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(My Dearest Siestas, I have hopped back on this entry after 411 comments to tell you that it is everything I can do to stay in my chair today. I have never wanted to do a day-long thank You dance to Jesus so much in all my life. I wish I had 2000+ Siestas to do it with: Those who have broken free and those who, by the promises of God’s Word and the testimonies of hundreds of lives, KNOW THEY CAN!! I can practically feel the blood pumping through my veins. THESE COMMENTS ARE MUST-READS!)
OK, Siestas, I’m about to invite you to share in Part Two of our inquisition for Breaking Free. First, a recap: In the last post I asked you for insight regarding the areas of bondage that most threaten you. All the comments moved us and some were nearly excruciating to read, especially considering how we’ve come to care for one another. I think we have an all-new perspective on the kind of suffering and (often secret) captivity that exists out there…and among many people who really want to do this life-thing right. (And CAN, praise God, with the power of His Spirit. We’ll talk more about that in future posts.)
Some of us may have nearly despaired and wondered, “Is anybody really living in victory out there? Is anyone really free?” The answer to that question is YES. But no one got there easily OR accidentally. We can be threatened by an area of bondage for years without ever being defeated by it then one day, to the great glory of God, we realize it doesn’t tempt us anymore. Without question, nobody’s got it completely together and those who think they do are on the brink of dropping it. But, whatever you do, don’t get cynical and give up the fight. Plenty of believers are living in titanic daily victory over old areas of bondage and have sustained it in the power of Christ for years. In Breaking Free, living victoriously is not living sinlessly. It’s living successfully. It’s the fleshed-out reality of an effective, abundant Spirit-empowered life. Now, it’s time to hear some testimonies of victory. I only have one question for you this time and, again, all answers need to be ANONYMOUS. No others can be posted on this entry. Please make your answers somewhere in length between one sentence and a brief paragraph so that we can read every single one of them.
Question: From what area of past bondage has Christ set you free? Be specific so that our sisters can see that nothing is beyond His reach. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
I love you so.
Thanks to my Lord, my dear Beth, and the awesome Holy Spirit that has taken up residency in me, I proudly proclaim my freedom from the SHAME of being raised in an alcoholic, abusive and neglectful household. I am ALSO free of the idolatrous behavior that accompanied that feeling of deep embarrassment. I can now love deeply without the horrible need for the other individual to be perfect and to fill my cup for me! My Savior now does that for me everyday …. Halleluia! I Love Him so!
God has freed me from the guilt, hurt and pain of my husband leaving. God has freed me from the anger and blame that I felt for my former husband and his friends. This has not been an easy process. I have read several of your books, my Bible, and books by other Christians. I have spent hours in prayer. It has been a process though and that is the key. It was not an overnight fix. For anyone in my situation, I would want them to know that God is there with them and they should turn everything over to HIM. This has been a journey with Him. God is so good.
Dearest Beth, as I read the comments of these women and all their hurts Oh how my heart aches for them I want to wrap each one of these precious gems in my arms and tell them I will be praying for them. It is so sad they feel worthless, alone, and many just have given up. Oh Beth what a responsibilty we have to our sisters to pray for them, I pray God will give you the words to help these souls. I am so thankful they are able to talk about their problems and that they are showing an interest in your blog. Thank you Beth may God be with you as you plant those seeds and I will watch our Lord deliver the chains of bondage from around my sisters. God Bless You and your Family
I was raped by a relative when I was very young – never told until last year. I also had an abortion in my early 20’s.
PRAISE JESUS! I have been set free to walk before the LORD in the land of the living!
Beth, I can’t tell you what it felt like to read the comments on this blog. To see that there are so many women who share the same struggles as me. You know we sit in our churches and wear our smiling masks and pretend we’re ok. What would happen if we just got honest with each other? Thank you so much for letting the Spirit move you to minister to us. In answer to the question of freedom- God is daily freeing me from insecurity in all areas of my life. I’m not there yet, but it is a work in progress.
I would so love to sit down face to face with you and a huge cup of coffee and talk your ear off. When we all get to heaven- We’ll have some talking to do. Love you bunches!!
God freed me from unhealthy family relationships. With my father he has all but erased him from my life, he was abusive and an acoholic. I have friends who still struggle with their biological connection to these types of people but one glance at my little boy tells me that through counseling, forgiveness and prayer, trusting God as my father, no matter how many destructive males seem to pop up from that lineage that me and my child will not carry on the legacy. God broke the bondage! If my child messes up it won’t be because of his genes or my fathers influence. There is HUGE freedom in that for me. He has also brought victory in my relationship with my mom by rebuilding it and making it what it should be!
He has set me free from pretty much having obsessions with people that I had physical relationships with, one in particular. I realize more and more all the time why the Lord set those boundaries for us. It just feels like more than you can bear sometimes to have those images in your mind. Thank the Lord that I feel truly forgiven for those things now.
He also set me free blaming my sin on other people and taking responsibility for it and laying it as His feet.
There are still things I’m trying to be free from and I know that I will be. I believe He has done it, I just haven’t completely taken my hands off of it.
Thank you so much for asking these things from us, Beth. I truly believe the Lord is taking some of these confessions and is going to break open the floodgates of freedom and heal His church! I’ll keep praying that my stubborn self with let go of what He’s already set free.
Christ has delivered me from a life of self-destruction, perpetual chaos and addiction… here goes: alcoholism (got myself and others into lots of trouble because of this!), cigarettes (20+ per day), nail-biting, anorexia, bulimia, promiscuity (2 abortions) and the heartbreak of infidelity. Still grappling so much with fear (it’s a huge stronghold I am praying about), approval of man, the belief that the worst possible scenario will always happen to me and the ability to truly, truly, trust the Lord. But I am so grateful for His faithfulness. If He can come through for me (a pit-dweller if ever there was one), He can do it for ANYBODY!
I have been a Christian for 14 years, but it wasn’t until this past weekend, that a specific bondage was set free! I had the privilege to attend the Jennifer Rothschild conference in Waco, and the Lord spoke to me through her. I am profoundly deaf and read lips. I have a beautiful family and a wonderful life, and many feel that I live in confidence and often wonder, “Wow, how does she do that?”. Truthfully, inside my heart, I would have this overwhelming fear of messing up/not interpreting correctly. Well, through Jennifer, I learned that it isn’t confidence that we are to have but courage through our Lord Jesus! As He told Joshua before guiding the Isaelites, Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Having courage is having faith in His leadership in your life! Amen!
The first time I did Breaking Free with you, I broke free of a co-dependant relationship. I am now doing Breaking Free again with you in Houston and I have more areas to break free.:) I know I will come away with a new area of freedom. God is still working on me!!
My Deliverer has revealed to me and set me free from the stronghold of Distortion of the Truth…my own negative mental and emotional filter that I developed as a very young child…that keept me living in fear of what “they” think of me, and the need for “their” approval in the ministry God has called me to.
Can I say it feels good to breathe!!! after all these years?
Psalm 32:1-2
My mother in law and I had so much tension between us from things said and done over 10 years ago. My sweet husband was always put in the middle. How hard it must have been for him to have to choose between the 2 most important women in a his life! God helped me release that pain and anger. We invited them to our house for Christmas this year. It was wonderful. I am so thankful that He healed my wounds and helped me show His love to her through me.
FREE from 24 years of Bulimia and Alcohol! All to the Glory of God! “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,” sayeth the Lord Almighty-Zechariah 4:6 Do not lose Hope, ladies–“Everything is possible for She who believes.” Mark 9:23
The Lord has set me free from the bondage of an eating disorder for over 10 years. From the moment I gave over the control to the Lord, He released the evil that was controling my lack of eating!! Isn’t He cool!!!!!
I was set free from literally being joyless, empty and very depressed. I hid it from everyone including my husband and children- but would find myself crying in agony in my closet to the Lord. I felt like a light had gone out inside of me and this was way after I had been reborn. I was so into that pit that I felt dying would be better than living like that. I prayed and cried and prayed. Gradually, the Lord rekindled my inner joy and my deep depression was lifted. When I think on it now, I cannot believe it was me who felt that way. I have never experience that type of depression since, and never plan (and Satan has tried to drag me in again on several occassions) on going down that road again. I know it was only because of God’s great mercy that he took me there and brought me out. I was one of those hard-headed, I can do it all by myself kinda gals who believed everything Satan said about me….the light in me since the Lord’s intervention, is so overwhelmingly strong and bright! I have my down days but nothing like that dark period. The scriptures that reference the Lord as my deliverer are so very comforting to me-He is so mighty and all healing. Whew! Thank you Jesus!
For most of my adult life I believed I had no worth if I wasn’t married. This belief led me into a disastrous and dangerous marriage which ended in divorce 11 years ago. About 5 years ago I told the Lord I wanted to “be willing” to ask Him to set me free from my need for a husband. HE DID! I don’t know if I’ll ever marry again but that’s ok. The Lord is my husband (Isaiah 54:5) and He is all I need. Glory!
As a pastor’s wife I have found freedom in just being me and not some super wonder women who can do it all – I can’t do it and I get a kick out of letting others now that now – thank you Lord!
When I turned 18 I really started dealing with legalism. I think it was “triggered” by a friendship that was very detrimental to me. By the time I was 19 I was paralyzed. I could not do anything without wondering if the Lord was going to be displeased or punish me. I went to the Beth Moore simulcast of “Get Out of That Pit” and the Lord set me free!! He replaced all the lies and trash in my mind with HIS truth and love. He is so awesome, and derserves every bit of praise and glory!! I am now 20 and no longer deal with this. He is AWESOME!!!
I have been set free of the bondage of having to depend on drugs(cocaine)to get me through the downs in my life and I am now lifted up by the strength I find in Jesus Christ and face my trials with the joy of knowing He faces them with me!! Phil.4:13
Breaking Free was a turning point for me in my walk with Him!!
Thak you very much,Beth Moore!!
He has set me free from lying, exaggerating and crude humor which somehow seemed to all be related for me. The Lord showed me through prayer, that the music I was listening to was feeding my bondage to constantly making inappropriate comments and jokes. Now He is making me sensitive to His spirit telling me what music is not good for me.
He SET ME FREE — Totally and inexplicable — from an eating disorder. I no longer own a scale, no long look at the calories, no longer eat after I am full, or stay hungry on purpose. I even forget for months at a time that I used to be in such bondage. When Beth asked, I was reminded. Grace Grace Grace. I am free. I just ran a 15K (slowly), and my children eat healthy and live healthy lives. Bless them Jesus.
The Lord set me free from many bondage things. The Lord helped me from years of battling alcoholism and all the crazy cravings that went along with that. Deep depression that I constantly battled with. Fear of everything especially trusting others, especailly men (which came from servere abuse sexual and physical for years in my life) God says that he allows us to suffer as Christians. When you feel as though you cannot stand —- He will bear you in his arms. The Father who cares for you today, he’ll take care of you tomorrow and everyday. Either he will shield you from suffering, or he will give unfailing strength to bear it. Please believe their is HOPE, I was willing to die because living in all this bondage was too much. I stuck it out and now live in FREEDOM. I still struggle with issues, but through God’s grace I can live everyday in Freedom.
I’m praying for all of you as I have read all your comments not to give up. He hears you……
1) An eating disorder.
2) Manipulation of others.
3) Perfectionism.
4) Chains from childhood abuse.
5) Pornography.
6) Codependent relationship(s).
This is one of my favorite parts: When we can give God the GLORY He deserves, while pointing to our scars that were once wounds, reminding ourselves and our sisters that Christ IS risen, His resurrection power is for us, and if anything, to know that “The Lord our God is God!”
Specifically: people pleasing. Roots: Fear, Insecurity, Pride…and it could probably go on.
The roots seem to forever be in progress, but I’m begging for them to be pulled up…and if it happens quickly, the fruits of them (bad as they are) arent able to grow. Lord, root them out–and sow in me the Fruit of Your Spirit.
Fear of my daughter dying. We faced anorexia with her and the possibility of death. I reached a point with God that I couldn’t deal with it anymore, and I was able to give it to HIM and know that whatever the results, he would get me through!
how can one do the breaking free bible study without a bible study group? i would love to do it, but don’t have/can’t attend with a ladies group.
I didn’t get to respond to the last post because we are in the midst of moving from overseas back to the U.S., but there are HUGE areas of bondage in my life. I am currently on a journey to freedom.
However, there is one thing that the Lord has set me free from: BONDAGE TO FOOD! I was an anorexic/exercise bulimic for 15 years (with a 3-year period of compulsive overeating somewhere in the middle) before God provided a way for me to go to Remuda Ranch in Arizona 5.5 years ago. It changed my life. I am still on the thin side, but within a normal weight range. AND MY THOUGHTS ARE NO LONGER RULED BY THOUGHTS OF FOOD OR EXERCISE!! WHOO HOO!! I eat without guilt or fear, enjoy my food and do not binge or overexercise like I used to. I have a long way to go in my journey to emotional and spiritual freedom, but praise God He has freed me from bondage to food and helped me to join “real life” again!
I have finally broke free from the reality that God is not continuing to punish me for my past sins.
I had an abortion when I was teen and never dealt with it until my early 30’s. I have 2 boys so I thought that one of my punishments was that I couldn’t have a girl. Just lies from Satan.
God is so wonderful and forgiving!!! Oh how I love Him.
He has set me free from anxiety, fear, and guilt of past sins. I was pregnant when I got married and it gripped me with guilt for so long. That led to anger and anxiety which led to incredible paralyzing fear. THANK YOU FATHER FOR SETTING ME FREE FROM ALL OF IT!!!
Anger and yelling.
I prayed for a quiet and gentle spirit for years and the Lord has freed me from this way of life.
I am a whole new person!
He has set me free from sexual sin and thinking of myself as no more than an object of desire for the men of this world. From a young age, because of sexual abuse and many other issues, I viewed myself as a sexual object. Instead of crawling under a rock, I “empowered” myself in a strange way and thought the answer was to own that sexuality and use it. I had adulterous affairs and fed off of the attention of men. All of this lead to the decision of having an abortion on in my college years. My spirit felt crushed by the shame of it all. Only with the healing power of the Holy Spirit was I able to break the chains and create a new heritage. I live in victory because of HIM. I have a healthy and whole life because of HIM.
Jesus has so graciously set me free from perfectionism and being a people pleaser. I thought that everything in my life had to be “perfect” and because of that I could hardly finish anything because it wasn’t perfect. And I wanted everyone to be pleased with me and became a doormat in order to acheive that. Now I’m set free — Who the son sets free is free indeed!!!
He has set me free to forgive my hubby for his internet po– addiction. And He has set him free from that addiction.
He has also set me free from a lifetime of self-abuse.
I have layers of bonds. The Lord has delivered me from constant TV watching and the escapism that it brings, paralizing fear of what could happen to my children (I wasn’t a fearful person until I had children), and the intense desire to be noticed and be the center of attention. I rest in Him now.
I wanted to post on part one but missed the window. I have a few areas of generational bondage that are holding on very tightly and I am struggling with but with the freedom I have experienced and the promises from God’s word I am on the brink of total freedom. Thanks be to God!!! (tears)
Thank you sisters for your great words of encouragement and Beth for your faithfulness.
Anger. Eight years ago I felt led to do an extensive fast by using Isaiah 58 to break free from bondage. I thought God would deliver me from the bondage of food. Nothing seemed to happen immediately but a year after the fast I realized(along with close christian loved ones)that I’d been freed of my anger. Glory to God!! I still struggle with idolatry in relation to food but “calming the rage in me” is no longer an issue. Thank you, Jesus.
I went through Breaking Free and thought I didn’t have any more bondage in my life because about 6 years ago I was given freedom from lots of bondage I had. Even though I was free I always struggled with anger. While I was doing the study I felt God telling me I needed to forgive my step-mom. I never ever talk about her and when I do extreme anger raises in me, so much so I want to kill her. I want her to suffer, like she made me suffer as a child. She was the most evil women around. I won’t go into all the details, neverless she abused me serverely and loved every minute of it.
There’s no way I could forgive this person, so through the study God showed me that no matter what she had done to me, when judgement day came she’d have to answer to him if she had not repented for her sins. Well guess what I would rather forgive her than have the wrath of the Lord. He gave me the most incredible peace I have ever experienced. Not only that but anger I felt and hate disappeared as well.
Unforgiveness will kill you. It keeps you in so much bondage, that you’ll just keep sinking into thick mud and there is no way out. It chokes you so much you can’t breathe. Forgiveness is so freeing and makes you feel so alive. As the scripture says “The Truth Will Set You Free.”
We have started Stepping Up our with our Women’s Bible Study. Oh what a blessing on the first day to see those women in His Word. I and my best buddy had already previewed it. We will be face down praising the Lord. Thanks Beth I continue to pray for God to annoint you and to Love Jesus more and more. Phyllis
Praise God I have been set free from explicit sexual dreams that were not with my husband. Foul language and pathological lying.
Also from an 8 year battle with depression.
God is so faithful to set us free from our bondage if we just open our hearts and ask.
PRAISE YOU JESUS MY CHAINS ARE GONE!!
He’s set me free from the guilt and shame that comes from having had 2 abortions. Had I trusted Him then, I wouldn’t have felt I was in a hopeless situation each time. That was 24 and 18 years ago. Finally, just in recent years, I began to receive His forgiveness (I say “receive” it because for so long I rejected it, believing I wasn’t worthy of it). I deeply regret those decisions and know that I always will, but I know that I’m forgiven – He washes us white as snow and restores our souls. Praise Him.
My precious LORD GOD has set me free from pure torment and spirit of fear from the evil one. (Vivid nightmares, thoughts, and demonic headaches all from a paralyzing fear of horrendous things happening to my children and my husband.) GOD is so good and so faithful. I love to give Him glory and praise!!!
HE has set me free from pornography and the guilt that covered me due to the sexual abuse I received regularly as a child and the subsequent sexual sins that was my life in my teens and adulthood. PRAISE GOD!
Early on in my marriage I was very jealous. I was driving by my husbands work – looking to see who he was parked beside, wondering who he was going to lunch with, and just sure that he couldn’t love only me. God just spoke to me one day and said “if you don’t quit accusing, you will push him away and possibly into something you are accusing him of!” From that point on, I knew I had to stop, and did! What a release to be in a trusting relationship with a man who was, and still is, faithful and wonderful! Happily married for almost 17 years now! Thank you Lord!
Free from Guilt and Shame for an abortion 25 years ago.
I thank God for sending someone in my life to do a post abortion bible study.
Praise God for Freedom
Fear. I used to have a paralyzing fear of all the “what if…?” scenarios I could dream up. Through the course of “Believing God,” I chose to believe that God is who He says He is, and that His promise “do not fear, for I am with you” is very real. I have nothing to fear because HE is always with me and will sustain and provide for me no matter what scenario actually happens! Since then, I have been able to pass that along to my 9 year old daughter, who is learning to believe God and His promise to always be with her. Praise Him!
Christ has turned my loneliness into a true blessing. Being single made me feel like such an outsider… a very lonely person. I wanted to be married like all of my close friends… thinking that was a cure-all!I found out God is the only cure-all! Now, I love my time alone with the Lord. I look forward to what He has planned for us in our time together. When you get freed up in one area…you know that the possibilities are endless in all of the other areas!
Hey Beth,
I just have to say…
When I read the entries about bondage your comment echoed in my head “Mom, people out there are hurting”… I was amazed to see what bondage God’s people are in.
BUT THEN…
How awesome is God to put together some friends on this blog that have been DELIVERED from some of the some areas of bondage that others are suffering from???? Is HE great or what??
I think that this will give all of us great hope.
I have such precious hope that I too can be delivered from the anger that rages inside of me at times. Thanks so much for all of the ladies out there that have shared.
Lynn
Sexual sin from teenagerhood, living a lie while in college (thaht double good life/ bad life), also sexual temptation. God has freed me completely from these only and absolutely by His spirit and but His Word…by MEMORIZING THESE Words-We are destroying the specualtions of EVERY lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking our thougths captive to the obedience of Christ! AMEN!!! It was His Word THAT FREED ME…and it took time…a reviewing, rehearsing, repeating if not minute by minute, day by day and now it is just occassionally rarely but thoughts creep in and it is MY SHIELD, siestas, against that condemnation that is subtle yet severe..I just speak it away in Jesus Name!!!!!! AND I HAVE OVERCOME IN JOYOUS VICTORY!! Makes me smile so BIG and SHOUT halleluia!!
Christ has turned my loneliness into a true blessing. Being single made me feel like such an outsider… a very lonely person. I wanted to be married like all of my close friends… thinking that was a cure-all!I found out God is the only cure-all! Now, I love my time alone with the Lord. I look forward to what He has planned for us in our time together. When you get freed up in one area…you know that the possibilities are endless in all of the other areas!
I just sent a post responding to the Fri. post (my threat being needing to be adored by men, etc.) My husband left me and we were seperated for 3 months. I DID NOT (praise GOD!!) get involved with another man. This is victory for me. I turned to God for my needs, not another man. My husband is home. God worked mightily in him and we pray together daily (a new thing) because we believe we can only work this out with God’s help. Unfortunately he turned to another woman and it is difficult for me but God is good and I will be ok.
Glory BE! I am so grateful for this post… He has set me free from:
guilt/shame from abortion
lying
promiscuity
grief of earthly loss of father/husband/grandmother/father-in-law
guilt of infidelity towards my late husband
need for praise of Man
faking it as a Christian in Jesus’ name
serving in vain
I am living in victory over all! Focused on my sweet Savior, my loving husband of 9 years, three forgiving teenagers and a JOY filled spirit….. Glory, glory BE!