Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free”.

Galatians 5:1 “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”.

Once I visited a prison and was moved how the freedom of the prisoner was curtailed.  There is a big difference when you are in the prison knowing that you are just visiting in contrast to those who are permanent residents.    Prison is a space that imprisons and restricts your freedom, your ability to choose where, when, how, what and time that you move.  The issue with prison is it is not just a physical space; it also can be a mental, psychological, emotional space from which escape seems impossible. 

In our world today there are many persons who are physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally in prison. Day after day they are faced with the fact that they cannot choose how to run their own lives.  While others can celebrate they are trapped without any appearance of hope.

Are we trapped by our own pre-conceived thinking of the way things are supposed to be? Are we imprisoned by someone’s perception of us that has determined how we have lived our lives up to this point? Are we willing to be set free today?

INTO THIS SCENE WALKS JESUS!!!  Jesus is the Creator Strategist who knows that when He creates and re-creates, lives that are imprisoned are set free. When Jesus enters into a situation lives are transformed; people are not just set free physically but mentally, psychologically and emotionally as well.  Hope springs eternal.

Jesus comes to set us free and to teach us how to walk in His Spirit. Prisoners who have been freed have to be taught how to live in freedom.  Likewise those of us who have been taught by God have to help others to gain their freedom as well as those who are just gaining their freedom, to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Only when Jesus gives us true freedom from all the ‘allies’ will liberty take place.

PRAYER

Thanks Daddy that you bring freedom to me.  I come asking you to search me and show me where and how I am trapped and Release me.  I need you to come in and live with me through your Spirit so that I can learn how to walk in freedom. I depend on you now.  In Jesus name.  Amen