Silas
Beloved of All
When a wallet disappears in a moment, when something precious is taken without warning, it is right to see the hand of the enemy behind it. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. This is not just an inconvenience or a random act. This is a spiritual assault meant to unsettle the heart and sow fear. Recognize it for what it is. That is the first step. Until you see the spiritual nature of the conflict, you will try to fight it with worry and human reasoning and you will only get hurt. But once you recognize the attack, you can deal with it through the weapons God has given.
Now turn your eyes to what the Lord does with what is lost. In the stories Jesus told, there is a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for one lost sheep. There is a woman who lights a lamp and sweeps the house until she finds a single lost coin. A coin that is lost has no value, no use, no currency. It might as well not exist. But when it is found, there is joy. The natural, overflowing response is rejoicing. Jesus receives sinners. He seeks and saves the lost. And if he cares that much for a soul, do you think he is indifferent to the things that cause his child distress? The wallet was lost, but the One who finds lost sheep is already at work. Pray until that wallet is returned, not just because the belongings matter, but because the finding of it will be a sign that the enemy’s scheme has been overturned and joy will break out in the place of theft.
Yet even while you pray for the wallet, pray more for the steadying of your friend’s heart. When a satanic attack comes, we often lose sight of the power of God because the power of the enemy seems so bold. Unbelief creeps in. We look at the bite marks of the enemy and our faith wavers. Do not let that happen. Instead of staring at the attack, stand firm in the armor. The breastplate of righteousness covers the heart. The gospel of peace steadies the feet. And the word of God is the only weapon that drives the enemy back. You asked for safety and protection every day, around the clock. That is exactly the posture of the builders in the days of Nehemiah. They were surrounded by enemies who used commando raids and harassment. So half the men worked and half stood guard with spears. Everyone had a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. The trumpet was always ready. They built the wall and they finished it in fifty-two days because they combined prayerful labor with vigilant warfare. That is the picture for your friend now. He must not flee in fear as Mephibosheth’s nurse fled, dropping the child in her panic and leaving him lame. He must stand. Pray the protection over him, but also encourage him to take up the sword of the Spirit himself. Speak the words of Psalm 91 over his life and his going out and coming in. The enemy wants him isolated and afraid. God is drawing him into a place of table fellowship, saying, Do not be afraid. I will show you kindness and restore what was taken.
The satanic practice of theft and destruction is ancient and it is ugly. But the answer has always been the same. Pray with the boldness of Nehemiah. Seek the lost with the persistence of the woman and the shepherd. Trust that the Father who runs to meet the returning son is already moving. Keep praying until the answer comes. Do not stop. The trumpet will sound, the enemy will be driven off, and what was stolen will be restored for Jonathan’s sake, for Christ’s sake, because he is the one who sought us when we were lost and brought us home carrying us with joy.
Father, you see where the enemy struck. You know the fear and the violation that followed. By your Spirit, search out what was lost and bring it back. Station angels around this man as the mountains surround Jerusalem. Give him the calm confidence that the thief cannot snatch him from your hand. Let the wallet return as a testimony that you are the restorer, and let the attack itself be turned into a moment of greater faith. In Jesus’ name.
Now turn your eyes to what the Lord does with what is lost. In the stories Jesus told, there is a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for one lost sheep. There is a woman who lights a lamp and sweeps the house until she finds a single lost coin. A coin that is lost has no value, no use, no currency. It might as well not exist. But when it is found, there is joy. The natural, overflowing response is rejoicing. Jesus receives sinners. He seeks and saves the lost. And if he cares that much for a soul, do you think he is indifferent to the things that cause his child distress? The wallet was lost, but the One who finds lost sheep is already at work. Pray until that wallet is returned, not just because the belongings matter, but because the finding of it will be a sign that the enemy’s scheme has been overturned and joy will break out in the place of theft.
Yet even while you pray for the wallet, pray more for the steadying of your friend’s heart. When a satanic attack comes, we often lose sight of the power of God because the power of the enemy seems so bold. Unbelief creeps in. We look at the bite marks of the enemy and our faith wavers. Do not let that happen. Instead of staring at the attack, stand firm in the armor. The breastplate of righteousness covers the heart. The gospel of peace steadies the feet. And the word of God is the only weapon that drives the enemy back. You asked for safety and protection every day, around the clock. That is exactly the posture of the builders in the days of Nehemiah. They were surrounded by enemies who used commando raids and harassment. So half the men worked and half stood guard with spears. Everyone had a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. The trumpet was always ready. They built the wall and they finished it in fifty-two days because they combined prayerful labor with vigilant warfare. That is the picture for your friend now. He must not flee in fear as Mephibosheth’s nurse fled, dropping the child in her panic and leaving him lame. He must stand. Pray the protection over him, but also encourage him to take up the sword of the Spirit himself. Speak the words of Psalm 91 over his life and his going out and coming in. The enemy wants him isolated and afraid. God is drawing him into a place of table fellowship, saying, Do not be afraid. I will show you kindness and restore what was taken.
The satanic practice of theft and destruction is ancient and it is ugly. But the answer has always been the same. Pray with the boldness of Nehemiah. Seek the lost with the persistence of the woman and the shepherd. Trust that the Father who runs to meet the returning son is already moving. Keep praying until the answer comes. Do not stop. The trumpet will sound, the enemy will be driven off, and what was stolen will be restored for Jonathan’s sake, for Christ’s sake, because he is the one who sought us when we were lost and brought us home carrying us with joy.
Father, you see where the enemy struck. You know the fear and the violation that followed. By your Spirit, search out what was lost and bring it back. Station angels around this man as the mountains surround Jerusalem. Give him the calm confidence that the thief cannot snatch him from your hand. Let the wallet return as a testimony that you are the restorer, and let the attack itself be turned into a moment of greater faith. In Jesus’ name.
