The First Answered Prayer

While enjoying the highlights of my military career in Colorado, I was somewhat disgruntled when the Army unexpectedly moved us back to Ft. Novosel (formerly Ft. Rucker) in early 2019. Little did I know that this was all part of the Lord’s plan.

Our children exchanged living close to one set of grandparents for the others, as my in-laws remained in the same house where my wife grew up. After moving to Alabama, we soon connected with a small Baptist church similar in beliefs to those my wife and I grew up with. A year later, the church doors closed as the greatest lockdown in human history began.

Internally, I struggled. I knew Christians were commanded not to live in fear, and we are not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together. Yet, both notions became commonplace among believers. I recognized that these points contradicted scripture, but I couldn’t pinpoint where.

After wrestling with these feelings for a few months, I decided to start reading the Bible for myself, and on a daily basis. I began with the book of Ephesians. Though I had read these passages many times before, Ephesians 6:12 resonated with me like never before:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Immediately after reading this verse, a powerful impression entered my mind: “I’ve committed so much effort and dedication to the physical fight for the Army, achieving unique opportunities that only a handful of aviators ever experience. How do I apply this same level of dedication and tenacity to the spiritual fight, a fight that I really don’t understand? According to this scripture, it is clearly more important.”

This thought was a convicting one but in a different manner; it pointed me toward growth and truth, not the guilt of participating in known sin. Over the next three days, I pondered and prayed over it, calling on God’s promise recorded in James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Three or four days later, while casually conversing with another father from church, he randomly changed the subject: “Hey, let me ask you this: do you ever think about what goes on in the spiritual realm?”

Internally, I smirked, realizing the Lord was involved. “As a matter of fact, yes, I do!” He proceeded to tell me about a book he was listening to. A few days later, I received my own copy of Dr. Michael Heiser’s The Unseen Realm.