No Spirit of Oppression!

Two Sundays ago, July 18th, something unexpected happened to me in the middle of choir practice. Little did I know I was entering into a 2 week spiritual battle with oppression (a sense of being weighed down in your body and mind). This is long, but stay with me because it's important. There is an urgency in my spirit for God's people to pray against oppression. The oppressive spirit desires to shut us up and hold us down. When God graciously lifted it off of me a couple of days ago, I was so thankful. But, I knew it wasn't in vain. While I was praying in the spirit tonight, the Lord let me know the purpose; to understand what others are fighting, how to pray over it for myself, and how to pray over my church and family. God desires to elevate us and move us forward, but He can't do that if we refuse to completely surrender to Him and cast this spirit back to hell where it belongs. Let me tell you that the spirit of oppression is very real. It's effecting the church at large right now. The Lord has shown me how underestimated it is by Christians in this hour. We have allowed the enemy to have authority and power over us for too long, instead of taking the authority we have over the enemy in Jesus' name. What we need right now is a good ole stomping and shouting service that will put the enemy where he belongs... under our feet. When a person is oppressed they just can’t seem to get up or get ahead, no matter what they do. These last 2 weeks I believe I felt just about everything oppression can cause... my mind was attacked with fear, my body attacked with sickness, issues in my family, even my finances were hindered. I felt weak, defeated, fatigued, unsettled, and isolated. It hindered my prayer and spiritual gifts, I wanted to quit the choir at church and sit down in silence, and it shook my faith. Oppression is intended to kill or steal your faith... you begin to waver in your faith or you start to have faith in God for one thing and then no faith in God for something else; it doesn't work that way. The enemy wants to oppress you until you begin to doubt and not believe God regarding who you are in Him, or what He has called you to do. I was warring with the spirit of oppression these 2 weeks, until I realized it was my responsibility to come against it. I had to decide to then be persistent and constant in fighting it. I had to push through and pray, fast, read the Bible, worship and get back up. When it lifted, my joy and peace were restored. The fear left and my purpose returned. I was no longer consumed with thoughts and worry of sickness; I have faith in God it's going to be okay and for good reports. Tonight, I felt a spiritual shift begin to take place, and I know God desires for His children and church to have "complete victory" over oppression. He desires us to "defeat the enemy" when it comes to oppression. When trying to get an understanding of oppression, you must know that it is both a spirit and a weapon. Yes, oppression is a spirit that is used as a weapon (and formed) against you. Yet, we must always remember Isaiah 54:17, which says; {“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”} Oppression should not be able to prosper against you. But to stop it, you must shut the doors that it would operate through. I want you to understand something: the greater the call, the greater the anointing, the greater the work God is doing in your home and church, the greater God’s purposed breakthrough for you is... then the greater the oppression and resistance from the enemy. My prayer focus has changed for my church, my family, and myself. I want to walk in the power and authority God has given me until I am called home. I urge you in this hour to pray and believe with me. You wonder why nothing seems to be getting better or changing in your life (or our country) or you seem too tired to care?! Well, you must realize what's happening... it's oppression straight from the pits of hell that's coming against us. I begin praying, "let it whither up and die!" over and over. Again, we need to move forward, as God desires to elevate us in our faith in Him and in our gifts and talents for Him. He desires to pour out a refreshing over His people. But, there is a call of urgency for God's people to come against, rebuke, and bind up the spirit of oppression!