Ol” Slewfoot and his minions study you. They know your strengths and most importantly, they know your weaknesses – they know how to push your buttons and trigger thoughts and feelings that can tempt you to act in the flesh instead of in the spirit, this is one reason why it is important to know your own triggers so that you can recognize when those buttons are being pushed and you can act in the spirit, instead of in the flesh.
As you grow in discernment, you can recognize those triggers and choose to react by bringing those “hot spot” feelings to the Lord. I have come to recognize them as areas that need healing, things I need to bring before the Father, triggers are emotionally painful and they show us areas that are hurting and need healing, remember we live in a fallen world and are surrounded by people that do not know the Lord (are spiritually blind) and therefore, if they are people you love than they can (and probably will) be used by the enemy to irritate, anger or hurt you and make you react in a way that doesn’t glorify God. What should you do when you feel this way? Recognize what it is, recognize the feelings within you that it is bringing to the surface, realize that it is a “hot spot” or “sore spot” that still needs healing by the Father and PRAY for those that the devil uses as his vessels to bring about the emotional pain. Remember that the Bible says in Ephesians 6:12:
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The devil will use the same tactics over and over again – especially if they work! He wants to upset you! He wants to get you angry with the person so that you won’t intercede on their behalf, but God wants you to be dependent upon Him. It doesn’t matter what those around you think or feel about you. Are you being falsely accused or judged? Turn it over to the Father and let Him deal with it. FORGIVE, FORGIVE, FORGIVE! Even through the pain. God WILL bring into the light what is hidden in the darkness, the most important thing is to FOCUS ON HIM.
The Bible gives MANY examples of people who were ostracized for their love and commitment to the Father. The Bible says in Mark 8:36:
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Many of us are familiar with this saying by Abraham Lincoln:
“You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people, all of the time.”
God is NOT calling you to be a “people pleaser”, He is calling YOU to be concerned about pleasing HIM. The devil uses those we love (who are spiritually blind) to hurt us because he knows that it is those that we love most to cause the can cause the most pain and anguish, THIS is where we need to toughen up, recognize the spirit behind the attacks and to (through intercession) lift those individuals up in prayer, even Jesus said to pray for those who persecute you, take a look at Matthew 5:44-45:
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
We are not responsible for how another person acts, for their choices and their lifestyles – but as followers of Christ, we ARE responsible for interceding for others – just as Jesus intercedes for US. The pain you feel is genuine and real – I’m not saying to ignore it or push it down – recognize it and then show that pain to the Father and let Him heal it… When I’m feeling that way (and it DOES happen to me) I pray the following:
“Father, thank You that I can boldly come to your throne room because of the shed blood of Jesus, I know You see me, as you are El Roi (the God who sees me). Forgive me for my sins, Father I am hurting…” (and this is where you tell Him what it is that has hurt you – who it is and how you are feeling). “Lord, I know you see the unrighteous way (NAME THE PERSON/S) has hurt me – and I know that it is because she/he don’t know you as Lord and Savior and so they are ignorant of what they have just done. I hurt Father! Father, I lay this hurt at the foot of Your cross and I ask that You heal me of this pain. I realize this is a hot spot that I still need your healing balm to soothe over me and help me to see how much YOU love me. Help me to see that it doesn’t matter what (NAME THE PERSON) says or thinks – it matters what YOU say and think Father. I forgive (NAME THE PERSON(S)) for what they said and for what they did. I release them and I pray that You would come into their lives and convict them of their actions. I pray that if they don’t know you as Lord and Savior that Holy Spirit You would bring them to a point where those spiritual blinders are removed and help them become vessels for You and not vessels for the devil. I decree and declare healing over this wound and I thank You Father for helping me to recognize that this is an area that still needs Your healing touch. I release it to You in Jesus’ precious name because I know that Your Word says, “by His stripes I am healed.” I am whole in YOU Father. I thank You that I belong to You, that I am YOUR child and that You love me and have called me by Name. I am Yours. So Father, I release this pain to You and I thank You that no bitterness will take root. I thank You that Your good and perfect will IS going forward in my life – and I am determined to keep my eyes on YOU. Please put people in my life that can help me heal and build me up and not tear me down. Thank You so much Father for helping me to catch this trap of the enemy – with the authority You have bestowed on me – I rebuke the devourer in the name of Jesus and I thank You Father, that what he has meant to harm me, You have helped me recognize the attack so that I can run right into Your strong arms and bring the issue to You because You have taught me as in 1 John 4:4:
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
Healing flows through my soul and YOU have made ME whole. I give You ALL the glory, honor and praise and I thank You that even in my pain I can pray for those who persecute me for my walk and my faith in You and trust that You can change their hearts and turn them towards You. Please do it Father, so that they may know Your good and perfect forgiveness and love. I choose to forgive them and love them in spite of their hurtful actions. In Jesus’ name I pray AMEN.”
There is NOTHING more healing than knowing You have a Father who loves you BEYOND ANY person that is in your family or in your life. Turn to Him and He will heal, He will provide, He will love – He will be whatever it is you need Him to be and will heal ALL wounds – we just need to recognize the triggers for what they are and pray them through – we have a higher calling, those of us who are God’s Called Remnant and we can do ALL things through Christ who STRENGTHENS us – because we belong to Him. Shake the dust off your feet, straighten your back and raise your chin, for YOU are a child of the UTMOST HIGH God. THAT’S ALL that matters! Praise His Holy Name! \0/ \0/ \0/
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