During a small group fellowship, my brothers in Christ and I discussed those issues in our lives that had been holding us back. We all wanted to be the men that God has called us to be... yet we have all experienced things that seemed to be roadblocks in life that needed to be overcome.

Some in the group reported dysfunctional relationships with parents or other family members. Others mentioned dysfunctional relationships within the church, or with other believers. Some of us had issues in the workplace that required prayer.

And, of course, we all had issues with relationships.

The common denominator that all of this boiled down to was the need for each of us to overcome strongholds in each of our lives. But, fortunately, the word of God provides the answer. If we are born again children of the Most High God, then we are world overcomers.

For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]?

1^st John 5:4-5 [AMP]

I was blessed to come home and read some powerful meditations on overcoming from our dear sister Judypie. These answered those issues in my life -- and I am positive that, as you read and meditate on them, they will help you with whatever you are dealing with and going through in your life.

Overcoming Fear of my Enemies

Let it be done to me according to Your Word. My head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me: therefore will I offer sacrifices of joy in Your tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises unto the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. Even if my father and my mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up. In the name of Jesus, You are a Father who will never leave me or forsake me; I will never be abandoned or left without support. Amen.

And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need]. My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word]. Hide not Your face from me; turn not Your servant away in anger, You Who have been my help! Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation! Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].

Psalm 27:6-10 [AMP]

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

Hebrews 13:5 [AMP]

Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You do I wait all the day long. Laus Deo! Psalm 25:5

Overcoming Denial

Father, I thank You for delivering me out of the dominion of darkness and translating me into the kingdom of Your dear Son. You are at work in me, helping me work out my own salvation. I yield to the ministry of transformation as You energize and create in me the desire and will to face the problematic issues in my life. In the name of Jesus, I crush, smash and dissolve the stronghold of denial. Then I shall know the truth and the truth will set me free. Amen.

[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love

Colossians 1:13 [AMP]

Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead

Philippians 3:12-13 [AMP]

And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

John 8:32 [AMP]

I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3

Overcoming Fear with Faith

Lord, teach us Your way, and lead us in a smooth path, because of our enemies. Do not deliver us to the will of our adversaries for false witnesses have risen against us, and such as breathe out violence. We would have lost heart, unless we had believed that we would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. We wait on You LORD; we are of good courage and You shall strengthen our hearts. We are waiting on the LORD! We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me]. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me; they breathe out cruelty and violence. [What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!

Psalm 27:11-13 [AMP]

“Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11

Overcoming Doubt and Unbelief

Father, I believe Your Word, and ask You to remove any unbelief or doubt concerning the integrity of Your promises. In the name of Jesus, I renounce the world’s allurements that attempt to pull me into sin—they are ineffective in my life. Your Word is my standard and because I am a doer of Your Word, I will not be deceived. The fresh Manna of Your Word keeps me on target with Your plans, Lord. My steadfast confidence is in You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

¹²[Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God.

¹³But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamor of his sin may play on him].

¹⁴For we have become fellows with Christ (the Messiah) and share in all He has for us, if only we hold our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation [in virtue of which we are believers] firm and unshaken to the end.

¹⁵Then while it is [still] called Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the desert, when the people provoked and irritated and embittered God against them].

¹⁶For who were they who heard and yet were rebellious and provoked [Him]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

¹⁷And with whom was He irritated and provoked and grieved for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dismembered bodies were strewn and left in the desert?

¹⁸And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [who had not listened to His word and who refused to be compliant or be persuaded]?

¹⁹So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God [unbelief had shut them out].

Hebrews 3:12-19 [AMP]

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Joshua 24:15

Praise Him!

O my Lord and God, today is the day that You have made; I will rejoice and be glad in it! Hallelujah! I praise You, my God, in Your holy house of worship, I praise You under the open skies; I praise You for Your acts of power, and for Your magnificent greatness. Let all those with the trumpet, castanets, banjo, flute, cymbals, the big bass drum, fiddles and mandolins praise You. Let all those who dance praise You in their dance. Let every living, breathing creature praise You because You are God! Hallelujah! Amen.

Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship,
praise him under the open skies;

Praise him for his acts of power,
praise him for his magnificent greatness;

Praise with a blast on the trumpet,
praise by strumming soft strings;

Praise him with castanets and dance,
praise him with banjo and flute;

Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum,
praise him with fiddles and mandolin.

Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
Hallelujah!

Psalm 150:1-6 [MSG]