I once heard a great pastor from Fayetteville, N.C., teach a
message at a conference that explained how Satan attempts to choose his future
victims while they are very young. He explained how cruel words, sexual abuse,
anger, and other physical and emotional weapons create a hole in the emotions
of a person. As the neglect, abuse and sexual sins continue, more holes are
punched in the emotions, and the previous holes become bigger and bigger.
Eventually a person feels so unclean inside—so unworthy and rejected—that he or she seeks
affirmation through prostitution, a gay lifestyle or even through drugs. That
person believes, wrongfully so, that drugs are needed to dull his or her
emotions and thus feels better when he or she is high.
The problem is this: When that person comes down from the
false high, the holes in the soul are still there. Thus addiction becomes his
or her companion, and the drug becomes the monkey on the back that cannot be
defeated.
Soon these hurting individuals become attracted to other
individuals who are experiencing the same form of pain. They team up with other
wounded people who are drinking alcohol, taking illegal drugs or are sexually
active in an illicit manner. They get drunk or high, and then they give
themselves over to another person, thinking that it will fill the void. When the party is over and the sun rises in the morning,
the friends are gone and they awake with the same holes in their hearts.
Some go as far as marrying someone just like
themselves—“because he or she understands me.” Other young girls form a
connection with the first boy that gives her attention or who masquerades love
for sexual favors. Soon she is pregnant and the boy has gone AWOL. A hole of
rejection is created. The problem is compounded because two people with holes
in their emotions can never make each other whole or complete.
The holes in our souls must be sealed off before wholeness
can occur. The more holes in our souls, the more prayer and seeking God it
takes to seal up the leaky emotions. The good news is that repenting of our
sins and placing our faith in Christ bring not only deliverance from our
bondages but also wholeness to our inner soul!
In Scripture, the word atonement is used 80 times, and it means, “to appease, dismiss
or reconcile.” In the atoning work of Christ there is a threefold work: This
work of Christ brings salvation to man through His blood (see 1 Pet. 1:18-19),
healing through His stripes (see 1 Pet. 2:24), and emotional healing through
His carrying your grief and sorrows (see Isa. 53:4).
Grief and sorrow are the result of painful events that occur
in our lives. Death brings grief, and loss brings sorrow. However, the heavenly
Father placed upon Christ our grief, pains and sorrows. We must come to the
point where we understand this and by faith transfer our grief, sorrow and
rejection to the heavenly High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of our
weaknesses.
I heard a pastor explain the four things a person must do to
bring deliverance and release to his or her spirit.
1.
Face it. Do not deny
your feelings and don’t blame others for your negative emotions. You will never
change what you permit or face what you deny.
2.
Trace it. Get to the
root of the conflict. Realize what the root was, not just the surface
circumstance. Was it the enemy attempting to create a rift?
3.
Erase it. By forgiving
or asking for forgiveness—you are, in reality, erasing the offense.
4.
Replace it. Replace old
images with new pictures, memories and relationships. Get on with your life as
you leave behind your past.
Thousands of men and women have followed this simple, yet
powerful pattern, and have experienced freedom and deliverance through faith in
Christ. You may have been marked as a target for the adversary from the time
you were a child or a teenager. However, you were also marked for a redemptive
covenant that will redeem you out of the prison house of the enemy!
Change your outlook from a victim mentality to a victory
mentality when you enter a covenant of salvation and freedom through Christ!
The prison doors have been opened, but you must walk through the doors.
Adapted from Purging Your House, Pruning Your Family Tree by Perry Stone, copyright 2011, published by
Charisma House. With his unique blend of Bible knowledge and spiritual insight,
Perry Stone brings to light the methods and strategies the devil uses to launch
his attacks against our families and teaches you how to stand strong against
him. To order a copy click on this link [INCLUDE LINK AND IMAGE OF BOOK COVER].
PRAYER POWER FOR THE WEEK OF 5/16/2011
This week meditate on the atoning work of Christ and allow
Him to bring healing to every area of your life. Make it a point to forgive and
receive forgiveness for what you’ve done to try to fill the void outside of
Christ. Thank Him that He’s paid the price for your physical, spiritual and
emotional healing. Embrace His love and ask Him to make you a vessel of His
love and compassion for others. Continue to pray for those suffering losses
through the ravages of war and natural disasters. Pray for President Obama and
his advisors as they make decisions affecting the nation and the world. Remember
Israel and those risking their lives for the gospel. Isa. 53:4; 1Pet. 2:24; 1
Pet. 1:1-19; I Tim.2:1-8
To enrich your prayer
life and learn how to strategically pray with power by using appropriate
scriptures, we recommend the following sources by Apostle John Eckhardt:
“Prayers that Rout Demons,” “Prayers that Bring Healing,”
“Prayers that Release Heaven on Earth,” and “Prayers that Break
Curses.” To order any or all of these click here.
