Several evil spirits were cast out of Spock (name changed, obviously). He had voluntarily submitted to Satan and was involved in the worst uncleanness imaginable. The process of deliverance had started well, and he was starting to experience freedom in the name of our risen Lord Jesus.

The severity of the situation demanded that he cut off all his old relationships which were calling him back to uncleanness. Sadly he found himself wise in his own eyes and did not obey; even after being warned by the Lord that  he was walking into a trap, and as a result of that he fell again.

His condition got worse, but to my amazement, he had no clue of this. Samson in Judges 16:20 ‘did not know that the LORD has departed from him’.

I was so distraught by this that it affected my health for a few days. As I was meditating on the word, the Lord spoke to me about what he went through while delivering the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. The following is an outline of what I learned.

When God takes us through deliverance, it is crucial that we follow the plan that he has set for us. It is Jesus that delivers and therefore we must follow his plan for it absolutely. Failure to do so will result in a situation far worse than before the deliverance process started, even death.

God initiated the deliverance and He dictated every step of  the deliverance process.

He spoke to Moses at the burning bush, gave him clear instructions on what he must do. When we read the book of Exodus, we see that every step of the way was directed and controlled by God. Israelites were told what to eat, when to eat, how to move, when to move, even what to speak.  There was nothing that God left to chance, and God spoke through Moses and Aaron. God gave them his promises. In Exodus 33:14  And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

When we come to the book of numbers, we find that God is guiding them with a cloud by day and fire by night

(Numbers 9: 16-25). 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents.

• Whether it was two days,
• a month,
• or a year

The time did not matter, they did not disobey the Lord’s command -  23 At the command of the LORD they remained encamped, and at the command of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Just in case they missed the clouds or the fire by night, God had sliver trumpets sound the advance. (Num 10:9)

God was even concerned about them changing their minds.

Exodus 13:17  Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”

There was not going to be instant deliverance.

Exodus 23:29-30  I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.

God wanted them to learn from the process so that they will keep their deliverance.

There was zero tolerance for disobedience and complaints.

20 “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.

In Numbers 11:18-34, we read that Israelites complained about Manna. They craved for the food that they got back in bondage. They forgot the whips and remembered only the onions and the steaks. At first God seems to tolerate this and tells them that they will eat till meat for whole month till they get sick and tired of it (Num 18-20). In reality, God was checking to see how many would give into their cravings even after God it made know that he was not pleased.  Forget the month, even before they got a chance to chew the meat, God’s punishment fell because people yielded to their cravings Num 11:33-34).

God wants us well and this is why He wants to guide us

Jeremiah 29: 11 – 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope

Psalm 37:23  The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way

Proverbs 16:9  A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

Proverbs 1:33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.

The process is not a form of control, but a safe path to deliverance; from the control of Satan to the freedom in Christ.

Summary

1. God will deliver. He initiates.
2. He will use the process to teach on how to maintain the deliverance.
3. The process will purge and refine.
4. Rebellion and murmuring are not tolerated and will lead to destruction.
5. God completes the deliverance.

Dodie Osteen, wife of the late John Osteen, was miraculously healed from terminal cancer in 1981.

These are the scriptures she believed in for her healing.

I’ve had them with me for a long time, and they are available for download from the Lakewood Church site.

Healing Scriptures

Exodus 15:26 – He said, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”

Exodus 23:25 – Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.

Deuteronomy 7:15 – The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt…

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 – If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock–the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity–in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground–in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 – This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

1 Kings 8:56 – Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.

Psalm 91:16- With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.

Psalm 103:3 – Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits–who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

Psalm 107:20 – He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

Psalm 118:17 – I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

Proverbs 4:20-23 – My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.

Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 53:4-5 – Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Jeremiah 1:12 – The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

Jeremiah 30:17 – But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, `because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’

Joel 3:10 – Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, `I am strong!`

Nahum 1:9 – Whatever they plot against the LORD he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time.

Matthew 8:2-3 – A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

Matthew 8:17 – This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”

Matthew 18:18-19 – “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

Matthew 21:21 – Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.

Mark 11:23-24 – “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 16:17-18 – And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Romans 4:17-21 – Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead–since he was about a hundred years old–and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Romans 8:11 – And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 – The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Galatians 3:13-14 – Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:10-17 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Philippians 2:13…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Philippians 4:6-7 -  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Hebrews 10:23 – Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:35 – So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

Hebrews 11:11 – By faith Abraham, even though he was past age–and Sarah herself was barren–was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

James 5:14-15 – Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

1 Peter 2:24 – He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

1 John 3:21-22 – Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

3 John 1:2 – Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

Revelation 12:11 – They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.