“The sceptre of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.” Ps 125:3 (NIV)

Was it something we did? Where did we go wrong? Is God punishing us for a past misdeed? Those were the questions racing through our minds as we considered the next step to take. I had just been informed by the social worker that she suspected that our son might be suffering from autism or Aspergers syndrome. The simple truth was that I had never considered that such a thing could happen to me. So, what was my response? I smilingly told the clearly bemused social worker that I am a Christian who serves a living God and that while this condition has no cure, my son’s case will be the first healing ever recorded because I would pray and God would heal him. My wife and I later proclaimed a fast and prayed. We recognised that we were the only ones standing between our son and the bleak future that Satan was preparing for him.

We based our action of faith on the Scripture passage quoted above as we decreed that the devil should immediately remove his filthy hands off our son as enjoined in Jam 4:7. We told him that he was trespassing on God’s property and using God’s word gave him a kick in his fiendish behind. We refused to accept what the bible says does not belong to us as we claimed our portion in Jesus Christ. We then commanded the disease, which we knew was Satan’s vile handiwork, to bow in the name of Jesus Phil 2:10-11. On the basis of our imputed righteousness, we confronted and broke the sceptre of the enemy over our lives and believed that God had answered us.

When we saw the paediatrician we were referred to, she diagnosed a behavioural disorder and warned us that our son would be a few years developmentally behind his age mates. We rejected this prognosis and instead claimed his healing by faith. In a nutshell, we kept believing and held on to God’s unchanging word irrespective of what we saw. It was a tough time, but also an exciting faith adventure as we had to decree his progress every step of the way. After three years, another paediatrician asked me ‘Should I really be seeing this child seeing that nothing is wrong with him?’ I responded no. So, he promptly discharged him and finally officially confirmed what we had known ever since we prayed and received his healing by faith.

So, how is that child whom we were told would have to play catch up with his age mates developmentally doing today? Like many of his age mates, he is doing rather well. His academic record was so good that at one point he was two years ahead of his classmates. He even won a partial scholarship to study in an independent school. He is now doing fine, just as God’s word assured us.

So, what is your situation? Whatever its nature and however its severity, understand that God’s word says that it must bow in the name of Jesus. Don’t allow the wicked sceptre of Satan to rest on your God-given life and deprive you of God’s blessings. Give him no space for if you do, Satan has the uncanny ability to convert a foothold into freehold and end up either depriving you of God’s blessings or even killing you. Act today and you shall be free indeed.

Prayer:
Lord, the entrance of your word gives light, please illuminate my life with this word and cause me to see your will and good plans for my life in Jesus name. Amen.