Introduction to Deliverance part two

Introduction to Deliverance (Continued) 

James 4:6 tells us He resists the proud, but He gives His grace to the humble. It also says to submit to one another and be clothed with humility. Submission, humility and confession are also keys that unlock our healing and freedom. When we confess our sin then we can be cleansed from our unrighteousness, and it’s also what removes the legal grounds Satan uses against us to block answered prayer. This is also the nature of deliverance ministry, to remove spiritual blocks to prayer so that people can make forward progress in their lives. Many times, people need help identifying what is blocking answered prayer.

We all know people, including ourselves perhaps, that may be saved but not yet free, healed, or walking in victory. There are going to be strongholds in people’s thought processes that need to be dealt with, and agreements with spirits of darkness that need to be renounced in order to put those devils on notice that they are no longer that person's master. If a person used to call on the name of Buddah, Allah, Mary, Catholic saints, or any other names of false gods of other religions, those spirits need to be divorced and renounced through some very intentional efforts in prayer because those are connected to the sin of idolatry. Jesus does not share his lordship with other spirits. But, if no one ever told you you need to enforce your dominion over those spirits through prayers of renouncement, they are often still connected to you, and their assignments need to be broken.

Some of our blind spots involve doors to the enemy that our ancestors opened as well as ourselves. Until the blood of Jesus is applied to those sins, it’s like a swinging door in the spirit realm where the enemy can come and go. The blood of Jesus closes the door so that the enemy is shut out. It is all about applying the work of the cross to our lives. It’s about the blood of Jesus that is powerful to deliver us from evil.

When God first started teaching me about generational curses, it came at a time when we were going through a very difficult time. It was very apparent that there was a spiritual battle because we were being squeezed financially. I was also having some very vivid dreams where I was attacked and followed by satanists and witches, and in every dream they were winning. I knew God was talking but I wasn’t sure about what.Then one night as I was praying the Lord told me to renounce voodoo. I was shocked because my mind couldn’t make sense of what I heard. But as I was obedient to the Lord, I stumbled through a prayer and asked the blood of Jesus to cover voodoo and other sins in my family line. Once I was obedient, I heard his voice very clearly. He asked, “Do you know what doors others in your family have opened a door to?” And I said, “No, Lord, how could I know that?” To which he replied, “That’s my point exactly, Laura.” It’s what you don’t know that is destroying you. The enemy sees legal grounds due to open doors and you don’t even know they exist.

In my early years as a Christian, no one in my life informed me that I needed to tell demonic spirits to leave me. I had no idea because the church didn’t teach it. So even though I was saved, those spirits continued to unravel my ability to prosper.

“Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.” Proverbs 26:2.

That word “undeserved” can offend people because no one wants to think they deserve a curse. God doesn’t curse His children, but Satan will gladly enforce a curse if we are careless. We tend to evaluate ourselves by our own opinions but the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light don’t care about our opinions. They only operate by the spiritual laws in His word. People tend to judge themselves by a false standard of their own opinions because it is a form of self deception that offers a false form of comfort. We rationalize what motivates our behavior and think God will accept all our excuses, but Hoseah 4:6 says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” We cannot afford to make allowances for our ignorance or our disobedience because it leaves us and our family members vulnerable to the enemy.Demons constantly look for areas where people have open doors. They take advantage of our blind spots. So let me just say it again: No one can afford to judge themselves by their own opinions or their own understanding. You will err greatly. The word of God is the standard by which we are judged, by God and by the enemy. God’s promises of restoration are conditional upon our obedience.

The enemy always wants to challenge us for dominion. There are believers that are bound in the area of their emotions. These are indicators that a person needs deliverance. All sin comes from the separation between us and ourselves, yourself and others, or between ourselves and God. Whenever there is something broken in one of these areas, it causes a lack of peace. Other words for peace are serenity, calmness  and ease. The word dis-ease comes from the prefix dis, meaning NOT, and ease, which means peace. So, not peace. A lack of peace is the root of all disease. Dis-ease.Spirits of infirmity, sickness and disease can take up residence in our physical bodies. Spirits of infirmity must be cast out before healing can take place in the body. That can be another block to answered prayer. If you pray for healing but you’re not casting anything out, the demons that cause sickness and disease can remain. Jesus ministered healing to the sick often by casting out evil spirits. Luke 4:40-41 is one example. It says, When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” 

Jesus came to give us rest. His name is Jehovah Shalom. The word shalom is a word that means safety, prosperity, well-being, health, protection, fruitfulness and abundance. Jesus’ name means all of that. So wherever we are disconnected from Him, wherever the enemy is squatting on our land or is lying to us, there will be evidence somehow of a lack of peace and rest. If the enemy has established a stronghold in your beliefs, that will be the place where your mind wanders and there is a lack of peace. If you’re bound by unforgiveness or bitterness, there will be a lack of peace. Those are clues where you need deliverance and healing so that your peace can be restored. The question is, who and what is ruling over your emotions? 

This sort of ministry builds up the individual and establishes the work of God.When people receive deliverance, they get healed, and healthy people will bring healing to others. So, it’s also a ministry that releases multiplication of health, freedom and increase to the body of Christ. This is an overview of deliverance ministry and I want to share with you a great resource to the body of Christ. My book, Wisdom to Defeat the Enemy is a deliverance handbook. Whether you are interested in working with God in your own self deliverance or you want to become more informed on how to help others, this is a book full wisdom and truth that will lead you in your journey of healing. It’s available on Amazon.

God Has a Pathway Our of Your Pain

 
I am not sure who needs to hear this today, But God wants you to know that He has a pathway out of your pain. Perhaps you feel stuck in the past, or you've been carrying regret over a situation that you cannot change. It may be that you don't know how to rise above the feelings of guilt or condemnation associated with the shame of failure. You may be feeling the pain of being misunderstood or the sting of rejection. Sometimes it is because we place too much significance upon the opinions of others. Injustice, false accusation or being used as another person's scapegoat are also legitimate reasons to experience pain and tormenting thoughts. Emotional pain results when we place a higher value on the approval or acceptance of others, or we believe a lie about ourselves or our circumstances, rather than what God says about us. The pain you feel may be connected to some other situation, but no matter what it is, God is faithful to help us in our times of grief, depression, lonliness or whatever we may find outselves having to walk through.

First of all, let me assure you that Jesus experienced all the same emotions, but on a grander scale. Although He did not fail, others considered Him a failure and labeled him as one, so He did experience the range of emotions connected to public failure, and the mocking, rejection and feeling of being alone through it all. He knows the heartbreak that you are feeling, and He is walking with you in it. If you invite him to, Jesus will walk you through to the other side of this painful valley. I know, because I've been there, too.

The first step is allowing God to comfort you with His love. There were many years I could not feel God's love around me because I had been terribly hurt, abused, and betrayed by people I should have been able to trust. Because of bad experiences, I didn't trust others, so I kept most people at an emotional distance. The self imposed isolation was very lonely, and I finally realized that if I was going to heal, I had to learn how to let others in and figure out how to trust again.

I prayed for safe connections, people that would not be judgmental and those I could trust with my pain. I didn't want to tell my story, but one day I was in the presence of someone I felt safe with, and I was in such pain from being misunderstood, labeled, blamed and shamed, that my story tumbled out of my mouth. The person I was with just loved on me and assurred me that they would keep my confidence and pray for me. It is what I needed. That little door of hope allowed healing to come to my broken and bleedng heart.

God does not bruise us when we are down. Instead, He shows us HIs love and mercy. His love is tender and patient. He knows where we have made agreements with lies and may even be in sin, self medicating or trying to avoid uncomfortable subjects, but He will get around to helping us deal with those issues when He knows we are ready for change. He allows our misery to prepare us for change, but it is His love and faithulness to us that encourages us to let go of our vices, stop making excuses, and take responsibility for our own well being rather than leave it in the hands of others.

Time spent in His presence also allows us to experience His love. That is when He reminds us that not everyone is meant to follow us into our future. If someone cannot love you when you're down, or if a person deserts you when you've made mistakes, and if they won't stand with you when you're hurting, you might want to reevaluate their importance in your life. Have they earned the right to be at your resurrection? 

I have had people in my life that could never celebrate my success. They could not bring themselves to offer a word of congratulations, or a word of affirmation. People's true intentions are often seen in the things they think no one will notice. Sometimes people will refuse to acknowledge anything positive in another person's life because they don't want them to be blessed. Friend, God is doing you a favor when He exposes the pettiness and insincerity in other people. It is better to know who are against you rather than be caught unaware. That way you don't continue to entertain unrealistic expectations or allow offense to get into your heart. Forgive them and move on!

God will bring people into your life that will celebrate who you are, your accomplishments and gifting. If people in your life don't value those things about you, keep moving and ask God to guide you to those that are "your tribe." Eventually, you will find one another and those relationships will truly enrich your life. They will also become the catalyst for even greater levels of healing and change.

One of the biggest lies we must learn to discern is about our identity. There is so much to be said on this topic! Google your identity in Christ. Study the scriptures. Let them encourage your faith. Understand that what God says about you trumps anything someone else has spoken about you, and that includes negative words and opinions you've had towards yourself! The process of discovery also brings us to a crossroads where we must decide whom we will serve. Are we going to allow the voice of our inner critic, formed by negative thoughts, opinions and experiences create us in the false identity the enemy wants us to accept? Or, will we take God at His word and believe we are who HE says we are? We have a choice, but which voice we listen to determines who we serve, and who is our master. I hope you choose to believe the Lord, for He is the one that died for your redemption and freedom. Only the Father who created us in love should be allowed to tell us who we are!

Trust God to lead you out of your pain. God promises us in His word to work all things together for our good, to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. We cannot change things that have already happened, but God is able to create a new future. Invite Him to hold you, comfort you, and navigate you through your pain. He has promised to never leave you or forsake you! 

Today, sit with Him for a while and ask Holy Spirit to minister truth to you. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal a lie that you've believed about yourself or your situation. When it comes to mind, Ask Him to reveal more information, such as what event allowed you to accept this lie. Then ask Him to show you the truth. God loves you so much, and it is the Holy Spirit's job to lead us into the truth that will make us free. Read John 8:31-32. 

"Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Are You Guarding the Wrong Treasure?

     For years I allowed anger, disappointment and unresolved hurt to keep me locked up in my pain. Lack of integrity and betrayal by those I should have been able to trust drove me to isolation, at least in part.  I kept people at a safe enough distance so that my heart wouldn’t be torn beyond repair when others failed to live up to my expectations. Disappointment in life was inevitable. I sought comfort in telling myself that no one was really worthy of my trust again.

     I thought I was guarding my heart so that it wouldn’t be hurt again, but I was wrong. I wasn’t guarding my heart; I was guarding the wounds that I had incurred. I was guarding the wrong treasure.  Somehow my perspective had gotten a bit twisted. The thoughts sounded logical as I made those silent vows in my heart. No one was going to get so close that I would get hurt like that again. I refused to allow myself to be vulnerable. And so, with hurt, offense and deep disappointment twisting my perception, I guarded the lie, guarded the pain and thought I could keep my heart safe. I trusted only myself. And yet, there I was. Unhappy, more than a bit jaded and bitter, and unable to pinpoint exactly the cause of my irritability and lingering heaviness in my soul. Day after day I couldn’t escape it. I was barely able to admit to myself that I was still in need of healing, because doing so would mean that I’d have to surrender the lies I had told myself, and the ones the enemy was still trying to get me to believe. “You can’t trust church people, you know. Christians are such hypocrites. They don’t live what they pretend to believe. You can’t trust God, either, because He could have protected you from what happened to you. He let you down. The only person you can really trust is yourself.  You don’t need them.”

     Only, the truth was, I did need them. Not necessarily the same exact people that wounded me, but I needed the body of Christ because of what was in them. I needed them because of WHO lived in them. The gifts of the Holy Spirit live in others, and it was those gifts that would make me whole again. Somehow, the shell I formed around my heart did in fact protect me from going down a rabbit hole of self-destruction, but after a period of time I realized that God was lovingly encouraging me to allow Him to remove it. I needed to surrender the judgments I’d made about others with a broad brush, lumping all the disappointments in to one category. I needed to learn how to take baby steps to integrate myself with others again, and trust God to work through them to bring healing and restoration. I didn’t want to, but the condition of my heart depended on my willingness to confront my fears and insecurities, and cast them down. I had guarded the wounds as if they were treasure, when in fact my heart was the treasure. The Holy Spirit was the treasure. The Anointing was the treasure. The calling on my life and future was the treasure. Those were the things I should have been guarding, but somehow the lie became more believable and I just accepted it as the truth. And so, I guarded and protected the lie and allowed the real treasure to be taken into captivity. And my soul became chained. My spirit caged. My heart broken. I was hemorrhaging spiritual power. I was bleeding out and it hadn’t even occurred to me that’s what had been happening. Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar situation. If so, please keep reading.

     Caught between a rock and a hard place, I chose to fall upon The Rock and confront the hard places in my own imaginations. If I didn’t choose life, my soul and spirit would eventually die from my wounds. I felt like my spirit was suffocating. I needed to be able to breathe again. With a heartfelt gasp I cried, “Lord, I chose life. I want to live! Forgive me for judging Your body – and You. I forgive those that hurt me, just help me heal. Give me the grace to trust again. Lead me to those that You know are safe. Lead me to those that You have chosen to be a part of my healing and restoration, in Jesus name.”

And He did.

Lies we listen to:

Lie: I don’t need to go to church. I can work through this on my own, just between me and God.

Truth: God puts truth, answers, love, healing and anointing in His vessels. Those things are designed to have a purpose in our restoration and healing. We were never created to be separate from others, but integrated into one another’s lives. We were designed with relationship in mind. We do need others because we are 'the church.'

Lie: I can have friends that aren’t religious (or live with Christian values) that can satisfy my need for relationship.

Truth: We don't need religion, but we do need Christ. He is the light, the truth, our Healer and Restorer. God has specifically advised us through scripture that darkness has nothing in common with light. Neither the human spirit nor a worldly spirit or a new age philosophy can actually heal or restore a wounded soul. The Lord told us in John 8:32 that it is the Spirit of Truth that can lead us into truth and make us free, and that comes only from God’s Holy Spirit. We are also advised not to forsake assembling with one another, breaking bread with one another and having fellowship. Authentic, godly, loving relationships help provide balance, stability and nurturing in our lives that pave the way for healing and restoration.

Lie:  I can just focus on work, family and other things and I’ll be fine. Time heals all wounds.

Truth: Time does not heal our wounds. The evidence is everywhere. Look around. People everywhere are wounded and hurting because they have never received genuine healing for the grief and raw emotions that linger from unhealed wounds. It is not time that heals, but forgiveness towards those that have hurt and disappointed us. Until we choose to forgive those that have sinned against us can we heal. Perhaps someone offended us or did something much worse through unkind and unloving words and actions. I have had people that were acting on hell’s agenda to deliberately try to destroy me and my loved ones. It is hard to forgive another person’s intentional actions to cause pain, humiliation, and destruction – but it is possible. Fear, anger, anxiety, stress, and other worrisome thoughts can be the result of our own unforgiving heart that is plagued by demonic tormentors. The only way out of that prison is through the door of forgiveness. Many, many people have found their way out of spiritual and emotional prison. You can too.

     Friend, I pray that this has helped you. If you’ve been guarding the wrong treasure, I pray that you will make a divine exchange today and surrender your heart to Jesus. Ask Him to lead you to the people He has chosen to be a part of your healing. He knows your hurt and disappointment in those that didn’t live up to your expectations. He will heal you if you will just trust Him. It’s time to discard the lies. Your heart is not safe in your own keeping. It is only safe when you surrender it to Jesus and let Him take care of it. Choose life. Your heart is the greatest treasure that you could ever offer to the Lord, and I promise you that He will guard it as the treasure it is. Let Him restore your hope and your heart, because the truth is, there are many wonderful people out there that are worth letting in to your life.