FEAR NO MORE

FEAR NO MORE

  • Authority, Fear

FEAR NO MORE

Fear has no place in our homes and parenting. It is time we rise up and issue eviction notices. 

Ask – “Jesus, is the door to fear open?”

Ask – “Holy Spirit, will You please show me who I need to forgive for introducing me to fear of _____?” 

Relax and trust He is able to show you. Just receive His revelation. 

Pray – “I make the choice to forgive _____ for _____ and for introducing me to a spirit of fear over (name the specific fear).”

Ask – “Jesus, will You please show me what lies I have believed because of the fear?” Allow Him to show you. 

Declare – “I break agreement with the lie that _____. I cancel all assignments against me and my family associated with this lie in Jesus’ name.”

Command – “Spirit of fear, I command you to leave in Jesus’ name. You may no longer speak to my mind, the things I see, the things I hear, the words I speak out, or the words I speak to myself. You no longer have a legal right to influence me in this area. Holy Spirit, I invite You to come and fill my mind, eyes, ears, and words with Your peace, power, and love in Jesus’ name.”

STOP TRIMMING THE HEDGE!

I had an encounter with Jesus, where He showed me a wall. I could not for the life of me discern whether this was a good or negative wall. Was it keeping things in or preventing something from going in? The lack of clarity perplexed me. I heard Jesus say the wall needed to come down, so I asked what tool I should use (because even in the natural, anytime you remove something, you use a specific tool based on the wall). I saw a hedge trimmer that was so logical and obvious, but it felt wrong. I asked again and saw the trimmers, yet this overwhelming feeling of ‘this isn’t right’ came over me.

The kids were all splashing in the pool when I got on my raft and asked them to give me a moment so I could continue to process this revelation with the Lord. I needed greater clarity, but I KNEW He was showing me something. Something caught my eye, and finally, I removed my sunglasses and sat on my raft to look. He was highlighting the shrub hedge on the other side of the pool when I heard Him say, “Lisa, if your job was to remove that hedge (wall), would you use a hedge trimmer?” No way, it would not only take forever, but every time I would trim it down, the branches would grow back as pruning is a form of growth. I would wrap a chain around the base and yank it out with my car roots and all. BINGO!

God was showing me that I was laboring (well, I might add) to trim the hedge (wall) when He was actually calling me to YANK IT OUT BY THE ROOT. Oh, the flood of fruit that came with this revelation. What if we REBUKED the spirit of strife behind it instead of just resolving conflict? What if instead of feeling drained, we sat in His PRESENCE to be refreshed? What if instead of battling fear, we used our AUTHORITY against it? What if instead of coming under intimidation, we DECLARED 2 Timothy 1:7 (and believed it)? What if instead of shadowboxing the enemy, we WORSHIPED the Lord? What if, instead of feeling dread every morning, we spoke to the spirit behind it and commanded it to FLEE? What if instead of taking aspirin daily for the pain, we HEALED the body? What if instead of managing attitudes, we ENCOUNTERED the Father’s love? What if instead of stewarding the lack of peace, we COMMANDED the chaos to flee? What if instead of continually disciplining a child, we TAUGHT them who they are in Christ?

You do not always have to deal with the ‘fruit’ of new branches. God has given us tools and power in Jesus’ name to deal with the root and have it removed. What about you? What negative cycle do you repeat over and over in your home? Are you continually trimming the branches? Is it time to YANK IT OUT once and for all?

PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN

This will be a hard thing to read, but God woke me up at 1:11 one morning, and I felt led to share it. When things first broke out in 2020, I spent a lot of time with the Lord, asking Him what He wanted me to know, what His strategy was, and how to respond. Not so much for ministry, but as a single mom of my own four children. Please pray before reading. 

I had an open vision last spring that was haunting. I saw a makeshift tunnel that was sectioned off into cages. Children were in their own cages, but they were almost sub-human from the torture they had received. So demonized they were zombie-like, unable to move. It was fear like I have never encountered before. Some cages were closed and locked, others were closed but unlocked, and others were wide open. Suddenly the lights went out, and wild animals that had been starved were let loose in the caves. The pure horror of hearing the sounds of the animals, not knowing if their cage was locked or not. Worse yet, hearing the tormenting cries of the human next to you being ravaged to death. The moment it was over, I asked, “What was that?” If it was the enemy, I would have used my authority to rebuke it. If it was God, I wanted to know what He is allowing me to see. I pondered with Him for some time on this and heard Him say, “Pray for the children.” Something so deep, so strong, and mighty comes out of me when I pray for the children. This has anchored my strategy in this season of utter chaos and confusion, where our land is so divided amongst beliefs and opinions. Go low and focus on the children. 

As the parents in this nation, we must go low under the loud crashing waves and pray for the children with everything we have. Fight for them. Declare light where there is darkness. Wage war in the spiritual realm, where they are bound up by the enemy. Sound the alarm of freedom for those held captive. Drive your stake of righteousness deep into the ground. Rise up and declare, “Not on my watch.” Invite the angels and Kingdom of God to flood their minds, bodies, and emotions. With authority, declare Luke 17:2 (better to throw yourself overboard than lead a child astray). Cling to His truth. Be unmovable in your pursuit of the children around you. They are dependent upon you to cover and protect them. 

I strongly encourage you to spend some intentional time praying not only over your children but those in your family line, friends, and community. NOT ON MY WATCH! We declare freedom, protection, and safety for our children and children’s children.

ZOOM OUT

“You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them” (Psalm 89:9) It is all a matter of perspective and where you choose to focus your eyes. Are you looking at the crashing wave or the One who holds the wave? If anxiety, fear, and worry are constantly knocking on your mind and heart, it is time to ZOOM OUT and look at the bigger picture. This is for our children too. When they feel overwhelmed, help them to ZOOM OUT and see the bigger picture. 

CLOSING THE SEXUAL DOOR

This is a follow-up to my recent post about pornography.

I am getting messages from parents who are confessing this has been a real battle in their home, and they are bringing it into the light and dealing with it but want to know how to close the door for their children. These are great questions and need to be addressed.

“What do you mean ‘open/close the door’?” The Bible tells us not to give the enemy a foothold (Ephesians 4:27). We open the door to him when we have patterns of sin. When the door is open, he now has a legal right to influence, and we know he operates with the goal of stealing, killing, and destroying.

“How can my choices affect my children even if they were never directly exposed to pornography or sexual sin?” While these things are done naturally, there are spirits attached to sex in any form outside of God’s design. When parents are involved in sexual sin, it opens the door for those spirits in the home. Susie doesn’t need to see anything with her eyes in order to be affected by the spirit that was allowed in. Oftentimes for girls, this doesn’t translate into sexual behavior but a profound sense of shame and an attack on her identity as a female. Fathers are to be the covering over the home, and when the door is open, children often feel a sense of lack of security and unprotected. Mothers are to be the sense of comfort and nurture, and children often feel a lack of attachment or connection when the door is opened.

“What is so damaging to children about pornography and sexual sin?” Sex is good – by God’s design. The enemy takes what is pure and righteous and uses it as a weapon to steal, kill, and destroy. The main targets are a child’s gender/sexual identity, sense of worth/value, and protection.

“How do I close the door?” Two things must be done in response to sexual sin – repentance and authority. Repent means admitting your wrongdoing and turning the other direction. I realize sexual sin creates a powerful stronghold for many and can be a journey of getting free, but we can’t ever let sin communicate to us that we have expired Jesus’s blood. If you fall 100 times, there are 101 drops of blood for you. The second is realizing that the behavior attracts and invites the wrong spirits into your home and using your authority to close the door. “Jesus, I confess that I have _____. Do You forgive me?” Don’t just ask for it, receive it.

Once the blood of Jesus covers you (forgiveness), you can operate in your authority. “Sexual spirits, I see you, and you are not welcome in my home. I am forgiven for my sins, and it is by the same blood that I command you to go now. I close the door to you and forbid you from entering this home again. I will not give in to your temptation. You are no longer welcome here and are forbidden from speaking to me.”

Pray over your children specifically. “You may not speak to (child’s name) eyes and the things they see. You may not influence their thoughts and the things they think. You may not influence the words they speak or the words they speak to themselves. I command you to leave this house now in Jesus’ name.”

The Bible says whenever you tell the bad to go, you need to invite the good to come. “Holy Spirit, I invite You to come and fill (child’s name) with Your love, power, and peace over their mind, identity, and relationships. I invite You to stand guard over them and protect them fiercely. Fill them with Your truth and lead them into healthy, vibrant friendships that honor You.”

As the head of your household, declare what your house stands for. “As the head of this house, I decree and declare that this is a home of peace, growth, and love. We operate out of life-giving heart connections. We stand for truth, honor, and purity.”

We are forgiven for our sins and walk in His light.

FOREBODING SPIRIT

Oh my goodness. I went to Walmart with my daughter, and we laughed and smiled as we walked inside. I had a mental note of how much joy I was feeling at that moment. We grabbed a cart and took off for our items. I began to feel something, and it was starting to affect me physically, like a deep pit in my stomach. I noticed the empty shelves where cleaning supplies and wipes were supposed to be stocked. It was an eerie feeling. I walked away and felt gripped with a strong feeling. I finally stopped and asked my daughter to check her gut and tell me what she was sensing, and she said, “Oh, Mom. It feels scary, like we aren’t going to be okay.” I asked her if she believed that, and she said NO but was feeling it strongly. We realized it was not us but the atmosphere. We left and renounced the feeling of dread and fear and released peace. 

Parents, please be sensitive to your child. It may not be a character issue if they have random outbursts, but simply feeling the atmosphere of fear around them. Ask Holy Spirit if it is time for correction or to pull them in close and assure them Jesus is in control.

TAKING BACK YOUR AUTHORITY

A mom reached out to me for parent coaching and began to share her dilemma with figuring out if she should send her child to public school or homeschool. The motivating factor was the concern over the sex ed material taught to the younger students. As I listened to her share her heart, I replied, “Neither choice is right for you.” She was perplexed as her daughter had to get an education somewhere. I told her that she was not afraid of sex itself but rather a spirit twisting God’s original design behind it. Sex wasn’t the issue; the spirit behind it was. I told her that unless and until she knew her authority over that spirit sending her child to public school or homeschooling them would produce the same results because fear is the driving factor. Fear does not chase us. Sons and Daughters stop, turn, and face the fear and then use their authority over it AND THEN make healthy decisions for their children from that place of authority. While I have gone to great measures over the years to guard my child’s eyes, I also know I have authority over the spirit behind it and walk in that authority in my home. Because I have exposed the spirit to my children and taught them their authority over it, too, they can discern when that spirit is in operation and know how to take authority over it themselves.

PASSING FEAR ON TO OUR CHILDREN

Ask any adult who grew up in Minnesota in the ’80s who Jacob Wetterling is, and they will tell you. He was an 11-year-old boy who was abducted while riding his bike home, and his body was not found for 27 years. It left a bone-chilling fear in parents that the same thing could happen to their child. Parents kept their children safe by not letting them go out at night or roam the neighborhood like they once did. Countless parents partnered with FEAR over what happened to Jacob, and it shaped their parenting. The children watched their responses and learned how to handle uncertainty and danger. As a mother now myself, I get it, but what happened is that it taught a generation in that region about fear and feeling unsafe. Those kids, myself included, grew up with an undying fear that something terrible could happen. It was nearly 30 years later that I broke agreement with the fear and learned that I was safe at night.

How you respond to current events NOW has the potential to shape your child and how they respond to future crises. Are you teaching and modeling for them how to walk in fear and panic or confidence and faith? They are watching you and are learning how to respond in times of crisis.  If you are partnering with fear and want to be free from it, let’s talk about it. We have got to realign our children so that they do not grow up being afraid and managing fear. There is a difference between truth-based concern that should move us into wisdom vs. creating a demonic stronghold.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS

As believers, we have a mandate (an official order or commission to do something) on our lives to carry things to the throne. Pick an area that you want to lift up today and release your prayer. While personal prayers are so dear to the Lord, I encourage you to widen your eyes, and together, let’s cover issues and topics that affect our culture and generation (ex., abortion, drugs, leaders, homelessness, salvation, etc.). Your voice matters!

TIME TO THRIVE

Do we really have a choice in this hour to shrink back and allow the world to influence our children? Do you really have the luxury of depending upon others to teach, train and equip your children? It’s okay that you are overwhelmed and feel out of your league. It is okay that you are tired and exhausted day in and day out. It is okay that you do not even know where to begin. BUT it is not okay to let that become your excuse to do NOTHING. Not in this hour. Ministries like LET THE CHILDREN FLY are here to help empower you and give you the tools you need to equip your child to survive and thrive in today’s world.

FEAR OF MAN

Working through the fear of man is part of your calling!!