How Steve Discovered Freedom in Christ

Using Christ’s authority given to us as outlined in God’s Word, I also commanded that if there was anything hidden or anything in opposition to God’s will that would keep Steve from his freedom, to come into the light of Christ and His truth, in Jesus Name. I prayed for him to have God’s peace and understanding. After we took a few moments for Steve to listen for the Lord, he heard the Lord speak to his spirit.

The next step is to always test what we hear. ‘Okay,’ I said, ‘Could we just ask Jesus if that means anything, or if there’s anything significant?’

Once more in Jesus’ name, I commanded everything to come into the clear light of Christ and His truth. After further back and forth through our process of Interactive Prayer Steve was at a good place to take an action. I asked Steve to renounce any influence that came through his experience at such a young age. I also spent some time helping him understand what it means to forgive someone. Then I asked if he would be willing to begin the process of releasing (forgiving) the person who hurt him – and the sins that were committed against him – to Christ for His judgment.

It was a good start. Or as we like to describe it, it was an initial step of freedom that would allow him to begin healing.

After 20 years we’ve come to understand and embrace the idea that ‘Freedom is for bondage and healing is for wounds.’

You see, freedom is what opens the door to the cage of bondage and allows a person to heal from psychological and emotional wounds so they can begin living outside the cage they’ve built for themselves. Which why we have both a training ministry to equip others to lead people to freedom as well as a counseling center with licensed professionals to help people heal.

Because Steve experienced freedom, he was able to begin his journey toward healing. He still needed more restoration but what happened that day in my office broke the power of sin and the bondage he was in. It freed him from the compulsion to ‘use’ or act out.

In the days following he told me, “For the first time I feel like I have the ability to really choose. [Bondage] doesn’t control me anymore. I am still tempted but now the accountability and prayer is enough to keep [me] from staying stuck in this pattern of behavior.” He added, “I know I need more freedom and healing but this is a good start. At least I have some hope and a measure of victory now.”

Praise God!

*Editor’s note: minor edits were made by the editor to syntax and punctuation on quoted text for ease of reading.