"Pulling down strongholds!"

Stepping Out in RED Shoes 

- Day 65 -

Whose voice are you listening to?

The answer might surprise you.

Today I never put on my RED shoes.  It rained all day, and I had no reason to go outside.  Instead, I stayed indoors -- pacing in prayer in my RED socks - tearing down strongholds in the lives of those I love.  I even pulled down a few strongholds of my own!

When I awoke this morning, I immediately took time to be with God.  After praising Him, and sitting in His presence, I saw a picture, in my mind, of a dear friend.   How odd... a green moss-like substance was covering her head and spreading wildly with each passing second.  

God instantly revealed to me 

that it was a stronghold of fear.  

Without giving it a second thought, I took action.  In the authority of Jesus' Name, I came against that stronghold, pulling it down, severing it's connections to her mind, and crushing it to a pulp.  It was not an easy task.  Every time I thought I was done,  the moss returned and began growing back, just as rapidly.  I returned to prayer over and over again and didn't stop until the Lord released me, assuring me my task was complete. 

When it was over, I texted my friend that I hadn't seen in weeks, letting her know that I had been interceding for her.  She thanked me stating that she had been struggling these past couple days with severe panic attacks.  I assured her that Christ had fought that battle for her and won -- and to expect freedom from here on out!

"The weapons we fight with are 

not the weapons of the world.  

On the contrary, they have divine 

power to demolish strongholds.  

We demolish arguments and every pretension 

that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, 

and we take captive every thought 

to make it obedient to Christ. "

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Strongholds dull our spiritual sight and push our thinking out of alignment with God.  They darken and distort how we perceive things.  In my book, The Yellow Brick Road, A Woman's Journey to the Edge and Back, there's a chapter entitled, "The Green Glasses."  When Dorothy and her friends enter the Emerald City, green glasses are locked on their heads so that everything in the city appears green.  In much the same way, after my divorce, everything I saw was tainted with rejection.  It wasn't really that way -- but that's how I saw it.  That's an example of a stronghold.  My continued fear of rejection, fed and strengthened the stronghold.  It was hard to hear God's voice on such matters.  For a long time, the stronghold kept me captive. 

Last week at The Bonfire, several of us prayed for our adult children, pulling down the strongholds in their lives.  Often they're captivated by the ways of the world.  That's why they're out of alignment with God.  Darkness has got a hold on them.

So often, I don't know what to pray for people or where to start.  In such cases I'm convinced that my intercession should begin with the pulling down of strongholds.  I don't have to know exactly what those strongholds are  -- God knows!   His Spirit will reveal the details as I pray, and I can incorporate that information accordingly.  

Once the strongholds are broken,  I pray for the release of the Holy Spirit -- that He would have full liberty to move!   As He blows through the prayer closet of my mind and into the lives of those I'm praying for,  I find myself kicking the foot of the enemy out of the doors he's gained access to -- shutting them tight -- and celebrating the victory on their behalf.  "Booyah!"   

Meanwhile, God moves in

to save, heal and deliver!

Have you ever seen an old, telephone switchboard?  An operator receives an incoming call and connects the line to the appropriate extension.  On a busy day, there are wires all over the switchboard connecting people's conversations.  When I pull down strongholds, I imagine myself pulling all those wires out -- disconnecting people from the voices of the enemy -- so that they can hear His voice, loud and clear.  Amen!

Praying with you and for you!

Gail