Freedom

Only those who have been in bondage and freed can fully appreciate freedom. If you have read my previous post on deliverance, you will understand what kind of freedom I have received, but it goes so much further. In truly understanding my identity in Christ, I have had so much more confidence in prayers, especially praying for others. I use to always second guess myself, especially when I thought I heard something from the Lord, and now I just go with my instinct and boldly do what I feel the Lord is saying.
Yet the thoughts still try to come in, some new and some not so new. Not like the ones that prompted me to pray for deliverance, but no less of a nuisance. Ones that say 'you will look like an idiot if you say that' or 'they won't like you if you do that' or even 'you didn't really hear that from the Lord, you just made it up'. I wish I could say that I recognize them as quickly as I should by now as the lies that they are, but I still doubt for a moment and take the time to ask God to confirm what I feel I have heard, and He has. He is so faithful. I know He loves my new found confidence and the fact that I ask Him to confirm things does not faze Him a bit.
My joy most days is almost tangible. If I could glow, I surely would, especially when I have worship music on. His Spirit is so dear to me it often makes me want to cry when I think of His goodness to me. I know this isn't a very well thought out post, but I felt I must try to express the awesomeness I have been feeling and share it with those who might also want to feel this way. Invite the Lord Jesus Christ to dwell in your inner person and He will come. If you have done this, but are not feeling the freedom or joy that I have expressed, then ask Holy Spirit to highlight any areas in your life that the enemy maybe holding ground.
I know it sounds so simple, but it is that simple, and when a thought comes to you mind, maybe something from your past or something someone said to you, focus in on that.
Now oppose that thought or memory, repent if you need to repent, renounce it if it is a lie, rebuke it if it was a wound that has caused you to believe lies about yourself. Example, if Holy Spirit reveals something someone said to you and you believed the lie, then renounce your agreement with the lie and declare who you are in Christ, out loud! Words have power when they are spoken aloud. The Lord created the whole world with words!
Now that you have renounced the lie/opposed the area of oppression in your life, proclaim your freedom, also aloud, again, assert who you are in Christ and you should feel freedom and it should cause you heart to want to worship Him. If you don't yet feel free, then go back to the step where you asked Holy Spirit to highlight areas in your life. He may highlight something else to deal with. Keep repeating the steps and inviting Holy Spirit to heal you and it will happen!
So that is what I wanted to say today, to encourage others that they can have freedom in Christ too. Just accepting Christ isn't always enough, sometimes you have to specifically seek out areas that the enemy is influencing you life and renounce the lies that you have believed about yourself. Mine was that I was a disgusting, dirty person and I allowed that to shame me and kill my confidence and never really forgive myself. It also caused me to never completely accept the love of God for me. I knew He loved me in theory, but I had never allowed myself to truly believe it because I didn't believe it about myself. I wasn't lovable was the lie, and once I saw it as a lie and renounced it, I have had more joy than I can express to you. It can really be that simple.
Blessings to my beloved readers.