The first time we learn a lesson stays in our minds for ad long as memory continues to be fairly sound. The first time I saw a demon leave a person will always stick in my mind. I had no clue what to do when it was obvious there was a demon to be dealt with. Then a sentence was dropped into my thoughts which sounded a bit odd but which I knew I was to speak out in the Name of Jesus, not to the demon, but to the afflicted person. “You are the gift of God to life.” All hell broke loose and departed. The person, who was already a Christian, was free.
Satan takes delight in destroying a person’s self esteem and worth. If we really are full of God, people around us will be lifted up, aspiration of the right sort will be restored or ignited.
Perhaps today you will get the opportunity to say to someone in the Name of Jesus, “You are the gift of God to life.” Perhaps the person who needs to hear that is you? Let God be your glory and the lifter of your head.
Oh yes, another thought: Church/Congregations/preaching/teaching/ministry/mission etc. are meant to have an atmosphere of aspiration about them. Some ceilings perhaps need to be shattered quite deliberately and intentionally. Insecure leadership often tramples on aspiration and calls it sinful pride. Religion likes to keep folk in their place: under the domination of others. That sinful spirit of domination often dresses itself up deceitfully as the biblical doctrines of leadership, submission etc., but is the devil’s perversion of the life giving truth of God.
Thanks to the young black, female, American Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, for sparking off these thoughts…
God bless
Kenny
revkennyblog 
Kenny, thanks. Clear, gentle, truthful, perceptive again.
LikeLike
Very pertinent post, Kenny. There’s confusion and fear around the reality of demonic influence.
I may be wrong but to me it is the result of a stronghold built around a wound or trauma, past or present.
My own healing journey has been in stages. Maybe due to being in/living in the right places with the right people but I think mostly due to my own decisions to get rid of everything that hinders knowing our Shepherd, recognising His voice and only following Him rather than being distracted by might appear to be good green pastures elsewhere. He knows best.
Many years ago, after praying the last verses of Osalm 139, and subsequently recalling a childhood molestation and its repercussions, I received prayer at my church with a lovely group of compassionate Christians.
During that long ago session of waiting on the Lord and prayer, I was released from some demonic thing and saw it fleeing and exiting by the side door of the church building.
One of those saw the thing too. ‘It went that way, didn’t it?’ I had seen a thing like a very large bat, about three foot tall, but with its wings cut off.
Other strongholds may simply break up as we simply get to know scripture better, set our faces like flint to follow the Lord, and take captive thoughts that disagree with the Word. Praying for awareness and ability to go these has greatly helped me through the worst episodes of dealing with long term effects of both mistakes and sin, and traumas over which I had no or little control.
We must be willing to allow exposure, to change and become more like Christ in agreement with the Word.
LikeLike
Thanks again, Kenny. If I had been in a meeting where you shared that, I would have been on the edge of my seat, so pertinent it is to what I have been thinking about this week. I am so encouraged that he knows my thoughts afar off, and shares a word in season through you, man of God.
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Kenny !!
LikeLike