We have permitted a number of things to enslave us, both spiritually and physically. Some things we are quite aware of, while others we are completely unaware of. In our lives, we all have some sort of shackles that need to be broken. Our shackles can be physical, mental, or spiritual. The good news is that no matter what kind of chains we have in our lives, God is always ready to set us free.
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How do you pray to break chains?
Did you know that God uses fasting to shatter the ties of oppression and injustice? Earlier in our fast, we looked at how Jesus taught his disciples that certain demonic or bad spirits could only be cast out through prayer and fasting.
Because they did not live a lifestyle that included praying to the Father and fasting, the disciples were not equipped or empowered to set a child free. At that time, Jesus didn't expect them to fast, either.
In Luke 5:33-39, Jesus is questioned about why his disciples did not fast, as most Jewish males did.
Jesus questioned about fasting
33 ‘John's disciples fast and pray frequently, as do the Pharisees' disciples, but yours continue to eat and drink,' they remarked.
34 ‘Can you make the bridegroom's friends fast while he is with them?' Jesus replied. 35 But the bridegroom will be taken from them at some point, and they will fast at that time.'
36 He told them a parable: ‘No one cuts a piece from a brand-new garment to repair an old one.' Otherwise, the new garment will be torn, and the patch from the new will not match the patch from the old. 37 Moreover, no new wine is poured into old wineskins. Otherwise, the fresh wine will burst the skins, causing the wine to run out and ruining the wineskins. No, you must pour new wine into new wineskins. 39 And no one prefers fresh wine after drinking old wine, as they say “The old is preferable.”‘
When Jesus was living on earth and performing his public ministry, his disciples had unrestricted access to him, 24 hours a day, in person. Fasting is a way to obtain spiritual breakthrough, draw closer to the Lord, and hear from the Lord when you need specific insight and direction. In the case of the disciples, this was not how they encountered God. Through Jesus and all of his healing power, they had direct access to the Lord.
The Lord emphasizes in this chapter that fasting is frequently connected with or accompanied by a sense of grief. Fasting is for, as Isaiah 58 says, “the sake of the Lord.” “It's time to break the bonds of injustice.” The men and women who followed Jesus, on the other hand, were witnessing the kingdom of God explode with fruit, prophecy, and new life. It wasn't a time of distress, searching, or desperation when Jesus walked the earth.
When their sight couldn't see what their faith could see in the future, Jesus' disciples would fast. These men would bring the dead back to life. The Holy Spirit transferred (transported) Philip from one spot to another, and their shadows cured everyone who passed beneath them. They fasted frequently even during the time of the Holy Spirit's spiritual outpouring after Jesus' ascension.
Jesus predicted a period of regular, disciplined fasting. Is it on its way to get you? This is the time to bring your sorrow, agony, chains, and the loads and oppressions that surround you to the Lord. Fasting is a time to make amends for wrongdoings. It is a moment to weep, mourn, and pour out our hearts and prayers to the Lord. Today, let us present our chains to the Lord and beg him to break them!
I come before you today, oh Lord, in my need. I'm hoping for a breakthrough, so I'm fasting. I announce that I am fasting in order to break the ties that bind me. In Jesus' name, I pray Isaiah 58 and claim its promises.
I claim these truths in Jesus' name. I'm going to show you the persecution that I see every day. I perceive oppression by those in positions of authority “They “lord” it over the individuals they have under their control. You say, “Lord,” “Vengeance is mine,” says the narrator. That is something I submit to you. I beg you to right the wrongs, to condemn the sinners, to dethrone those who rule with malice, and to bring up those who are men and women after your own heart. All mankind are drawn to you, Lord. I pray that you will draw all of our leaders, from the most insignificant to the most well-known. In Jesus' name, may our leaders come to you with humble hearts and call for prayer and fasting.
I pray for those who are enslaved by addiction, whether it is to drugs, alcohol, money, sex, or labor. I pray that you will free those who are enslaved, convict them of their sins, bring the Holy Spirit's work into their life, and lead them to Christ. Save them from both the devil and themselves. Heal the suffering that is at the base of many addictions. (Make a list of specific people and their healing and deliverance needs.)
I've come to you in tears. I look forward to your return, yet there are many things that are bothering and upsetting me while I am still here. Fill me with your divine ability to pray.
I pray that you destroy all of Satan's strongholds in my life and family. I am a believer in the cross's power. In Jesus' name, I ask that you will uncover the lies and deceptions that the enemy uses to perplex me.
As you lead more and more people into your kingdom, I hope that you will bring the ultimate deliverance and breakthrough. I pray that I can contribute to that healing and salvation. Bring into my life folks who need to know about you. Allow me to be used by you to spread the gospel of your son, Jesus Christ.
I pray that you may be able to free yourself from the yoke of servitude. In the name of Jesus, I pray that you would expose human trafficking networks and that those trapped within them will receive emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental liberation.
I pray for all of the children that are in foster care. In Jesus' name, I pray that you will raise up godly families to care for these children and even adopt those who have no family.
Dismantle the shackles of indifference. I pray that the church would break free from its self-serving servitude. In Jesus' name, I pray that you assist me in being more awake to you and the things that matter to you.
Break any ties that bind me, even if I'm not aware of them. Lord, open my heart's eyes to see and hear from you about this.
In Jesus' name, fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I might walk in your power, even through problems and hardships. Amen.
How do you break off bondage?
- What filth keeps me trapped, making me doubt whether true happiness and freedom are even possible?
- Instead of believing the lies that are rattling about in your head, seek God to reveal the truth about who you are.
- Allowing your past to dictate your future is a mistake; instead, ask God to help you find fresh significance in your history.
- Don't let your difficult current circumstances cause you to give up; instead, ask God to help you see how your pain and difficulties might be utilized for good.
Friend, know that you are not destined to be stuck in the muck, no matter where you find yourself today.
God can assist you discover your way out no matter how long you've been suffering…or how bad your current circumstances are.
How do you overcome spiritual problems?
It may seem self-evident, but the solution to any situation is to seek God's help. God already knows what we're going through, and he wants us to come to him with all of our concerns. If there is apparent sin in my life, I must first seek forgiveness from God. However, even when I am not conscious of evident transgressions, God might appear distant. I can still pray to God for assistance. “You make known to me the way of life,” says Psalm 16:11, “and you will fill me with delight in your presence, with endless pleasures at your right side.” I can pray that God will reveal his ways to me and fill me with delight when I am in his presence.
What does breaking the chains mean?
Breaking the chain means that your individual sale and purchase are no longer interdependent. Breaking the chain can also help you secure the sale of your current home.
What is a yoke spiritually?
These passages share more than just the term yoke. The use of a yoke demonstrates that it is a burden that exerts influence. A yoke is influence in leadership terms (and everyone agreed after John Maxwell that “and influence is leadership, nothing more, nothing less.”) In other circumstances, such as when a police officer has influence over a criminal, such influence is quite powerful.
The word yoke carries a meaning that the one who is yoked is the one who serves another and bears their burden.
This is evident throughout the Bible. The word yoke was used in 60 Bible verses to connote slavery, servitude, or influence in familial and religious ties. In other words, “my yoke is light” could signify “my service or weight is light.”
What are the most powerful Bible verses?
15 Bible Verses to Boost Your Morale
- “So do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not be frightened, for I am your God,” says Isaiah 41:10.
How do I renew myself spiritually?
Humans have yearned to understand their actual essence for millennia. Your spirituality is your connection to your actual self and the Universal God-consciousness that binds all beings. Spirituality is a lifetime effort, and depending on where you are in life, it may be time to take a step back and rediscover how to reconnect with God and achieve a refreshed spirit. Even long-standing spiritual practices might get tiresome, since it's typical to reach a point where you're looking for something new.
It's crucial that your spiritual life feels exciting, challenging, and helpful to the person you are today, much as continuing the same workouts at the gym day after day will ultimately reach its limit of efficacy. After you've spiritually rejuvenated yourself, it can seem like you've taken a deep breath of fresh air after living in a windowless chamber.
What causes spiritual dryness?
Religious people might go through spiritual dry spells that range from spiritual unease to spiritual crises. The writers looked into the root reasons of spiritual dryness in religious brothers and sisters who had lived in monastic settings for decades. They conducted qualitative interviews with 16 brothers and 14 sisters, inquiring about the triggers of spiritual dryness stages. The selected categories were inductively organised and condensed into five key subjects during the content analysis of the 30 narratives: (1) Loss of God's Relationship, (2) Loss of Direction, (3) Loss of Depth, (4) Difficulties with the Religious Community, and (5) Intrinsic Factors: Overload, Uncertainty, Depression Extrinsic (God not responding, others causing obstacles) and intrinsic (loss of orientation and depth, doubt, and depressive state) factors can be separated from these five primary subjects. To assist and support persons during these periods, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying'spirits' (triggers) is required. It appears that no single (theological) interpretation of the causes is valid, but that different interpretations may be true for the many different people who are going through these periods of darkness, dryness, desolation, or faith loss.