Fighting the Toro: Report on Spain
Category: General Announcements, Prophetic Reports
Report on Spain November 11-16, 2009
It seems that God often has an assignment behind the assignment for me as a general of intercession. The Holy Spirit is the greatest strategist in the universe. He works in mysterious ways that are often kept secret from the forces of darkness to undermine Satan’s most intricately woven designs.
I love traveling around the world because I find it is an opportunity to discover and wonder at the magnificent length God will go to in order to work out His design for the earth and all of creation.
My friend, Candy de Maa accompanied me on my journey to Alacante, Spain. She is Spanish herself and is not only a wise and compassionate friend, but also a discerning prophet in her own right. For years, she was also the instrument God used as my “Spanish” voice for our television show aired over Enlance TBN.
Our friend, Emilio Sevilla, picked us up at the airport and drove us to the hotel in Benidorm. While winding our way around the gentle hills, I noted a large black bull positioned on a high place. After we made our way closer to our destination, I noticed another one. At this point, my spiritual antennae went up as I sensed that I was looking at the strongman over Spain. Later, I mentioned my feeling to Candy and she said that she had been alerted to the same thing. We inquired of Emilio about all of the signs with bulls on them that we had see along the drive, and he told us that they were the symbols for a certain kind of Spanish beer that was greatly loved by the locals.
At the same moment that I realized that I had identified the strongman, I also heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “Phoenicians”, and the next thing I heard was the word ”Baal”.
Candy and I got out of the car to go into the hotel and were greeted by the lovely welcoming committee from the women’s conference. A group of seven women had fasted and prayed for a year in preparation for this event. The head of the group, Margarita, along with her husband, Jose, were missionaries from Argentina who had come to plant a church in Spain.
Just to give a little background information for those of you who are not familiar with the challenges faced by people like Pastors Margarita and Jose and Pastor Emilio; Spain has a Christian population of only about ten percent. There are many cities with no evangelical church whatsoever. Years ago I wrote a chapter in a book for Peter Wagner on Spain. At the time, there were around 70,00 small villages and cities that needed some kind of church. The nation has been called the “graveyard of the evangelist” and many missionaries have come with great dreams only to go home shipwrecked.
For years, I have sat with leader after leader in this beautiful nation. I have heard them tell me the same story of how challenging it is in Spain to make inroads for the gospel and advance the Kingdom of God. Those who do pastor suffer terrible criticism and distress. Most churches split—some more than once. Please keep this in mind as you read this account, as the Holy Spirit was soon going to uncover not only the strongman, but also the principality that the strongman is representing--the spirit of religion. As an intercessor, I know that there are keys to unlock this nation and I fervently prayed that God would show me what to do. I am also aware that many Spaniards have fasted, prayed, and done prayer-walks and prophetic acts in order to break open the heavens over the land.
