Oppression

[Anon]

Do any of you pastors experience a feeling of oppression at times?

We were away for two weeks and it seemed like upon our return, it just felt somewhat oppressive. Our church is really trying to go forward for God and increase our outreach, and man, I don't think the devil likes it. Plus, on my mom's side of the family, going way back, is a history of demonic activity. I had thought my family was completely immune since once my parents and siblings and I were saved, the family oppression went away (except for occasional contact with my grandpa who was probably possessed). Lately though we have figured out that each of our children has been scared of a certain noise up until the point they get saved, and it goes away. This has really upset me...I have done nothing to invite this, it is just in my family. I have heard a pastor say that this can happen.

Anyway when we got back from vacation, my 3 yo was quite scared and we prayed in his room twice before he went to sleep. Plus I just felt somewhat oppressed as well last night and this morning. We felt fine on vacation, and the kids were fine...I guess on vacation we weren't trying to win the Philadelphia suburbs to Christ......

I'd be interested in anything you others would have to say about this issue? I felt this morning (now some could be hormonal haha) that I just wanted to get away from this church as I did not want to feel this way. Now I know that is what Satan wants and I no longer feel that way, it was just at the time....but.... anyway have any of you experienced this at all? I know Satan is real and we can't possibly be the only ones attacked in this way.

[HappyChristian]

:bump:

Praying for you guys, Suzy!!! Methinks you must be doing something right, if the devil's fighting. :thumb

[Anon]

Hmmm ok so I guess I freaked everyone out. See that's why I don't discuss this stuff with anyone else...Nobody understands. No matter....

The devil is attacking our church though, it seems...we have to do some voting in two weeks on financial matters, as we are running into a few hardships, and we think its possible the vote is going to be more split as far as younger vote vs. older vote in the church. We'll see...praying for unity.

[Pastorj]

Kitagrl,

Yes, I believe Demonic oppression is prevalent in the ministry. My last couple services at the church I was pastoring, I could feel the devil's presence.

The devil can't get your soul, so he does everything he can to disrupt our lives and get us to quit.

Hang in there.

Ed

[Anon]

My husband thinks empty church buildings are kind of freaky at night...and I agree...I wonder if its all in our heads, or if the devil targets churches.

No matter...we've found that since getting our assistant pastor and really trying hard to reach more people, we've also faced more opposition for sure.

[HappyChristian]

and we think its possible the vote is going to be more split as far as younger vote vs. older vote in the church. We'll see...praying for unity.

This is often true nowadays. One of the reasons we changed our voting age to a little older.


As far as the oppression goes...we know some missionaries to Ireland who told us that there is definitely demonic oppression where they are. He told us that as soon as the plane lifted off the ground to head back to the states for furlough, he could fill the oppression lift...and when they landed back there, he could feel it come back on.

Maybe your time away allowed you to be refreshed enough to be able to feel the oppression more keenly. I was reading in Psalm 37 today, and thought these verses were appropriate to your situation (the whole Psalm is good, too for your situation with that other pastor...)

Verses 1-6

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

[Anon]

I was thinking that too, about being away long enough to feel it more when we came back.

I don't mean voting age as far as REALLY young...we have some older folks who were here back when we were voted in...and then we have some parents of teenagers who like the new outreaches and youth groups and stuff....so the parents have one priority and the older folks are still more worried about finances rather than "stuff going on" so we'll see how it goes.

[deputydog530]

Anytime we go forward for the Lord, Satan and his henchmen are sure to be there. Our revival is approaching and it seems we were more spiritually in tune a few months ago than now. I have felt the presence of evil some days in Church and home. We claim the Blood of Christ out loud and then priase the Lord for many things we can think of. That seems to drive that feeling of oppression away. :pray

Yep, church buildings can be creepy at night. :hide

The devil doesnt care if we go to church, he only cares if we are going forward for the Lord.

The battle rages

[Anon]

Anytime we go forward for the Lord, Satan and his henchmen are sure to be there. Our revival is approaching and it seems we were more spiritually in tune a few months ago than now. I have felt the presence of evil some days in Church and home. We claim the Blood of Christ out loud and then priase the Lord for many things we can think of. That seems to drive that feeling of oppression away. :pray

Yep, church buildings can be creepy at night. :hide

The devil doesnt care if we go to church, he only cares if we are going forward for the Lord.

The battle rages

Thanks for your reply!

Yeah I noticed when we were on vacation, just visiting somebody else's church, no problem. Kids slept all night Saturday night (for the most part) and everything was relatively fine. Get back...and we had to pray with my toddler twice to get him to go to bed without being scared, he then woke up again in the night, baby woke up three times in the night, leaving us tired for services the next day (not even counting driving 5 1/2 hours home that day before). And that night and the next morning I just felt oppressed, and wanted to get out. And we've only been back a week yet there seems to have been problem after problem to be dealt with. We had our first VBS a few weeks ago and we started a bus route this summer, and we've seen several saved and baptized...more than we ever have since we got here. Satan doesn't like it a bit.

[deputydog530]

Sometimes along with our prayer, i remind the evil that I read the end of the book and I win through Christ.

We have felt that oppsession before as well after being gone. We have started incorporating claiming the blood of Christ over our home and family and Church even when that oppression is not there.

I preached last night and there was only a few people in services. It's just getting worse as the revival approaches. I have never seen it this bad in our Church. i truly believe it is because of the spiritual growth and going forward a few months ago.

God Bless and may the blood of Jesus Christ be over your family, home, and Church.

:thumb

[Anon]

I guess it can be common, then. I just talked to my sister and she says they face the same feelings of oppression as well as discouragement.

We can't help but think that the way things have been going this week, that Levi's (my baby) near mishap last night was another attempt of the devil to attack, but this time stopped by God's protection.

[Pastorj]

that Levi's (my baby) near mishap last night was another attempt of the devil to attack' date=' but this time stopped by God's protection.[/quote']

Kitagrl,

I praise the Lord that God protected your child. This however was not an attack of the devil, it was simply parents not paying attention to their children.

As to the oppression. I believe oppression is real and the only way to fight oppression is to draw closer to the Lord. We are praying for you and your family.

Pastor J

[Anon]

Gee, thanks for making me feel even worse. :smile I was referring to the fact there is never water in there so technically there should have been very little danger. But yes it was my fault. :smile

Thanks for the prayers.

[Pastorj]

It was not my intent to make you feel worse. I just don't want you to think that the Devil had anything to do with what happened to your son. I have made numerous mistakes with my children over the years. I praise the Lord that he has protected them even in my own failures. We learn from our mistakes and try not to allow it to happen again.

PJ

[Anon]

That's ok. I knew it was my fault. However, the way the week has gone, the fact that there was actually water in the baptistry (on a Wednesday) for the first time in six years was just the way things went this week I guess. The devil figured if he lost four to the baptismal waters in two weeks, he could play the game his way too. That's how I see it, because its been that way, but overall, I could have prevented it yes.

God is good.