"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron." Psalm 107:13-16
We all are meant to be free!
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1
This love is a strange, foreign love to anyone who doesn't know Jesus. We have no way to comprehend it without the Spirit.
5 Steps to Breaking the Chains:
1. Remember who you are. You don't have to give in.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm,then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
2. Rely on God's strength, not your own.
"I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
3. Fight the lies. Focus on the Truth. Don't deceive yourself. Don't justify sin.
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
4. Be willing to be set free.
Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethsaida: "Are you willing to be healed?"
Do you want to lose your chains?
5. Leave the chains at the altar. Don't pick them up again.
"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin." Romans 6:6-7
If we grab that sin willingly that is disobedience. Don't let sin become your normal. The norms of the world aren't the norms of God's way of life.
God handles it for me. Walk away from the chains.
If you have a habit that is sin, you need to lose it.
God wants us to be free.
Take your chains to God.
Pray often.
Pray specifically.
Pray for others.
You don't have to do anything alone. Bring sin to the light. Then, it will lose its power.
"So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists." Acts 12:5-7
God is the same always! What He did for Peter He can do for you, for me.
God wants us to come to Him, pray and believe.
"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them,because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 4:4
There is no problem, no chain that God can't overcome for you.