A Religious Spirit Robs, Not Protects
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” Matthew 15:8–9 (NIV)
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
Christians were so busy trying not to offend God that they forgot what pleased Him. I witnessed this firsthand. Our family attended a church with powerful, godly leadership. Healings happened. Lives were changed. But even there, the religious mindset crept in.
As a three-year-old child, I once twirled joyfully down the church aisles and was told, “Little Christian girls don’t dance.” That wasn’t God speaking. That was fear, tradition, and human rule. But the Bible says David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14), and Psalm 149:3 tells us: “Let them praise His name with dancing.” Psalm 149:3 (ESV)
What I felt as a child was freedom, something the enemy hates and religion tries to stifle.
When Christians Abandon Politics, Darkness Governs
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Proverbs 29:2 (KJV)
“You are the salt of the earth… the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:13–14 (ESV)
We’ve heard it said: “Politics and church don’t mix.” So we pulled back. And the enemy stepped forward. We left school boards, councils, and congresses open to those without God’s heart or values. The result? Moral decline, spiritual confusion, and cultural chaos.
In the 90s, I was asked to run for school board. I received the highest number of votes. With other Spirit-filled believers, we retired $27 million in debt and pushed for students to at least hear about creation as an alternative theory to evolution.
What happened? Immediate opposition. International headlines. Eventual recall.
Why? Because we dared to challenge the power structures that had ruled unchecked for decades. The enemy does not fight what he’s not threatened by.
Why Do We Expect Public Education to Reflect God's Kingdom?
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6 (KJV)
We want the public education system to reflect our Christian values, yet we continue to fund it with our taxes while offering no viable, cost-free alternative to Christian families.
Why do churches not band together to create affordable or donation-based schools?
Why do we allow secular ideologies to mold our children’s minds and then blame the world for the outcome?
It’s time for the church to stop complaining and start creating. We must fill the gaps again. In education. In policy. In the media. In the arts. In business. In government.
Final Encouragement: God Is Looking for Courageous Believers
“The people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” Daniel 11:32 (KJV)
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21 (NIV)
This is not the time to retreat. This is the time to stand, speak truth, and reclaim the territories the enemy thought were his.
Declaration:
I will not leave spiritual gaps in my life, family, or nation.
I will walk in true freedom, not religious fear.
I am called to influence culture, not hide from it.
I will partner with God to bring light into every dark place He sends me.
I am salt. I am light. I am ready.
Prayer for Boldness, Truth, and Reclaiming Our Territory
Heavenly Father,
We come before You with humble hearts, acknowledging the places where we, Your people, have remained silent when You called us to speak. Forgive us, Lord, for stepping back in fear, for allowing the religious spirit to silence our freedom, and for letting the enemy fill the gaps we left unguarded.
Today, we draw a line in the sand. We reclaim every place where darkness crept in. We ask You to awaken boldness in our spirits, the boldness to dance in freedom like David, to speak truth in public like Daniel, and to lead with integrity like Deborah and Joseph.
Stir our hearts to build, to teach, to lead, and to serve; not in our own strength but by the power of Your Spirit. Let us no longer fear offending man when You are calling us to please You. Let us use our voice in politics, education, family, and culture to reflect Your truth and love.
We declare that we are not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation. We will no longer let our children, our communities, or our nation be ruled by ideologies that oppose You. Help us be light in the darkness and salt in a tasteless world.
Strengthen us to create solutions, not just critiques. Give us vision, resources, and unity to establish schools, speak truth in love, and walk in the freedom You purchased with Your blood.
In Jesus' mighty name,
Amen.
