The Spiritual Warfare That Persists by Deacon Cecil Abbott

In the midst of the work in which we are involved, rages a spiritual war.  With each success that we have, a counter action is put into place by the adversary to try and undo what we have accomplished.

At the writing of this letter, there is an Osage Indian man lying in an Oklahoma hospital, whose life hangs in the balance. He was baptized and confirmed a member of the Restoration Church in December of 1994. Sonny Cunningham is a key victory for the Lord and we hope he is only one of many to come.

There were actually two Osage men baptized in December of 1994. The first was Sonny Cunningham and the very next week Sonny's nephew Lawrence was baptized. I am not trying to minimize the importance of Lawrence's baptism, but my intention is to show the underlying danger that persists.

The problem is that Sonny now lies in a hospital suffering from possible pneumonia and congestive heart failure. And without the Lord's intervention, the work among the Osage could be lost or greatly set back. We need this and every Key person that the Lord puts into our hands. We need to be involved in, not only the missionary aspect of these people's conversions, but in supporting them in prayer as they are seemingly overcome by these catastrophic set backs.

I don't know for sure that this present ordeal would not have happened had Sonny not been baptized. But, Sonny was originally to have been baptized in October. But due to medical complications, that of a disconnected retina, Sonny's baptism had to put off for a couple of months. I just want to show that our responsibility or our personal involvement does not end with their baptisms.

Many of us involved with IMCA are praying for this man's health and many like him. You see he has not been the first, nor will he be the last. But we need to be made aware that the warfare that is going on is real. That the powers of Satan are real and that we need to be involved in praying that the Lord will make us victorious not only in our missionary responsibilities, but in overcoming the adversary in this very real spiritual warfare.

Approximately two years ago, Danny and Louise Hosteen's little girl came down with a severe fever. Perhaps you will remember the 12 Navajos who died that spring from this deadly fever. Well little Shana could have been number 13.

On a Tuesday evening Richard Hensley received a frantic call from Louise Hosteen asking for our prayers in behalf of little Shana. The next night there were seven or eight Restoration Branches praying for little Shana and the next morning the fever broke and she was brought home from the hospital healed. All of this was done from long distance.

At the time, Danny was one of three ordained Priests among the Navajo. Just a couple of months later Danny was ordained to the office of Elder and now is one of three ordained Navajo Elders that oversee the Dane'(Navajo) Restoration Branch. Danny is the pastor of that little Branch.

What would have happened if sister Louise had not called Richard? Or what would have happened if the many Saints who were involved in these prayer not been vigilant? . I fear to even think the thought. Not only was little Shana healed, but there were no more Navajo deaths from that deadly fever. Yes, I do believe that our prayers ended the deadly fever that plagued the Navajos that year.