When I woke up the day after my deliverance (read about my experience in Part 2), I felt light as a feather. My mind was beyond clear, and I was ret-ta-go, okay?! I had gotten very little sleep, so I was still tired, but I had a plan to go grab some caffeine after I took care of Belle. The Lord instructed me to fast for three days while on my morning walk with her. I asked Him to confirm I was hearing Him, then I immediately looked up and saw the number 3 on an actual street sign. God is faithful!
I knew that I would need to be watchful and not fall back into the things that exposed me to demonic access in the first place, but I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect now that I was delivered and free.
I remembered Matthew 12:43-45 and continued to pray and ask Holy Spirit to fill me.
I had heard people say that their boldness for God increased after deliverance, and I can attest to that! I had never heard myself be as bold as I was when praying that morning. I spent the day pushing through work, and toward the end of the day, I put on worship music for the first time since before my deliverance session.
I could feel something rising up, so I began praying - binding and casting out whatever was left inside me. I called on the Lord and asked for His assistance; I had an absolute boldness and spoke with such authority I low-key surprised myself. I got in front of a mirror to confront the thing and began feeling manifestations similar to the previous night. I stood flat-footed on my authority (Luke 10:19), continued to bind and cast out, and eventually, a burp came out. I was so excited that I had successfully completed a self-deliverance that I almost got distracted before realizing I wasn’t finished. A few prayers later, a few more expulsions of impure spirits, and I felt so much lighter!
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. My mind was an absolute battleground - thoughts started coming in left and right that I had to immediately rebuke and bind. I refused to let the enemy plant a single seed or gain re-entry into any space he was cast out of. I eventually realized that I needed the Lord to renew my thought patterns because it got to the point where I was almost waiting for and expecting the enemy to attack me. That is absolutely not the way to live - we do not live with a focus on the demonic; we live with our eyes and hearts on God. I also had to remind myself to follow the command of Luke 10:20 - to not rejoice that the spirits must submit to the authority given to me by Christ, but to rejoice that my name is written in Heaven.
In addition to praying for the renewing of my mind and thought patterns, I asked the Lord to reveal any cursed items in my house that I needed to get rid of. Spoiler alert: having certain items in your house can grant the enemy a right to have access to you. Let me tell you… the things God has revealed to me that were hiding in storage totes and even items hiding in plain sight have blown my mind! Some things I was able to sell, some I had recently purchased and was able to return, other things I've had to straight up throw out with the trash. I'll admit, it was hard to part with some items initially because of the sentimental value attached.
But, when I reminded myself that it was an instruction from God and potentially an open door to the demonic, it became easy to toss that stuff.
I am aware that I may have missed things, and there may be more purging, more binding, and more casting out, but I am committed to the process of maintaining deliverance.
Now that it has been over a week since my D-day, I can testify that my experience has only improved. My relationship with God has strengthened, my prayer life and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit have increased, and the rapid-fire attack on my thoughts has slowed. I still have thoughts that I bind and rebuke, but it is not remotely close to the level it was immediately after my D-day.
I have also realized how I feel, or don't feel, in certain situations. For example, Sunday evening, when I realized I had work the next day, I didn't get the "Sunday Scaries." I expected them but then realized I felt no anxiety at all. I used to feel highly put off by the idea of being pregnant, giving birth, having a child, etc., and now I feel joyful and excited for that journey (when the time comes). Before deliverance, I would always nitpick my body and long for it to look differently. Now I see it objectively and don't have any negative feelings or thoughts toward it. I'm genuinely amazed at how so many things have changed in such a short time!
These are not changes that have happened over months, years, or even weeks - these changes occurred within days of my deliverance session.
I know I am free, but I'm not naive to think that I won't need to walk out my deliverance every day. To fill my spirit, I have been listening to teachings and researching more and more about deliverance and spiritual warfare so I can continue fighting effectively. We are in a constant spiritual battle, but I am committed to staying free because who the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36)!
All glory to God for what I have and continue to experience through this journey. My deliverance process with Flawed and Free was exceptional; I highly recommend them if the Lord leads you to their ministry. As I mentioned in Part 1, I found them through Isaiah Saldivar’s Deliverance Map. If you feel led to receive deliverance and don’t know where to turn, check out the Map and see if there is a ministry near you or one that does virtual sessions. I do want to note that self-deliverance is possible! But sometimes, having someone else take you through deliverance (especially your first time) can be easier for several reasons. For example, when I was casting out some things the day after my D-day, I could recall some spiritual warfare prayers I had heard the night before and use them. I also was not afraid or intimidated because I had already seen success. Victory has been my portion, and it can be yours too!
Deliverance is real, and it is supernatural. It is a process, and it is necessary.
I would caution you to assume that you don’t need deliverance. Instead, seek the Lord and ask Him if you do.
I pray this strengthened your faith, exposed the lies of the enemy, and encouraged you that freedom is possible! You can learn more about my overall testimony and walk with Christ in my Letters to the Lord devotional. And be on the lookout for Flawed and Free's upcoming episode of Tea & Testimony featuring Yours Truly (live on YouTube on August 18 at 8:00PM Central Time)!
Leave a comment about your experience with deliverance. Have you heard of it or experienced it before? Do you have friends or family going through the process? Let me know below.
Comments