When God Brings You Back From Captivity
Do you feel like you’ve been held captive for months, years, or decades? If so, are you ready for God to bring you back from captivity into freedom?
I have a story to tell today about how God has brought me back from captivity. I know this is going to bless you because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). When we share what God is doing in our lives, an impartation occurs. Somehow, through the power of my testimony, God can and will do the same thing in your life that He is doing in mine.
My story:
Until the last year or so, I have felt like I was in captivity for a long time. Many, many years. That captivity affected several key areas of my life:
- Our finances were decimated for years because of our 3-mortgage situation, then really tight for more years.
- I had lots of creative ideas, but no opportunities to carry them out. It felt so frustrating to have vision but no way to affect change.
- I burned with the Word of God, but had no place to speak it, teach it, or preach it. It was so frustrating to have no outlet for the passion in my heart.
I felt like I was an eagle chained to the ground. I was confined and helpless, and cried out to God continually to set me free.
However, about 17 months ago, God started the process of bringing me back from captivity.
- He led me to build this blog, which gave me a place to carry out creative ideas and encourage people with the Word.
- My pastor called me to teach a LifeGroup at our church, which gave me a place to preach and teach the Word.
- Our property management company raised the rent on the rental house we own, which turned the house profitable for the first time. It was a small profit, but it made a difference in our finances.
But then this year–this month, even!–God has done even more. He has blessed me so much that I can barely explain it. For example:
- I took a deep breath and asked my #1 choice to write the foreword to my book, and that person agreed to do so! (I’ll share who that is in the next few weeks; it’s an announcement that deserves its own space!)
- He has seen fit to bless my writing even more with being published in print and on other sites. (For example, I have a guest post on (in)courage.me coming up this week!) He is growing this site like crazy, too–because YOU are reading, subscribing by email, and “liking” and sharing these posts on Facebook, Twitter, etc!
- He is growing our LifeGroup like crazy. We went from a small group to a huge group, seemingly overnight. I’m wasted for our people. They are amazing, and it’s such a privilege to study the Word for them each week.
- Things are getting better in our finances, all of a sudden. It’s weird… and we’re not really doing anything different this year than before! God is just bringing freedom!
- Last but not least: Yesterday, I got the news that my application was accepted for the Redbud Writers’ Guild! This is huge for me. I am so honored and excited to have the chance to get to know other women who are called to be voices for God in their churches and around the world!
So all this to say:
The Lord woke me up in the middle of the night and called me to spend some time with Him. I slipped out into my study, and there the Lord brought me to Psalm 126:1-3:
When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.”
I was undone when I read these verses, because that’s exactly how I feel. I feel like I’m dreaming. For so long I labored and saw little fruit. I have pressed into God, seeking Him first, and I have trusted Him to give me the desires of my heart–but those desires didn’t seem to come. I wished for favor, but seemed to have none. I prayed for breakthrough, but breakthrough seemed far away.
But suddenly.
Suddenly God has started doing a new thing. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I always knew He would deliver on His promises, but one day recently His timing changed from “eventually” to “now.”
God has come suddenly to do a new work. The Lord has brought me back from captivity, and I feel like I’m dreaming. Thank You, Father!
The Lord has done great things for me, and I am glad!
Precious friend, are you also waiting for God to bring you back from captivity?
Maybe it’s financial captivity. Maybe it’s the captivity of loneliness. Maybe you are also pleading with God to give you an outlet for your creative ideas, for your passion, for your call in life.
I cannot tell you precisely when it will happen. However, I can tell you that God works in seasons, and that what He does in one person’s life, He generally does across the entire Body of Christ. Also, when one person testifies about what God is doing in their lives, God’s Word says He will do that thing in the life of the hearer as well.
That means I believe that this is your season. I believe God is bringing you back from captivity right now.
I believe that one day soon, you also will wake up and feel like one who dreams. And when He does, you will also say with me: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad!”
This is just what I needed, I thank God for what He did in your life and pray that He does the same for myself and family. I feel like I am in captivity or cage. I cry everyday hoping for a miracle.
Thank you so much for sharing
God bless you
Gdevn ma, very encouraging. I have had visions and prophecies which says my family and I are not meant to be in Nigeria but in the USA. We have applied thrice and was denied. We prayed and fasted before those interviews and yet the last one was so devastating when the interviewer starred at the screen for about 5 minutes before he finally said I can’t just give you. I have confessed the WORD OF GOD, pray midnight prayers, asked for God’s mercy upon my family. One request is for God to take my family and I to our promised land before the end of this year. A lot on my mind, quit notice from landlord, finances, my daughters, my husband’s business breakthrough, safe delivery for myself. Alot
Powerful post with excellent timing. Waiting for the manifestation of God’s “Now-ness”.
Amen. I have continued to pray for you!
Amen I receive God’s favour ??????❤️I am overjoyed that my breakthroughs are already in their way??????❤️Thank You Father God??❤️