Get rid of it
And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. Acts 16:18
We all have voices that talk to us each day. Not in a insane kind of way, but voices of doubt, fear, or anger. If we listen carefully, we can also hear the voice of reason and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit that speaks within our heart. There are also external voices that are around us continuously. Voices of media, friends and the people closest to us. We hear these voices through a filter that has been built up over years of practice. Maybe you listen through a filter of hurt and offense. You could be hearing these voices through the filter of shut down and you don’t let anything get into your heart. Ideally, we hear the external and internal voices through the filter of God’s word, and let the scripture be the standard that we make our decisions by, not the influence of this world’s words.
In today’s passage, Paul and his team were hearing an external voice of a young girl that was possessed by an evil spirit. She followed them for many days and loudly proclaimed their mission for being there. She was not wrong in what she said. However, Paul was greatly annoyed with her proclamation and did not want her to be associated with God’s ministry (since the people of that region knew who she really worked for). He called that spirit out of her in the name of Jesus and the evil spirit left her that very hour. What a wise move, but even Paul allowed that voice to go on for many days before he did anything about it. I suppose he was hoping she would go away on her own, but when she didn’t, he finally had enough.
How many times do we let voices in our heads or around us go on as if we have no control over what we hear and think. Whether you are being haunted by a past memory or a current media post that seems to be replaying in your thoughts, you do have the power to get rid of it. The key is in speaking to that voice and get it out. Get rid of those unwanted thoughts, memories, and hurts that try to continuously plague you. Speak the word of God’s promise to deliver you from your enemy and call it out in the name of Jesus! Then when those ideas try to come back into your head, replace them instead with praise and thanksgiving that you are free and it is gone.
Today I want to encourage you to remember the vivid picture of the apostle Paul calling out the spirit of divination and follow his example when facing your own doubts and fears. Call the spirit out in the name of Jesus and replace it with a promise you find in God’s word over the situation. Then stop going to the place that brings you those memories or hurts and slam that door shut never to be open again. You do have control over you thoughts and your words so start taking your authority over them by casting out every imagination that is against what God, your heavenly Father says about you! Get rid of those unwanted voices today whether internal or external and then take the steps necessary to never let them haunt you again.
Today’s scripture reading: Acts 16:16-24
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;
21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”
22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.
24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The Daily Dose 