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Does the Bible teach us to dialogue with God?
THE GREAT DISCOVERY Before I discovered conversational prayer, my “conversations” with God were boring monologues. I spoke into a void without hope of a response. Believing I had to earn God’s special favor for Him to speak, my expectations to “hear” from Him were non-existent. In 2015, all that changed. I went through a life crisis, the specifics of which are not important. And it was not the first time God’s Holy Spirit did for me what I could not do for myself. What was different this time was the tool I was given to successfully navigate the storm. Called “two-way” or “conversational” prayer, it transformed my daily quiet times into richer and more rewarding times of intimacy with Christ. What previously was a chore is now a time I most look forward to every morning. This daily two-way dialogue with God is very special and exciting, and you can have it, too! INTIMACY REQUIRES TWO-WAY DIALOGUE We know that two-way communication is how people form intimate human relationships. Can we have this type of back-and-forth communication with the almighty God? Here is a transcript of my two-way dialogue with God about this question. “Father God, can we have two-way communication with you? And, do you want all your Christ-followers to have this, or is it like a spiritual gift, and only for those to whom the gift has been given?” “Child, I always communicate to those who follow me and my teachings. I am the Lord of the living, and those who are alive in Christ have the ability to hear from me. I want all my children to have an intimate relationship with me, and conversing with me is one powerful way of building that intimacy.” Perhaps you can accept that Christ wants to dialogue with you but are wondering if He even wants to converse with you. You believe He speaks to you in His Holy Words of the Bible, but can He put additional words in your heart? Here is the question and answer transcript regarding this question. “Lord, what do my fellow Christ-followers have to do to have the same experience I have with you during our times of two-way prayer?” “Child, people must believe that I am constantly communicating with them. This requires faith. Next, they have to practice listening. This requires having ears to hear, talking less, and waiting on me more.” Therefore, engaging in a back-and-forth dialogue with Christ requires faith, practice, and a willingness to wait on Christ. If all this is true, and there is a Biblical basis for this communication style, why aren’t most pastors teaching us about it? Here again is a transcript that might help. “Lord, why don’t your pastors and Christian leaders teach about this communication method with you?” “Child, most don’t practice it themselves. If they did, they would have deeper relationships with me, and you would see a lot less moral failure by those who claim to lead my people.” THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN There are three main reasons for the lack of information on conversational prayer. They seem to all be based on fear.
OVERCOMING THE FALSE BELIEF OF A SILENT GOD As you consider the God who made the universe, who gave us Jesus Christ as our Savior, and who gifted us with eternal life, do we really believe He does not want to have a dialogue with us? Now that you are thinking about it, does it make sense that the Holy Spirit can’t move inside you to deliver a message? OVERCOMING FALSE HUMILITY One of the main marks of a mature Christ-follower is humility. I know few Christ-followers who confidently claim God communicates directly with them other than through the Bible. When pressed, they often admit they have a sense of God impressing things on them through the power of the Holy Spirit but are reticent to claim hearing God’s voice. Firstly, they don’t hear an audible sound, and secondly, it sounds arrogant to claim special messages from the Godhead. Worrying about what others may think is a false humility that can be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. OVERCOMING FALSE BOUNDARIES Beyond God’s Word, most of us have impressions of what God may be saying to us as we listen to a sermon, participate in a Bible study, or spend quiet times of prayer and meditating on Scripture. However, producing a transcript of a conversation with Christ is not something most could fathom possible. It is a bridge too far to cross, so to speak. Essentially, it is a false boundary we have set for ourselves that can also be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. All three of these false beliefs can be overcome by understanding the Biblical foundation for conversational prayer. BIBLICAL FOUNDATION FOR CONVERSATIONAL PRAYER The following six reasons should help you rationalize trying two-way prayer for yourself. 1. The Nature of Prayer: Prayer is depicted as communication with God throughout the Bible. This includes not only speaking to God but also listening. The Psalms, for instance, are filled with prayers that involve questioning, listening, and responding to the perceived will of God (e.g., Psalm 27:8, "My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, LORD, I will seek."). 2. Examples of Dialogue: The Bible contains numerous examples of individuals who engaged in conversational prayer with God. For example, Moses frequently spoke with God and received direct responses, as seen in Exodus 33:11, "The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." This suggests an intimate, conversational style of communication. 3. The Prophets: The prophets in the Old Testament often had conversations with God, where God would give them messages, and they would respond, sometimes with questions or petitions. Jeremiah is a prime example, where he often "argued" with God in prayer (Jeremiah 12:1, for example). 4. Jesus' Example: Jesus' prayer life, as depicted in the Gospels, shows moments of deep, intimate dialogue with the Father. The Gethsemane prayers (e.g., Matthew 26:39) reveal a heartfelt conversation in which Jesus expressed His desires but ultimately submitted to the Father's will. Furthermore, John 17 presents Jesus' high priestly prayer, a profound conversation with the Father concerning Himself, His disciples, and all believers. 5. The Holy Spirit's Role: The New Testament teaches that it helps believers in their prayer life, interceding and guiding them in what to pray for (Romans 8:26-27). This suggests a dynamic relationship between God and the believer in prayer, which includes listening for the Spirit's guidance. 6. Early Church Practice: Acts and the Epistles suggest that the early Christians engaged in prayer as an interactive relationship with God, expecting and experiencing guidance through the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2-3, where the Holy Spirit speaks to the church in Antioch during a time of worship and fasting). CONCLUSION Conversational prayer is scriptural because the Bible provides precedent and principles for engaging in dynamic, two-way communication with God. This form of prayer emphasizes a personal and intimate relationship with God, where believers are encouraged to speak openly while also making space to listen for His voice and guidance. It's a relational approach to prayer that mirrors the biblical examples of how God's people have communicated with Him throughout salvation history. “Lord, please whisper words you would have me hear, from you, in my heart.” “Child, I am continually bathing you with messages of my unconditional love for you. I have chosen you. Rejoice and be glad!” Two-way dialogue with Christ reflects a deep and intimate relationship with Him. Prayer is about presenting requests or engaging in monologues and listening for God's guidance, instruction, and responses. This approach to prayer is indeed supported by scriptural principles and examples, demonstrating that prayer can encompass rich dialogue and not just monologues. May you explore conversational prayer with Christ. For a great book explaining this process, I’ll point you to my mentor, Buddy Westbrook, and his seminal work: “Come talk with me” Enjoy your quiet times, and may conversational prayer enrich them as it has done mine. Your aspiring servant, Daniel M. March 24, 2024 POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate conversations with Christ. Everywhere we look, we see examples of various seasons of life. Ecclesiastes perfectly describes this fact of our mortal existence. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens ...” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV. I’ve been in a season of publishing this daily devotional for the past several years. After today, I will transition to a weekly post. This particular season started several years ago when the Lord led me to publish my daily quiet time journal, mostly consistently of conversational back-and-forth dialogues with Christ about things God was doing to make me into the man He wants me to be. Then, I started adding posts that were most instructive in nature, with a mixture of transcripts from my daily quiet times, mixed in with lessons God gave me, for my growth, that I shared with you, for your growth. Today, this changed. I had been praying for several months about going to a weekly cadence, as my posts become longer and more in-depth. They began taking several hours per day to produce. I don’t mind the time, but they started interfering with my quiet times. Today, I sat down to write, with an eye on the clock to get out today’s publication. That is not how to have quiet time. As you will see from the following prayer transcript from this morning, my attention needs to be returned to intimacy with Christ. From now on, I will publish once weekly, at the beginning of each week. Here is the dialogue I had with Christ this morning, culminating in this decision. It is offered to inspire you to have your daily conversations with Christ. It has transformed my walk with our Lord, and I believe it will also transform yours. TODAY Monday Early Morning, March 11, 2024 Me: Lord, thank you for Monday. I am grateful to start the week over, and have a new chance at doing an excellent job at work for your glory and your honor. Lord Jesus, the journaling may have gotten out of hand. I don’t know, and I put that at your feet. Christ: My child, I liked when we had this two-way dialogue all the time. Me: I did, too, and I would like to have more of that with you. Christ: Let’s do that and not worry about your blog. Me: I don’t want it to be “my blog.” I want it to be yours. And if you don’t want it, then I should leave it. Christ: You can do it daily if you want, but don’t let it interfere with our relationship. A few hours later, after struggling to write today’s Devotional: Me: Well, it just did. I tried to do one this morning, but it did not work. I am lost. Christ: You are fine. You are right here with me. Me: OK. Well, I need direction, please. Christ: Enjoy me. Sit with me, without having to perform. It’s too much pressure. Me: Yes, Lord. I am more interested in producing good work than giving you the time to shape and mold me. That is what this time is for. I’ll go to a weekly format. Is that OK? Christ: Child, whatever you do is fine; don’t allow your tendency to perform to get in the way of our intimacy. Me: Well, it did today, and I don’t like that. Christ: Then go to a weekly format. CONCLUSION Friends, I have difficulty sharing this dialogue with you because I know this is not a “traditional” form of prayer we are accustomed to hearing from our Brothers and Sisters in Christ. I don’t claim some special skill at hearing Christ. I believe the Holy Spirit, in each of us, can impress messages upon us. I have a lot to say on this subject, which will be the topic of my next post. Thank you for bearing with me as I published these daily devotionals. I realize it has been a lot of reading, and very personal. Just know I am grateful for you, and your support as I seek to be obedient to Christ. None of us hears perfectly. The good news is that we have God’s Word, the Bible, as our main means of hearing from Him. And we have each other to help us filter out the noise of our own biases. I am grateful for this and more. Thank you again for being with me during this “Daily Devotional” season. I hope this weekly cadence will also bless you, as I take more time to make it more easily consumable, better researched, and less of a burden for both of us. Your aspiring servant, Daniel M. March 11, 2024 POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate conversations with Christ. Unfortunately, I’ve never been accused of being timid. If there is one thing that I will shy away from is an uninvited sharing of the Gospel with someone who is not a Christ-follower. Why is that? Do you struggle with this too? I think you must. I know how extroverted and bold I am, and if I am timid, I can imagine that many well-meaning Christ-followers are also reticent. What can we do to better overcome our reluctance to go into a place of uncomfortablity?
We know that God wants us to share of faith. And we know from Scriptures like 2 Timothy 1:7 that we are given a spirit of power to accomplish this. So what holds us back? For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV For me, there are two reasons I don’t share my faith in Christ more often. First, I don’t like to feel uncomfortable. You could say that I am “fat and happy.” Some of you who know me would chime in on that for sure. OK, physically, I’m a little fat. OK. Which is part of the reason why I don’t take more risks sharing the Gospel. I lack a certain amount of self-discipline. Second, I don’t like to make others feel uncomfortable. I want people to think well of me, to like me, and to have a good experience of who I am. To that end, I sacrifice their eternal salvation. That makes sense, right? Perhaps if I had greater love for those who are lost I would take more risk. This scripture is profound. So here is my conclusion and action plan. Perhaps you want to join me in the following three things. I’m going to:
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 3:15-16 NIV May we do this with the love of Christ in our hearts, and the utmost gentleness and respect for others. Just let’s not be so gentle that the Gospel message of Christ is not clear. For me, to fully implement 1 Peter 3:15, I need to know my Bible better and equip myself with a Gospel Track that would help me fully explain Christ’s message. What about you? What actions do you want to take in light of what God may be speaking as you read this devotional? Your aspiring servant, Daniel M. March 08, 2024 POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily, transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ. Heroic rescues excite our senses as we cheer for noble rescuers saving those in peril. The graver the danger, the more our hearts race as we imagine what it must be like to be the victim. Power causes the problem, and greater power provides the solution. Headlines read: “The rescuers overpowered great obstacles and made the rescue.”
Christ Jesus rescued us from the power of Satan and turned us toward God, cleansing us of our sins, through faith, by God’s grace. We received this unmerited favor that allows us to be cleansed of our past and given an eternal future in heaven, safe for all time. The Apostle Paul’s retelling of his conversation with Christ in Acts 26 informs this heroic rescue available to all who turn to God for help. "I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." (Acts 26:17-18, NIV) Many of those rescued, myself included, become very comfortable in the safety in which we now live. We can slip into selfish, self-centered behavior and become complacent in our sanctification. Early in my life with Christ, I was mentored by a pastor who continually told me to “go to the cross” when I brought him my struggles. Many years later, I now understand what he was leading me to do. Instead of running to the world for rescuing, he was pointing me to the finished work of Christ Jesus. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18, NIV) All of us who follow Christ Jesus are sanctified, are being sanctified, and shall continue to be sanctified until our final rescue. We were rescued from Satan’s grip, given the power of the Holy Spirit to stay free, and led to reach out to all nations and peoples, wherever and however we can. Christ has removed our blindfold, rescued us from a fatal situation, and says: “I am sending you to carry my message of salvation and sanctification.” We have been delivered from the evil power of Satan to the pure, loving, safe power of Christ. Let’s not let that rescue mission Christ conducted end with us. "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." (Ephesians 1:18-21, NIV) There are still people trapped and in grave danger. Using Ephesians 1:18-21 as a rallying cry, let’s seize the power we have been given and join the rescue mission for those lost and in jeopardy of staying that way for eternity. Your aspiring servant, Daniel M. March 07, 2024 POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily, transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ. Truth has a peculiar way of making itself known. Sometimes, it strikes us forcefully, like a freight train, and other times, it's as gentle as a feather. Such is the truth of Christ. My initial encounter with it was akin to the touch of a feather, so delicate that I scarcely recognized it as Christ calling me to Himself.
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” These words adorned the entrance of the Student Union building at the University of Texas at Austin, where I pursued my education. I read them repeatedly over the years without pausing to ponder their origin. I presumed them to be the creation of some insightful philosopher. Filled with what I perceived as truth, I felt no need for further enlightenment. I believed I possessed answers to life's most profound questions and was eager to share them without solicitation. Years later, reality intruded. As a single parent to a vulnerable two-year-old, abandoned by their mother, God intervened. No longer a gentle whisper, He unleashed the full force of the Holy Spirit, akin to a freight train hurtling towards me. His intervention came through Pastor Phil Landrum of Southwest Christian Church, bearing the Good News. It was in 1981, during the early hours of a Saturday morning, that Phil received a distraught call from me, a 24-year-old in desperate need of Jesus. In the months leading to this pivotal moment, I had been evangelized by Neal Johnson, my boss, and had come to acknowledge my need for Jesus. God sent Phil to guide me in accepting Jesus Christ, initiating a lifelong journey of relinquishing my own power, a force akin to a hurricane, in favor of a deeper surrender to the divine power of God. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 NIV) This surrender to God's power stands as one of the most profound truths I've embraced. What God, and many of you, have taught me is that this surrender is a daily practice. It's not achieved over months or years; rather, it's a continual process—a daily relinquishing of control. This goes beyond mere salvation; it's about being fully surrendered to Christ and His power, a journey all disciples of Christ must undertake. Each day, I awaken to surrender afresh to Christ's power, delving deeper into His love, joy, and peace. With each surrender, there's less of myself and more of Christ. This translates to a shift from the storm of my fleshly desires to the right kind of power flowing through me. Truth yields immense power, and absolute truth begets boundless power. Yet, the danger lies in merely hearing it without taking the requisite actions. Daily surrender is imperative to truly follow Christ. Yesterday's surrender is like yesterday's manna; it won't sustain us today. Every morning, my knees must bend anew, seeking fresh guidance from Christ for the day ahead. Superficial gestures and rote prayers won't suffice. To live a life empowered by Christ, we must die to ourselves daily, allowing Christ to live through us. This truth presents a paradox: the more we relinquish our fleshly power, the greater power we attain yet this power isn't of our making and doesn't require our effort to sustain it. The power of Christ's truth liberates us from earthly concerns, granting us progressive levels of freedom until we finally surrender our earthly vessel and embrace the unlimited power of God's love forever. Amen. Your aspiring servant, Daniel M. March 06, 2024 POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily, transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ. Man's Search and God's Answer
Since the very beginning of time, women and men have relentlessly pursued ever greater power. From Eve in the Garden of Eden, our motive has been clear: the more powerful we become, the more like God we can be. And maybe, just maybe, we can amass enough power to defeat the ultimate lack of power – that of our death. Genesis 3:4 lays out the case for the first example of this, and the entire human history is nothing but a repeat of our rebellious attitudes and actions. We want the power to decide what we do and don’t do and can be lured into inventing elaborate schemes to achieve such control. “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4 NIV Knowledge is power. Absolute knowledge is absolute power, and Satan continually uses this temptation to this day. Many Christ-followers are led astray by the pursuit of the wrong kind of power. It comes in many forms of sin, but in the final analysis, the transgression was fueled by the desires of the flesh for the power to act like God and do anything that we want. Conversely, many are led in paths of righteousness by pursuing God’s power for God’s glory. Acts 1:8 shows us that power is given to us by the Holy Spirit to be an effective witness of the Gospel of Christ and all that it entails. We have countless examples of the godly use of power demonstrated by Jesus during His three-year ministry on Earth. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NIV I pray that we seek the right kind of power. In order to do so, we first need to ensure that the provider of that power is none other than the Holy Spirit. Any other source will lead us astray and damage our witness. It is surprising to realize that our thirst for greater and greater power can be a good thing. I’ve always thought of it as a source of evil. However, I now realize that if the power is from the Holy Spirit, and I use it for witnessing and attesting to the Gospel of Christ, then I am doing God’s will. To Him who has all power, God the Father, Christ Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit – blessed, Triune God, may He give us His power to do His will in His way and in His time. Amen. For our greatest power in Christ - your aspiring servant, Daniel M. March 05, 2024 POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily, transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ. MY JOURNEY - A PERSONAL TESTIMONIAL
I grew up in a moderately religious Catholic family, the oldest of three. Mom and Dad made major sacrifices to send us to 12 years of Catholic school, where I was taught about God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit. As a youngster, I accepted what was taught with faith like a child and did my best to sincerely love God. However, I couldn't understand why my parents prayed on Sunday and yelled on Monday. Undeterred by a chaotic home life, I’d pray the Rosary nightly, striving to reduce the years in Purgatory before being allowed into Heaven, where I’d have peace. Even serving religiously as an altar boy at daily 6:00 am masses did not bring serenity. Hungry for God and the relief Heaven promised, I wanted to escape my abusive childhood. But freedom from this mostly unhappy childhood was elusive. In my early teens, I became a Lectern at church, standing up front and reading from this big book. Later in life, I’d learn it was the Bible. The words I recited invoked mixed emotions of great reverence and much fear, for God seemed so huge, powerful, and unapproachable. I felt insignificant to Him, my family, and my friends. To say that I had low self-esteem is to think of the Grand Canyon as a ditch in the ground. We all have this God-shaped hole, and no matter how hard we try to fill it, nothing satisfies. But that did not stop me from trying to plug the leak in my soul. At the age of 14, I discovered alcohol and drugs and quickly gave up trying to escape into God. My new escape eliminated the wait for heaven. I found it on Earth. No longer the child who couldn’t fit in, I discovered my identity and was accepted by a circle of kids who were also compelled to escape reality. Comfortable with my new persona as a wild child, I did everything that kept my parents up at night and on their knees. It finally got so bad that at age 18, my parents evicted me, and my life became a haze of inebriation and real-life fantasies. I rapidly climbed this ladder to the top and in less than one year became utterly miserable. I cried out for help, and my parents secured a doctor for their wayward son. Dr. Nick Marchese helped me get sober, visualize a different ladder to climb, and introduced me to my new god: Success. Now my addiction became accomplishments, first with school, and then with jobs. And when success failed to change the way I felt, alcohol and drugs were frequent companions that eased my emotional pain and suffering. There are many substances you should not put into your body because they change the delicate balance of chemicals inside our brains. My mind started playing tricks on me, diminished my mental and emotional capacity, and drove me to greater cycles of dysfunctional behavior and self-medication. Then, in 1981 at the age of twenty-four, I accepted Christ as my savior, got baptized, and stopped using alcohol and drugs. From 1987 to 1990, I dried out and went almost three years without self-medicating. But the stronghold of addiction came roaring back with a vengeance upon a romantic breakup. I went right back to all my self-destructive behaviors, and for the next six years, got progressively worse until one fateful day. The facade of a life I had propped up for the world to see came crashing down on top of me, and I was crushed by an unbearable weight that removed all denial and doubt. Hitting the lowest point of my life, this bottom proved to be a major turning point. On March 4, 1996, I surrendered myself to God in a much deeper way, admitted to the world I was an alcoholic and got sober. It was then I realized my utter powerlessness over my life and everything in it. Christ may have been my savior, but He was not my Master. The master of self that I was serving turned out to be a demon I could not beat. I needed to surrender into the arms of God, which I did with complete abandon. However, addiction still had a hold on me. It simply morphed from alcoholism to workaholism and hyper-spiritualism. I became addicted to work, my new god. It became my idol I served faithfully and was rewarded with significant success in every aspect of my life. I became a leader in Alcoholics Anonymous and worked intensely to help myself and others. As CEO of an executive coaching firm, I became a highly successful and very wealthy leadership coach. As founder of a Christian ministry, I served multitudes of church pastors to grow and develop. If you looked into any aspect of my life at that point, you would see an incredibly successful person. That is because I desperately needed you to think of me as somebody important. Everyone but me seemed to believe that lie. I knew I was still an imposter. I had what we call the “Imposter Syndrome.” This condition prevents one from experiencing the deeper things of being a Christ-follower, namely love, joy, peace, and other fruits of the Holy Spirit whom I kept at arm’s length while I served the god of work. In 1996, after God permanently removed the stronghold of alcoholism and drug addiction from my life forever, I now became addicted to money and fame, both of which came in great abundance. As I grew and matured as a sober Christ-follower, my addiction to wealth and prestige multiplied, as did spiritual pride. In 2015, God did for me then what I could not do for myself. The stronghold that gripped me since my teenage years seemed like it was finally broken. But much damage was done during those many years of insanity. I’ll spare you the gory details. Suffice it to say that I was a very self-destructive person who was an expert at self-sabotage for anything good God would send my way. And, the stronghold that gripped me, that I thought was relieved the day I got sober, simply morphed as it often does with countless others. Gaining a significant reputation in the Christian community as a workplace minister, I became bi-vocational and began giving back my time, talents, and treasures by serving senior pastors of churches with the gifts God gave me as a leadership coach. In 2016, at the age of 59 and a multi-millionaire, I founded a Christian ministry as a way of repaying God and overcoming the guilt of being financially wealthy. As a result of my actions, even with these imperfect motives, God rewarded me richly by allowing me to become completely broken, removing the last vestiges of this addiction stronghold, and becoming free from what I call the “ism” of addiction. It takes many forms. It first manifested itself as alcoholism in my youth, and spiritual pride-ism in these later years. Along the way, workaholism was a constant enabler and perpetuator of the many lies that made up this complicated stronghold. I empathize with those who believe that self-driven solutions can break the stronghold of addiction. However, for me, the truth is that only the Holy Spirit can dismantle the intricate web of lies that Satan and his demons weave into someone afflicted with addiction. There exists a panacea and cure-all for this hopeless state of body, mind, and spirit: an intimate, personal relationship with God. Yet, half-measures are ineffective. I've found that I must be 100% surrendered to God, or the stronghold will persist. 99% will not suffice. Today, I am thrilled to celebrate my 28th year of sobriety, and I can confidently say that the stronghold of addiction has been permanently shattered. I understand that claiming "forever" is bold, and asserting that I am "completely recovered" may sound audacious. However, I know that God has accomplished for me what I could not achieve alone. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God has utterly broken this stronghold of addiction. I am no longer swayed by others' words or actions, and I can genuinely affirm that I am almost entirely comfortable in my own skin, although sharing this testimony still makes me a bit uneasy. I still find discomfort unsettling. Every day, I am granted a reprieve from my former stronghold. It is my responsibility to maintain a fit spiritual condition. If I allow Satan's demons to repossess me and reestablish this negative influence, it will be because I failed to adhere to the crucial daily routine that God has bestowed upon me. Then, I immerse myself in reading the Bible and other spiritual texts that remind me of my identity (a child of God) and my allegiance (to the Maker, Master, and Ruler of the Universe), our Father who art in Heaven. Holy is His Name. His kingdom is unseen but omnipresent, including within me. He completely governs me if I allow Him. To do so, I require this daily period of prayer, meditation, and journaling to recollect the Truths of God and evade the lies of Satan. This is my daily reprieve. As vital as it has been for me to acknowledge the presence of absolute good, God, it has been equally crucial to acknowledge the reality of absolute evil, which seeks to harm me, ensnare me in strongholds, and deceive me into believing that I am cured when, in reality, I only have a daily respite by remaining under the protection of Almighty God. Today, I swiftly recognize if I have given the enemy even the slightest foothold. I promptly turn away from pursuing my own desires and embrace the ways of God, which bring love, joy, and peace that transcend all human understanding. I will conclude with one of my favorite quotes from the spiritual literature I regularly read: "God is everything, or He is nothing. May you find Him now. Amen." Your aspiring servant, Daniel M. March 04, 2024 POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily, transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ. Identifying strongholds in our own lives, those of others, and in our community is obviously very important in order to be effective Christ-followers.
In this section, I’ll try to equip us to better recognize strongholds so we can gain freedom from them for ourselves and others. In Part 1 - what they are, and Part 2 - how to overcome them, we found the Bible clear: Strongholds exist, and they can and will be overcome, in this life perhaps, and certainly in the next. But why wait for Heaven to be free from bondage? There is excellent teaching in God’s Word, and Christian authors, on this subject. In fact, I came across a great article that does a much better job than I can of addressing this subject of identifying strongholds. Go to Shegznstuff and you will find a two-part series on this subject by author Segun “Shegz” Aiyegbushi. CATEGORIES OF STRONGHOLDS Here are the five categories Segun identifies as categories of strongholds:
HOLY SPIRIT DISCERNMENT God has given us a savior, Jesus Christ. By accepting Him, we get many gifts, including the most profound, the Holy Spirit, who will be with us for eternity. The Holy Spirit is not a thing, but a person. Equal to God the Father, and Christ Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit is our constant companion and protector, and will reveal to us strongholds in ourselves, others, and our community if we are intimately well connected with the Holy Spirit. HOW TO CONNECT WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT Quick little prayers here and there are great throughout the day, but will not serve to build a deep, intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. Personally, for many years that was the extent of my prayer life. As God removed a major stronghold (alcoholism) from me in 1996, I started becoming better and better about two-way communication with God. Allow me to use marriage as an example. If all you do is say a quick hello and goodbye to your spouse, you will not develop an intimate relationship and that marriage has almost zero chance of succeeding. If your prayer life is only quick little prayers, you’re easing conscience at the expense of a relationship. There’s no substitute for time spent with Christ. If you’ve read my previous devotionals, you know I harp on a daily time of prayer (talking to God), meditation (listening to God), and capturing lessons learned from our time with Him (journaling). It is a daily discipline that produces the transformational results Christ-followers desire but seldom achieve due to a simple failure to invest the time. Just like with your spouse, the question about quality versus quantity time, and which one is better, is simply answered: “Both.” You need both to be in intimate relationships. One without the other is to shortchange your partner. Unfortunately, we can get away with shortchanging Christ a lot easier, and He does not make us sleep on the couch for being insensitive to His needs. Although sometimes, I wish He would! Let’s dedicate time to building a deep, effective, rich relationship with Christ. What have we got to lose? In the words of the famous slain missionary Jim Elliot: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” ALL ARE CALLED TO ENGAGE IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE Just as we are all called to full-time ministry, so too are we all called to engage in spiritual warfare. It is the exception that some of us are called to full-time vocational ministry. However, no one is exempt from the call to actively engage in fulfilling the Great Commission. It is a command and supreme directive to every man, woman, and child who confesses Jesus Christ as savior. Many, like myself, answered this call but still had strongholds in our lives. We got involved in vocational or bi-vocational ministry despite the “thorns in our flesh.” It was suboptimal, but what was good enough for the Apostle Paul is good enough for me. And, if every pastor or bi-vocational minister who had a stronghold resigned from ministry today, there would hardly be anyone left to shepherd Christ-followers! Beware of casting judgment on those of us who struggle with strongholds. Maybe spiritual pride is one of yours. ALL ARE CALLED TO LORDSHIP The next step in the journey for a ministry leader, or Christ-follower at any level, is to actively pursue an intimate relationship with Christ. This is where God is allowed to fully and completely be Lord of our lives. Where through our full acceptance of Him, we fully submit to the Holy Spirit’s leadership. We call this “Submitted to the Lordship of Christ” or “Christ is truly Lord of my life.” It is highly advisable to be in this state of “full submission to the Lordship of Christ” for maximum effectiveness and victory in battle. We are all engaged in this war of good versus evil, whether we know it or not. We need help and cannot prevail on our own. We must rely on the Holy Spirit. And unconfessed sin, a rebellious nature, or strongholds of any sort can weaken us to the point of defeat. APPLICATION FOR PASTORS AND MINISTRY LEADERS If you are a pastor or ministry leader in any capacity, it is critical for you to role model behavior for those that Christ has put under your care. If you are not having a daily time of prayer, meditation, and journaling of lessons learned, how can you expect others that follow you to engage in this practice? Our primary weapon to break down strongholds is the Holy Spirit. And our primary way to recognize strongholds is also the Holy Spirit. We will know in our spirit what to do, where to go, how to pray, and who else to bring in on various assignments we are given. We just need to be very in tune with Christ in order to hear what Christ is saying to us. THE NEVER-ENDING VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT There is a continuous outward-bound communication from the Holy Spirit, akin to radio waves, which we cannot hear unless we possess a device capable of capturing and amplifying them. God has given us such a device: the daily quiet time, allowing us to hear His constant flow of words such as “I love you”, “I care for you”, “I am with you”, “I will never leave or forsake you”, “You will be with me for eternity”, and more. God is always speaking to us. For those who are hard of hearing, reading God’s Word (the Bible) is a reliable method of receiving His messages. The Holy Spirit leads and guides us to where we should read, imparting lessons we need to learn. Additionally, the Holy Spirit reveals strongholds in our lives and equips us with the tools necessary to break free from them. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Today, God revealed to me a list of strongholds. They include, but are not limited to: Addictions (such as alcohol, drugs, food, sex, rage, work, image, or compulsions), other recurring sins (like being controlling, angry, bitter, jealous, and more), certain mental and physical illnesses, demon possession, and so forth. Not all sins are considered strongholds; the distinguishing factor for me is the frequency of recurrence of the sin or possession. If you struggle with strongholds, actively increase the time you spend with God in daily prayer, meditation, and journaling. Share your struggles with others. Seek help from the community of Christ-followers. You are not alone. The same advice applies if you observe strongholds in others. And if you fail to recognize the strongholds in our world, I pray that your eyes may be opened, for there is a war raging. To underscore the importance of having “eyes wide open,” I’ll conclude with one of my favorite Old Testament stories: “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:15-17 NIV) CONCLUSION We have more allies than adversaries. The Holy Spirit is on our side, as are all the angels in Heaven. Victory already belongs to the Blessed Trinity. Claim your rightful place in Christ’s kingdom, free from strongholds. Claim that place for others as well, and for communities, ranging from your small group, local church, city, state, country, to this little place we call Earth. For our greatest freedom in Christ - your aspiring servant, Daniel M. March 01, 2024 POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily, transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ. In yesterday’s devotional, I promised to address “how” to identify strongholds. However, God led me in a different direction this morning during my quiet time. Instead, here is how to “overcome strongholds.” Maybe there will be a Part 3: How to Identify Strongholds. Maybe not. I’ll see which way the Lord leads when I sit with Him again tomorrow.
THE “HOW” OF OVERCOMING STRONGHOLDS These deeply rooted issues can and will be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit, by the blood of Jesus Christ. Any entity or power that opposes God’s will in our lives must be brought down and defeated. As Christ-followers, spiritual warfare is part of our discipline and training on the unseen battlefield between God and evil. Overcoming strongholds requires a multifaceted approach that combines spiritual disciplines, scriptural truths, and practical steps. The battle against strongholds is both spiritual and practical, demanding a strategy that engages with our faith and daily actions. Here are some ideas on how to overcome three types of strongholds: • Personal strongholds • Other people’s strongholds • Community strongholds OVERCOME PERSONAL STRONGHOLDS As a recovered alcoholic, I can speak with authority on the stronghold of addiction. March 4, 1996, is my sobriety date, and I haven't had a sip of alcohol since. I accepted Christ as my Savior in 1982, but for 14 years as I grew as a sincere Christ-follower, my alcoholism grew as well. I kept it a secret until I could no longer, publicly admitted defeat, and surrendered this stronghold to Christ’s healing hand. Here are some steps you can take, in partnership with Christ, to break a stronghold in your life:
“Lord Jesus, food is a stronghold in my life, and I repent from the sin of gluttony. Please forgive me, break this stronghold in my life, and heal me of my malady. I pray for a covering of protection with the blood of Jesus, who can break this stronghold. I surrender to you and your Holy Spirit, and give my food consumption to you. Please take full control of my diet, Lord, break this stronghold, and glorify yourself through a transformation in my dietary habits. Amen.” HELP THOSE WE LOVE OVERCOME STRONGHOLDS God wants us to actively minister to others. Christ wants us to love everyone, not just those close to us, such as family and friends. However, those are the ones with whom we have the greatest insights, so it makes sense that when we consider helping others overcome strongholds, this is the first place we look. Here are some things we can do to help break strongholds in others:
Any group of people can constitute a community. From the micro-group of your small group or local church to the macro-group of your city or entire country, the various communities in which you operate all have strongholds. Here are some things you can do to engage in spiritual warfare on behalf of Christ in a given community:
Overcoming strongholds requires a concerted effort of prayer, engagement with Scripture, and practical steps towards healing and freedom. It's a journey that involves not just the individual but also the support and love of those around them, and a reliance on God's power to transform and renew. Whether personal, in those we love, or within our community, the path to overcoming strongholds is paved with grace, truth, and the relentless pursuit of God's will. Your aspiring servant, Daniel M. February 29, 2024 POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily, transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ. |
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