Two Black Panthers
Given to Julie Welter approximately 1990
I attended a Christian Liberal Arts College in the Midwest from 1987-1992. I applied for an
internship the third summer with a small town Church. I interned as a music minister where I
worked a lot with the female assistant pastor and the youth and childrens' groups. I organized
their Vacation Bible School, worked as a counselor at the summer youth camp, led the
congregation in music and even taught the youth once at their mid week service.
I stayed with the assistant pastor at her apartment. She was a very dedicated and devoted
believer, serious about making a spiritual difference in people’s lives. She taught me something
very important. She would get up every morning and pray for an hour at her bedside before
she started her day. She knew that she could not make any spiritual difference in anyone’s life
without the power and direction of God and His Holy Spirit who I now call YHWH through the
Ruach Ha Kodesh, the Set Apart Spirit. I started following her lead and began praying an hour
every morning in the spirit of YHWH. I had only been praying a couple weeks when I had a very
interesting dream.
In my dream I was walking down a winding path. I came to a certain place in the road where
there were two black panthers chained to each side of the path. Their chains prevented them
from coming onto the path but they were as close as they could be to each edge of it. They
were snarling, growling and showing their teeth as I came closer.
They looked like very fierce creatures who could chew me up into to tiny pieces. However the
chains prevented them from attacking me as I walked down the path right between them
unharmed.
I asked the assistant pastor what this dream was about. She said I should expect the scare
tactics that the devil uses to try to frighten us when we get serious about God and interceding
for others in prayer. She said the black panthers represented demonic powers trying to scare
me. She said as along as I am walking with God they cannot harm me. They can only make a lot
of noise.
I continue to seriously pray and intercede for others, always expecting the devil and his demons
to start growling, make loud noises and try to put me in fear. I have received a lot of resistance
when I start interceding, whether it is in the workplace or in our family or in other relationships.
I must expect this and remember that YHWH is with me always and will protect me as long as I
keep walking righteously with Him in His perfect will.