Pray Luke 4:18 // LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES
By Mando Matthews
ekballopasadena.org
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed…” Luke 4:18
No one likes being held captive or imprisoned. All wish to live free! However, every person in captivity has a captor who is stronger than he / she is who keeps him / her bound. The bully grabs hold of the person, and even though the captured person may wish to be free, the bullying captor overpowers him / her and refuses to let the bound person go free.
Many in our nation are bound and addicted to drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, pornography, anger, violence, and so much more. Even though many try, over and over again, to be free, the power of the addiction continues to overpower them and they remain in captivity.
I love the passage in Mark 3:27 [NLT] that Jesus uses to illustrate the only way to be freed from a captor: “…Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.” The only way to be freed of addiction is for someone stronger than the bullying captor (Satan and the addiction) to come and kick out the captor. In these passages, Jesus declares that HE IS THE STRONGER ONE who is far bigger and stronger than any bully, and He has come to kick out the captors in our lives!!!
I once had a dream that I was walking through Skid Row in Los Angeles, and a homeless man began to rush towards me to kill me! He was demonized and controlled by the spirit of insanity, violence and murder. In the dream, in the name of Jesus, I turned towards him and cast out the spirit of insanity, murder and violence and he was immediately healed, restored in his mind, and filled with peace. He sat on the curb as I prayed with him to receive the Holy Spirit!!! I believe that Jesus is releasing the power of Luke 4:18 over the church in this hour and entire homeless populations will be freed of addiction, mental illness and demonization.
This is good news! There is HOPE for the addicted and demonized in California! His name is Jesus!!!
Prayer:
God, release your Spirit to DELIVER all who are bound, addicted, and demonized! Set the captives free! Kick out the strongmen in our lives in the lives of those around us!
