long life will God satisfy us, and show us His salvation. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen
I figured that the Lord must have liked what I did with His psalm since He gave me the following vision that very night:
1/22/2022 (Vision) I saw two women riding horses. One of them did acrobatics off the side of the horse while still on the horse!
And this one too right after praying Psalm 91 out loud after another particularly vicious attack:
On 2/26/2022 (Vision) I saw a performing rodeo horse and rider. Its rider did tricks while standing on the horse.
On 4/11/2022 (Vision) I saw a woman stand up on the seat of a moving motorcycle as it raced down the road. She put her arms up in the air in the form of a V like victory!
On 11/8/2020 (Vision) I saw T_R_U_M_P in a boxing ring. He was wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled up over his head. He was grinning from ear to ear. Then he raised both of his hands up in the air (like a V) and confetti rained down. End of visions.
Now you might think the last vision is political or pertains to a particular person. Well, I think the Lord was referring to the T_R_U_M_P type of Christian, which I first described in “Get off the Fainting Couch”.
You know the type I mean. He’s the one who knows his authority in Christ and knows how to wield the sword of the spirit (Word of God) with expert precision. He’s the one who trusts in Jesus no matter how bad things look in the natural. He’s the one who just won’t give up or give in to the enemy because he knows that God is on his side. He knows that if God is for him, who can be against him. Victory is his for the taking. He just needs to stand on the Word of God and proclaim it!
Scriptures
PSALM 22:3 But you are holy, O you that inhabit the praises of Israel.
DANIEL 3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods. 26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spoke, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the most high God, come forth, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth out of the midst of the fire. 27And the satraps, administrators, and governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, SAW THESE MEN, UPON WHOSE BODIES THE FIRE HAD NO POWER, NOR WAS A HAIR OF THEIR HEAD SINGED, NEITHER WERE THEIR COATS AFFECTED, NOR HAD THE SMELL OF FIRE COME UPON THEM.
2 CHRONICLES 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endures forever. 22AND WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING AND TO PRAISE, the LORD set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who were come against Judah; and they were defeated.
PSALM 100 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all you lands. 2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3Know you that the LORD he is God: it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.
ACTS 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
PSALM 149:5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. 6Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
SONG OF SOLOMAN 2:14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for sweet is your voice, and your countenance is lovely.
PSALM 118:13 You have thrust hard at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me. 14The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. 15The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
PSALM 118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 20This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. 21I will praise you: for you have heard me, and have become my salvation.
ISAIAH 42:10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the ends of the earth, you that go down to the sea, and all that is in it; the coastlands, and its inhabitants. 11Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar does inhabit: let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the coastlands.
ROMANS 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
PHILLIPIANS 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
ROMANS 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
PSALM 98:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he has done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, has gotten him the victory.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 JOHN 5:4 For whoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 5Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
