Hallelujah! My Shackles are Gone

"My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy rains

Unending love, Amazing grace"

Nothing could have prepared me for what happened on October 14, 2012. My life has changed. The worry, the doubt, the fear are demolished. The hope, the joy, and the renewing steadfast love of Christ have been born. 

I honestly can tell you I truly believed and gave my life to Jesus Christ at age 7. I re-committed my life to Christ at age 16 at summer camp and something very real changed my life. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit at age 21 on Highway I-20 between Colorado City TX and Big Spring TX. I publicly displayed the change of my life at age 22 by the baptism of water. BUT...All of those were preparing me. Salvation is and will always be the most important decision I ever did or will make in my life. But, what happened yesterday will set the course for not just me, but my family, my future husband, my children and their children and their children if that is God's design for my lineage. 

I want to tell you the story, the story that will one day be published, but for now it will remain forever to have started in my heart and written on this blog. Last Friday I published the blog, "My Story of Choices-Testimony of Redemption." This blog, unbeknownst to me, was the precursor to this blog. 

Sharing my testimony led me to freedom. So I will tell of my experience of freedom so that whatever God has next for me will be done. And maybe, just maybe, my story will help you find your story and even more so spread the deep deep freeing power of surrendering your all to Jesus Christ. 

"I entered the church with a heavy heart and tired flesh. Going out the night before and celebrating a friend moving to Dallas lasted until early hours of the morning. Still waking tired, I arose to go to go to church, the house of the Lord. I entered early enough to do a chapter of the book "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. Not realizing until later that night that this book had also been part of God's preparation for this day. We began worshiping and all of sudden tears started falling. Though I can be emotional, I really had no idea what this emotion was from. God then whispered so sweetly multiple times "It's time..." I asked "What Lord, is it time for" then the Holy Spirit answered me with a vision:

 I was crouching in ball with my arms wrapped around my legs and my head huddled into my thighs. God said "Look up my child..." I looked up and saw the shackles and chains. The shackles wrapped around my wrist and my ankles. The shackles around my ankles looked loose, but still buckled. God then said, "Stand my child, its time to be set free..." I looked up and said "I can't Lord, I can't.." He said "Stand, my child, just Stand..." I stood up and then raised my hands for what else do you do in the presence of the King. As I rose my hands the shackles broke and I literally felt and heard the freedom of my hands. The hands that had gripped onto so many things. The hands that have tried for years to block away the pain, to control the hurts and circumstances that were out of my hands, and the hands that have for years been trying to find love in all the wrong hands. Then the Lord said "The shackles around your ankles are weak, but only because you have broken them time and time again when you obey and follow me, but then you put them back on out of fear and comfort. It's time to take the final step into my will and leave the shackles behind...for good." I lifted both legs and felt the shutter and heard the steel breaking as I lifted each foot. The feet that have stood still when God urged me to walk ahead and the feet that had tried to pave their own road when God would speak to wait and watch."

The hands and feet that were shackled by fear, doubt, worry, comfort, control, lust, and bondage were broken by the power and wooing of Jesus Christ, the urging of the Holy Spirit, and the ultimate will of God Almighty. 

I then sat down for the sermon. As I sat down and listened I began asking God for revelation to help bring clarity to what exactly had just happened and what I was broke free from. 

God urged me to attend the evening service. As I prayed when we entered the prophetic worship night I asked the Lord to bring revelation about this vision. The night continued and during the worship I started to realize something about me was changing, but I still knew something was left to be said and done. 

The night was coming to a close when one of the Pastors stood up to give a last word. This word is paraphrased, but it went a little something like this:

"I feel the need to pray for a re-naming for many of you. Many of you have been held under family iniquities and God is calling you to be set free. He desires a new name for you, just as Jacob in Genesis 32, for a new name and legacy to be born. If you have been under any form of family iniquities for some time please stand as God is going to re-name you." 

I stood. 

As you can see, God answered my prayer. The prayer I had been desperately been trying to find courage to pray for for years. The prayer to be freed from the bondage of hurt, pain, and suffering. The prayer to be set free from the lies that my life would look similar to my past. The prayer to be set free from the fear of my future family/husband to be as the past men in my life. The prayer to be set free from the shackles of doubt and worry that crippled me to a position of defeat. Most importantly, the prayer to be set free to be loved and to love. 

I had a chance to speak with the same Pastor who gave the word that changed my life after the service. As I shared the confirmation of his word from God for my life, he then blessed me with even more. He prayed life over me, my new family and then gave me my new name from above. 

Overcomer.

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind." Psalm 107:19-21

I can't begin to fully explain the change that occurred, the years of suffering  hurt, and wounds that were fully healed, sealed, and kissed from above yesterday. What I can explain is what has since been revealed as my second half of life. 

October 14, 2012 marked the beginning of my second chapter. The level of intimacy I grew with Christ in 24 hours is undeniable. So for the future, I will do my ultimate best to renounce every doubt, worry, and fear. I will live as an anointed daughter (beautiful daughter) of the King of Kings and remind myself that His will for my life is to prosper me and not to harm me. I will remember that though my enemies will advance, and pressure will always be pressing me from each side, I will be at peace for my King has already won. Though my flesh may suffer, my heart and soul will always be peace with grace, mercy, and His unfailing and pursuing love.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18

I pray that as you read this, your heart was lifted, your soul renewed, and maybe your mind refreshed. I pray that you know that God has a plan for you. He desires freedom, joy, and hope to be your reality. It is possible. Believe me, for I know for...

My Shackles are Gone, and Freedom is now my reality. 

Be Blessed. Shalom.