Oh, FreedomSample

Oppression, unjustified criticism, and overwhelming anxieties filled our hearts as we entered mid-week prayer fellowship. After kneeling quietly before the Lord, we lifted our voices in songs of praise to Him. Soon peace that only the Holy Spirit can give surrounded us. Testimony after testimony of God’s faithfulness led to the Spirit of the Lord releasing those in bondage. One young man experienced freedom from hatred towards his employer. A woman’s bitterness towards her sibling turned to forgiveness. An elderly man’s anxiety over his children changed to praying for them, and inner peace.

We had entered bound by chains, but God’s Spirit through praise, prayer, testimonies, and quietness unlocked the chains from our souls. Throughout history, mid-week prayer time for African Americans and others has been a time of experiencing freedom through the Spirit of the Lord. The Bible records how Paul and Silas were chained in prison (Acts 16). As they praised God through singing, God caused an earthquake that not only set them free but also loosed everyone in the prison. The jailer feared for his life, but Paul shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him and he was saved, set free from sin and fear.

Whether we are alone or among others, when we allow God’s Spirit to lead us, there is freedom. Despite our circumstances, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom within our souls. -Roslyn Yilpet

Prayer: Father God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, may I daily experience freedom.