Category: Self-Help

The deadly side of hurt feelings

Hurt feelings are a sign of an underlying struggle with forgiving those who have hurt us. What you may not know is that unforgiveness can send a person to grave if they die without resolving those issues in their life. The Bible makes it clear that if we are going to be unforgiving, we not only become spiritually defiled (Hebrews 12:15) and turned over to tormenting evil spirits (see Matthew 18:23-35), but our unforgiveness actually blocks God’s forgiveness towards us concerning our own sins:

Matthew 6:15, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

That means if you are an unforgiving or bitter person, then you are not clean to stand before God. You’re sins are still hanging over your head, if you fail to release others for what they have done to you.

In the Spiritual Warfare Series, there is a powerful two-part teaching on how exactly to go about forgiving those who have wronged us, and releasing those hurt feelings from our system: See Unforgiveness and forgiving others

Read More

Emotional buildup: Easily offended? Irritable?

Today I was in a restaurant, and looked out the window to see a river. The Lord said to me, “Do you see the rough surface of that water? That is because there is turmoil under the surface. The same is true with people who are rough around the edges and are easily triggered to things such as pain, anger, hurt, etc.”

Have you ever seen somebody who is tense, where it is easy to get on their nerves? Do they always seem irritable? Does this describe how you feel? Have you ever wondered why a person is like that? It is certainly not part of God’s design for us, for His Word is clear that we are given a sound clear mind:

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Turmoil in one’s system is usually caused by emotional buildup (things in the past that were never let go of) or unclean spirits. If something is bothering us, we need to make the choice to release our concerns to the Lord. Whether it be bitterness, fear, hurt feelings, emotional damage, feelings of rejection or abandonment, those feelings are devastating to our spiritual health and must be released from our systems. God’s Word clearly tells us to cast our cares upon Him, for He cares for us:

1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

God wants us to release our emotional buildup, hurt feelings, etc. and give those things to Him. Why did God tell us to do this? Because He knew the devastating effects that such negative buildup can have on our systems. If we don’t fail to follow God’s command, and allow an emotional buildup in our systems, we then make ourselves available for spirits of anger, hate, bitterness, rejection, etc. Once that happens, those spirits can lay under the surface, and continually remind us of why we are hurt or angry. It’s like a record playing in your mind over and over again, continually escalating you to higher levels of bondage and turmoil. If this has happened, the first step is to release the negative buildup to the Lord, stop listening to all the reasons as to why you are upset, etc., and if the problem seems to linger… seek deliverance from those spirits! It is not normal for our rivers to be rough from turmoil that has been brewing under our surfaces!

Read More

Break Up with Your Rebellious Heart

Pray the following prayer aloud:

Dear Heavenly Father, You have said that rebellion is the same witchcraft, and insubordination is the same as injustice and worshipping idols (1 Samuel 15:23). I know that in my actions and attitudes, I have sinned against You with a rebellious heart.

I thank you for forgiving my rebellion, and I pray that by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus, all-access into my life that’s been gained by unclean spirits because of my rebellion would be canceled.

I pray that You will shed light on all my ways, that I may know the full extent of my rebellion, and choose to adopt a submissive spirit and a servant’s heart. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Read More

Saul

When Saul was confronted with his sin, he explained and excused himself, revealing his disobedience and his mistrust in the Lord. He followed his whims rather than seeking the Lord’s guidance. Saul’s life tells us that rebellion is the result of pride.

Rebellion will move you from a place of blessing and safety to a place of danger and disaster.

Read More

Examples in the Bible

Saul and David are perfect examples of a rebellious heart and a submitted heart. Neither men were perfect. But what sets them apart is the posture of their heart. Saul’s heart was consistently rebellious, while David’s was consistently submitted.

Read More

15 Characteristics of a Rebellious Spirit

  1. You’d rather give orders than receive. If you don’t do well following instructions, you might have a rebellious heart.
  2. You might have a rebellious heart if you see instructions, rules, or guidelines as restrictions on your creativity or style and would much rather make up your own rules.
  3. If you feel the urge to do the opposite of what you’ve been told or asked to do.
  4. You always want to stand out, for better or for worse. Blending in does not appeal to you. Instead, you focus on being different and doing things differently than what everyone else considers normal or accepted. You thrive on being the “weird one” in the group because it sets you apart from the “normal people.”
  5. Believe it’s better to ask forgiveness than to ask for permission. Rebels do what they want now and clean up afterward.
  6. You never seem to fit in. People with rebellious hearts seem to never click with a group. They’re usually the odd-man-out or stick out like a sore thumb and enjoy being the “misfit.” Many will refer to themselves as misfits or too weird for people. It comes back to the goal of being unique. There’s much more going on here, but rebellion is also at the root of this way of thinking.
  7. Rules are meant to be broken. Right? If you enjoy going against the grain and breaking established rules, you have rebellion in your heart.
  8. In children, rebellious hearts show up in obstinance. No amount of punishment or scolding decreases their behavior.
  9. You hate being restrained in any way.
  10. You dislike that people bow to authority so easily or accept the status quo without question.
  11. You radically accept yourself. You’ve said, “I am who I am.” People who want to be in a relationship with you have to deal with how you are or leave.
  12. Compromise is not in your vocabulary.
  13. Your presence is always a roar, and never a whisper.
  14. You live by your own set of rules.
  15. Apologize? Nope, not you!

Read More

Submission

Submission is the act of yielding to the governance of authority. Some synonyms include obedience, surrender, acquiesce, compliance, consent, and pliability.

We live in a rebellious generation who feel it is their right to sit in judgment of those in authority over them. Christians are no exception. Rebellion against God-appointed leaders is the same as rebelling against the Lord and leads to nothing but trouble. As our commanding general, the Lord says, “Get into ranks and follow me. I will not lead you into temptation, and I will deliver you from evil.”

But we sometimes say, “No, I don’t want to follow today.” So we fall out of ranks, do our own thing, and get into trouble or hurt. Then we blame God for not protecting us. We are also tempted to rebel against human authority. We have two biblical responsibilities regarding authority figures: pray for them and submit to them.

The only time God permits us to disobey earthly leaders is when they require us to do something morally wrong before God. The Bible teaches of our responsibility to submit to the following leaders:

Being submissive to human authority demonstrates faith. As you submit to God’s line of authority, you choose to believe that God will protect you and bless you and that all will go well with you. Ask God to forgive you for those times you have not been submissive and declare your trust in God to work through His established authority lines.

So, how do we know if we are moving in rebellion in an area in our life? Here are fifteen characteristics to weigh.

Read More

Rebellion Vs. Submission — Rebellion

Merriam Webster online defines the verb rebel as to oppose or disobey one in authority or control, act or show opposition or disobedience, or feel or exhibit anger or revulsion. Synonyms of rebel include defiant, disobedient, incompliant, insubordinate, rebellious, ungovernable, unruly, wayward, and willful. Two more synonyms of the verb rebel are mutiny and revolt.

Read More

Rebellion Vs. Submission: Breaking Up with Your Rebellious Heart

Rebellion vs. submission. Everyone makes a choice when responding to authority in their life. There’s really no middle ground. Either you’ll choose to submit to God and the authority established in your life, or you’ll rebel. No middle ground means that you can’t choose to submit in one authority area and rebel against another.

So, what does rebellion look like? Let’s begin with the definition. Watch the Facebook Live here.

Read More