THE FREEDMAN MINDSET

We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Ps 124:7 NIV

Living like a free person feels strange if one has been in prison for a long time. One time I took out my wedding ring to clean up my finger but I still had the feeling that I was putting on a ring because I have worn that ring for many years.

That is the challenge some praying Christians have; most of their prayers are focused on gaining deliverance from satan and his agents. So, even after they have completed a deliverance session, they are still praying for deliverance. At times they do that while neglecting the simple things they could do for themselves to effect the material manifestation of their deliverance and prayer answer.

Hanna had a running battle with Penina who was making her life miserable because of her barren status. This problem has been on her for years. We were not told but it could have been over ten years. One day Hanna made out time to make a deal with God and the Man of God, Eli sealed that transaction with a priestly proclamation backing her prayers.

Now read what Hanna did,

Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the Lord for him." 1 Sam 1:17-20 NIV

Immediately Hanna heard from God’s representative that day, she changed her mindset. She agreed with her prayers through faith. She went home with a different spirit. She believed her matter was settled.

Take note that it did not say she got pregnant that very month; it was after some time. It is possible it took another five months but we never read that Hanna was downcast again.

She also opened up to her husband. It is true that God promised to give her a son but it is her husband that will get her pregnant. It is part of God’s way of granting her prayers. If she refused to sleep with her husband because she was angry about the past, she would never have gotten pregnant.

Somewhere God had to remind His people that they were no longer slaves;

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high. Lev 26:13NIV

I need to remind the child of God who participated in the PNUR Breakfast for Breakthrough, “Beloved, you are no longer a slave! Your chains have been broken.”

Our main text here says it all. Whatever that used to bind you has been broken and you have to step out now in the freedman’s mindset. Do not let the feeling of what you went through govern your mind and decisions. Let the past remain behind you, so you can concentrate on your purpose for your future.

Draw up fresh plans.

Start up from where you were obstructed.

Go out again.

The cage could remain open for years but the bird will never feel the freedom until it flies out.

Get up from where you are and fly out.

Embrace new opportunities.

Finally, remember to live a life of Thanksgiving everyday while you press on to reach your new goals.

I wish you the best month of your life.

Happy New Month!

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

HOW TO DEAL WITH BULLY DEMONS

 How to deal with bully-demons

She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her Act16:18 NIV

I grew up in a bully infested area of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. More than half the number of the children in that neighborhood were born out of wedlock. My physique created a problem for me. I was lanky and taller than my actual age. So the bigger boys picked on me and beat me often. I could barely come out to play.

There was this boy called Kofi. Kofi is a Ghanaian name and I guess because someone from Ghana impregnated his mother. He was a bully and very good at it, and he made my life miserable.

One day I advised myself’ it is either I fight Kofi with whatever I had or I will spend the rest of my days under torture because of his relentless bullying. One day I walked out to the playground and as you would expect, Kofi was waiting to bully me. To his surprise I confronted him, “Kofi, we have to fight today and it will be an open one.”

There was an uproar on the playground. Some shouted in disbelief, “Where did Emma get power to fight almighty Kofi today?”

We faced each other and I posed the only kung-fu setting I knew and I saw the rage in Kofi’s eyes. He gave his several settings and was ready for the kill. As I advanced towards him, Kofi flew into the air to hit me with his leg. He was in midair, about my height but I bent down and he flew over me and landed heavily on the ground. When I turned to deal with him, he was in such severe pain with bruises. He was bleeding. His friends came to help him up. That was the last time I had problem with him.

Our text says that the evil spirit in that girl messed around for many days but it was for as long as Apostle Paul did not see it as a major problem. Paul could have reasons or excuses why he tolerated it. I want you to understand that devil and his demons are not nearly as strong as they brag. That is why they employ all manner of fear tactics and misinformation. You are created to be like God. That is what it means, {In God’s image and God’s likeness”. Devil is like the angels and so by his very nature he is a servant. He is a renegade servant trying to assert himself over his master. It is in your place to put him where he belongs. Like Kofi the bully, he is full of rage but by the power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ, he is already defeated.

Again, you are not supposed to meet him power for power in your own strength. You are supposed to surrender to the Holy Spirit and pray those prayers in faith. That is why we ask you,

“Are you born again?

Are dully baptized?

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?”

If you cannot answer these questions with confident affirmation, then reach out to me and I will assist you. Some erroneously believe that God is sitting down in heaven watching the battle between us and the devil. That is not true. There are things that God has put in place to support you in your everyday life. You need to change the mindset that suggests that God is not involved in your battles. God is involved and ever ready to support you.

Take a look at the Prayer Collections again. Stop believing the devil’s lies that your prayers are not working. If they don’t work, why then does he intensify attacks each time you start praying seriously? Why do the nightmares intensify when you pray passionately? Can’t you see that your total deliverance is nearer than ever? Devil is trying to discourage you.

Intensify prayers.

5 things to consider when it appears that prayers are not working.

Some have reached me to express that they don’t feel that their prayers are working out anything. Others said that instead of the spiritual problems to abate, they become more severe. The latter group often decide to suspend the prayers to let things remain the way they were.

If those prayers are not working, why has the demons intensified their attacks? If the prayers are not affecting them in anyway, why do they put you under pressure to stop it? I have learned this in a practical sense in the ministry. Satan don’t bother himself when a preacher who has no message and anointing decides to organize a program. He can even go ahead and support him. The opposite is the case when a servant of God with a purposeful mandate comes to a city. Satan must mobilize all his agents and try everything to frustrate him. So I want you to see the intensified attacks as a sign that you are now taking steps towards your exit from his prison. Rather than give up, intensify prayers.

Here are few things to consider

1. Your spiritual position in Christ. I was once praying with someone and a girl walked in and said, “Amen!” Immediately she received a slap from a spirit-person who questioned why she should join and pray against them. She was not born again but joined in doing the business of born again people. We got to know as she screamed out in pain. Make sure you are born again.

2. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? For this reason we have a Prayer Collection to help those who need infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is not in the will of God that you confront the devil and his agents in your intellectual strength. The Holy Spirit gives power and current to your prayers. Unfortunately, some people don’t know this. You can ask for the Prayer Collection, A-Z of the Holy Spirit.

3. Look out for covenant points with the spirits. If you have covenant with the spirit, it will obviously insist on its right to remain in charge. Once the covenants are exposed and broken, the demons leave on their own. You can ask for my book, “Covenants: How They Affect People” for more on this. You can also ask for the Deliverance Questionaire which can assist you to find out those covenant points.

4. Wrong prayer focus. In some circles, the prayer topics are unbiblical. When you go into warfare with weapons that God has not approved, you are on your own. You will do well to read these books of mine, “Prayer That God Must Answer”, “Prayers that Bring Results” and “Quest for Supernatural Power”

5. The enemy is trying to discourage you because you just began to put him under pressure. That is the point I made earlier. If your prayers are not achieving anything, he won’t try to stop your prayers.

This is not only for those in search of deliverance from demons but should be applied in every sense as we serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

I will love to get your reactions to this.

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com