Luke 13:10: “And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold there was a woman who has an infirmity eighteen years. And was bowed together and could in no way lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him; and said unto her “Woman, thou art loosed from that infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her. And immediately she was made straight and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on a Sabbath day… Then the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrite… And ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound lo these eighteen years be loosed from this bondage on a Sabbath day?”
There is so much revelation in the word of God. Here, I would not be addressing only women, but everybody. Though the story here is about a woman. The Bible says she had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. For eighteen years, this woman was battling with this spirit. The Bible says she could in no wise help herself. This is important to note. The woman could not help herself. You have to understand something, you cannot help yourself. No matter how hard you try. Some people resolve to stop smoking or drinking or partying; and to get closer to God, work harder, diet, exercise and all other kinds of stuff.
All that is good, but you on your own cannot help yourself. Without God, you can do nothing. We can safely say that the woman we read about in the scripture quoted was more than eighteen years old. She was normal until something happened to her. She may not have been born that way, but the Bible tells us that she suffered for eighteen years. And then that suffering ended one day.
Friends, your suffering can end today. It is your decision. The decision you take today can affect your destiny. The Bible says that she could not lift herself. You can’t lift yourself. This is the reason I tell you that there is a man who can lift you. His name is Jesus. Jesus is not just any human being. It is not any other human being or church or pastor or bishop or evangelist or arch bishop or pope that can lift you. This woman may have been everywhere and people knew her and her condition – she had been bent for eighteen years.
We have to understand that the power of the devil binds. He is a wicked man. He stops you, holds and quenches your light and gives you no future. He takes life out of you and locks your destiny. So many people are afraid of their future. You should be afraid of your future, if you do not have Jesus with you.
But if you have Jesus, you have nothing to fear. If you are righteous and living holy, things may be rough, but just hold on because at the end of the day you will be the last man standing.
Jesus saw this woman. Today, as you are reading this column, He is seeing you. Just let your heart be humble and tender before Him and ask Him not to pass you by; He should not only see you, but call you and do something about your state. Jesus would do something about your state if you want Him to. He waits for you to ask Him, unlike the devil who forces himself and barges into your life, into your marriage or business. Jesus waits to be invited because He is a gentle God. He is full of compassion.
For eighteen years, this woman had been crippled, bowed, depressed, oppressed and calling unto God. However, every problem has a date of expiration. Today, your problem will expire in the name of Jesus.
The first thing that happens is that when you give your life to Christ, the power of Satan is completely broken over your life. Satan has no power over you anymore, if you continue to walk in this path. Do not just come in and leave, but come in and stay, and know that there is no plan B with God. When you come to God, you have to burn your bridge. With Him, there is no going back. The Bible tells us that no man puts his hand on the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.
Friends, there is no looking back. He is a good God that we are serving. It may be tough; things may be rough now, but stay on for at the end of the day you will be glad for it. Eighteen years, this woman was down; she was in hell; she was a mess; she was a nobody.
It was like half of your life time.
I do not know how many years you have been in confusion, in fear, in doubt, in unbelief, in rebellion. Your issue may have taken half of your life time, but there is hope. Jesus is looking at you right now. He knows that you cannot help yourself. Jesus understands your case, he understands your situation, He understands what you are going through and He has sent me to you with the good news that He has seen you – all these years, He has seen you.
Verse 12: “And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him…” Jesus singled this woman out and called her to Him. Think about the moment she was walking from her house to where Jesus was in the synagogue, not knowing what was going to happen. The devil may have been telling her nothing will happen – the same way he says to many people.
“And (Jesus) said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.” He said to this woman, today, your problem is over, today, you are free, today, you are delivered, you are set free by my power.
He is saying the same thing to you; today, you are loosed from your infirmity, from the power of sin and iniquity, from the power of transgression, from the power of immorality, from the power of hell. You are loosed in the name of Jesus Christ. You are loosed in the name of Jesus Christ. You are loosed to serve God. Let every chain holding you be broken. I command every barrier to give way and be destroyed in the name of Jesus Christ. You are loosed to come home and to come into the kingdom of God. Let the power of religion be broken over your life, let the power of occult be broken over your life. Let the power of evil foundations and household spirits be destroyed over your life. Let everything stopping you from embracing Jesus Christ be destroyed. You are loosed now in the name of Jesus – Loosed to serve God, loosed to worship Him in spirit and in truth, loosed to receive a new life in Christ. If any man be in Christ, behold he is a new creation, old things are passed away; behold all things have become new. You are loosed to joy, peace, health, wealth, prosperity and God’s favour. You are loosed from the power of darkness and loosed into the kingdom of light.
This is the good news for you. Do not turn your heart away from it for it will be a blessing to you at the end of the day. If you would want to experience this power and goodness, you need to say this prayer, meaning it from your heart.
My Lord Jesus, be merciful unto me a sinner, I am a sinner. Today, I come to you by faith. Accept me, I believe you died for me. I confess you rose from the dead on the third day. And I believe you are coming back again for me. I declare that you are Lord, you are my Lord. From today, I give my life to you. Come into my life, be my Lord; be my savior, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Satan, I break every covenant I had with you, knowingly or unknowingly. From this moment, I am covered by the blood of Jesus.
Father, in the name of Jesus, as many as have prayed the sinner’s prayer, may they receive forgiveness of their sins. I speak your word over their lives that they are loosed from every infirmity, power and shackles and every domination of hell. From this moment, they are free in the name of Jesus. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, you are becoming a Christian. There are three things I always say to new believers:
1. Get yourself a Bible and begin to study it, starting with the Gospel according to John.
2. Pray in the name of Jesus.
3. Look for a good Bible-believing church where Jesus is preached in spirit and in truth as Lord and Saviour, go and worship God there and you will be blessed.