'Hey, I feel like I need to talk to you! When can we catch up? I'm only in the country for another week, so it'd need to be soon.'
'Ok, cool. How about we grab lunch together?'
What started as a simple invitation to reconnect turned into a life changing deliverance session.
I hadn't seen Rachel* in almost two years and just out of the blue, we 'randomly' ran into each other in a different city than we met in! We both happened to be doing a Community Development Seminar based on biblical principles of 'Helping without Hurting in Africa'. (I highly recommend it)
Beyond this seminar, God had a divine moment waiting for both of us.
For me, a moment of beautiful confirmation that this is what I'm called to do with my life and that God has instilled the skills in me to facilitate people encountering him in a life changing way.
For Rachel, a moment of instant freedom & deliverance where she feels like she can 'finally live again'- her words, not mine.
It's moments like this that I realise the Kingdom of God lived out looks like making time & space for intimate conversations so that the Father can bring freedom to one of His kids.
I won't go into all of the details because it was an intense 2 hour long session full of vulnerability, tears and the presence of Jesus BUT I will share a couple wild bits with you.
My friend had fallen in love with a Christian guy... who's family was steeped in witchcraft. She shared story after story from the last 2 years of demonic visitation, physical symptoms of voodoo style witchcraft, and of hectic spiritual torment that she desperately wanted freedom from, but didn't know what to do.
Cue Shelly & the Holy Spirit.
As Rachel is pouring out her heart, Holy Spirit is giving me insight into what's been operating in the spiritual realm and dropping into my mind the questions to ask in order to bring things into the light.
After 2 years of not knowing how to bring separation between her and this guy... we prayed through some soul ties- emotional, physical, spiritual connections they made, broke off the influence of witchcraft over her life and declared the blood of Jesus over her.
It was wild.
It was peaceful.
It was the freedom Jesus died for.
With swollen eyes, she just looked at me and said,
'Wow- I feel like I can finally live again. I feel so light, so FREE. Just WOW!'
This is the power of Christ.
2 weeks later I followed up with Rachel to see how she was doing and to get her permission to share this incredible story of freedom and I was sooo encouraged by what she said!
'After what happened, there was a freedom and deliverance but the story didn't end there.
It's the end of what's been happening to me the last 2 years!'
-Rachel
Luke 9:1-2
'Now Jesus called together the twelve [disciples] and gave them [the right to exercise] power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.
Then He sent them out [on a brief journey] to preach the kingdom of God and to perform healing.' (AMP)
*My friend's name has been changed out of respect and privacy of those involved.
