God Took Unforgiveness Out of My Heart
One Sunday morning back in August 1985, Doyle asked those who wanted prayer to come forward. My mother, who was with us that particular Sunday, asked me to go up with her. In previous years (back in the70's) she and I had gone to numerous charismatic meetings and she would always go up for prayer. At times she would ask me to go up with her and I would think to myself, and probably said it to her, "Why on earth does she always keep going up for prayer? It never does any good." The reason those prayers were never answered was because they were not by the Spirit--it was religious spirits praying and they do not work, except to bind you up.
So that Sunday morning I went up front with her. When we got up there, Doyle was walking back and forth across the front praying. All of a sudden he stopped in front of me and pointed his finger at me and asked me where my dad was. I answered, "He's dead," and I just started weeping. God that day, by His Spirit, started setting me free from all the hurts and disappointments over my dad, and took unforgiveness out of my heart that I did not even know was there. In the churches I had been in before, I had never had anything happen like that before.
When I was in elementary school my mother and dad separated and several years later they divorced. That had a tremendous impact on my life because of the idolatry in my heart towards my dad. (You cannot hurt or disappoint faith). My dad was not around alot when I was growing up, although I was very close to him and loved him very much, and still do. In April 1973 he married a woman 20 or so years younger than he was and in May 1979 they had a son (my half brother). In February 1984 dad went to be with the Lord, and I now know it was the Jezebel spirit that killed him. He had a very strong, controlled (yet weak appearing) mother. I never once heard her raise her voice, or his wife for that matter--unlike my mother, sister's and myself! It always amazed me how she could get my grandfather and dad to do anything for her. But she had a very subtle, yet manipulating spirit, which is the Jezebel. I will share more about that spirit in a later testimony.
My dad could see straight through religion and through religious people. He could see that they were a bunch of hypocrites, and would even say so. And he was right. When I got involved in the charismatic movement back in the 70's, and religious spirits got a hold on me, there was a sword that came between me and my dad. I can now see why. The distance between us became greater and greater, although we still loved each other. I will say right here, that I do look forward to seeing my dad in heaven.
But starting back in 1985 and the years following, on more than one occasion Doyle would pray for me and 'loose' me from unforgiveness towards my dad, so he could set me free from evil spirits that were binding me. In Matthew 18:34-35, Jesus said he would deliver you over to the tormenters if you do not forgive from the heart. And I had some torment in my life. You cannot afford not to forgive people--no matter what they have (or have not) done to you. Mark 11:25-26 also speaks on this.
Jesus, before His death, said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." He is our example and if we say we abide in Him we ought to walk even as He walked (I John 2:6). That is the Spirit of Jesus in a person who can forgive from the heart. And that is the Jesus I know and that lives in me this day. Do you know Him? Philippians says, "That we may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;...
Praise God!
