Joanna Whelton

Colossians 1: 12-13

God delivered you from darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son.

Imagine being in an enormous cave, where there is absolutely no light whatsoever. It is not only pitch black, but damp and musty, as well. Downright scary and petrifying is what it is! Does that sound like your life, before you met Christ?

One of the most amazing things about that time, however, is that, even though we didn't know Him, He was there for us. He rescued us, time and time again. He sheltered and preserved us. He brought us through, over and over again! Even before we knew Him, He captured us in His arms and led us to a safer place. He guarded us. He did that, all because we are cherished by Him.

Now that we acknowledge Him as our Savior and Lord, we are even more endearing to Him! We are His, and He is ours.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are reminded that God has given us the power to destroy spiritual strongholds. The Greek word for “stronghold” is prison. A spiritual stronghold happens whenever Satan tries to convince us to do something that we know we're not supposed to do. If we do succumb, he then tries to lay guilt and shame upon us.

A spiritual stronghold is the prison of darkness that we allow ourselves to be chained in, because we have allowed the enemy to take hold of us. The enemy tries to get us to believe his scams. Some of them include pride, bitterness or unforgiveness, obsessive fears and worry, any type of addiction, perfectionism, selfishness, despair, discontentment, complaining, gossiping, being judgmental, etc.

It's important that we examine what we hold in our minds and in our hearts, either consciously or subconsciously. What we have concealed and refused to look at is equally as sinister as what we are purposefully aware of. What is hidden and out-of-sight causes as much harm and detriment as our obvious thoughts and feelings.

Bitterness, unforgiveness, obsessive fears and worry, along with discontentment, gossiping, or being judgmental, are ways that the enemy tries to seep into our minds and hearts.

One of my late friends gave me this advice: Shun the four Cs – don't Complain, Compare, Criticize or Condemn. Wow! That's a “tall order”! However, it is one that we need to keep in our minds and hearts, as well as in our speech. Imagine what our lives would manifest if we gave the Holy Spirit permission to speak through us, and if we obeyed!

When we ask the Holy Spirit to bring to our attention what the enemy is trying to do to us, we can count on Him to do that.  We can resist the enemy, with the help of the Holy Spirit, and the enemy will surely flee, because that is what God has promised us. When can remember that God's Word is a light in the darkness. When we choose to do that, we can then realize that the enemy's desire to chain us in his prison cell is impossible because of Jesus' shed blood for us.

Thank You, Father, for allowing me to share in Your inheritance, as Your beloved child. Thank You for shining Your love into my life, so that I may now walk around with and in, Your resplendent brilliance and inspiration. Thank You that You have freed me to walk, boldly and confidently, on the paths that You light for me.

I pray that I always choose to allow myself to partake of Your continued and constant Grace for me. I pray that I always remember that it is through You, and You alone, that I no longer live and walk in the darkness and obscurity of my “old self.” I pray that I always remember that I have been redeemed and restored, because of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Thank You, Lord, for welcoming me, with Your enormous open arms and Your limitless loving heart, into Your kingdom, where You have reestablished me as Your precious and cherished child. Thank You for guarding my tongue so that I utter only favorable and constructive words; words that are encouraging, enthusiastic, and supportive.

I love You, Lord. I worship You. I praise You, and I adore You. Thank You, Lord, that I am Yours, and that You are mine.

With sincere and heartfelt gratitude, joy and peace, I submit this prayer to You, in Jesus' precious and holy name. And so it is. And so I allow it to be, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

AMEN!