I am called to women, so the one thing that the enemy will try to do is keep me in bondage because if he does that, I can’t be effective and lead anybody else out of bondage. He knew that if I got free, others would follow. And that’s what happened at my event The After Shindig, a few weeks ago. Because God freed me, others got free and were on the road to freedom. At the event, we spent much of the last hour on forgiveness work. The enemy wants a gateway into our hearts to wreak havoc, but it’s our job not to let him have his way. What area is the enemy seeking to posses to have and keep you in bondage?
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
But you should do this: “If you have enemies who are hungry, give them something to eat. If you have enemies who are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this you will make them feel ashamed.” – Romans 12:20
There will be more in the future that I will need to forgive, and it’s the same for you. But you choose whether to hold on to it or let it go. When you hold on to it, it eats away at you. It has been proven that unforgiveness can make you sick. It can hold you back in life as well. It takes A LOT of energy to hold a grudge. Please see a counselor or therapist if you have to because it’s important to work through it so that you can forgive and move forward with your life and be effective in your calling. This world is wicked, and people have done and said unspeakable things to us. We ALL need healing.
I don’t know where you are today and who you need to forgive. I’m asking you to take the first step by talking to God about it. Your life, your purpose, your children and grands depend on it. Please don’t pass the poisonous seeds of unforgiveness to the next generation.
Do you need prayer, have questions, or need to talk about anything relating to this subject? Hit reply, we’ll discuss it, and I’ll provide any resources.
Thank You, Holy Spirit for speaking through me today!
And speaking of your calling and the next generation, I’m working on something big that I’ll be announcing soon. I’m uber-excited about it, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, if you need immediate help with your 4th quarter goals, consider appying for a free discovery session. After all, the year isn’t over yet. 😉
I love and appreciate you.
Kenya
A few weeks ago, I attended an event called Worship and Healing. The title alone was right up my alley, and I was excited! Little did I know what was to come.
It was an intimate event and so beautiful. After my private prayer time at the event, the host heard from God and asked me if there was anyone I needed to forgive. I had to think (or pretend to think already knowing I did, lol) and said, “Yes.” She instructed me to name the person(s) and what I needed to forgive them for. The next thing I knew, more and more names started coming up, and I broke into the ‘ugly cry’. It hurt, but it was so cleansing! Even after the exercise was over, more names were popping up in my head, and I would say, “Oh yeah, and so and so for this and that.” It’s not like I was walking around not speaking to these people or giving them the evil eye because I had already asked God to help me completely forgive these people. But there was residual, or leftover, stuff still there, and it would show up in my thinking, silent behavior, or a comment. So, there I was on a Friday night in this beautiful, Holy Ghost-filled space getting free.
The truth is, we can’t forgive in our own strength, but there is hope. I want to give you three ways that will help you get on the path to forgiving others:
1. ASK FOR HIS HELP
Talk to God about it and ask for His help because it’s too hard on our own. Tell Him everything. He already knows, but He’s waiting to hear it from you. John 4:24 says, “God is spirit. So the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” It must be genuine. Be real with Him. God wants to help you and tell you what to do. He wants to free you and give you His true peace.
The fact that we are to forgive because Jesus forgave us wasn’t doing it for me at the time, lol. Allow yourself to feel the hurt, pain, and betrayal the people have caused you, and process it. Don’t ignore, dismiss, or bury it. I asked God to do surgery on my heart. And it began to work! He gave me a new perspective on each situation. Not to say what they did wasn’t awful, but the perspective and information He gave me have allowed me to have mercy toward them and forgive them.
Also, we must remember that we’ve wronged someone at some point in our lives as well. It’s not an excuse, but it needs to be said.
2. DO SOMETHING RADICAL (Your feelings will catch up)
There are women at my church who can’t stand me. With them, the only thing I’m guilty of is existing and walking in my purpose. God has told me all about them. He has given me insight into their behavior and why they do what they do. I taught on this subject in my video Enemies – Part One: The Fight for Your Territory.
One day, one of the women was giving me a look so evil I could see the demon that had manifested looking back at me. I spoke to her, and she tried to fix her face, but it was already too late. I made a mental note of it and continued to wait for who I wanted to speak to. Afterward, I went to the bathroom to get myself together because I was shaken. I felt icky. That demonic spirit had affected me, and I knew what needed to be done—something radical. “I gotta hug her,” I said to myself (Yep, you read it right, ha!) God once told me that my hugs heal. I left the bathroom, rushed to her, caught her off guard, and said, “Hey! I forgot to give you this when we spoke.” She hugged me back lightly as I gripped her tight with the love of Jesus. After that, I had the best feeling. I doused her (and that demon) with God’s love, and that demon was so confused and had to flee. This is the same person I prayed over when I found out she had surgery. That day I didn’t see her as an enemy—only a sister in Christ who needed healing. And God healed her! Our relationship did a complete turnaround and was so much better after that. Her attitude toward me mellowed out big time. Not there yet? Don’t worry. I completely understand. I could NOT have done that on my own. That’s why we must ask for God’s help.
For you, it might not be a hug. It could be a making a call, sending a text, mailing a card, emailing a letter, or something else. God will show you what to do if you ask Him. And for those persons we need to forgive who are no longer on this earth, talk through the exercise still. Some people write letters and burn or tear them up. God will show you what will be effective for you. He will heal you and give you peace.
People and your feelings will tell you not to forgive, but neither show you the bigger picture and the consequences of not doing what we know to be right.
3. KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS PURE AND STAY IN GOD’S WORD
You will be tempted to make snide comments, let what they did marinate in your mind and play back over and over again, or fantasize about what you want to say back and what form of justice you want to give or see happen, but you can control what you think. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.”
We have to make every thought obedient to Christ. Obedient to what is true.
Growing up, I watched wrestling. Who could forget those moves and that drama? One that comes to mind is the headlock when the arm is around your opponent’s neck. It is one of the many ways to gain an advantage over an opponent. When a negative thought from the devil comes to mind, we have to put it in the headlock. We may tussle with it, and it will fight back, but we can’t give it life and we must keep applying pressure. Eventually, it will give up. Game over. You win.
And sometimes you’re going to be up against the ropes in the fight of your life with your boxing gloves on. You will win if you do it God’s way and not play ‘get back’.
