Not One Prison

 

"There is not one prison
that God wants you to stay captive in."

Abi Stumvoll

Falling asleep last night I prayed for quiet peaceful dreams to come.  I woke up at 2am from a nightmare where once again, safety was an issue.  We were in a car, my son Matt, who is a police officer in real life, was outside the car being shot at by a man dressed all in black wearing a ski mask and carrying an AK47.  Matt was unarmed, so he crawled around the side of the car and climbed in the back.  He told me to reach under the front seat and take out the 9 millimeter he kept there.  I did, and he instructed me on how to take the safety off.  For some reason, as dreams go, Matt could not get to the gun so it was in my hands.  As the man came up to the side window pointing the gun at Matt with the intention of killing him,  I lifted the gun up, aimed, and pulled the trigger, once, twice, three times.  As he lay dying I put my face in my hands and repented of killing someone while at the same time giving thanks that we were safe.  Double edge sword. 

Waking from the nightmare, my heart was pounding and safety alarms were starting to go off in my body, so I visualized Jesus with me, and spoke aloud Isaiah 26:3 until sleep came.  At 5am I woke up alert from yet another crazy dream, feeling the old unsafe fears wanting to resurface.  Really?  I prayed for peaceful dreams to replace the "always busy doing" dreams and ended up with nightmares!  I was ticked.  I am no longer captive to this stuff.  I know where these nasty dreams come from so I spoke aloud to the enemy.   "I refuse to partner with you anymore.  I am not believing your lies.  I send you to the foot of  the cross and I receive peace in place of fear.  Jesus is here and I am being held safely in His arms."  Satan slithered away, sleep came again and the nightmares stopped. 

Today I went to Bethels website and saw an unfamiliar face of a younger woman named Abbi Stumvoll, who had preached on Friday night.  I decided to see what she had to say, and as God often does, what she shared was just what I needed to hear.  She spoke about her own journey with inner healing.  Life had been difficult for her as she believed the lies spoken over her as a child and young adult.  Four years after discovering God's deep love for her and His desire to bring her healing she said,  "Being set free from fear, anger, or whatever chains hold you, seldom comes as the "suddenly" we read about in the Bible. We cannot force God to give us our "suddenly".  It usually comes as a process moving us to a place where we are fully persuaded God will do what He has promised in His Word.  It is our responsibility to hear and trust the truth....trust the process and step out in faith.  It is God who sets us free to be who He has always planned us to be."  Amen!!  This is good news for all of us isn't it!

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Luke 4:18,19

(Isaiah 61)

There is not one prison that God wants you to be captive in.  Not one.  He sent Jesus to set the captives free!!!  Free!!!  Sometimes it is difficult to face the pain so we run from it, but that only gives it more power.  The power we desire is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and lives inside of us.  So, when we turn and face those fears...the pain......even pursuing them, God shows up with Heaven's armies to do battle with us, bringing us out of captivity.  It may not happen suddenly but it will happen.

It is for freedom that Christ sets us free.  No chains.  No prison walls of fear, anger, sickness, bitterness, unforgiveness, childhood trauma, poverty, or more.  Not one prison. 

"It is for freedom that Christ set us free.

So stand firm then and never again

be burdened by a yoke of slavery/bondage."

Galatians 5:1