Set Free From Nightmares

As I have mentioned a few times before, I used to have terrible nightmares (of a sexual nature) for many, many years.  I had these dreams for a long time, but a few years ago they started to get much worse.  They were sexual dreams that closely resembled the movies I used to watch and pornography I would look at online.  These dreams were horrible, and I would wake up feeling like I did all of these terrible things.  It was like I had one life during the day and a totally different life in my dreams at night.  I felt like I was leading a double life, and I didn’t know how to make it all stop.

I have always remembered all of my dreams with such clarity, which was always a terrible thing when it came to these dreams.  I had repented and asked God to forgive me for all of those things in my past, but these dreams brought it all back – just as if it was still part of my life.

I was always so careful about the movies I watched and content I viewed online, but it would only take one sexually suggestive moment to trigger these dreams.  Once I had one, I knew that I’d also have them the next 3-4 nights.  I prayed before I went to sleep, and I eventually had Kevin pray over me before I went to sleep, but nothing helped.  These dreams affected how I felt during the day, and my mind would often wander off into the last dream I had, and it was a constant battle.  I felt so guilty, and even though I really hadn’t done anything…I felt like I had.

I never considered that this was something I could be delivered from…

One day, I just couldn’t take it any longer, so I scheduled an appointment with my pastors concerning it all.  Kevin came with me, because I wanted him there.  I thought I might feel a little less uncomfortable if he was there with me. I wanted to discuss with them the dreams I was having and the absolute need for them to somehow go away.  Kevin mentioned to them that he thought the dreams were demonic, when one of my pastors smiled and picked up a book she had been reading on deliverance.  She agreed that she thought this could be the cause of these dreams and asked if I minded everyone praying for me.  At that point, I didn’t care what needed to happen – as long as I could be set free from those dreams! I was already familiar with deliverance, so I knew a little bit about what to expect.

I started out by asking God to forgive me for all of my past sins, and I renounced (verbally broke ties with) several things that night, including: homosexuality, lesbianism, pornography, hatred, anger, self-hatred, abandonment, lust, etc.  I renounced everything that I felt like the Holy Spirit was bringing to my mind that may or may not be related to the nightmares I was having.

At that time, my pastors started telling the demons to leave me.  (Please stick with me! ) They calmly (but with authority) said things like, “Pornography, you have been renounced and have no legal right to stay in Amy anymore.  I cancel your assignment over her life. Leave her now in the name of Jesus.” This went on for probably an hour before we stopped.

My husband commented on how he felt such a strong presence of God, but I didn’t feel that.  My pastor also told me that my countenance looked so different, but I wasn’t so sure that anything had really happened.  I went home that night feeling a little unsure that anything happened, but just hoped that something really took place.  Only a few nights went by before I realized that I had not had any of those dreams! I certainly would have had one by that time, and I was just so excited to realize that I had indeed been delivered.

It is now 17 months later, and I have only had 2 dreams like that.  The first one was not at all as bad as the others, and the second was as I was as I started writing this post (of course) awhile back. I considered that an attack, though, and I haven’t had any more since then.  I have truly been delivered, and no one (not even the devil who does his best to kill, steal and destroy) can take that away from me.

Over the last couple of years, I have learned that these types of nightmares seem to happen commonly with people who have been involved in homosexual/bi-sexual relationships and/or exposure to pornography.  All of those sins open the door to satan and give him a right to harrass us, until we repent and renounce our connection to these sins and tell any demons involved to go.  Sometimes these things happen quickly (like with these nightmares), and other times God takes us through a step-by-step process of healing and deliverance.  I have experienced deliverance both ways, but I would have to say that the step-by-step way is the norm for me.  Both ways are miraculous, as far as I’m concerned, and I love that Jesus cares enough to set us free!

Our God is faithful, and He wants to see all of us set free. If you are wanting to be set free from something, such as nightmares, bring it before God, and tell Him your heart’s desire to be delivered.  This is not something that God expects you to deal with the rest of your life.  It is not His will for you to have nightmares. Be open to what He shows you, and follow His leading.  Pray for guidance concerning anything God wants you to confess, ask forgiveness for, repent of and/or renounce. He wants to see you set free!