Any thing similar ever happens to you?

More than once over the years I’d strange encounter while asleep. I felt some thing tying me up, sat on me, and on the bed. I tried to no avail; I can’t get up, move, talk or scream. I began to recite the 23rd Psalm, and to say, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”When I awoke I found myself rebuking in the name of Jesus and reciting Psalms. In the morning I thought maybe I had a dream, but my family confirmed they heard me reciting the Psalms.I have noticed that this encounter seems to follow what I considered a powerful time of fellowship and prayer devotion.I have had these encounters since I become a Christian, and have since lived in many States. Has any one similar encounter?

Hi Paula,Personally, this has never happened to me but one of my brothers has had this happen to him numerous times.You're not alone in this...

"This has never happened to me but one of my brother has had this happen to him numerous times."Thanks! I know I'm zealous for Christ, but I refuse to believe other wise.

Yes paula4jc ... i have ...All my life, as far back as i can remember i was plagued by demonic spirits, as my father was before me ... i wrote this somewhere else on SI forum, but i can't remember where ... Anyhow my first remembrance of them was when i was a very young child and this little black batlike looking demon, with clawed feet, and red eyes used to sit on the headboard of my crib and just peer down at me ... Then later as i got older i used to lie in bed and watch these two (Hittite looking) shadow heads above my closet door whisper about me ...As i went into my teenaged years, and early adulthood i began to plagued by dark shadowy specters, in what i began to call "the in-between world", which to me seems the world just between being asleep and waking up ... And they would do the same things to me of which you spoke, such as holding me down, or attempting to suffocate me, or appearing suddenly with the most horrific faces scaring me to no end, in that time because i didn't know Jesus in the capacity to plead the blood, rebuke them in His name and dismissing them ...Well it was a few years after i got saved, and i was struggling to get right and to live my life right cause as a 60's child i was all tied up in drugs, fornication and R&B ... But i remember one night going to a Church and hearing a dynamic pastor show me from scripture that i no longer had to be afraid os satan, nor his fallen angels with him, and neither of those wicked spirit demons that do his bidding ... This pastor told me that as a child of God i not only had His power, but His right to stand flat footed in the whole armor of God and tell any wicked power or pricipality to get thee behind, from and away from me ... Well that very night i went home, and lo and behold did i find myself once again in that middle world but instead of reacting to the evil spirits in my usual fear (tho i still had just a little), i still overcame in and with the name of Jesus ... In that in between world i gathered my self up on my bed, facing them on my knees, and i began to say, "In the name of Jesus i'm not afraid of you anymore! ... At that point it was as if they froze, and all of a sudden i could see more plainly these three dark figures standing beside each other at the foot of my bed ... Then i remember raising my right hand high above my head, index finger pointed, and i said to each one of them one at a time, "In the name of Jesus, and by the power of His blood, i command you to leave me alone!" ... And as i did this three times, each one instantly disappeared from before my face, and with each ones disappearing i got less afraid, and by the time i commanded the third one i wasn't afraid any more at all ... Then i came to complete awakness, up on my knees, in the center of my bed ... It was a long time after that before i experienced that in between world again, but its never had the same impact on me since because i now no longer fear it and know how to get out of it ... But let me tell you something about why i believe i experienced it again after such a long interlude, it was because i had backslidden and was dabbling again in some things our Lord had delivered me from ... After i stopped that madness for good, i've not been plagued by demonic spirits or bothered by that in between world since ...Eph.6:12 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Jas.4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Jude.19 - Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

"it was because i had backslidden and was dabbling again in some things our Lord had delivered me from ... "It’s interesting that you say that I was thinking it resulted from me trying to draw nearer to Christ.Although before coming to Christ I was a party hog who lived to all the pleasures of this world, I had never experience any dream of that sort. Nor have I ever returned to any of the worldly baggage that Christ set me free from. Like most Christians I’m guilty of not spending hours each day mediating on scriptures and praying as I did when I was a new believer, which mellows out my zeal some what.Nevertheless I continue to run the race in the midst of each trial.Again that's very interesting, so am checking myself.

I have had simular experiences. There's a Fernando Otega Song that's part of a prayer where he asks for protection in his dreams. I've learned to pray continuely for the same thing. By that verse in the song it's apparent that it's an experience that must be somewhat common at some time or another with at least some christians :-)

paula4jc you wrote;"It’s interesting that you say that I was thinking it resulted from me trying to draw nearer to Christ."Sister i didn't make the comment about my back-sliding to suggest that's the reason for evil spirits attacking you ... Devils and demons don't like giving up their one time servants to our becoming servants for Christ ... i think that you're more than right in reasoning that it's because you're drawing nearer to our Lord ... But the bottom line is you don't have to take it, and especially so when you know you're clear (ever repentant, and obedient) before our Lord ...

“In the name of Jesus, and by the power of His blood, i command you to leave me alone!"I agree with you that as Christian we don’t have to tolerate this evil encounter. We’re to rebuke using the redeeming power of His blood. The blood and the word are Christians most powerful commodities. (1Pe 1:18. Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 1Pe 1:19. But with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.) Rev 12:11. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. I strongly believe since Christ had not yet come archangel Michael contending with the devil over Moses’ body had not rebuke with the power of His blood.

Sister Paula,About twenty years ago, I had an experience that was very similar to what you described. In the name of Jesus broke it off me too. One thing is for sure, God has not given us a spirit of fear. This kind of fear comes from the enemy and is coming at a person to keep them from becoming what God would have them become. I'm not sure how many times the Word says to fear not but it is all through the book.In Christ,GaryE

"you'd already said you couldn't talk, so, were you reciting it in the Spirit - your spirit - but not aloud? Or by the time you got to doing that you could actually use your vocal chords again?"Not awake I may have partially forgotten. It’s like I’m in deep sleep and as this attack began my first respond is to move then to speak. Then suddenly awakened in the spirit, I began to reel the sword of the spirit – Psalms and rebukes. I usually pray aloud when awoke from an attack. The strangest encounter I had in a dream occurred after 3 days of fast beseeching God’s will. I saw lots of things that night, but this amazed me, my spirit taken up left my body and as I stood yonder I said to myself, “Now I know what John meant” speaking of John in Revelation. That night I clearly had my confirmation.I know the devil visits us in dreams too. Therefore, we need to exercise spiritual discernment and line every thing with the “Word”.I wonder if people miss their first love – I really misses mine. The beauty is we all know how to easily rekindle that love.As you see I’m day dreaming of the good old days. These days the cares of life have crept in job and family. Family nightly devotion always rushes. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Soon, the kids will be grown and it’ll be just me and the Lord. What will I do with myself then – become a martyr for Christ.

Hi Paula,Here is some more on this from amongst us;Sleep ParalysisA bit different, but even this morning... dozed off on my face in prayer and had a very incredible dream. The essence of which was death on a black horse (I know, Pale in Rev.) chasing me and oddly my ex girlfriend after I had made this haltingly spoken statement; "What... will it take for us ... to come to a completely honest state with each other?"Stranger considering I don't watch many movies or much TV (meaning, where some of these notions might have come up from) was what happened as we ran 'away' from 'death'. Was talking about the Lord in some form or fashion and said death is always following hard after us and low and behold this dark rider on a black horse comes out of nowhere but we sensed his presence behind us, the day turned quickly into night and we were running down the middle of the street.It suddenly dawned on me that this is and was a defeated foe, so I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face him. He was coming full steam ahead and had this almost stealth like ... transparency. I stood my ground and realized I was holding a sword that would have embarrassed Conan the Barbarian. It was very valiant, with one arm around her to protect, thrust the sword at him as passed in a shadowy kind of way. Spun around again and could feel his presence, but no form to be seen. It was if as he got close I could see him for a moment and battle in this kind of hit and run way... Realizing a sense inwardly that it was me that he was after, sent her to side of the street to fight this ghost like foe. By now I was full of this indignation that I do not know how to adequately express. It was an intense, far beyond hate or anger... it was controlled and perfect... (hmmm that perfect hatred spoken of?) Not a thought or a mere shred of fear. That sense of David and air of 'How dare this uncircumcised... that he should defy the armies of the living God?'. I knelt to one knee and waited. He came again as at the first, charging and in and out of transparency, bearing down on me as if to run right over the top of me, I thrust the sword straight up through both the horse and rider...And woke up.It was all completely out of the blue, this dream. My prayers, my meditations, reading, nowhere close to any of this of late... other than of death, which is something that I muse on often enough, but not in this way.