She was around seven years old, blond, blue eyed, with a peaches and cream complexion. It appeared that she had been dressed in her Sunday best by a loving mother or grandmother, but appearances can be deceiving. Her pastor later told me that no parent or grandparent had dressed her; she had started attending his church of her own accord. She dressed herself and walked to church, never missing a service.

With my heart breaking in anticipation of what I knew I would hear, I knelt down on one knee and asked her what she desired prayer for. Without a tear in her eye and only the smallest of tremors in her voice, she told me that the things I had been teaching about that night had been done to her.

A rage began to rise up within me. For a moment I longed for the days under the Old Covenant when sexual predators could be stoned to death for their sins. Then the Holy Spirit breathed the words of Christ anew into my heart, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

Silently, reluctantly, I lifted up the heart cry of Abraham before the judgment throne of God as he interceded on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

Gently I took her by the hands and asked her if she was safe. She assured me that she was, that her attacker had been arrested, she was in a foster home, and she was getting counseling.

"What can I do for you?" I asked.

"Pray for me," she whispered. "Pray the hurt goes away, pray it doesn't happen again, and please," she added, "don't ever stop doing this."

"Please, don't ever stop doing this." I felt as if God was renewing His call and commission in my life through her words.

I paused and lifted my heart up before God in prayer. "Let me never forget what is at stake, O Lord. Lay the two-edged sword of Your word to anything that is within me that betrays or hinders Your holy work in and through me, in Jesus name, Amen."