Devo Week 16 - Discerning the Unseen Realm
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matt.10:16
Abraham, Father of Many Nations - The Incarnational Way
There’s a difference between a house and a home. One is a structure built by human hands; the other is a home made by human hearts. It’s from the heartbeat of home that family is made. This was God’s idea: He destined the human heart to be His home (Acts 7:48) and offered His gift of salvation to the world through a family (Luke 2:11-12). God’s wisdom confounded those inspired by the evil one. While they expected a king in a palace, Jesus came as an ordinary person in a home.
WHO IS FOR US
God’s gift to humanity, family is the foundation of society among all peoples. For many older, more primitive societies, family is even essential for their survival. So, in God’s wisdom, He gifted humanity with family and promised that through the seed of Abraham all the families of the earth would be blessed.
The way of the Kingdom is simple and attainable among all peoples through Jesus Christ. In Malachi 4:5-6, before the coming of the Lord, Elijah will “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” We see that God is about building strong families and passing His glory down the family line. As God’s image and the character of Christ are housed and spread through the families of the earth, the glory of God will fill the earth.
WHO IS AGAINST US
Our adversary, the devil, will pull out all the stops to destroy families. He knows without fathers, mothers and children, family would end in one generation. Spiritually, one of our key battles will center around ‘familiar spirits.’ These are unclean spirits that operate through family systems and our agreements with them. This includes our agreements through sin and the sin of our ancestors and extended family. We must repent of any agreements with unclean spirits and practices and let the blood of Christ free and cleanse us.
PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGH
Lord, we repent of all sin that we have committed both known and unknown as well as all sin of our ancestors and extended family. Father, we ask for the blood of Jesus to cleanse and break the bondages of any familiar spirits that hinder us. Help us to mature in Christ and become spiritual fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles to those around us. We thank you for your cleansing and forgiveness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.