Bondages are broken

Have you ever felt bound by something? No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to break free. I want to share something with you that will help you overcome this obstacle in your life.

According to the Webster’s Dictionary, bondage is the condition of a slave: servitude. The condition of being involuntarily subject to a power, force, or influence.

After reading the above definition, my eyes became opened to what I was allowing the enemy to do in my life. When you are bound by something…whether an addiction, a fear, lust, you are held captive by it. The bondage has taken over your thoughts and your life. I realized that I was allowing fear and worry to control my life. Every decision I made was made in fear. I literally worried about everything. I was not experiencing any peace because my mind felt like it didn’t even belong to me. Fearful thoughts overtook my mind and made me feel like a volcano ready to burst.

Have you ever felt this way? You may not be bound by fear and worry but you may be bound by alcohol or drugs, bitterness, jealousy, pornography, or hatred. You have tried to overcome this debilitating bondage in your own strength, but as soon as you feel like you are making progress, you find yourself pushed down again with no hope of ever overcoming. You are being held captive by your own thoughts. Acts 61:1 says:

“He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”

One day, as I was meditating on this verse, I began to imagine a person chained by their hands and feet to a dripping, cold, wet brick wall. Every time the person moved forward to gain freedom, they were pulled back to the brick wall. Their wrists and ankles were red and swollen with opened sores from pulling the chains to try to break free. They begin to think things like: “If only I can get out of these chains. If only I can be free again. If only things could change for me.” A victim mentality begins to set in and they begin to believe they will never gain freedom again. But then something happens. They begin to recall the story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25.

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

The person in our story wonders what would happen if they begin to praise God instead of giving in to the hopeless, victim mentality that has overtaken their thought life. So, as hard as it was, our prisoner began to praise God and sing. As the praises were being raised and Amazing Grace being sung, the chains that bound our prisoner begin to rattle and break crashing to the ground. Freedom was gained by the broken hallelujahs of our prisoner. They left rejoicing and giving glory to God for their deliverance.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; we do not realize the power of our praise. Battles are won on our knees. Miracles occur during praise. Bondages are broken when we look to God and begin to praise Him.

You may be thinking; “it’s too hard to praise God. I don’t feel worthy enough. That works for others but it never works for me. He’s not going to listen to me. Do you know what I have done? Why would God care to hear my praises? I don’t feel like worshiping right now because I’m too depressed.” Let me tell you, this is when our praise becomes a sacrifice. You rid yourself of you and focus on the goodness of the One who has made you. God is the only One who is able to break every bondage in your life. His grace covers a multitude of sin. Praise God and begin to see the circumstances in your life begin to change.

Jesus came to give us liberty and to open the prison doors to those who are bound. The victory has already been won for you. Realize that you do not have to be bound to fear, worry, sin, sickness, or whatever else that has taken you captive. God’s grace is enough for you.

Rhonda H. Kelley quotes:

In Christ, there is freedom from bondage. Believers are no longer slaves; they are free – not through their own merit but through God’s redeeming Grace.”

Don’t keep believing the lies satan may be speaking to you that are allowing you to stay bound. The chains have been broken through Christ Jesus. All you need to do is get up and walk away.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galations 5:1

I pray that you may be able to find worship in your pain and that you may find joy in today.