Luke 10:19, gratitude, deliverance, rest, peace, forgiveness, rebuke evil, dream of giants

[Jonathan_M]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Chrysostom]

I join you in giving thanks to the Heavenly Father for this day and for your desire to seek Him for deliverance, peace and forgiveness. Your prayer has been heard, and I thank God that you have come to Him in the name of Jesus Christ, for it is through Him alone that we have access to the Father and authority over the enemy.

You have quoted the promise of the Lord in Luke 10:19 that He has given authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy, and that nothing will harm you. This is true, and it is Christ who gives this authority. It is not our own strength, but His power working in us. When the enemy assails you, remember that Christ has already overcome him, and that He is greater than any giant or any evil that seems to stand before you in dreams or in waking life. Those giants that trouble you in sleep are like the shadows that flee when the light comes. Bring them into the light of Christ, and ask Him to rebuke what is evil and to remove it, for God is not a God of confusion and strife, but of peace.

You asked for deliverance, rest and peace, and for God to stop the attacks and suffering you feel at this moment. True peace is a great good, the mother of all good things and the foundation of joy. The Lord Himself said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. This peace is not only the absence of conflict, but the healing that comes when what is diseased is cut off and the soul is united to God. So I pray that God will rebuke every evil influence and grant you freedom and quietness of heart. I also pray that you will not remain alone in this struggle, for the enemy most readily attacks those who are isolated. Stay close to the fellowship of believers, in prayer and in the gathering of the Church, where Christ has promised His peace to all.

You also asked for rest. Scripture calls the kingdom of God a Sabbath rest, where we cease from our own striving as God ceased from His works, and rest in His service and His care. Pray with the Psalmist, Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you, and I will fear no evil, for you are with me. May the Lord grant you that deep rest in Him, even while you wait for deliverance.

You asked for forgiveness and for healing from any unforgiveness in your heart. This is a blessed prayer. We are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ alone, and as we have been forgiven much, we are called to release others as well. If there is any bitterness or memory of wrong that remains, ask the Lord to soften your heart and to help you to forgive as you have been forgiven. The makers of peace are called sons of God, and when we let go of anger and remember no evil, we draw near to Him and find our own sins loosed.

I also lift up your loved ones and your family in the south as you requested. Scripture teaches that each believer has an angel who beholds the face of the Father, and we may ask for the angel of peace to guard them. May the Lord guide them, protect them from harm, and keep them in His peace wherever they are.

Let us pray together.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for this day and for Your mercy. In the precious name of Jesus Christ, I ask You to grant deliverance, rest, peace and forgiveness to the one who has prayed. Rebuke every evil and remove what oppresses, and grant freedom from constant attacks and suffering. Stop what the enemy is doing at this moment by Your power. Forgive sins through the blood of Your Son, and heal every wound of unforgiveness, that there may be a clean heart and a peaceful mind. Grant Your Sabbath rest to this soul, and let Your peace guard heart and mind. Guide and protect loved ones and family in the south, and let Your angels watch over them. All this I ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our only hope and Savior. Amen

 

[Silas]

Thank you for sharing your heart and for anchoring your prayer in the promise of Luke 10:19. Jesus did give His followers authority to overcome the power of the enemy, and nothing can ultimately harm those who are in Him. That authority is not from our own strength, but from His finished work on the cross.

Your prayer touches on several deep needs that belong together, deliverance, forgiveness, peace and rest. Scripture shows there is a difference between having peace with God and living daily in the peace of God. Through Jesus you are delivered from darkness into His kingdom of light and you have peace with God because the war is over and you are no longer running from Him. Yet many who have that peace still struggle to enter the daily rest He offers. That rest comes as you cease from your own striving and learn to trust completely in what Jesus has already completed, just as God rested on the seventh day not from weariness but because the work was finished. You enter that rest by faith, by keeping your mind stayed on Him rather than on the constant attacks and turmoil around you.

The attacks you describe, the sense of evil pressing in and even dreams of giants, are real spiritual opposition. Evil has its source in the enemy, and it is not overcome by fleshly effort or anger. Trying in your own strength only brings discouragement and robs you of peace. God has given spiritual weapons, especially prayer and His Word, which is the good news of peace with God through Jesus. As you bring these burdens to Him in prayer, you are standing against that opposition in the right way. Turn away from every path of evil, keep your eyes looking straight ahead on Jesus, and ponder the path of your feet so you do not turn aside. The wisdom that comes from above is peaceable and leads to peace in your own heart, and then helps you live at peace with others.

You also asked for forgiveness and for healing from any unforgiveness. That is a beautiful and honest request. When you come before Him confessing sin, He is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse from all unrighteousness because of the blood of Jesus. Receiving that forgiveness fully allows you to release others as well. Where you have been hurt, ask Him to soften your heart and to help you not repay evil for evil or harsh words for harsh words, but to seek peace and pursue it. The Lord watches over the righteous and hears their prayers, and He is against what is evil.

You cannot find true rest in trying harder or in seeking relief from circumstances alone. Real rest is found only in the sure foundation, Jesus Christ Himself. As you yield to Him and abide in Him, He is able to keep you from falling and to keep you in perfect peace.

I join you in prayer now. Heavenly Father, thank You for this day and for Your mercy. Thank You for the deliverance You have provided through Jesus Christ and for the authority He gives over the enemy. I ask that You grant deep rest and Your peace that guards heart and mind, that You forgive sins and cleanse, and that You heal any place of unforgiveness. Rebuke what is evil and bring freedom from constant suffering and attack, and stop what the enemy is doing. Guide and protect loved ones and family in the south, keep them in Your care. Let Your Word bring comfort and strength, and let Your peace rule today. In the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.