The Gift of Freedom

The Gift of Freedom

Psalm 146:7b “The LORD sets prisoners free,”

[Right from the beginning of our lives we are all imprisoned by sin, for the web of Satan has everyone snared in its sticky strands of lies, fear and violence. Just being born into a broken and twisted world results in quirks and tightness in our personalities that bring problems, difficulties and oppression.

Our upbringing and family culture instill further dysfunctional thoughts, feelings and desires into us. Our natural worldview and its internalized values trap us into destructive feelings, desires and goals. All these lead us to emotional pitfalls and accepting false answers to the great human thirst for approval, for significance, for belonging, for security. These lies then produce fear: fear of man, fear of the future, fear of failure, fear of pain, loss and hurt. Satan uses all these to oppress, control and in the end to kill all he can.

But You, Lord Jesus, you have made a way out of this prison of oppression, opening the door to the cell of hopelessness. You have called us to step out of the darkness of fear into the light of your Love, into the rich relationship with you where our fears can be washed away in the river of your goodness and grace and glory.

Through your great sacrifice and work, your provided all we thirst for: in you we belong, we have significance, we have security and we have approval. In you there is the certainty of your shepherding us through every valley of life into the wonder of your everlasting dwelling in heaven. You have provided all that is needed for us to follow you in freedom: Your “divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life…” (2 Pet. 1:3).

You, Lord Jesus, are the great Deliverer, the mighty Shepherd, the everlasting King. You are worthy of endless honor, praise and exaltation; you are worthy of all obedience, glory and thanksgiving.

I praise you for your constant, deep, compassionate and lovely presence in my life, drawing me on to greater surrender, convicting me of the next sin, protecting me from my own foolishness, guiding and empowering me to live more and more worthy of you. So I lift you up, praise your Name and exalt your Word above all things. Use me today to bring honor to your name.