Matthew 8:34 — And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.
Jesus and his disciples had just entered the country of the Gergesenes and healed two men who were living among the tombs who were demon-possessed and so exceedingly fierce that no one could pass by.
This has to make you wonder how a community that received such a miraculous breakthrough could give Jesus such a surprising REPLY as to ask Him to leave their region!?!
When the true presence of God enters a city, it will disrupt normalcy (the way it has always been, perhaps), and it will surely disrupt the kingdom of darkness!
That may not be “good for business” for some! In the case of the Gergesenes, folks were upset because they had lost a large herd of swine. Freedom from darkness sounds like a much better trade-off if you ask me!
As Christians, God has called us to take ground for the kingdom of God. We don’t do this by our own tactics but by asking God to GO WITH and BEFORE US through prayer and intercession!!
Last week at Nations House of Prayer, we prayed a lot about God releasing captives (those bound in darkness) over the Third Ward, over UofH, and over those who walk into our building. We recently witnessed a lady walk into our prayer room right off the streets, and as she wept in the presence of God, she gave her heart back to Jesus! It was a beautiful sight!
As God continues to move in our city, our prayer is that He will deliver and liberate those who are held captive by sin. His presence has the power to shift atmospheres and disrupt what’s always been!
We HEAR those chains falling!
Walk through the Bible in 2024,
Heart of Nations House of Prayer,
-Mandy Reiszner