Today’s Picture: My Name is Legion by James Tissot
Jesus reaches out to those in need: The Possessed
Possession by devils is not an issue that we consider much these days.
Many of the things people considered to be devils at the time of Jesus might well have been medical conditions such as epilepsy.
But the ‘devils’ led this man to self harm, to be aggressive and difficult to approach.
We see these symptoms still, often in people who find self-acceptance and valuing themselves difficult.
How can we help cast out these ‘demons’ in our own day?
Preparation: Begin by stilling; then dedicating the time of prayer to God and asking God that all you think, feel and imagine are for the glory of God.
Gift: Ask for what you desire. Suggestion: That I might reach out to those in need.
Setting: Consider the Bible passage below, you can imagine you are Jesus, one of the disciples, or even the tormented man.
Luke 8:26-33 HCSB
Jesus and his disciples sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
When He got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met Him.
For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs.
When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice,
“What do You have to do with me, Jesus, You Son of the Most High God?
I beg You, don’t torment me!”
For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.
Many times it had seized him, and though he was guarded,
bound by chains and shackles,
he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.
“What is your name?” Jesus asked him.
“Legion,” he said—because many demons had entered him.
And they begged Him not to banish them to the abyss.
A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside.
The demons begged Him to permit them to enter the pigs,
and He gave them permission.
The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs,
and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
Conversation: Talk to Jesus in your own words as one friend to another.
Final prayer: Finish with a formal prayer such as the Lord’s Prayer/Our Father.
Today’s Music
Today’s Music: Healer of my Soul, written and sung by John Michael Talbot
Click for more John Michael Talbot Music