This is an “epilogue” to the previous Glimpse entitled “Missing Mosquitos!” If you missed that one, you can easily access the archived copy by visiting our Glimpse gallery here:  

https://papasteve.org/be-inspired/glimpses-into-the-fathers-heart/

Having experienced a wonderful “success” in commanding the mosquitos in Africa to “stay away from me” on my first mission to Tanzania, I was emboldened to explore a bit further into my “zone of dominion” over the creatures (see Genesis 9:1-2). On my second trip later that same year (2002), I decided that I didn’t like mice or cockroaches either, so before departing from my home in Torrance, California, I commanded all the pests in Africa to “stay away from me!”  

Sure enough, during my entire time in Uganda on that second mission to Africa, I didn’t see even one mosquito, mouse, or cockroach! Not even an ant! I should mention that some of our teammates were not quite so blessed – during our one night at the safari lodge near Murchison Falls in Uganda, some of the rooms had bats hiding behind the toilets. That made for some interesting conversation at the team breakfast the next morning!  

With these first two mission trips demonstrating powerfully to me that sons of God have authority over the creatures, I commanded the mosquitos and/or other pests in Africa to stay away from me during my third and fourth missions as well. And they did! I was on a roll!

Just before departure on my fifth mission to Africa, I was in a hurry again to finish packing at home so I could rush to the airport in Los Angeles to catch my plane. I almost forgot about the mosquitos and in my haste I said to the Father,

“Oh yeah, Father, please take care of the mosquitos!”

And with a dismissive wave of my hand I quickly hustled to get to the airport on time! 

Everything was fine until I spent two nights deep in the bush of Tanzania, sleeping in a very simple hut with no mosquito netting available. In my cockiness I, the “Master Over Mosquitos,” was not worried that first night about the lack of netting. So, I was indeed surprised to wake up the first morning with mosquito bites on every portion of exposed skin that wasn’t under the blanket.  And the same thing happened the second night as well.  

I was chagrined! What happened to my “dominion” over the mosquitos? Was it a temporary anointing? Did I somehow “lose” my authority? I asked the Father to tell me what went wrong.  He said with a chuckle (and a subsequent “belly-laugh”),

“Son, you asked me to take care of the mosquitos.  So I fed them!”

Up to that point in my Christian walk I hadn’t ever heard Abba laugh that hard. His “belly-laugh” must have reverberated through the universe!

Abba taught me a hilarious lesson on that trip: Be careful what you ask of the Father and how you ask! He has a sense of humor and he also wants to teach us the importance of making good word choices, and more importantly, asking with humility and without presumption.   

I reverted to issuing serious commands to the mosquitos and I’m enjoying a more humble position of authority as a son of God who has gained a bit more wisdom!

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