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| Michael H. Brown's book, Prayer of The Warrior |
Recently I completed a fresh reading of Michael H. Brown's book, Prayer of The Warrior, spawned by his fairly recent talks at the Marian Day Retreat here in Toronto.
Originally read in early 2003, this latest rereading was not only a rediscovery of Brown's conversion and faith journey, but an opportunity to learn anew about certain aspects of spiritual warfare and how to become a better prayer-warrior.
A common thread that runs throughout the book—which Brown has dedicated the entire first chapter to—is the reality that we are in the midst of a spiritual war; one that requires prayer-warriors.
To aid those seeking to become prayer-warriors, Brown wrote several key chapters that are fundamental to understanding how to fight the good fight: chapter seventeen, The First Prayer of the Warrior, the prayer to the Holy Spirit; chapter twenty-four, Me and Hillary, the prayer of deliverance; chapter twenty-five, The Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom; chapter twenty-six, The Prayer of Fearlessness; and chapter thirty-five, The Prayers of Faith and Love, which also includes the powerful prayers of suffering.
In addition, Prayer of The Warrior, contains valuable information for those new to spiritual warfare: what is to be understood about spiritual warfare; Brown's actual encounters with the demonic; a historical account of the signs of the times; prophetic warnings and messages from the Marian apparitions of Akita, LaSalette, Fatima, and Medjugorje; how the "Rulers of Darkness" (demonic) have influenced many aspects of culture and society as a whole; how to fight the good fight against the Evil One and his demons through regular (daily if possible) Mass attendance, daily recitation of the Rosary, adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, regular confession (at least once a month), daily Bible reading, the use of sacramentals (holy water, salt and oil), the wearing of the Brown Scapular; how effective and beneficial it is to have within our homes blessed crucifixes, holy pictures, objects and relics; and regular "house blessings" by a priest.
Michael H. Brown is well known in Catholic circles and throughout the world for his talks, books, articles, blog posts, and his web site, Spirit Daily, where many of his contributions to informing, encouraging, and strengthening fellow Catholics in North America and throughout the world can be found. It is an important web site that provides resources on: the truth, knowledge, and understanding of the Catholic faith journey; current, real, and relevant news; information on the events and signs of our times; and resources on spiritual warfare, healing, and the afterlife.
The narrative of Brown's life is an inspiring example of one man's journey, coming "back home" to his Catholic roots, and how his acceptance and cooperation with the gift of faith transformed him into a prayer-warrior: putting faith into action and fighting the good fight in the spiritual war. It is the fulfillment of Saint Pope John Paul II's directive, from his post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, "It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle." (3)
A Spiritual War
Brown instills in the reader at the very beginning of this book, that we are in the midst of a spiritual war.
It is a war that should concern us because the Evil One is rising as never before. So important is this subject matter that Brown dedicated the entire first chapter to it, aptly entitled, A Spiritual War. It sets the tone for the remainder of this book: the narrative of Brown's conversion; the many positive changes to his personal and professional life; the sharing of his gift of faith, and his knowledge and understanding of the spiritual war, including how to become a prayer-warrior.
Although, Prayer of the Warrior, was published in 1993, Brown provided many examples of the rising influence of the Evil One, and the negative impact upon culture and society as a whole, that today has increased in both intensity and scope.
Here in Canada, we need only look to the growing moral disorder for proof of this and the Culture of Death that it has ushered into mainstream society: abortion available on demand; euthanasia and assisted suicide deceptively packaged as part of palliative care; contraception; in-vitro fertilization; "fertility clinics"; and other threats to the value and inviolability of human life.
In the past couple of decades, we also have experienced the growing negative consequences of the global sexual revolution,
including: gender mainstreaming; gender ideology; the LGBTQ agenda; the indoctrination of our children and youth, and the younger generations with sexual immorality in the education system; pornography and pornovision.
Add to this the infiltration and acceptance of New Age and occult practices into mainstream society. Prime examples are yoga, tai-chi, and reiki, deceptively marketed as health and wellness; and a host of alternative therapies and medicine that are cleverly included within traditionally accepted medical practices.
It is a growing list of evils that, no doubt mirrors what is happening in many other countries; all of which is drawing God's chastisements upon mankind. Brown spoke about this during two of his talks in Toronto: The Current Prophetic Pulse and Reclaiming North America's Christianity.
Adding to the concerns of God's chastisements, Brown referred to the Marian apparition of Akita, Japan, "At Akita, which has been formally approved in a pastoral letter from the bishop, Mary has warned that if it does not better itself shortly mankind will face a 'great chastisement' that will 'wipe out a great part of humanity.' " (3)
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| Apparition Hill (Brdo Ukazanja) in Medjugorje, Herzegovina, where Our Lady first appeared to the seers. |
Brown also cited from the Marian apparitions in Medjugorje—which continue to this day—where Our Lady has given ten secrets to six visionaries, part of which are warnings of coming chastisements upon the world. It is not a matter of if, but when the chastisements will come: the chastisements are to occur within the life time of the visionaries.
Given the fact that the Medjugorje seers are in their 50s, we should expect major events to occur within twenty-to-thirty years, perhaps forty years from now at the most, which Brown depicted as, "...[A]n exceedingly dangerous time. Satan is pulling all stops. While I don't believe for a minute that we're facing the end of civilization, I do believe that, during the next several decades, we'll see truly major and perhaps unprecedented economic, military, sociological, theological, spiritual, and natural upheavals—if not sooner." (6)
It is Brown's contention that, on a lesser scale, the chastisements have already begun. He goes on to elaborate that we are already under a demonic assault that affects us personally, as seen by the division and confusion we experience; to which Brown highlighted the important point that, "Confusion is his [Evil One's] hallmark." (9) Brown added that the spiritual chastisement is "fully in progress," and may soon be followed by chastisements in the physical realm.
Prayer of the Warrior, is an invitation to each reader to take a personal journey and discover in the process his/her own own fears, struggles, difficulties, and the many challenges to be faced on this earthly pilgrimage.
Each reader that accepts that invitation will be greatly aided by Brown's personal insights and the sharing of the events, occurrences and people in his life, viewed through the eyes of faith, not as a collection of meaningless coincidences, but part of God's plan for his journey. Brown's life is a quintessential example of Saint Pope John Paul II's quote, "In the designs of Providence, there are no mere coincidences."
Here is how Brown explained the relevance and benefit of this book for each reader:
This is what I want to focus upon: Our own state of spirituality and the personal trials we face as the battle heats up and possible chastisements loom. In God's army we'll win, but we have to know how to be prayer warriors, how to view the events around us, and how to purify ourselves. I want to take you on a more personal journey, I want to discuss you, your temptations, your fears, your difficulties, your struggles against dark forces as I share with you some of my own. This is a more personal book. It will offer a more personal look at certain saints and Church-approved visionaries, along with their insights into the world. It will offer glimpses of the afterlife. It will offer suggestions for spiritual protection. It is an account of both the good and evil I have witnessed as a journalist. (9)
As a further encouragement to accept the invitation, Brown stressed that no one should in any way feel depressed or fearful about the spiritual war. Rather, each individual should respond to it with action, a desire for purification, and an excitement to face the challenges ahead, enlisting in the "army of the living God," in the process. (10)
Brown's Conversion
Brown's conversion began one night with a powerful dream of Saint Michael and other angels coming to his aid against the Evil One, who was literally at the front door of his apartment.
The dream led Brown to question its meaning for his life and so began his spiritual journey back to God, back to his Catholic roots. Soon thereafter he became a daily communicant where the Mass provided him with "relief, refreshment, and strength."
It also began an awareness of the spiritual war. As his new life began to unfold, that awareness increased and so did incidences and encounters with the demonic.
Brown's new journey also prompted a life review: an opportunity to reflect upon the personal mistakes in his life and his spiritual negligence, which led him to question some of the occurrences in his life and how they were related to the supernatural.
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Our Lady of Good Counsel, Brown's local
church during the early days of his
conversion. Photo: The New York
City Chapter of the American Guild of
Organists /Our Lady of Good Counsel |
Chapter five, The Bells of Good Counsel, begins with what proved to be a standard fixture throughout this book, a prayer for the reader. This particular prayer highlights how Brown wants the reader to truly benefit from this book and be protected from the knowledge gained about spiritual warfare. Here is that prayer, "Lord Jesus, cleanse us of all evil. Wash us of all spiritual grit. Let us all learn from my experiences, and from our own experiences. Let us review certain aspects of evil but without becoming enticed or obsessed by them. Let this be for all an experience of the Holy Spirit and of His sure deliverance." (26)
Brown recounted how some of his experiences, such as the encounters with New Agers he described in chapter four, The House in Chelsea, and the short time he spent with a mafia hitman researching a story, detailed in chapter three, A Brush With the Mafia, made him realize that he was "Not lucky, but blessed," to have walked away unscathed.
I recall from my original reading how I took note of Brown's specific wording, that it was not a matter of luck, but the opposite, God's blessings of protection over his life. Sadly today, many people use the words, "luck" and "blessing," interchangeably when in fact they have very different meanings. To consider oneself lucky is a departure from faith in God—who is the true source of all goodness in one's life—and attributes and places value in something other than God to explain a postive occurrence, development, or event in one's life, which many times is a form of superstition.
Brown's faith was nourished by his daily attendance at a local church, Our Lady of Good Counsel, only half a block away from his apartment at 230 East 90th Street. It proved to be a place of refuge; just part of many gifts Brown received from God during the early days of his conversion. Here is how Brown described this gift:
To me it wasn't just a church but a fort and refuge. I would hear the bells at noon and rush out my door down the elevator and past the doorman for Mass. Most of the time there were just a handful of us, and I was the only one under the age of sixty, sitting there amid the sweet white-haired women with fraying sweaters and Irish brogues. Usually, I sat in the right wing, near the statue of a saint who became very important to me, Saint Joseph.
As I said, it was a fort, and that's just what I needed. I was under attack. For whatever reason—or reasons, plural—the devil was openly showing himself. He was on the attack, and God was granting me the grace to see it and do something about it. (28)
Brown attributed a lot of his spiritual problems to the evil he exposed as a journalist. In particular his writing on the toxic waste that was dumped throughout America, on land and in water systems. He shared some of those details including how many corporations were not pleased with him, and in some cases it resulted in heated exchanges with executives. One executive even went so far as to hire the nation's leading libel attorney, Louis Nizer, in an attempt to stop the publication of Brown's book, Laying Waste: The Poisoning of America by Toxic Chemicals.
Part of Brown's spiritual problems also stemmed from the fact that he had a temporary fascination with the New Age. He notes in chapter three, A Brush With the Mafia, how he stopped being a practicing Catholic during high school and even more so when he went to Fordham University.
Elaborating a little further, Brown described how secular he had become that during his university days religion was not apart of his vocabulary, and he never dated any "religious orientated" women. Add to this his side interest in extrasensory perception (ESP) and articles he wrote about thermal noise and nuclear random-event generators, and it is not difficult to ascertain why the demonic was drawn to him.
Brown reviewed the secular time of his life, during and after university, and came to the conclusion that he was under demonic attack and didn't even know it. Here is how he described it:
No doubt. Without knowing it, I had been under spiritual attack. Michael [St. Michael the Archangel] must have been watching out for me all along. Michael was my patron, he was the archangel who threw Satan out of Heaven, and he was showing me that, along with everything else, my unhealthy interest in parapsychology, which we now call 'New Age,' as well as my battles with chemical companies and my brushes with the mob types, without adequate spiritual armor, had brought the devil to my doorstep. (30)
Brown's gift of faith and the new awareness of the spiritual war he was in, brought with it greater torment, anxiety, loneliness, and the temptation to distance himself from Jesus. The closer he drew to God, the more he was attacked. This did not deter him from moving forward in his faith journey, which he was able to do with the recitation of the Rosary; an essential weapon for the daily spiritual battle. Brown shared how important the Rosary was in fighting off the attacks, "When I was under attack, the attack would immediately dissipate—the gritty tension would flee—after the recitation of the Rosary. (31)
Brown's recounting of the effectiveness of the Rosary in repelling the attacks of the demonic is an important lesson for all of us. This holds true especially for those Catholics who have considerably waned in their faith: those who don't pray the Rosary, don't attend Mass, don't read the Bible and books on the lives of the saints, don't read and pray with spiritual meditations (Divine Intimacy or My Daily Bread), and think that they are "okay" because of financial wealth, social status or some other mistakenly perceived security. This means nothing to the demonic: they attack regardless of how much money you have; what you do for a living; who you associate with; and irrespective of any other aspect of your life.
In addition to the Rosary, Brown also mentioned how important it was for him to invoke St. Michael and other angels, to praise Jesus, and to read Scripture, which typically ended the demonic attacks. Here is what he wrote, "No matter how fiercely I was being assaulted, I could lie down, and if I spent enough time with the Rosary or reading Scripture, the demonic attack would lift and anxiety would be replaced with peace, comfort and warmth." (32)
Brown was becoming a prayer-warrior! Prayer permeated his entire day, "I started praying throughout the day, whenever I wasn't at the computer writing or on the phone. I prayed taking a shower and in the kitchenette and in the elevator. I prayed up and down Third Avenue." (32)
The First Prayer of the Warrior, Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, is the first prayer of the prayer-warrior which Brown dedicated an entire chapter to, The First Prayer of the Warrior. It is an especially important prayer for our spiritual life as the Holy Spirit addresses all of our needs: discernment, health, enlightenment, guidance, protection, and teaches us how to pray. Brown elaborated on the importance:
I found out quickly that the Holy Spirit is a better instructor than any book or preacher. 'Pray to the Holy Spirit for enlightenment.' He will lead us to where we should go for information and will help us choose the books to read. Passages from the Bible become more vivid and meaningful when they are read with His help. 'Come Holy Spirit.' (111)
Brown went on to further point out that, prayer that begins with an invocation to the Holy Spirit, is much better and beneficial because as he notes, "When the Holy Spirit comes, everything changes around us." (111)
Prayer to the Holy Spirit is praying for the spirit of truth! With the Holy Spirit we are less likely to be deceived and we are released from errors and bondages. As Brown notes, "It is the Holy Spirit who illuminates and lifts our blindness." (111) This is important to protect us against attacks of the demonic, who attempt to deceive us masqueraded as "holy spirits."
Brown further stated that with our spiritual blindness "cured," we can better perceive the spiritual world around us with an enhanced sensitivity. This ables us to, "...[D]ifferentiate angels from deceiving spirits—this is crucial, for the number of deceiving spirits seems virtually countless." (111)
When we do call upon the Holy Spirit, we should so with complete spontaneity; a truly heartfelt invocation for help and protection, one that "pierces through the clouds." Further elaborating on this Brown wrote, "God likes us to speak to Him as we speak to friends and neighbors. Come Holy Spirit. It is the prayer of guidance and the prayer of protection. The Holy Spirit can break through any darkness, and He provides answers we could never think up ourselves." (110)
Our Lady in Medjugorje has stated on numerous occasions how important it is to pray to the Holy Spirit. Brown referred to one of Her messages from May 23, 1985, "Open your hearts to the Holy Spirit. Especially during these days the Holy Spirit is working through you. Open your hearts and surrender your life to Jesus." (111)
Prayer is essential in spiritual warfare and those who intend to fight the good fight should begin their day with the prayer to the Holy Spirit, Come Holy Spirit. Brown emphasized the importance of this, "The weapons and shields, the equipment of battle, all lay in prayer, and prayer to the Holy Spirit is the first prayer of the prayer-warrior." (113)
The Second Prayer of the Warrior, the Prayer of Deliverance
The second prayer of the prayer-warrior is the prayer of deliverance, to which Brown dedicated another chapter, Me an Hillary.
Brown began this chapter by providing a prayer of deliverance that invokes the Holy Spirit to send the Archangel Michael, Saint Francis of Assisi, the dragonslayer Saint George and a battalion of angels. It implores the Holy Spirit to break all demonic bondages and purge us from them, as well as to free us from oppression, depression, discouragement, and every mental torment.
Deliverance prayers are important to expel demons, but it is also important to know how and why they come to us. Citing an example from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, Brown illustrated how demons entered into a church through the sinful thoughts of a friar:
...Francis of Assisi, who had a vision one day in which he saw his favorite place of prayer, the chapel of Portiuncula, besieged by devils--a great army. He watched them hovering about the chapel but noticed that they were not able to enter. They couldn't because the friars praying inside were so holy. However, soon one of the friars was stirred to anger with a second friar and began thinking vengeful thoughts. As Saint Francis watched, the protective grace around the chapel was breached, the grace was lifted, the gate of virtue abandoned, and the door of wickedness allow the devils in. They left only after the friar acknowledged his faults and humbly asked for forgiveness, which once again points up the importance of Confession and its power of deliverance. (155)
Elaborating somewhat on the example of the friars, Brown pointed out that this is exactly how demons—the unseen enemies—negatively affect us through bad temper, a lack of forgiveness, or envy.
To further highlight how sin draws demons to us, Brown asks the reader, "Want a demon to latch and sting? Try lying, cheating, stealing, or sexual immorality." (155)
Demons can perch on to us and, in some cases, it is difficult to expel them without a complete internal cleansing and prayers to the Holy Spirit. Brown included how this can also affect an entire nation due to its collective immorality, citing the example of his own country, the United States of America.
This shouldn't discourage or depress us in any way because as Brown pointed out, there is an opportunity to rid America of demonic influence through prayer. This applies to any country: the opportunity to mitigate the punishments from God for the evils that so many in society have accepted and been deceived by, comes in the form of prayer!
Such an "antidote" to the many evils in society comes to us through prophetic warnings and hope from Our Lady in LaSalette, Fatima, and Medjugorje.
The Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
Brown begins chapter twenty-five, The Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom, with a brief continuation of how his professional life changed after his conversion, highlighting in the process the need to pray for spiritual wisdom.
Brown was a noticeably changed man, so much so, that contacts in the secular media along with those in the publishing field began to take note. Brown was very cognizant of the change in his professional relationships, especially with those who were atheists and New Agers—who Brown no longer tolerated—as he put it, "Our spirits clashed."
The sharing of these changes in his professional life highlighted an important point about the battle of good versus evil; that is, it is not limited to a societal level, but also waged on a personal level. Elaborating on this Brown stated:
...Demons and angels fight over every person and family. That is essentially the condition on earth. At each turn in life, every hour, often every walking minute, we are given two different paths of thought and action, good or evil, and when we make the wrong choice—which is usually the easiest or most immediately pleasurable choice—we attract forces of darkness. (163)
It is important to note that not all that happens to us should be attributed to the demonic; sometimes it is simply a matter of life: a sickness due to biology; stress due to fatigue; and general mishaps and accidents. (163)
At the same time, we must not think of demonic influence upon us as some sort of general, abstract idea: these unseen enemies do attempt to influence us!
To help us distinguish between regular life occurrences and realities brought on from demonic influence, Brown includes a prayer for wisdom. The prayer implores Jesus: to bind the demonic that come against us; to open our spiritual eyes; to understand what should be understood; for wisdom; and to carry forth with our Christian duty without undue curiousity. It is an ideal prayer to recite daily!
The danger of a lack of spiritual wisdom is an increase in sin and demonic bondage. As Brown notes, the demonic try to "cling" to us; we are in a constant battle with them. He goes on to state, "They watch us just as guardian angels watch us—but always looking for an opportunity to tempt us and find another pathway inside." (165)
If you are wondering just how the demonic try to cling to us, Brown listed a few examples: drugs, alcoholism, jealousy and anger, illicit sex, unhealthy literature, bad habits, and the wrong movies.
Most people, as Brown pointed out, have no idea that their lives and mood swings are influenced by the demonic, who can cause: fear, doubt, lust, addiction and other compulsions, and especially pride.
Brown also pointed out that forgiveness is a most powerful tool of deliverance, "...[W]e must let go of past slights, rejections, or insults before we attain full spiritual freedom." (166)
Perhaps one of the most salient points that we need to remember about deliverance is that almost everyone needs some form of deliverance! Deliverance is not necessarily a dramatic, combative event with the demonic, but rather, a quiet, soft, and quick occurrence that is accomplished through the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Mass) and the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). He highlighted the importance of confession by stating:
Confession is a key to deliverance. When we confess our sins we are acknowledging the evil we have invited into our lives, and we are renouncing that evil. Renunciation of evils does a simple and yet extraordinarily powerful thing: it breaks our bondage to the evil. Confession and prayers of purification, in which we specifically pray to break each bondage brought into our lives through sin, open the clear path to full joy and deliverance. (167)
The rest of chapter twenty-five, Brown dedicated to explaining the different levels of demons and how they attach to and influence: entire territories, such as cities and countries, as well as to specific neighbourhoods, homes, and even rooms where "poignant sin" has occurred; objects, occult books or jewelry; and to each individual.
What I found particularly noteworthy was the mention of how demonic bondage can occur through obsession over money, emotional hurts, relationships, sexual tendencies, work, superstition, and people in general.
Brown also mentions a list of occult practices that we should avoid, as they open the door to demons: mediums, ouija board, pendulums, tarot cards, clairvoyance, and channeling. The result of such demonic influence is: deception, oppression, depression, obsession, and the ultimate goal of possession.
The Prayer of Fearlessness
Being a prayer-warrior entails that one be fearless in fighting the good fight.
Brown elaborated as to why this is, but first premised that explanation by reminding us that we are already victorious in Christ because He defeated Satan 2000 years ago; what remains is for us to reclaim that victory.
Quoting the Bible, Brown referred to the scripture passage in Luke 10:18-19, highlighting in the process how we have also been given the power to expel demons from our midst, which he spoke about and included in his talk in Toronto, Spiritual Warfare and Family Healing.
A key sign of fear is anxiety and Brown warns the reader that if there is any anxiety, "...[T]hat means the devil has a piece of us and is feeding off that nervous energy." (172) He continues to warn that if we fear the devil, we give him power because fearing him is fearing his nefarious power.
Also important is to not become obsessed with the Evil One and his demons because like fear, obsession can lead to serving their power. To help readers avoid becoming obsessed, Brown included prayers to Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The prayer to Jesus asks that: our path in life, including our families, leads to the correct path of deliverance; that we be given the right prayer companions and ministers; that we receive the information we need to have; and the gift of powerful prayer.
The prayer is to the Blessed Virgin Mary is a plea for her intercession: that we not give undue attention to the demonic; that we learn what we need to learn about evil and move on with our focus always on Jesus; and for the gift to see our own pride so as to not serve the "Prince of Pride."
Then there is a third prayer, one recited from Brown's heart, for the need to focus on the glory and truth of Jesus.
Brown adds to all this with his recommendation that, "Before we advance forward we must first pray to the Holy Spirit for total freedom from any fears or obsessions." (172)
The importance of being fearless also extends to the Evil One's human instruments; that is, those who are New Agers, involved in the occult, and any practitioners of black magic.
As to why that is, Brown explained that when we are in a state of grace and grow closer to God, we wear what he described as, "...[T]he breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation." (172) Any attempts by the demonic to fire their "darts" at us fall to the ground. As to what Brown meant by "darts," he stated the following:
The enemy's darts? We encounter them every day. You know how it is: Everything will be going well, and your mind will be happy and at peace, when suddenly an anxious thought will come flying into your head from nowhere.
Or the actions and words of someone will sting you, burn you, create aggravation or apprehension.
That's what demons are constantly poised to do: disrupt you and especially take away your peace and equilibrium.
Or tempt you. They will lead you away from discipline. They will make you too antsy or too busy to pray or to read the Bible. They'll lead you back to bad habits, or to unclean thoughts, or to confusion and doubt. Confusion and lust especially. Lust and arrogance, which really opens us to snares. (173)
It is important to be armed against the demonic and recognize their wiles and deceptions, otherwise they, "...[C]an often fester within us and cause us to sin or lead us into discouragement." (173)
Spiritual warfare is a lifelong struggle, a daily challenge that can be defeated with: faith, humility, self-discipline, Bible reading, and prayer.
Brown concludes the chapter with a short list of questions that is sure to go to the core of every individual's conscience, helping each one of us to root out pride and vanity, "Are we mired in pride? Do we think we are smarter or more spiritual than others? Do we judge? Are our egos easily riled? Are we concerned about status? Do we gauge a person's worth on a material or reputational basis? Are we jealous?" (175)
If "yes" is the answer to any of these questions, then we must pray to free ourselves from such pride. Brown goes on to state that, "...[A] person free of pride, or at least of most pride, is the toughest prayer-warrior." (175)
The added benefit of having no or very little pride is that we are not easily deceived because we are, "...[A]fforded special armor—special fearlessness—against the gathering enemy." (175)
The Prayers of Suffering, Faith, and Love
Brown dedicates an entire chapter to the prayers of faith, love, and suffering, chapter thirty-five, The Prayers of Faith and Love.
Brown begins the chapter by stating that the most powerful prayers are those of faith, love, and suffering; powerful against the Evil One and his demons, and powerful to appease God's chastisements for all the evil we have allowed and participated in. Here is how Brown explained it:
Most powerful are the prayers of faith, love, and suffering. The devil always flees when rebuked by those soft of heart. He flees from humbleness. He flees especially from the powerful prayers of the suffering. He flees from the prayers of those in wheelchairs, or those battling cancer. He flees from those who offer up their depression or mourning. He flees from those who offer up their suffering asking nothing in return. God lessens chastisement when we suffer for purification, just as He responded when the residents of Nineveh donned sackcloth. As one mystical revelation said, 'A faithful soul is more powerful than Hell, but a crucified soul is more powerful than a thousand hells.' (228)
These types of prayers are beneficial to us on a personal level, as Brown noted, "It is through those battles, those times of pain and loneliness, those times of suffering, and fasting, that we are strengthened and draw nearer to Him." (229)
Brown also emphasized that those who suffer and fast serve as "our best prayer-warriors," and lessen their own time in Purgatory. He goes on to explain the different levels of Purgatory and the respective suffering at each level.
Fasting is a fundamental weapon in spiritual warfare, just one of five "Little Stones" that Our Lady in Medjugorje has given to us. Brown elaborated on the importance of fasting:
Fasting helps us approach Heaven and ward off evil attacks. There are few things which are more powerful against Satan. It is no coincidence that Jesus fasted for forty days before publicly entering the spiritual combat. With fasting we are made stronger and purified. It breaks demonic bondages and sets us free from past dabblings in the occult, wrongful sexual dalliances, and other transgressions. (230)
Brown also reminds the reader that we should also pray for other souls already in Purgatory, especially for those who have no one to pray for them. He further highlighted the importance and need to pray for the souls in Purgatory by quoting Our Lady in Medjugorje, who told the visionaries on July 21, 1982:
There are many souls in Purgatory. There are also persons who have been consecrated to God—some priests, some religious. Pray for their intentions, at least the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, and Glory Be, seven times each, and the Creed. I recommend it to you. There is a large number of souls who have been in Purgatory for a long time because no one prays for them. (230)
Prayers of faith are those that "...[S]oundly defeat the harassing presence of demons." (231) Having faith translates into having no fear of the devil and his demons, for to fear them is to inadvertently express faith in their power, which is not comparable to that of God's!
That is not to say that the Evil One won't try to intimidate you, as he did with Brown, whose experienced a fire in his house that resulted in the loss of his clothes, computer, holy pictures, tape recorders and just about everything he owned. Brown's learned to laugh at this harassment, which in addition to despising and ridiculing the Evil One, makes him flee.
The fire incident proved to be an opportunity for Brown to put his faith into action through his recitation of the Rosary and adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It was time well spent because all that Brown lost in the fire, he got back and more than before. It illustrated what Brown further reiterated with regard to the importance of having faith in God:
When we have faith in God we rise above the storm clouds, we transcend the maelstrom, instead of looking up at the clouds and listening fretfully to the echoes of thunder, with our feet mired in the mud. When we have faith, the proper level of faith, the faith that maintains itself beyond little disappointments, beyond the trials that seek to rob us of that faith, we become one with the power of Eternity. (232)
Faith in God does require vigilance! Brown provided an example of the need to be faithful and vigilant, drawing from his own personal experience while in Italy, on his way to spend time at Monte San Angelo and San Giovanni Rotundo.
The time in Italy was part of his research for his book, The Final Hour, in which he required the use of a Xerox machine for the purpose of photocopying his notebook. It was a necessary precaution against the possibility of it being confiscated in Croatia, his next planned location, which at that time was under attack by the Serbs. His budget only allowed him to spend $25/day for a room, so he prayed earnestly with faith that God would provide.
It just so happened that as he suspected, when he arrived in San Giovanni Rotundo, there was no occupancy available. He considered the possibility that he might have to sleep in his car that night. Brown kept on praying.
He searched each hotel, but to no avail. When he got to the last one, he was met by the night clerk who informed Brown that he was not going back to sleep, so he could have his room for a discounted price of $25; God provides for those who pray with faith and are vigilant!
Prayers of love is what Brown referred to as the "final prayer of the warrior." You have heard the expression, "love conquers all," well it applies to spiritual warfare as well. Here is what Brown wrote about it:
That is the final prayer of the warrior: love. There is nothing more powerful. Love has dominance over every evil and hatred. We love when we work at longsuffering, patience, tolerance, kindness, humility, and forgiveness. Humility is the bridge to Heaven and love is the wood. We win the war when we work at loving every single person we see in the course of the day, every friend, every stranger, no matter how much they irritate us. We win when we avoid pride, envy and jealousy, which are subtle forms of hatred. (234)
Brown recommends that to win with faith, we need to consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he provided the prayers to do just that.
Praying with love is something we should pray for—certainly include as an intention in our daily Rosary—and thank God for the gift of His love. For Catholics, the best way to do this is at Mass.
Love is especially important for our eternal salvation as Brown noted in the last paragraph of the book:
And we must love. For Heaven is love. God is love. The light visionaries see upon entrance to Heaven is the light of love, and whether we are allowed into that light, at the moment of judgement, will depend, more than anything, more than any ritual or prayers, more even than suffering, on how often and much we have loved our fellow humans and most importantly how much we have loved and fought for the Eternal God. (236)
If you have made it to the end of this blog post, perhaps you will take reading about, Prayer of The Warrior, one step further and purchase your own copy. You won't regret it if you do.
Reading this book is "food for the soul" and serves as an ideal reading for those newly converted to the Catholic faith.
It also will greatly benefit those Catholics who have neglected their faith with very little, if any, spiritual readings, and desire to be brought "up to speed" on spiritual warfare.
