I make friends everywhere I go. I have a disability, so I don’t have to seek attention. I catch most people off guard, because the joy of the Lord that’s in me disarms people from seeing my disability to see Jesus in me. 

I was a volunteer for an organization, and made a friend who was also on fire for Jesus. He was someone who made friends easily, and was always proclaiming the word of the Lord. He called me one day to complain about the organization. I was sad for his experience, but encouraged him that God could use it for His glory. We lost connection for a while. When I heard from him again, he said that the name of Jesus was the wrong name, and gave me a list of names we should pray to instead. I said that Jesus has many names, and they are all found in the Bible. I wasn’t sure if the names he mentioned were in there, so I suggested that we have a Bible study to know the names of God. He never agreed to it, and asked me to pray with him. I refused. Some time passed before we had any contact. 

He was on my heart one day, so I texted him and told him that he should be sure to only pray to the correct names of God. He texted me back that he didn’t know who was texting him. He asked me if my name was Veronica. 

My cousin Veronica was in a terrible car accident. She broke every bone in her body. My cousin Veronica is a living saint. She served with Mother Theresa in Calcutta, and is a pediatrician who is loved and known in her community as a loving and caring person. She runs the Boston Marathon every year, and my uncle said that’s why she must have survived the crash. I think it’s because she has divine protection. 

God made the connection in my mind that whatever names my friend was praying to were agents of darkness. It was implied by him asking me if I was Veronica that he had somehow caused her accident by his prayers to Satan. Let’s face it, if we are not praying the name of Jesus, we are risking inviting the powers of darkness in to speak on our behalf. 

As Sons and Daughters of Jesus, we must exalt Him and Him alone. Complaining is worshipping Satan, and the more we exalt dissatisfaction above the victory we have in Christ, the more we partner with darkness and serve the wrong god.

I sensed in the Spirit what was happening, and I lifted my hands in worship to Jesus. I exalted His name, which is above every name, and warred in the heavenlies on my cousin’s behalf. If you are reading this book, you have a heart for prayer. Please pray for Veronica, that her body and spirit are restored to Jesus. And please pray for my friend, Anthony, that he would be snatched from the fires of hell and used for the purposes of God again. My reply to his text was to plead the blood of Jesus over him. I plead the blood of Jesus over everyone reading this, and that you repent. The kingdom of heaven is near.