| Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Luke 11:14-36; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 12:18
“When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, it then says, ‘I’ll go back to my house where I came from.’ And returning, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits eviler than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first.’ As He was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, ‘The womb that bore You and the one who nursed You are blessed!’ He said, ‘Even more, those who hear the Word of God and keep it are blessed!'” (Luke 11:24-28)
Salvation and freedom are so much more than just a prayer. If we mumble a few words but have no corresponding action, then our prayer was empty. Prayer is the door that opens us to the supernatural world of Holy Spirit. If we truly give ourselves to Him, then Holy Spirit comes in, applies the blood of Jesus that sanctifies us and then the real work begins. You may ask, “Well, how do I know if I’ve “truly” surrendered, and it wasn’t just an emotional plea?” You will know because there will be a difference in your life. From the moment I gave my heart to Jesus, I realized there was something going on internally. My mind-set began to shift, my desires began to change, my attitude was altered. Amazing! Trust me, you’ll know. You must go with the changes and fill yourself with God’s Word, allowing Holy Spirit to work out your salvation from within.
Our transformation begins and progresses over the space of our lifetime, so no one is saying that we are “holier than thou” once we are born again, only that the process has begun, and we are under construction. The one thing that separates us initially is the accepting and application of Jesus’ sacrifice. Period. After that, we will know, and people will see signs of our change according to the effort we put into knowing our God. So, it’s more than repeating words and learning a few scriptures. It’s not what we know, it’s Who we know and it’s not how much we know but how much we are actually applying to our life. The above scripture talks about God freeing a person from bad spirits with the expectation that they will begin to fill their spirit with righteous things. But if we do not pursue God and fill our hearts with His Word and begin walking that Word out, then the demons will return and bring more with them.
A backslidden person is probably one of the most miserable people because they are torn inside. They know the truth yet are dominated by evil. The enemy keeps them tormented with regrets and failure, doubts about whether they really had an experience with God and possibly bitterness that God was not able to keep them, if indeed He really exists. It’s a terrible place to be. In their mind all of the scriptures on repentance and forgiveness apply to others not them. Those are lies of the enemy.
If you have found yourself in this position, then you must work hard to rise above this mental and spiritual domination. Find someone who you can trust, have them pray with you, exorcise those bad spirits, receive forgiveness, forgive yourself, apply the Word by faith and move forward. You are a mighty person of God, don’t let the enemy of your soul steal one more moment from you!
PRAYER:
Lord, I surrender myself to You. I ask You to forgive me, I receive it, help me to forgive myself. I do believe in You, I do love You and I do believe that according to Your Word, You are greater than the condemnation of my heart. I release all of this foolishness. I am ready to get on track. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. |
