Blessings, Family,
Before I get to the invitation, I have a confession to make.
Years ago, I was addicted to Halloween. It’s not something I’m proud of now, but it seemed perfectly harmless at the time. I grew up with trick-or-treating and all the trappings of October 31st, and it was one of my favorite “holidays.”
When I had my own home and family, my house became the consummate haunted house each fall, complete with spiderwebs, Jack-o’-lanterns, and motion-sensor ghosts and witches. I threw some of the best Halloween parties in town.
Yes, I was a Christian, but I would giggle at people who talked about the evils of this day. I convinced myself that it wasn’t the outside that mattered, but what you believed in your heart. The closer I got to God, the more I tried to vindicate my behavior. And the harder it got.
I remember one incident in the checkout line at a department store. I’d just scored big on some creepy decorations for my upcoming Halloween bash. As the checker rang up each item, he commented on the fact that they sold far more Halloween decorations than Christmas decorations. It was an innocent observation, I’m sure, but it stung as if it were a personal judgment against me. It made me angry. How dare he question my loyalty to God!
What I didn’t realize then was that anger is often the response of the spirit of rebellion to God’s truth.
It wasn’t the young checker attacking me, it was the Holy Spirit convicting me.
Believe it or not, I continued to celebrate Halloween. I believed I would be robbing my children of fun and great memories if I suddenly said, “Okay, no more Halloween for us!” And so, as the Lord’s conviction intensified year after year, I decided I was celebrating Jesus’ victory over death and hell, as I spread cobwebs over my home, baked witches’ fingers, made costumes, and carved pumpkins with my family.
As our kids grew more rebellious, and our oldest daughter became obsessed with wearing black and skulls, I told myself it was normal teenage stuff. They would grow out of it. But, one-by-one, our kids left our home—and our faith.
With one child left at home, I finally decided to breech the subject with the Lord. Something I had never dared do before. As October arrived at our doorstep, bringing thoughts of decorating, I finally fell on my face before the Lord and asked simply, “Lord, should I be celebrating Halloween?”
As God often does, He answered my question with His own question.
“Does Halloween glorify ME?”
In that instant, I knew my true nature. As much as I wanted to be a child of God, in my innermost parts, I was drawn to the darkness. I loved all things scary and creepy, regardless of how much I believed Jesus had overcome it. I was a fraud. A hypocrite. I had been asking the Lord to reveal my hidden sin, and He had done it. Big time.
But God had also given me a choice. Continue to do what was familiar and fun or surrender to Him. More than anything else, I wanted more of God. So, I repented of my love of darkness and renounced every unclean spirit I had entered into agreement with through practicing the rites of Halloween.
I broke the news to my husband and daughter and asked for their forgiveness for including them in my sin, and we prayed for forgiveness and God’s covering as a family. Then we filled the back of our pickup with tubs of Halloween decorations I’d worked years to accumulate, and my husband took it all to the dump.
A couple of years later, I found a brief interview on YouTube with evangelist John Ramirez, a former high priest in a Satanic order, who now helps others escape from darkness. He talked about the truth behind the rites of Halloween and just how real and evil they are. I was dumbfounded that I ever thought it was all just harmless fun! If you haven’t already, I encourage you to listen to this eye-opening interview:
I also encourage you all to get a copy of John’s book, Armed and Dangerous: The Ultimate Battle Plan for Targeting and Defeating the Enemy. As a prayer warrior, this has been an invaluable guide to prayer for me.
The Lord began impressing me with the desire to hold all-night prayer vigils on Halloween. It is such an important night for witches, sorcerers, diviners, and all Satanists, and they don’t end their work when all the trick-or-treaters have been tucked into bed. In fact, the enemy’s army never rests. They don’t work for a few hours on Saturday or Sunday and call it a week. They are working their darkness 24/7, and God’s people are called to work the same hours!
“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV
If ever the world needed God’s intervention and protection, it is now! So, I invite you all to join me this October 31st, from 11pm until the dawn of November 1, fasting, praying to and worshiping the Lord our God, for our families, our cities, and our nations. Bring the glory of God to earth and watch the darkness flee!
The Lord has given me visions of this being an annual event in prayer groups and churches all over the world, gathering to pray and worship all night and sitting down to share a meal in the morning. Will you be an igniter in your town?
Please join us. Even if you can’t interest anyone else to join you, you won’t be alone. My family will be standing with you. Remember,
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 NKJV
Please, be sure to write and let me know if you will join us, and how your night goes. I know if we are faithful in this, God will show up in a big way.
I’m including a link to a pdf you can download and print for suggestions on how to pull an all-nighter with God. The important thing to remember is to go into it humbly, allowing the Lord to lead through His Spirit and pray as you are led.
I’m also including a link to a pdf with six power prayers for you to pray during your vigil or just to inspire you.
I look forward to hearing from those of you who will be joining us in this power-filled night of prayer!
God’s grace and peace be yours,
Rebecca
