Signs Of Demonic Oppression

We know from Scripture that demonic activity is real and there should be no debate about that. As a Christian, I don’t beyond don’t believe believers can be possessed by demons. However, that does not mean you cannot experience demonic oppression. Many who are true believers in Jesus Christ have experience demonic oppression, and surprisingly some may have not been aware that is what they were experiencing. As we consider this topic , it is helpful to identify the signs of demonic oppression so we are able to fight back. I’m looking at this from the perspective of a Christian facing oppression because those who are true followers of Christ have a different way of dealing with this than those who are not.

What Is Demonic Oppression?

Before we identify the signs of demonic oppression, it makes sense to define exactly what it is. Demonic oppression is a spiritual attack from a demonic spirit which seeks to influence a person’s thoughts, emotions, and even their actions. Since a demon cannot possess a Christian to control them, then oppression is the next best option. Because of the way we are created as humans, these attacks will often begin in our mind because this is the central hub that dictates what we think about, how we feel, and ultimately what we do. The goal of demonic oppression is to keep a person trapped and bound. The desire is to paralyze the believer so they become I effective.

What Are Signs Of Demonic Oppression?

To understand the signs of demonic oppression you must understand the way Satan operates because he is their leader, and they follow his cues. One of the chalk In identifying this is many times the areas attack may not appear demonic at all.

For Example: the first time many years back I was at a concert at my church, I was singing and worshiping, and I said something and I heard the lead singer in the concert tell me, I was not worshipping God and that I should just leave. Then I heard the pastor of the church say “Ya you should just leave.” I was so angry that I walked out, I cried all the way home, by the time I pulled in my driveway I knew I couldn’t go back to “that church.” I was thinking what churches were near me that I could go to, and then I had convinced myself I wasn’t going to any church at all, that I would stop being a Christian. Satan in an hours time had me convinced that I hated my pastor and every one who went to my church, I was so upset I stayed inside my house for 4 days and I had not slept. The bad thing was I believed everything that happened was real. Satan and his demons are very tricky. All this time I kept asking God what I should do. I prayed for 4 days and then decided to go to a woman’s prayer meeting, and asked their advice. That next Sunday after church I talked to my pastor and his wife about being oppressed by a demon.

I’ve heard people tell stories of sensing an evils Spirit in a room or recognizing their presence. So I knew I had to pray about what happened to me, and really get to the bottom of what happened that night. Satan had me angry with God, hateful, and confused and afraid. And he had me thinking it was all God’s fault.

I was to address 3 signs of demonic oppression that are possible to overlook as attacks from the enemy:

1. Abnormal Fear

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring Lion looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8

Satan loves to operate in the realm of fear and intimidation. These are two of his greatest weapons and can be indicators of demonic oppression. This does mean that if you’re afraid, you are experiencing demonic oppression because we all experience fear at some point in our lives. You can begin to suspect demonic oppression is a play when this fear escalates beyond what is normal or usual. Remember, the attacks are often in your thoughts, which work their way into your emotions and actions. A person who is under attack in this way shut themselves off from interactions with other people, this type of fear tends to look irrational, but to the person experiencing it, it feels very real. A person just experiencing fear may not be facing demonic oppression, but if it escalates, that is something that must be considered.

2. Inability To Rest Or Have Nightmares

One of the thing we must recognize in this spiritual battle that we face is Satan is often willing to play the long game. This means he had no problem extending an attack over a long period of time with the hopes of wearing you down. If you remember the story of Samson and Delilah, she was relentless in her pursuit of finding the source of his strength, and Samson eventually wore down. This sign of demonic oppression was to attack he ability to rest. This can be an attempt to attack your dreams or, again, to cause you great fear and worry that prohibits rest. The reason this works is because without rest we become fatigued, and when we are tired , we are vulnerable. If you have ever watched a boxing match, sometimes the strategy of the opponent is to make the other fighter work hard in the early rounds until all their strength and energy is gone. When this happens, this can ultimately take away their opponent’s Will to fight. If there is a prolonged inability to rest, a real extended period, then you must consider demonic oppression. This can be especially true if the inability to rest cannot be justified by any circumstances that are happening in a person’s life. Should these signs appear, it is time to consider that you may be under attack,

3. Prolonged Periods Of Uxplained Depression

As I said earlier, demonic oppression is often an attack that begins in the mind. I an not a licensed psychologist so I want to choose my words carefully, but there can be instances where depression can be a sign of demonic oppression. There are some people who have a clinical diagnosis of depression and have been treated successfully under a doctor’s care. However, in spiritual warfare, depression is one of the weapons of the enemy. Remember, the goal is to paralyze you and when depression sets in this can be a great paralyzer. However, this also calls for caution before you start diagnosing depression as a demonic attack. This may not be the first place to go if someone is depressed, but if it persists over a long period of time, with normal understanding of why it is happening, then it is something that you cannot rule out either.

How Do You Overcome Demonic Oppression?

Regardless of the form it comes in, we must understand how to overcome it. I am a firm believer that spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and thankfully, God has given them to us. As you search through Scriptures, you will begin to see all God has provided so we can fight back against any type of demonic oppression. I will turn your attention to Scriptures that talk about the “Armor Of God,” the Power of God, the work of the Holy Spirit in you. As you begin to read these internalize them, you will begin to see that God has equipped you and you do not have to be overcome by demonic oppression. Let’s look atone scripture to encourage you:

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit that lives in you is greater than the sprit who lives in the world.

1 John 4:4

One thing you must realize is that if you are in Christ then the Holy Spirit lives in you. By this fact alone you now have dwelling inside you the Spirit of God which is greater than any demonic spirit that would try to oppress you. However, to fight back, you must know these things are true, which means you must take God’s Word and study it, and apply it to your life. As you begin to do this, you will begin to grow stronger and more confident in who you are in Christ, and this will give you what you need to fight back against demonic oppression.

Demonic oppression is real, and it isn’t something that should be taken lightly. I also know God is real, and He is greater than every thing and every thing in this world. Most importantly, when you are in Him then His authority is In you. Your responsibility is to take what He has given you and use it so that you can be victorious in every spiritual battle. Eve if a demonic spirit tries to attack you,God has equipped you so you can overcome.

The Stronghold In Your Mind

In this life, we all face many battles, but the hardest and longest battle we fight is the battle in our minds. The words we speak to ourselves along with the word we allow to fester help create stronghold in our minds.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says. “For though we walk according to the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down our strongholds and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.“

At a Bible study I was at this morning and this was made this more clear than ever to me. There was a young lady who was struggling with loss and heartache. She wanted to know, Why? It is in the importance of the power of our words along with talking to God that answers this question.. Dealing with grief is the hardest things our mind has to endure. It is crucial for us all to be mindful of our emotions and the way of minds work. There is nothing more powerful in our lives than self-talk, it is more powerful on us than God-talk. God-talk is only powerful in our lives when our self-talk align a with it.

The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” It doesn’t say as God thinks or what God says- it says, “as man thinks.” When the Bible says this, it is referring to your self-talk.

There is so much power in the words we repeat to ourselves that they can either break us down or build us up. Satan understands the power of our self-talk and he uses it against us. Self-talk is what builds negative or positive strongholds.

Think of a stronghold as a castle.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds

2 Corinthians 10:4

Castles (Strongholds) are built one brick at a time. These bricks represent our thoughts and therefore our self-talk. This means the strongholds in our minds are built one thought at a time – just like a castle is built one brick at a time.

It is our responsibility to build our strongholds with either positive thoughts or negative thoughts. The enemy aims to make us self-destruct by getting us to talk about ourselves negatively, We must resist, we need to stop focusing on what others think about us.

What other people say about us (or to us) can move us to the left or the right, we will be destroyed because we will become trapped by negative thoughts.

Ultimately, it should be more important what we say about ourselves, which must align with God’s truth about us. We must understand the impact of our self-talk so we can use it, and maintain it, to build positive strongholds in our minds.

Remember, every stronghold isn’t negative; the scripture says in Psalm z94:22 that “the Lord is our stronghold.

So What Happens When You Build A Negative Stronghold?

You might have been told negative things as a child, when you were very impressionable. You then took it into your spirit, and began to confirm what that person said by repeating those words to yourself. (My mother said it so it must be true) which resulted in you living your life according to those words….those sentences.

This means some people are serving a life sentence and they are not even in prison. Instead, they are living according to the negative word that were sown into them by others.

Serving a life sentence is different from having a life of sentence. Having a lif sentis what you’ve heard and have got inside your mind, but serving the life sentence is when you start making choices based on that lie or that life sentence…that life sentence then becomes a death sentence! I lived almost 30 years in prison, because of lies others told me.

The Bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue…the power of your words! (Proverbs 18:21). This means a negative stronghold in your mind can lead to the death of your future, your destiny, your relationships, your confidence, your courage…etc.

How Do You Overcome This?

To overcome this, you need to sow new, positive seeds into yourself. You have to speak positively to yourself, whether out loud or in your internal to yourself. (I wrote positive notes and placed them all over the house to inspire me). You must remember that death and life lie in the power of the tongue, meaning the power of your words! (Proverbs 18:21). As Jesus did in Matthew 4, you can use scripture to combat and speak against those lies that have infiltrated your mind – the word of God is living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). I urge you to find out who you are in Christ,

Scripture talks about what things you should aim to think (or meditate) on, which is the equivalent of your internal conversation. Things which are true, noble, just pure lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). You need to think about these things rather than the lies you have believed about yourself which do not, and can not, come from God.

You must also draw near to God. If you become overwhelmed with negative self-talk you need to draw close and listen to the still small voice of God. If you are struggling to bear someone, the first thing you do I move closer to them. So draw nearer to God by inclining your ears to the voice of our Heavenly Father. It is your proximity to God’s voice that tells you what to speak to yourself.

You must also pray. Prayers reach further. Your prayers have a long reach. David has a small weapon, but that small weapon (the stone) that he had, had God behind it. That is an example of what our prayers can do. Our prayers overcome, transform and renew. By praying and speaking the word of God, you change the negative stronghold that has trapped your thought life into a positive stronghold that rejuvenates and strengthens you.

Why Is Faith Important?

When you hear the word “faith.” what do you think of? Whether you realize it or not, faith is an essential part of life. It’s not just about faith in God. For example, every time you sit down on a chair, you have faith that the chair will hold you. You are trusting that the chair won’t collapse under you.

That’s faith – being sure of what you’re hoping for – being certain of what you don’t see or have experienced yet. The Bible defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen( Hebrews 11:1).

Without Faith, It’s Impossible To Please God

Why is faith necessary? Because without it, we cannot please God.

Hebrews 11:6 states, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is a reward of those who diligently seek Him.” Let’s face it – believing in a God we cannot see and believing that He is who He says He is takes faith!

Without faith in God, I would have never believed I could have come out of the very dark place I was in because of the circumstances in my childhood or early adulthood. Without faith, I would have never believed I could be cured from Cancer.

Jesus Notices Our Level Of Faith

In the book of Matthew, we see different people who have different levels of faith.

Matthew 15:28 says, “Then Jesus answered and said to her, O’ woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

Again in Matthew 14:31, “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, O’ you of little faith, why did you doubt?’

The woman was a Gentile who had faith that Jesus was her only hope for her sick daughter. She wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer from Jesus, so Jesus moved by her faith and granted her request. Imagine if we would not take ‘no’ for an answer when asking God for anything.

The man with little faith was Peter, Jesus’s own disciple. Jesus was walking on the water and invited Peter to come to Him. Peter had the faith to walk to Jesus on the water, but his eyes focused on the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus insyof our circumstances – this will keep our faith strong during difficulties.

Faith Moves God To Act

Why is faith important to God? Because faith – not need, doubt or fear moves God. Mark 2:5 says, “When Jesus saw (His friends) faith, He said to the paraplegic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.” “The lame man got up, grabbed his mat, and went home! When Jesus saw the faith of the lame man’s friends, He moved on their behalf and healed their friend.

As believers, we often petition God, asking Him to meet our needs, to heal our bodies or relationships, or to give us wisdom. But as James 1:5-7 says, unless we ask in faith without doubting, we won’t receive what we’re asking for,

Faith Strengthens Us During Trials

Because we live in a sinful, fallen world, we face difficulties. But our faith is what helps us remain strong during hard times. We have an enemy, and it’s our faith that acts as a shield to protect us from his schemes and plots, “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16).

We should not be surprised when our faith is tested. James 2:3 says that “the testing of your faith produces patience.” As we stand firm in faith through trials, God gets the glory: “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).

Faith Fuels What We Do

We demonstrate our faith in God by what we do and how we live. James 2:26 states, “For ad the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Faith and Works are each an oar in your boat of life. They work together to move you forward. Genuine faith is validated by action that follow, likewise,actions done without faith are useless. We must always act in faith!

Our Faith Can Encourage Others

Unshakable faith is noticeable, and it can encourage others to be firm in their faith too. Colossians 1:3-4 says, “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints.” It’s easier to stay committed to faith in God when you see others doing the same. Choose to stand in your faith and inspire others to do the same.

Timothy was a young pastor who was being mentored by the Apostle Paul. Paul states in 2 Timothy 1:5 “when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded in you also.” When our faith is strong and true, it can be passed on to others including our family and friends making a difference in their lives as well.

Faith Is The Foundation Of Salvation

When Jesus walked the earth, the Jewish people were sure they had to keep all the rules of Latin order to be acceptable to God. But when Jesus came, He redefined righteousness” …a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law…” (Galatians 2:16).

While God has His laws that we should follow, we are not defined by works. We are made right with God through faith in Jesus, God’s Som, we are not made right before God by what we do or don’t do, This was a radical shift for the Israelites. They were used to earning their salvation. But as Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast,”

We must guard our faith. 1 Timothy 6:11-13 reminds us “But you, O man of God flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called…”

We must be prepared to fight to maintain our faith during the storms of life which will try to derail us. In fact, as we preserve our faith inGod, it will sustain us through the toughest trials, for the glory of God.

Side Note: People have asked me why I put so much time and energy into this blog, for free, I tell you it’s because it’s what God called me to do. Profit means nothing, when you do something for God. I try to write about subjects that it took me quite a bit of time to find out on my own. My aim is to encourage people to find God and learn as much as you can about a relationship with Him. Every day this world gets crazier and crazier. We all need to have faith and hope there is something more when people ultimately destroy themselves. Souls are eternal flesh is not. God bless you

The Hope Of A Mustard Seed

And He said to them…”for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’and it will move ; and nothing will be impossible to you.

Matthew 17:10

A mustard seed is about one to two millimeters in size. Yet, the brush can grow upwards to 20 or 30 feed tall and wide.

The picture the Lord painted for the disciples was one of Hope! Our faith doesn’t need to be outwardly large to have a large impact.

The tiny mustard seed hold the potential of a 30-foot bush! A seemly inconsequential speck of faith can move mountains!

As a mom, my days were filled with lot of small acts that I did with faith. Faith that God entrusted a family to me to nurture, and serve. Yes, someday I didn’t feel any faith. But it was there, Faith that my children would someday be successful, Faith the I was able to get out of bed, even though I felt some days I couldn’t. Faith that growth would happen. Faith that the witness of our family is part of a larger tapestry of testimony to God’s love and grace.

Small acts done with the Hope that mustard seed-planting works will grow into the Lord’s glory.

When I begin to think of mustard-seed planting my mind immediately finds my heart invigorated for the tasks at hand! When I listen to a person in the grocery store line who freely offers her non-mustard-seed thinking advice about what their teen ought to be doing, it’s like someone pulled the plug on their energy. I can almost see the pain in their face.

What Is Faith Of A Mustard Seed?

So often our perspectives are shaped by the glossy cover of a magazine and social media’s highlight reek. We can lose touch with the great gifts small acts can be in our life or someone else’s.

Regardless of where your at in life, your faith matters greatly in this life and eternity. You don’t have to be Billy Graham to be a great witness. You don’t have to be rich to give greatly. A seemingly small act of kindness, or saying a faith-filled prayer for someone, or whatever faith motivated act we take, no smaller how small, can have an eternal and mountain-moving impart on someone else’s life.

Mark 12:41-44 tells of an account where He sat down opposite the treasury and beg an observing how ti people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums of coins. A poor widow came and put in two copper coins, which amounted to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, Truly I say to you, this poor widow Put in more than all the contributors to the treasury, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.

Jesus’s teaching regularly highlighted small acts of great value. From the widow’s mite to the woman washing His feet ( Mark 14: 6-9), small gifts in the gospel are highlighted because they have significant and eternal value.

How To Have Faith Of A Mustard Seed

When we consider our life and our faith, are we using what we have to the fullest or have we decided that it is for someone else with bigger or better faith to do the witnessing, or praying, or the giving? Have we figured that our contribution could never be enough to make a difference, so we hold back? Have we considered that what God has entrusted to us is meant to grow large and wide, like a mustard bush? Do we tend our faith with that sort of expectation?

Our faith is meant to grow and go!

It’s Not Punishment, It’s Pruning

4 Purposes Of Pruning

We don’t magically become like Jesus – Which is a transformation all believers are undergoing. It’s a process to become patient, getting ability to have joy in difficult situations or have power to remain sexually pure until marriage. You have to be developed by God and that’s where pruning comes in.

What Is Pruning?

John 15:1-2 Jesus tells us “I am the true vine, my Father is the farmer. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. Every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes, that there will be more fruit.

In nature, pruning is a process down to fruit bearing plants to facilitate healthy growth. As believers, Jesus compares our spiritual growth to that of a vine plant. Like a gardener chance to his plants, God is overseeing your growth so that you will mature in Christ and live the life He created you for.

There are four reasons for pruning. If you have any pruning season right now or aren’t sure, take a look at this list. God prunes us for our good so that we may be spiritually healthy and fulfill the purposes He has for our life.

Why Does God Prune Us?

1. To Remove What’s Dead or Dying

As you mature in Christ, there will always be things that you lose the desire for if you desire for God increases. There may also be things that you try to hold onto that God wants you to let go of. In both these cases, God will remove those things from your life sometimes by isolating you or placing you in new surroundings. Or He may give you insight and revelation about someone’s true intentions toward you so that you can take the necessary steps to cut ties with that person. It’s crucial to remove dead things there is space for new things to grow.

2. To Remove What’s Infected Or Diseased

An area that is sick will never be able to grow to its full potential. Until it’s healed, it will always be bound and restricted in someway. God will reveal the roots of your vices, insecurities, and fears to you, and instruct you how to walk in freedom. It may mean forgiving that person who abuse you, finding love and acceptance in Christ instead of romantic relationships, or seeking counseling to learn how to stop believing the lie that you’re not good enough or will never be enough. This type of pruning can be especially painful because it’s like surgery. God has to open the wound to heal it.

3. To Remove Things That Are Hindering You

Hebrews 12:10-11 tells us “ God disciplines us for our good, an order that we may hear his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

When God started healing me from all the abuse, all the sadness, and all the pain. I knew it was going to be a hard road, all of this pain I have been feeling for over 40 years what’s going to come rushing back into my life. I admit some days I felt like just giving up on life, saying what’s the use if I have to go through all of this again. I had put up a huge blockade around me so I would never feel pain or anything else again. And now it was going to come tumbling down all around me. I was weak and honestly I didn’t think I could take it all again. But God was definitely giving my beauty for my ashes.

Pruning is solely for removing things that are overly bad for you. Sometimes God has to remove things that aren’t good for you in the current season. For example, you may be praying to God for a better paying job so you can become financially stable, but God’s saying, “No, not yet.” Dismissing that God doesn’t have your best interest at heart, but trust me He does.

Maybe you’ve been unfaithful with stewarding the income you have (not tithing, racking up credit card debt, etc…) and he knows you’re not ready for the responsibility to handle more. He doesn’t want to give you more money because he knows you’ll just dig yourself into a deeper hole. You may think if you had more you’d manage it better but more money doesn’t equal more discipline. God is using this to improve your discipline and self-control. Often, the things that hold us back aren’t people or places, but habits and characteristics.

4. To Keep You Focused And On The Right Track

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “ trust in the lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will and all you do and He will show you which path to take.

Without pruning, a tree branches grow in any and every direction. There is no focus. For a season, those branches grow leaves and bear fruit, But eventually, the weight of all those branches takes a toll on the tree and becomes more of a burden than a blessing.

We have to allow God to lead us so that we don’t become burdened or overwhelmed with things He never told us to take on; things that will distract us from His will. For a while, it may look like you have it all together, but in the end, your faith will suffocate and you’ll crumble from the pressure. Allow God to set your priorities and focus. Don’t burden yourself trying to keep up with society’s expectations. Surrender to Christ and take on His yoke. After all, His burden in easy and light (Matthew 11:28-30).

Do Not Resist It

Pruning isn’t comfortable but it’s nature and necessary part of following Christ. Sometimes it will be easier to endure another time it may be excruciating, but it’s for your good. The pain has a purpose. Stay focused on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). In Him we can do all things that strengthen us (Philippians 4:13).

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and make requests for you, that you will be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Colossians 1:9-10

Your Testimony

What do you think of when your hear the word “Testimony?” I think of a few different things, from my college days studying Criminal Justice – what a witnessed actually says in court is called testimony. Then a testimony in the Bible. Which is an account we share about how we’ve come to have a personal relationship with God.

Every time you tells of the account about how you came to have a relationship with God, we give glory and honor to God, and He is pleased. This account of this is our testimony about how God has changed our ,ice through a personal relationship with Him.

Out testimony – regardless of how ordinary or spectacular we think it is – is an account about God’s character. It is your eyewitness account of how God rescued us from sin and death through Christ, and changed our life as a result.

When you share your story with others, you help them get to know what God is like and what He can do.

Preparing Your Personal Testimony

Whether you are in line at the grocery store, sitting with a family member or standing in front of a group of people, the Bible calls us to “always be ready” to explain our hope in Christ with gentleness and respect (1Peter 3:15-16).

Your story is one of the most valuable tools you have for sharing the gospel with a person who does not follow Jesus. Not that, but it’s not a tool you have to remember to carry in your backpack or purse; it’s so you have at all times no matter the circumstance. Being prepared for an open door to share with someone is crucial if you are going to be faithful to share the story God has given you.

You may think that because it’s your account of what happened to you, you do not have to do anything to be ready to tell it. After all you were there when it happened, and your living it now.

But it’s easy to get nervous, become sidetracked or forget things when sharing your testimony, which can be confusing or distracting for those listening. This is why a little preparation and practice can be valuable.

I once shared my testimony to a group of recovering addicts, I was not ready, (sometimes God just throws us out of the boat), I cried through The whole thing. But it was important for them to know, that whatever others go through God can help them through it. I remember 3 people said the “sinners prayer” and were saved that night. In this case my testimony held a few people find their way to God.

It’s important to be prepared to share your story clearly and concisely at any time, a person coming to know Jesus is not dependent on your communication skills. God is ultimately the one who will give your audience understanding and soften a person’s heart to receive the gospel. But your role is to take a step of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the rest to God.

It’s important to realize that sometimes sharing your testimony, makes us stronger, and it’s because it God moves when we take steps of faith to share with others,

There are many accounts in the Bible of people sharing about how God transformed their lives. One of the most well-known testimonies is told by the Apostle Paul. Paul went from persecuting Christian’s to following Jesus, starting churches, and writing over half of the New Testament. If you takeaway look at Paul’s testimony before a crowd in Acts 22: 1-21 you will understand the essential parts of telling your testimony.

Here are a few tips to understand good framework for telling your personal testimony.

The Opening

Identify a theme you can use to frame your story. What did your life revolve around. What is relationships, your reputation, success? What did God use to help bring you to Him? Illustrate how that influenced your life.

Your Life Before Christ

Pain a picture of what your life was like before you came to Christ. Do not dwell too much on, or brag about, past sins. Share only the details that relate to your theme – just enough to show your need for Christ. Think through these questions:

  • What about my life before Christ will relate most to non -believers I know?
  • What did my life revolve around? Where did I get my security, identity or happiness from?
  • Hoe did those things begin to let me down?

How You Came To Christ

Give the details about why and how you became a believer. Communicate in such a way that the person you are talking with, and anyone who overhears you, can understand how they can become a believer too. Even if your listeners are not ready for that, God could use your story and explanation as a seed to draw them to Himself in the future. Think through these questions:

  • When was the first time I heard the gospel? What were my initial reactions?
  • When and why did my perspective on Christ begin to change?
  • What were the final struggles that I went through before I accepted Him? Why did I finally decide to accept Christ ( or give Him complete control of my life?).

Your Life After Coming To Christ

Share some of the changes that Christ has made in your life as they relate to your theme. Empathize the changes in your character, attitude or perspective, not just changes in your behavior. Be realistic. We still struggle as believers. Life is far from perfect, but what’s different about your life now? Think through these questions:

  • How is my life different now? List some specific changes in your character, attitude, and perspective on life.
  • What motivates you now? What do I live for?
  • Even though your life still isn’t perfect, how does knowing Christ help you deal with that fact?

The Closing

End with a statement that summarizes your story and connects everything back to your theme. If you want, close with a bib verse that related to your experience.

My advice is to pray before you write out or share your testimony. Ask God for wisdom and the words to say.

Write the way you speak, be honest, and aim to keep your testimony with a 3-5 minute limit (people seems to get distracted if it’s any longer). Practice your testimony out loud several times until you feel comfortable saying it In from of people.

The Lord can use you to help others come to know Christ. Ask God for opportunities to share your testimony and the gospel with others.

What’s So Great About 3:00 A.M.?

For many years I had night terrors, I would wake up screaming and crying. I was convinced that it all had to do with something about me childhood traumas. I would jolt myself out of sleep around 3:00 in the morning.

Many people refer that hour of the night as the “Devil’s hour” or the “Witching Hour” and I certainly felt like there was an evil presence hovering over me.

Maybe you’ve had a similar experience of waking up unexpectedly at 3 in the morning and wondered why? What is the real reason people wake up at 3:00 A.M.?

Some people believe our sleep can be interrupted by emotional disturbances like loneliness, sadness, or depression. Chinese practitioners believe that our sleep patterns can be affected by our mental and physical state. Those who practice Hinduism believe the spirit world is trying to communicate with us during this time. But not everyone believes that these early morning encounters are evil.

Many spiritualists claim that the portal between the physical and spiritual world opens more fully at 3:00 A.M. as the spirit guides try to communicate with us. For those who believe 3 in the morning is the devils hour, they claim that Jesus was crucified at the polar opposite time on the clock at 3 in the afternoon, the event of the cross.

For me personally, I assumed that my night terrors were the result of some physiological problem, caused from my childhood. So when I asked my doctor about I was shocked when he said my 3 A.M. encounters could be a wake up call from some spiritual entity. At that time I don’t recall asking a pastor or minister about this. But, I didn’t grab my Father’s Bible and began to study the Scriptures to see if I could find out why I was waking up at 3 in the morning.

What does the Bible say about waking up at 3:00 A.M.? Could there be a spiritual meaning to being awakened from a deep sleep at 3 in the morning? Is this really the “Devil’s Hour?” What is the Bible’s exclamation of waking up at 3?

The biblical meaning of waking up at 3:00 A.M:

While the Bible frequently mentions that God send people messages in their dreams, (Jacob’s ladder to heaven, Joseph’s dream about the pregnancy of Mary, and Peter’s vision of a floating sheet are just a few examples), but the Scriptures do not have a great deal to say about the specific times of these encounters.

The Bible actually discourages us from placing an emphasis on the observance of time as an indicator of a spiritual message. Deuteronomy 18:19 says, “There should not be found among you any one that makes his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or use divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.”

Yet,as I mentioned before, there are people who believe that a portal between the demonic world and earth opens more fully between midnight and three in the morning. They describe it as a veil being opened allowing the spiritual and physical worlds to intersect. This is intriguing because the Bible describes the death of Jesus in similar terms. In Luke 23:44-46, Luke writes “Now it was about the sixth hour (noon), and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour (3 in the afternoon). Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.”

Theologians claim that the veil of the temple had previously separated man from God, but when it was torn in two that barrier was broken allowing us to have access to God’s spiritual Presence (Hebrews 10:19-22). Other biblical passages indicate that 3 in the afternoon was a special time of prayer for people seeking to connect with God (Acts 3:1; 10:3, and 10:30). Therefore, many people claim that a similar veil has opened for Satan and his evil forces at 3 in the morning. However, this is purely speculation as the Bible never mentions any type of veil or port being opened at a specific time.

There is a popular song that says, “It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere “ and si you should also remember that it’s always three o’ clock somewhere too. So, this idea of an “hour of evil would have to be geographical as the world rotates through the hours of the day and night. It does not really make sense that a horde of demons must all stay confined to one hour of time as the world rotates underneath them.

In reality, we must realize that there are spiritual forces, good and bad, around us all the time. Our minds and bodies are simply more attuned to our spiritual nature during the middle of the night because we are not distracted by all the noise and clutter of the physical world that we encounter during the hours of the day. Lamentations 2:19 says, “Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.”

As time went on I began to think more about my encounters with this supposed “Devil’s Hour” I realized that I have access to God every hour of every day, and therefore, I do not have to fear being awakened in the middle of the night. In the darkness of my room, instead of cowering in fear under the covers, I began to recall some scripture of reassurance:

  • 2 Samuel 22:29 – You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord who turns my darkness into light.
  • Psalm 18:28 – You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

According to Psalm 139:11-12 God is unfazed by the darkness of the night, He sees all and cab fully illuminate your path so that you do not have to be paralyzed by fear. The Bible assures us that the Spirit of God is greater and more powerful than the spirit of evil, and therefore, we do not have to be afraid if we are awakened at midnight or 3:00 in the morning, or any other time of the night. God is always with us.

Isaiah 8:19-20 declares that “when someone teaks you to consult mediums and spiritual advisers, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behave of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning.

“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten (Ecclesiastes 9:5).

God can illuminate the darkness, and the devil anod his demons must flee.