Overcome, Arise, Thrive: Breaking Strongholds, Embracing Freedom
Hi there! Today I wanted to share my heart with you. Recently, I have undergone yet another series of transformational shifts that have led me to a person of great virtue and honor, whom many know as Jesus Christ. He is my Lord and Savior. My Redeemer. I have been given a mission to prophesy to those who currently sit in dark places and are held captive by the works of darkness. Why am I doing this? It’s not for money, nor fame, nor recognition. To hell with all of that, no pun intended. I am doing this for the lost souls. I want to lead them to the maker. To Christ Himself. I want to save people from drowning. To lead them to the kingdom of God. To emphasize the need for positive change and to create a positive paradigm shift in society.
My Personal Testimony
In the past few months, the Holy Spirit has revealed to me the necessity of fasting, developing intimacy with God, the importance of deliverance, breaking generational curses, and pulling down strongholds. For a while, I would dilly-dally around Christianity, without actually being or getting involved in any community or church home. Granted, I owned my very own bible, which I read every once in a while. But, deep down, it all felt unrelatable. I was a lukewarm Christian, drifting off path, and at times rebelling against its teachings. I could not relate to any of the stories foretold in the bible, because I had not yet fully given my life to Christ. How did I get here?
Putting It All Together
About 12 years ago, I left the church. I was abused by religion, so I threw the baby out with the bathwater and started my own search for God and the truth. I opened myself up to many paths and in all my desperate attempts at seeking the “truth”, here I am today- back where I started, except this time, I picked up some valuable gems along the way. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Touching on this allows me to recognize the blessings in my life, which has helped me fit previously unidentified puzzle pieces together. I now know that despite my rebellious attitude– my experiences, including the painful and debilitating ones, were needed in order for me to develop my intuition and discernment, and to recover from the lost parts of myself. I was formerly the prodigal daughter, but today, I am His. I came back pleading to be held in His arms, only for me to realize that He never left me. Christ died for my sins, and I was saved. He accepted me without question despite all of my shortcomings. And throughout my ordeals, I was constantly being watched over, and deeply cared for as I walked through the shadow of the valley of death (Psalm 23:4). I have found a silver lining in what I previously perceived as negative experiences and I am at peace with all that was.
So often we go to church and leave out the same way we went in. We go through the religious routine of attending a church building, but never really get the victory over the enemy. It is the Will of God that His children, all of us, be healed, delivered, and set free from every form of bondage, curse, sickness, disease, and works of darkness. I pray that this information will help you in finding your way out of darkness and walking into God’s marvelous light. “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.”(1 Peter 2:9). For a long time I based my self-worth on my accomplishments, but the importance of our relationship with Christ transcends our jobs, successes, wealth, or knowledge. We have been chosen by God as His very own, and we have been called to represent Him to others. Remember that your worth and value comes from being one of God’s children, not from what you can achieve. You have worth because of what God does, not because of what you do.
I can remember a time when I was breaking generational curses and was in intense warfare with the person I was dating at the time. It was one of those days when the enemy was really trying to take control of him. I was fed up with the enemy and determined not to let that happen. As I began to pray and take hold of that rebellious and stubborn spirit, I could literally feel power being drained from within me. Eventually, I ended the relationship and walked away. It was time to pivot. It was time for a change. I overcame.
Engaging In Spiritual Warfare
I wasn’t surprised that this was happening because I had attained a level in life that required me to exert greater influence over matters that had kept me bound. Negative patterns, destructive cycles, and bad experiences will repeat themselves until someone is courageous enough to stand up and say NO. Enough is enough. I had heard of similar occurrences happening in generations before mine, and nobody said or did anything about it. They just let it happen, and it continued on and on. I finally rose up, took charge, and began to fast and pray in the spirit. No more would I let such continue. I declared an end to humiliation, sickness of all kinds, poverty, failure, defeat, helplessness, and feeling weak (as though these things were beneath me). When it comes to breaking strongholds and ending generational cycles, it’s important to be sober, alert, and aware. What is natural is natural and what is spiritual is spiritual. For example, when you come under a spiritual attack on your health, doctors will hardly ever be able to detect anything natural. The Bible tells us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12). That was my assignment in that season and with every new level, comes a new devil. Hence, this is why it is very important for us to have accurate knowledge and understanding of the Word of God so that we are ready and prepared to engage at all times when the enemy shows up.
“I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death.” (Psalm 118:17)
**Erica weaves themes of transformative hope and grace-filled leadership into everything she shares on her blog. She’s an author, a speaker, and a life coach, who offers honest encouragement and road-tested wisdom about topics ranging from leadership and lifestyle, to discovering your God-crafted identity, design, and purpose.
This post is sponsored by: https://hype.co/@ericakenechi
2 Comments
Miss_Vee
Beautiful piece, I am definitely enlightened with these words.
God bless you sis ❤
Erica Kenechi
Thank you dear! I’m glad you enjoyed reading ❤️