Go to Him
Then they came to Jesus and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Mark 5:15
Recently, as I was in prayer, the Lord showed me a picture of what it looks like when we go to Him in prayer with a problem, concern, petition or request. As I lifted my hands (palms up) in worship, I had a sensing or knowing that this is how it looks when I carry a burden to Him. When I am praying, I am taking all my cares and all my supplications to Him and laying them down before Him. When I finish turning the issues over to Him, I pick up the solution that His gives. Maybe the answer is wait, maybe the answer is “I got this” or maybe the answer is direction for me to follow that will produce a solution. I know when I am done in prayer because I have peace and resolution. Now I am thankful and give thanks every time I think about the circumstances again. I have laid down my trouble and picked up His answer and now I am carrying it back with me into this world. Even if the situation has not been resolved yet in the natural world, I continue to thank Him because I have that point in time where I remember picking up His provision in prayer. If I continue to go before Him asking Him to do the same thing I did yesterday, I haven’t really given that struggle over to Him. I am just continuing to carry the burden back and forth. I need to lay it down.
Today’s reading reminded me of this picture. A man that was possessed by many demons, runs to Jesus at his first opportunity. The demons are afraid of Jesus and know He is coming to deliver this man that has been plagued by the possession. The man in himself has not done anything wrong or right but turns toward Jesus the solution. Jesus recognizes the problem immediately and commands the spirits to leave. He answers the problem and then the man is delivered and thankful for all that Jesus has done for Him. Jesus gives Him direction to fix the problem permanently and not leave the same way he initially came to him.
Let me list the steps that this man followed for His deliverance and hope that you can take these actions to receive freedom from whatever is plaguing your life.
1. Run to Jesus with your dilemma.
2. Present/laydown your cares and concerns
3. Ask Him for the answer and remedy.
4. Pick up your peace and assurance that you have given it to God, and He is answering.
5. Take the answer with you by applying it into the natural situation.
6. Thank Him for the results immediately because you have the resolution, and the answer is in the process of showing up in your world.
7. Leave His presence a different way than when you came to Him. Leave in peace.
Today I want to encourage you to take whatever things life is dealing you right now to your loving Father in heaven. Lay them down before Him and pick up the peace and provisions He is making right now. Believe in your heart that He wants the situation to come out for your good and everyone involved and thank Him that you now have peace and the steps to take to receive the resolution. Now when the subject comes up, you are thankful, you have peace and you tell others that you have taken it to God, He is at work, and you trust Him to handle it. I love when He gives me steps to walk out after because I feel like I have some control and some part to play in the resolving of the situation. Even if I have to go humbly to someone and apologize or let them know I love them despite the mess they have made. I am willing to take it on myself to open the door for God to have the greatest victory. It’s not always about being right, but it is always about making a way for God’s love and answers to get through.
Today’s scripture reading: Mark 5:1-20
1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.
2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains,
4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”
8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”
9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.
11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.
12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.”
13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.
14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened.
15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.
17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.
18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.
19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”
20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
The Daily Dose 