A Very Strong Hold

3:00am - I awoke ready to cry. An urgency filled my body as if something were wrong. I can feel it. I sensed it. I quickly rose from bed and went downstairs for quiet and to keep from waking anyone else. I grabbed the tissues and started to pray before my knees ever hit the floor. I spread out burying my face in the carpet.

"I am here Lord. What is going on? I am ready to pray." I accepted the assignment from the Lord. Suddenly my lips began to move rapidly and I doubled over in a pain that I cannot explain. I could tell that it is strong. The emotions swept over me like a flood and then I saw it - a dark figure rose up in my vision and this figure was wicked and it was evil. I asked the Lord to cover me before the battle. I asked and pleaded for God to protect me. The Spirit of the Lord took hold of me and took over. The battle began. The large evil figure had the same man the octopus had. It held him tight with both hands. I prayed for God to send his mightiest warriors to rescue and to release this young man from the hold this figure had upon him. Suddenly angels appeared. They were strong and mighty - prepared for battle. They carried swords and immediately began to strike at the large figure. The large figure seemed to tower over them. They surrounded the figure and struck from all sides. I could see and hear the sounds of their blows. They hit hard and with great authority.

While this continued, I continued to heave as if I were going to throw up. With tears puddled beneath me, I felt sick. I felt as if I were there. I ached. I couldn't stand being in the presence of this evil thing. I could since the danger, wickedness, and strength of the dark figure. He was evil. It had such a grip upon the man and would not release him.

I then began to say out loud to the Lord, "I can't do this Lord it is too hard. I need some help." The battle was so strong that I could hardly stand it. I wanted and needed to rise up and call someone else to help me pray through it. It was now 5:00am and I did not want to call that early.

I began to pray again. I called out - speaking in my prayer language. I know it sounds strange but I could now understand what I was praying about when I first started praying like this years ago, I had no idea what I was saying. My lips began to move with great authority and it felt so strange - almost as if I had no control over them. They began to speak clear words - direct commands almost - I wished I understood what language I was speaking. The words came and it felt as if someone else were saying them while I understood what the words meant.

I said - "Release him in the name of Jesus!" He belongs to God the Father!" After saying this for a while I saw that one hold on the dark figure was released. It was so hard, He flailed his arms and fought the whole time the angels were battling him. When the one hold was released, an angel jumped between that one hand and the person being held keeping the dark figure from being able to grab hold of him again with that hand. However, the other hand continued holding the man.

That made the figure even more angry. The battle continued but no release. I stopped because I felt so sick from crying, grieving, and being in the presence of that evil spirit. I had to stop. I was drained. I was emotionally drained. I was physically drained. I told the Lord that I could not do it any longer. I then heard the Lord ask me to go and get my one year bible. I read the scripture for that day and understood so much more.

Mark 9: 14- 29

After reading this passage I understood that the hold happened when he was a child.

"Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered." (vs 21)

When the disciples asked Jesus, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" (Mk 9: 28) Which is what I was wondering at the time. This was the first time I had been called into prayer and the evil spirit was not defeated or released. Not by my doing but the Lord.

The next verse said, "He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." ( 29)

I rose up knowing that prayer would need to be the answer and one other thing the Lord showed me. The young man in the vision was not fighting or trying to get free from this hold. He stood there while the evil creature had its grip on him. I understood that in order for this person to become totally free form this hold, he would need to pray and he would need to want this hold to be released. Without that - there was only so much that could have been done.

Update:

A while after that battle, the Lord opened an opportunity for me to speak with this man about the vision and strong hold in his life. He did not deny it - in fact he confirmed that "yes he did have a strong hold he had been dealing with his whole life" and felt that it was hindering his ability to serve the Lord in the way he wanted to serve. I shared with him that in order to truly be free from it - he would have to want it - desire it - pray for it. It can happen.

I could not portray the image that I saw. It was a millions times scarier than my drawing and the battle scene itself was amazing. One day I may take art lessons so that I can truly capture the images correctly.