Pursue freedom from spiritual roadblocks
Pursue freedom from spiritual roadblocks
“And it will be said: ‘Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.’” (Isaiah 57:14, NIV)
Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Though He longed to hold her close, He couldn’t because of the strongholds in that city. Similarly, God cannot come close to us when our lives are clogged with ungodly mindsets, bondages from the past, and generational curses. Sanctification is that work of cleansing our hearts and becoming a holy people, set apart for God. As we allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and lives of anything that stands in the way, we are making room for the Holy Spirit to fill us afresh.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV)
This is, perhaps, the costliest aspect of preparing our hearts for transforming revival. It is only when we truly humble ourselves before the Lord in allowing our sinful nature to be exposed, that we can be free. Repentance is not simply acknowledging our sins. It is a turning away from those mindsets, habits, and patterns that led us into sin in the first place. It is a renewal of the mind and becoming like Christ. It is clearing the personal land of our heart before attempting to clear any physical land in our community.
Though the Holy Spirit may be a gentleman, He is also passionate in clearing the way! As we set aside times of prayer and fasting, we are inviting the Lord to do deep work that we cannot do ourselves. As stated in Isaiah 35:8, we are preparing a “highway of holiness” whereupon the Lord may walk with us and indwell us continually. No unclean thing can abide in this place of holiness and it is in this place that we are secure, protected, and overshadowed by a Holy God. It is in this place that He can come and rest because we have cleared out the clutter and made Him room.
Jesus said “when” you fast, not “if” (Matthew 6:16)! The practice of consistent fasting trains our hearts and minds to submit to Christ. There are levels of sin and bondage which can only be broken through fasting. Personal and corporate fasts are not an option. Rather, they are a necessary component prior to a divine visitation. The ongoing journey to transformation begins with clearing the way in our own hearts first and then, with renewed freedom and authority, working together to clear the way for our communities.
Here are some resources to assist in your process:
Books:
- Freedom from the Past: Freedom for the Future by Derek Prince
- The Steps to Freedom in Christ by Dr. Neil Anderson
- Biblical Healing and Deliverance by Chester & Betsy Kylstra
DVDs:
- Restoring the Foundations (12-week class) by Chester & Betsy Kylstra
- The Steps to Freedom in Christ by Dr. Neil Anderson
