spiritual bondage

There once was a young woman who had a demon inside of her,

but to have a conversation with her, would you know? 

She wore beads on her wrists, head, and ankles. Red and white they were. Studying to become a sangoma (aka traditional healer or witch doctor), she was allowed by her teacher to show four strangers the room where they performed rituals. Many questions were asked:

“What are those powders made from?” 

“Have you always known this was your calling?” 

“Where is your family?” 

“Are you afraid?” 

The young woman answered each question with genuine truth. She did not make efforts to hide or deceive, but engaged with the strangers who asked questions of understanding, clarity, and interest. After a time, the teacher became restless, and asked for the strangers to move outside, not much longer after, she began to question when they would leave. The teacher prepared tree roots to be dried and ground into powder for medicine and ritual practices, meanwhile the student was washing dishes nearby. 

Some other elders, or teachers, came in and out. And during each interaction with an elder, the student would bow before them in greeting, and would not use their name but a specific title of authority to show them respect. The teacher liked order, and the student was not allowed to sleep, but had to take something in order to bring energy. 

Much more was underneath the surface of the practices, the chores, and the rituals. One of the strangers listened intently and heard that the young woman didn’t have authority over her own life, but was told by the voice inside of her, that was not hers, what she must do, and how she must live. It guided her in a way that was binding. If she chose to be trained and live under the authority of the entity within, she would not live a life that was her own. This was her first option. But if she chose not to complete her training and defy the voice inside, she would likely be afflicted by illness, pain, torment, insanity, and riddled with nightmares. She would become crazy. This was her second option.

As the visit came to a close, the stranger realized that despite asking questions and gleaning further understanding from one of her guides, she knew that what she had experienced was only a part of the story. So, she prayed to God that the woman would soon have the ability to know that she had hope and could find freedom. That when her heart was ready for release, God would send someone to bring deliverance and break the chains that held her captive every moment of every day. That she would experience a third option: freedom in Christ alone, and deliverance from the enemy within. 

**Please pray for those in your community, and in this one, for spiritual freedom in Christ. For the Holy Spirit to prepare hearts to receive Christ, and if needed to be delivered from demonic presence. Pray for our teams here, temporarily and permanently, to follow the Spirit’s leading to be bold in sharing the truth, and to bring deliverance to those whom the Lord makes ready.**