Overcoming Sexual Strongholds - Identifying The Spirit of Fear
Stacey Lunsford, "2000"
Deuteronomy 10:12, And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
For believers that are struggling with sexual immorality, the shame, the guilt and embarrassment prevents them from coming forth and reaching out for help, for fear of being rejected and these are all of the tools that the enemy uses to keep the believer paralyzed, unable to move forward and walk in all of God's ways, to love Him, to serve Him, with all of their heart and with all of their soul.
Stronghold #1 To Be Pulled Down The Spirit of Fear:
There is a difference between fear and the spirit of fear. According to Deuteronomy 10:12, we are instructed to fear God and walk in His ways. The fear reverenced in this text is a Godly fear; it's to reverence God, to respect and honor Him.
The spirit of fear however, is an unpleasant feeling or apprehension caused by the presence or anticipation of danger. It's an idea, thought or other entity that causes fear. It's to worry or be concerned about something that threatens to bring bad news or results. ~ Encarta Dictionary ~
1 Timothy 1:7, For God hath, not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
The spirit of fear doesn't come from God it comes from satan and it is one of the most powerful tools that he uses to prevent believers from moving forward, walking in the ways of God that are recorded in Deuteronomy 10:12.
Key Prayer Point For Stronghold #1 Pulling Down The Spirit of Fear
Father we come before You this morning, not in own righteousness but in the righteousness of Your Son, Jesus Christ, asking that You would cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Forgive us for all of our sins. Forgive us for operating in the spirit of fear that has prevented us from acknowledging the sin in our lives and asking for Your help.
For those believer's that are strong in You, Father we stand in proxy for those believer's that are weak in You and for those that have yet to accept Your Son Jesus Christ into their heart, as Lord and Savior. We ask that You would hear our humble cry as we petition You today on behalf of all believers and unbelievers that are struggling with the sins of sexual immorality from the pulpit of our churches to the doors of our homes, in Jesus name.
In thee O Lord, do we put our trust, let us not be ashamed for trusting You. Let us not be ashamed for acknowledging that we are struggling with the sins of sexually immorality and that we have been unable to move forward because of the spirit of fear that has been operating in our lives. Father we renounce, reject, rebuke, bind and cast out the spirit of fear and we loose the spirit of power that You have given unto us (1 Timothy 1:7) the capacity to do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us, according to Your Holy Word, in (Philippians 4:13) and Your perfect love that casts out all fear in 1 John 4:18 and we loose a sound mind, thanking You for letting us keep our mind stayed on You, to trust You so that You can keep us in perfect peace according to (Isaiah 26:3), in Jesus name.
As we stand on Your Holy Word today, asking that You would prove Yourself faithful, as You send forth Your Holy Word to do all that You will have it to do in the lives of everyone that desires to be set free from sexual immorality and the spirit of bondage in Jesus name. Father Your word tells us that if we delight ourselves in You that You would give us the desires of our heart and I feel in my heart today that many desire to be set free and I thank You for granting them the desires of their heart!
Father according to Your word in 1 Timothy 1:7, You have not given us the spirit of fear but You have given us the spirit of power and of love, and of a sound mind, and Your word tells us in
1 John 4:18 that, There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. Father, we thank You that it is not Your desire to punish us and that it is Your desire to we restore us unto You in Jesus name.
Teach us how to receive Your love today, mind, body soul and spirit. As we receive Your love, we believe that Your Perfect love will drive out all fear and we thank You for preparing us to walk in Your ways and we thank You for the patience, grace and mercy of those that You will use, that are stronger in the faith to help those that are weaker in the faith to grow stronger in You and we thank You for allowing all to graciously and ever so humbly receive those that are healed and whole as well as those that are wounded, hurt & broken, with the same love and compassion that Jesus had on those that were wounded, hurt and broken in the Gospels, in Jesus name amen!
