​This devotion will be in the form of a testimony, because it is a powerful example of the power of prayer, and God's hand moving in situations that would seem impossible. It can encourage, and strengthen you in situations you may be facing as a Christian, and have become discouraged. This remains one of the most profound experiences of my life, that God takes me back to often, to remind me of His ability to change any situation.

In the early 80's I took a home health job in my area, in the village just 2 miles away. My hours were from Friday evening through to Monday morning, around the clock. It was a very good paying position, and just 5 min. away from my home, my daughter was young, and my husband was with her all the time, if anything happened he could call me and I'd be there in a short time. The couple were elderly, in their 90's, Lester and Susan Worthley were long time residences of the village, and had run the local store many years.

In the late winter of 1985, one evening when I was helping Susan, with a bed bath, and preparing her for the night, she spoke of wanting to go home to heaven. She talked about Lester, and shared that she was concerned for him, because she had prayed for him many years, for his salvation, but knew he still had not really become a Christian. She also spoke of his involvement with freemasonry, and believed this was part of the problem. I knew she was right, and had been there caring for them several times when other men who were freemasons had come to visit Lester, and tried to get him to come to their meetings. He was a high ranking mason, but had not been involved during my time working there. He refused when I was there, and knowing their health conditions, I knew he didn't go because he didn't feel well enough to, but he didn't tell them. It was for the best, really. As I continued to get Susan ready for the night, I asked her if she'd like me to pray with her, she said yes, and I prayed a short prayer for her, for Lester's salvation, and for the Lord's peace for Susan through the night. 

As I thought about what Susan had told me, I asked the Lord what to do. I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me to call another woman who was also working caring for them, who was a friend of mine. She worked the day shift through the week caring for them, and she was a Christian, and we both went to the same fellowship together. She was one of the worship leaders, and her husband had recently gotten saved also. I called her, and told her what Susan had said. She said we could pray together for her and the situation with Lester the next Friday evening when I came to replace her for the weekend. So, the next week, when I arrived to replace Barbara for my weekend shift, we went out to the front porch, and prayed for them both. Barb also knew about Lester being a freemason and she agreed, it was a big problem why he had not opened his heart to the Lord, and hadn't accepted Christ as Savior. Our prayer was simple and direct. We asked that the Father would undertake for Susan, and answer her prayers for Lester, and that He would work through the circumstances, and deal with Lester's heart, and that he would come to be truly born again, and receive Christ as Savior, and renounce freemasonry and reject it. We also rebuked the spirits of freemasonry, and bound them, and commanded them to release Lester. We asked this to be done in the Name of Jesus Christ. Then, we hugged each other, we both agreed to now wait, and watch what God would do, and Barb left to go home. I went in the house to begin my duties for the night.
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Shortly after this, Susan began to refuse food, and many liquids. Both Barb and I knew what this meant. We continued to encourage her to eat, and changed her diet to try to get more nutrition into her, milkshakes, smoothies with fruits and vegetables, and liquids she enjoyed, but we didn't try to force her. We honored her choices. Within a few months she had come to the place where she would not take any nourishment, and needed to be placed in nursing care. Shortly after this, she passed away, not seeing her prayers yet answered for Lester. She was 93 at the time of her passing.

​This of course, devastated Lester. He became very despondant, all he thought of was Susan. They had celebrated their 70th anniversary a few months before she had gone, they had been married longer than many people live. One evening in the fall that same year, Barbara called me, and said Lester was asking to see me, he wanted to talk to me about something, and asked if I could come down and try to comfort him. When I got there, he was in the living room with Barb, and I sat across from him, and letting him know I was there, his eyesight was very bad, but he knew my voice. I asked him how I could help him. "I miss Susan, and want to know I'll see her again." I replied "Susan is with the Lord, and in heaven. Do you have the assurance of going to heaven when you die Lester"? "No, I don't". Again I replied "You can change that now, if you will open your heart and ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins, and come into your heart and receive Him as your Lord and Savior, and you will need to renounce freemasonry, because it is a cult, would you like Barb and I to pray for you, to do this"? "Yes, please pray for me, and tell me what to do." Barb and I got up, went to his side, touching his hands, and asked him to repeat the prayer with us. "Lord Jesus, I admit I'm a sinner, please forgive my sins, and come into my heart, and save me. I believe you rose from the dead, and are coming again. I renounce everything about freemasonry, and ask for you to forgive me for being involved in it. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Lester had repeated it all, and as we watched, his countenance changed immediately-we saw the power of the Holy Spirit come down on him, and he began to cry like a baby, he reached up to hug us both, and thanked us, with tears flowing down his cheeks. Lester was 95 years old, and now saved, a brand new baby, in Christ. After sitting and sharing some scripture with him from Barb's bible, we both helped him get ready for bed, it was getting dark. As we were undressing him, Barb worked at taking off his shirt, somehow as he pulled out his arm the freemason ring he had always worn, came off his hand, and flew across the room and hit the closet door! We both turned and looked at each other, and laughed out loud. God was making it clear that what Lester had prayed had been heard, and that ring was not to be put back on him. I took it and put it into a small box in the top dresser drawer, and closed it.

Lester began to refuse to eat also soon after this, and within a few months he also passed away. We both knew God had answered Susan's prayer in a miraculous way, God used the loss of Susan to break Lester's hard heart, and open it, to receive Christ, and salvation, in the nick of time. Now, they were both united in heaven, with Christ. This was a profound testimony to us, and other's in the area at the time, of the power of God, to save anyone, no matter what the situation.
 
I attended the funeral, which was also a testimony. The minister who performed the service was also from a nearby village, who had come regularly to visit the Worthley's and check on them. As he began the service, a group of local freemasons walked in, all wearing their freemason garb, and aprons, and interrupted the minister. In the middle of the aisle, they performed several rituals, and made some chantings; this took several minutes. Then they filed into the pew right in front of me and sat down. The minister had allowed them to finish what they were doing, and didn't try to stop them, but when they were done, and seated, he began, and said "First, I'll remind you, that what you did, you did in the house of God, the God of all Creation. You came uninvited, and your rituals, and chants, are not found in the Word of God, anywhere. Your attempts of overriding this Christian burial, has no power over the soul of Lester Worthley, nor where he is now. Before his death, he renounced freemasonry, and became a Child of God, he became born again, he has received Christ as Savior. This from the mouth of two witnesses. You were allowed to do your worthless rituals, but the devil has lost the battle for Lester Worthley, he is in heaven, where Satan can never touch him again. You, and your rituals, were a waste of time. You don't know any better, but I will apologize to the family members, and the loved ones here, for your lack of consideration, and ill manners. Now, the service will continue."

This was one of the most profound, bold confrontations I had ever seen, of a true man of God, boldly rebuking and taking his rightful authority, and using it from the pulpit-the entire congregation gave a loud "Amen". During the service, he more than once loudly proclaimed that Jesus Christ was Lord of all, and the only God and Savior. The freemasons sat in stony silence, and were the first to leave the service.

Many years have come and gone since that event, but it remains embedded in my life, and I go back to it often in my mind, when the battles in my life become fierce, and the devil seems to be winning. The Holy Spirit has been prompting me to post this for quite a while, and know it's because someone else needs to see what God can do, and how He works in circumstances. One of the biggest lessons I've learned in this is, when we pray in faith, and leave it in His hands, we need to just stand and watch, and see Him work. But, we cannot know the cost it may take, how long it will take, or how God will do it-He is God, we are not.
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I've got many other testimonies, of similar answers to prayer, I'll share here as the Lord directs me to. Now, may God use this, for His glory.
Lorna Couillard

​Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:  Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 1Pe 4:4,5

These verses hold some valuable wisdom that needs to be unpacked. When we do, we will come away encouraged, and strengthened, to go on with God, and leave those who like to go from house to house, causing trouble, and "riot" in the streets.

1. They do not appreciate the motives which influence those who leave them. They feel that it is proper to enjoy the world, and to make life cheerful, and they do not understand what it is to act under a deep sense of responsibility to God, and with reference to eternity. They live for themselves. They seek happiness as the end and aim of life. They have never been accustomed to direct the mind outside of themselves, to another world, and to the account which they must soon render at the Judgment seat of God. Unaccustomed to act from any higher motives than those which pertain to the present world, they cannot appreciate the conduct of those who begin to live and act for eternity.

2. They do not see the folly of sinful pleasures. They are not convinced of the sinfulness of the human soul, and they think it strange that you should abandon a course of life which seems to them so absurd.
 
3.They do not see the force of the argument for walking with God. Not having the understanding of the  importance of the truth and duty that Christians now have, they wonder that you should break off from the pleasures and gaiety of the world, and separate from the mass of their fellow-men. They look at the conduct of Christians as a form of weakness; sometimes as superstition; sometimes as sheer folly; sometimes as madness. They can't comprehend the separation, because they are still in love with the world, while you have set your gaze on the things above, and left them behind, and the world.

4. Their conduct reveals their wicked hearts. Their lives are lived in all excess, meaning, all forms of disorder, troublemaking, mischief with no restraint. They gather others like themselves, to run the streets, in their reckless, meaningless abandon. They target those who live in peace, making them their objects of sport. They like doing much of their trouble in the night hours, but when they run in mass-any hour of the day, they can be seen running the streets and looking for trouble.

These rioters will gather in houses, because they are also busybodies, and will persecute and gossip about the Christian who won't join them, and have shunned their behavior. You'll be called all manner of insults and foul profanity. You will be accused of pride, hypocrisy, every evil thing they can contrive. They'll use every excuse, and twist the truth to paint you as an evil doer. If you won't join with them, they will work to destroy you, and gather other's to help them in doing it.

This is where spiritual warfare-knowing how to pray for the aid and strength to stand against this, is the direction to take. Learn to stand your ground, and gain the spiritual strength to walk on with God, and strengthen your spirit against the evil coming from them.

Peter goes on to describe these types further:
2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 
2Pe 2:13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceiving's while they feast with you; 
2Pe 2:14  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 

These people resemble irrational animals which are made to be taken and destroyed. They are like fierce and savage beasts that exercise no control over their appetites, and seem to be made only to be destroyed. These have  fierce and ungovernable passions, headed for destruction, and rush blindly on to it. They exercised no more restraint over their passions than beasts do over their conduct. Their children are taught to behave the same-and grow to be another generation of beasts, like themselves.

Man has reason, and should allow it to control his passions; the brutes have no rational nature,  they will act out their emotions and conduct without restraint. If a man sinks himself to the level of brutes, he must expect to be treated like brutes; and as wild and savage animals.

Paul adds to what Peter teaches, and what their future holds:
Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 
Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

Paul's reference here teaches that those who live in the flesh and indulgence, will reap the consequences through the passage of time. Time-is used by God, to produce the reaping harvest the soul has produced; whether it be good, or bad.

The punishment of licentiousness and intemperance in this life commonly produces a loathsome and offensive disease; and when long indulged, the sensualist becomes haggard, and bloated, and corrupted, and sinks into the grave. Such, also, is often the punishment of luxurious living, of a pampered appetite, of gluttony, as well as of the drug addict, or drunkard. But if the punishment does not follow in this life, it will be sure to overtake the sensualist in the world to come. There he shall reap ruin, final and everlasting.

(1) By disease. When I cared for the elderly, there were many who had lived the wild life of drink and excess-who could no longer even turn over in bed, and disease racked their bodies.
(2) In the grave - the home to which the sensualist rapidly travels.
(3) In the world of woe-hell, where there will be no end of punishment, the reaping will be for eternity.

There all shall be corrupt. His virtue - even the semblance of virtue, shall all be gone. His understanding, will, fancy - his whole soul shall be debased and corrupt. No virtue will linger and live on the plains of ruin, but all shall be depravity and woe. Everything in hell is debased and corrupt; and the whole harvest of sensuality in this world and the world to come, is degradation and defilement.

In summary-if you find yourself in the midst of this kind of rioters, and troublemakers, let the word of God give you comfort. Their end is sure, and God knows those who belong to Him. His eyes are on the righteous, and will be their shield and buckler. One day, all will reap what they have sown.
Lorna Couillard

"Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days" (Dan_10:12-13)

We have wonderful teaching here on prayer, and we are shown the direct hindrance from Satan.
Daniel had fasted and prayed twenty-one days, and had a very hard time in prayer. As far as we read the narrative, it was not because Daniel was not a good man, nor because his prayer was not right; but it was because of a special attack of Satan.
The Lord started a messenger to tell Daniel that his prayer was answered the moment Daniel began to pray; but an evil angel met the good angel and wrestled with him, hindering him. There was a conflict in the heavens; and Daniel seemed to go through an agony on earth the same as that which was going on in the heavens.
"We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers? against wicked spirits in high places" (Eph_6:12, margin).
Satan delayed the answer three full weeks. Daniel nearly succumbed, and Satan would have been glad to kill him; but God will not suffer anything to come above that we "are able to bear."
Many a Christian’s prayer is hindered by Satan; but you need not fear when your prayers and faith pile up; for after a while they will be like a flood, and will not only sweep the answer through, but will also bring some new accompanying blessing. -- Sermon
Hell does its worst with the saints. The rarest souls have been tested with high pressures and temperatures, but Heaven will not desert them. -- W. L. Watkinson
​(Source- Streams in the Desert)

This chapter gives a glimpse into the great conflict which is always in progress between heaven and hell. For three weeks the radiant Being who came to Daniel as he prayed and fasted by the great river, was withstood by the mighty fallen spirit, who was concerned with the destinies of the kingdom of Persia; and it was only when he was succored and reinforced that he was able to accomplish the divine errand, Dan_10:13. What a revelation is here-that probably each heathen country is ruled by some wicked spirit in the high places; that the fight is at times almost overpowering even for bright unfallen angels; and that the blessings which are ours are sometimes delayed because of the storms that sweep the ocean through which they come. Perhaps by our prayer we are able to throw an ounce-weight into the scale, and turn the battle. How reassuring the touch of that hand and tender the address of that voice. Who cannot be strong when strengthened by the right hand of God? Go forth into the fight of another day! God holds thy right hand. Be true and strong; thou canst not fail!  F.B. Meyer