THE NEW EVANGELIZATION

SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE

THE FIVE KEYS TO UNLOCK THE DOORS OF OPPRESSION

Have you ever heard yourself say “I'm not good enough", "I'm a failure", or "I couldn't live without _______"? Where do such thoughts come from? In a conversation with my pastor one day, he said to me "all negative thoughts originate with the devil". This concept led to the theory that the "not" statements above may be things we come to accept because of life experiences. Rather than being able to say "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me" we live in the lie rather than the freedom God wants for us. The truth sets us free but how do we begin to make the transfer to truth from the lies we have come to accept?

Contemplating a mission trip was the beginning of more than just the decision to go. The process entailed a lot of discernment and an interesting thing came out of looking at all the material and testimony available that had to do with participating. I kept reading over and over the words "we prayed according to the Unbound Method and saw people set free”. An inquiry on the internet led me quickly to Heart of the Father Ministries and the book UNBOUND by Neil Lozano. Feeling the need of support, I asked a few friends to read it with me. We held aweekly discussion group that led to a once a week viewing of conference DVD's and then to an actual conference with ministry training. All the leaders in our prayer group participated in some way.

The "UNBOUND"  MODEL OF PRAYER uses Five Keys to unlock the doors behind which the lies which the lies hide.

The Keys are:

1. Faith and Repentance. 2. Forgiveness. 3. Which Goliath Renunciation. 

4. Authority. 5. Blessing.

At first it seems so overwhelming you are tempted to think “I can't do this”. That's the first lie you have to get past. The next is "I don't have to do this". That's true, but don't you really want the freedom for you and your family that Christ promises? I did, so I took it in a little at a time; began to work with it in situations that came up. This is only one of many stories I could tell.

Our son, now a father himself, often exhibited an excessive fear of lightning and we laughed about it but it became more serious as time went on. Sitting with my grandson one night, it began to thunder and the five-year-old started to shake as he said "we have to go hide in the basement". Half question and half statement I looked at my son and said "you did this to him". It led to a discussion about why he was so afraid of lightning to the point of being paralyzed or controlled by it. He understood how this was hurting him and now his son and he really wanted to be free. He was in bondage to an oppressive fear that gained more strength every time he encountered being near a lightning strike. Our son believed in Christ; had said prayers of faith and commitment. He recognized the hold this fear had over him and that it needed to be renounced in the name of Jesus and cast out with the authority Jesus gives to us as believers. We looked at possible sin in his life, people that hurt him that he needed to forgive and I listened to the story about his lightning experiences: in a dugout, on a golf course, working on an amusement ride, under the scoreboard at PNC Park, and more. All of these were very close direct lightning strikes. “I’m a lightening magnet” he claimed. The fear of being struck directly was tangible. I asked "but didn't the Lord protect you"? This was early on in my study of UNBOUND and I only left him with the thought that you need to get free of this fear at the point of entry. On our next visit we were driving our son and grandson home and were suddenly, inexplicably hit by a direct lightning strike. The car was totally enveloped by light; the thunder was deafening. I remember just saying "wow" and waiting for a reaction from the back seat but nothing happened. There was no crying, running, expressions of fear… NOTHING! A short time later while helping to fix dinner at their house, I attempted to talk about the experience in a positive way by saying "I really feel the Lord is asking me to trust Him more". 

         My son blurted out "what He said to me is 'See, it’s gone' ".

The Holy Spirit had helped him complete what I had begun, however inadequately, by reminding him of an experience when he was very young on a field trip to the Franklin Institute. In one room there was a machine that created lightning. He was unprepared for what happened and as the lightning struck right next to him a "spirit of fear" found entry that overtime built to bondage that affected his life. Knowing the entry, he had renounced the fear with the authority Jesus had given him and he was set free. He renounced the lie and it had no more hold on him.

As things come up, we can use discernment to discover and break the chains of "lies” that we have swallowed, repent of sin that may be associated with them and forgive those involved. (Our son had to forgive the teacher and the attendant that didn't prepare him properly for what was happening.) In the name of Jesus we can renounce the lies, "spirits," we have allowed access and with our given authority command them to leave. Finish by accepting God's blessing in the area of our wound. You may need to experience this ministry to understand it more completely and especially to use it to minister to others. Many resources are available. Whether we need courage, trust, peace, reliance on God, whatever, He is there to bless us richly and enlightened and strengthened us to walk in freedom.

A personal witness by C. Ritchey, Sanctuary Prayer Group, Lancaster PA

(Unbound by Neil Lozano is available in bookstores or at http://heartofthefather.com. It has been translated into many languages and is a magnificent tool for “The New Evangelization". Look for future events in the diocese that will deal with Unbound Ministry)