Ken Lovelace Ministries


I WANT TO BE DANGEROUS! by Lygia Lovelace "Satan, listen to this one! Do you hear what Jesus is called in this passage? THE LION OF JUDAH!" Quite a few articles ago (A Call to Pray), I wrote about attending a Glorieta Bible conference that changed my life. When I went again to the same conference, a few years later, I leafed through the schedule to see if the old man who had spoken before was again one of the teachers. He was! I couldn't wait to attend his class. I walked alone into the chapel the next day to hear this man speak on prayer. Hardly anyone was there! I watched as the old man got up to teach, again with nothing more than a worn-out Bible. I was shocked at the difference a few years had made. His speech was slurred, and he had to stop between sentences to take a few breaths before continuing. Feeling the truth of his words, I, along with the few others in the room, focused on what he had to say. He was talking about how we can pray, using the different names for Jesus -- the Son of God, the Righteous One, the Prince of Peace, Redeemer, the Passover Lamb, Savior. There is power in the name of Jesus, he said! I paid little attention to the lights when they began flickering. The chapel was large, with a balcony overhead. The old man stopped talking, looked at the lights above, and began speaking again. Suddenly we all jumped at a popping noise and a small explosion above us. Smoke filtered out of some lights overhead. The lights completely went out, all through the large room. I wondered if we should leave the building. Without much facial expression, the man spoke in a strong, authoritative voice. He was so feeble, that the unexpected force of his voice startled me: "Satan, listen to this one! Do you hear what Jesus is called in this passage? THE LION OF JUDAH!" Immediately, the lights came back on. Amused, I instinctively looked behind me, down the aisle, halfway expecting to watch Satan as he "turned tail and ran" out the back door, being followed by the ferocious Lion of Judah! Though I didn't see him with my physical eyes, I believe the enemy ran away that day -- not from a feeble old man -- but from the power of CHRIST within him. This teacher, no matter how old, no matter how weak, was pure in heart, and definitely dangerous to the enemy. Oh, how I want to be dangerous! Last week, I wrote about how God had dealt with me regarding my sins. Piece by Smelly Piece, I learned to confess all of my sins, even the ones locked away in the secret places of my heart. Not long after this new understanding, I began to marvel at the power I was experiencing in my prayer life during my quiet times in the mornings! I was learning that the authority of Jesus Christ, along with my constantly seeking a pure heart, was a deadly combination for the enemy. I truly felt the lines of communication open between the Father and me...me! I am a nobody -- a quiet-spirited, non-aggressive person, who doesn't really like big gatherings or even talking on the phone -- a mere wife and mom with no great following, no charismatic personality, no "claim to fame"! It was the power of Christ working through my life! Soon I began to feel a burden to pray for a specific thing. Every night, around 3am, I would wake up with this burden on my heart. Each time, I felt an overwhelming need to pray. At first, I prayed in bed. You can guess the results! I soon would fall asleep again, only half finished with my prayer. After a few nights of this, and still waking up at 3am, I began rolling out of bed and lying on the floor next to the bed. I would pray in my mind for awhile, begin to shiver, and long for the comfort of my warm blankets. Within a matter of minutes, whether I was through praying or not, I would climb back into bed, and promptly go to sleep. "Father, why do I keep waking up? Don't I need my rest? What do you want? Should I read my Bible more? Should I...fast?" (All the while I was thinking -- oh, please, not fasting, Lord!) It was then that God showed me what kind of fast I was to take -- an hour fast, from 3am to 4am...a fast from sleep, to pray for this burden on my heart. I decided the only way to truly stay awake and alert was to get up and go to the kitchen. I would use my Bible as I prayed; praying Scripture, while walking around in the kitchen. I prayed out loud most of the time. As I became serious about praying, I began to hear noises in the house. I'm not one to enjoy walking through a dark house at night, but I smiled as I remembered the incident at the Bible conference. I wanted to become dangerous! Many times, I heard footsteps behind me, and no one would be there. Giving my fear to the Lord and rebuking the noises in Jesus' name, they soon stopped. One early morning, after my 3 to 4am time with the Father, I had a dream. In my dream, I was in church, participating in worship. A woman walked in, looking around intensely at each face. When our eyes met, I knew she had found who she was looking for. I felt in my spirit that she was evil -- full of Satan. As she mingled among the people, she kept her eye on me. Then, without warning, she fell to the ground, appearing to have some sort of seizure. In my dream, I walked over to the woman, and watched, not sure what to do. I prayed over her and when she quieted, I knelt beside her. Suddenly, she screamed at me in anger, and grabbed me, with her hands tightly around my neck. I immediately woke up. I could hear Ken in the shower in the next room, and I saw the morning light coming in the window. I was really awake! But I couldn't breathe! I was choking. I reached up to my neck and felt real hands there, pressing against my windpipe. No one else was in the room, but the hands were there! I gripped those large hands tightly and with a raspy voice, I cried out, "MY JESUS! IN THE POWERFUL NAME OF JESUS, GO AWAY!" The hands immediately loosened from around my neck. I literally pushed them away from me, and they disappeared. Do I believe this is real? I know it's real. It happened to me. Why am I telling you this? Because this is the surprising, amazing result that I wanted to tell you about from last week's article. When you persevere in prayer, coming to God with a pure heart, ready to intercede, you are dangerous to the enemy! You have become part of the battle! God has arranged it to be so! Satan is angry, but he is powerless against you and your prayers as they are being lifted to a mighty God. Did you know that it is CHRIST IN YOU that gives you the POWER to be dangerous? I, being a nobody, am evidence of that! So go ahead! Confess your sins before God, piece by smelly piece. A clean heart paves the way to the front lines against our enemy. Then, boldly and faithfully intercede for others! Bring your requests before the throne of God! Place your problems, your loved ones, your marriage, your church, and your nation in His hands. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

I WANT TO BE DANGEROUS!
by Lygia Lovelace

"Satan, listen to this one! Do you hear what Jesus is called in this passage? THE LION OF JUDAH!"

Quite a few articles ago (A Call to Pray), I wrote about attending a Glorieta Bible conference that changed my life. When I went again to the same conference, a few years later, I leafed through the schedule to see if the old man who had spoken before was again one of the teachers. He was! I couldn't wait to attend his class.

I walked alone into the chapel the next day to hear this man speak on prayer. Hardly anyone was there! I watched as the old man got up to teach, again with nothing more than a worn-out Bible. I was shocked at the difference a few years had made. His speech was slurred, and he had to stop between sentences to take a few breaths before continuing. Feeling the truth of his words, I, along with the few others in the room, focused on what he had to say.

He was talking about how we can pray, using the different names for Jesus -- the Son of God, the Righteous One, the Prince of Peace, Redeemer, the Passover Lamb, Savior. There is power in the name of Jesus, he said!

I paid little attention to the lights when they began flickering. The chapel was large, with a balcony overhead. The old man stopped talking, looked at the lights above, and began speaking again. Suddenly we all jumped at a popping noise and a small explosion above us. Smoke filtered out of some lights overhead. The lights completely went out, all through the large room. I wondered if we should leave the building.

Without much facial expression, the man spoke in a strong, authoritative voice. He was so feeble, that the unexpected force of his voice startled me:

"Satan, listen to this one! Do you hear what Jesus is called in this passage? THE LION OF JUDAH!"

Immediately, the lights came back on. Amused, I instinctively looked behind me, down the aisle, halfway expecting to watch Satan as he "turned tail and ran" out the back door, being followed by the ferocious Lion of Judah! Though I didn't see him with my physical eyes, I believe the enemy ran away that day -- not from a feeble old man -- but from the power of CHRIST within him. This teacher, no matter how old, no matter how weak, was pure in heart, and definitely dangerous to the enemy.

Oh, how I want to be dangerous!

Last week, I wrote about how God had dealt with me regarding my sins. Piece by Smelly Piece, I learned to confess all of my sins, even the ones locked away in the secret places of my heart.

Not long after this new understanding, I began to marvel at the power I was experiencing in my prayer life during my quiet times in the mornings! I was learning that the authority of Jesus Christ, along with my constantly seeking a pure heart, was a deadly combination for the enemy. I truly felt the lines of communication open between the Father and me...me! I am a nobody -- a quiet-spirited, non-aggressive person, who doesn't really like big gatherings or even talking on the phone -- a mere wife and mom with no great following, no charismatic personality, no "claim to fame"! It was the power of Christ working through my life!

Soon I began to feel a burden to pray for a specific thing. Every night, around 3am, I would wake up with this burden on my heart. Each time, I felt an overwhelming need to pray.

At first, I prayed in bed. You can guess the results! I soon would fall asleep again, only half finished with my prayer.

After a few nights of this, and still waking up at 3am, I began rolling out of bed and lying on the floor next to the bed. I would pray in my mind for awhile, begin to shiver, and long for the comfort of my warm blankets. Within a matter of minutes, whether I was through praying or not, I would climb back into bed, and promptly go to sleep.

"Father, why do I keep waking up? Don't I need my rest? What do you want? Should I read my Bible more? Should I...fast?" (All the while I was thinking -- oh, please, not fasting, Lord!)

It was then that God showed me what kind of fast I was to take -- an hour fast, from 3am to 4am...a fast from sleep, to pray for this burden on my heart.

I decided the only way to truly stay awake and alert was to get up and go to the kitchen. I would use my Bible as I prayed; praying Scripture, while walking around in the kitchen. I prayed out loud most of the time.

As I became serious about praying, I began to hear noises in the house. I'm not one to enjoy walking through a dark house at night, but I smiled as I remembered the incident at the Bible conference. I wanted to become dangerous! Many times, I heard footsteps behind me, and no one would be there. Giving my fear to the Lord and rebuking the noises in Jesus' name, they soon stopped.

One early morning, after my 3 to 4am time with the Father, I had a dream. In my dream, I was in church, participating in worship. A woman walked in, looking around intensely at each face. When our eyes met, I knew she had found who she was looking for. I felt in my spirit that she was evil -- full of Satan. As she mingled among the people, she kept her eye on me. Then, without warning, she fell to the ground, appearing to have some sort of seizure.

In my dream, I walked over to the woman, and watched, not sure what to do. I prayed over her and when she quieted, I knelt beside her.

Suddenly, she screamed at me in anger, and grabbed me, with her hands tightly around my neck. I immediately woke up. I could hear Ken in the shower in the next room, and I saw the morning light coming in the window. I was really awake! But I couldn't breathe! I was choking. I reached up to my neck and felt real hands there, pressing against my windpipe. No one else was in the room, but the hands were there! I gripped those large hands tightly and with a raspy voice, I cried out, "MY JESUS! IN THE POWERFUL NAME OF JESUS, GO AWAY!" The hands immediately loosened from around my neck. I literally pushed them away from me, and they disappeared.

Do I believe this is real? I know it's real. It happened to me.

Why am I telling you this?

Because this is the surprising, amazing result that I wanted to tell you about from last week's article. When you persevere in prayer, coming to God with a pure heart, ready to intercede, you are dangerous to the enemy! You have become part of the battle! God has arranged it to be so! Satan is angry, but he is powerless against you and your prayers as they are being lifted to a mighty God.

Did you know that it is CHRIST IN YOU that gives you the POWER to be dangerous? I, being a nobody, am evidence of that! So go ahead! Confess your sins before God, piece by smelly piece. A clean heart paves the way to the front lines against our enemy. Then, boldly and faithfully intercede for others! Bring your requests before the throne of God!

Place your problems, your loved ones, your marriage, your church, and your nation in His hands.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24