Strongholds in our lives can keep us from experiencing the joy of knowing God. I didn’t always find pleasure when thinking about God. For many years I saw God as a disappointed parent, or a heavenly record-keeper of all of my screw-ups.

I have encountered other Christians who have trouble viewing God as the loving Father that He is. We often see God through the lens of our own experiences and the judgments of other people. We have a hard time separating the true God from our perceptions of Him. Our deep-seeded beliefs become strongholds against the true knowledge of God.

It wasn’t until I began to look into my own thoughts and beliefs that my view of God changed. Through hard work in a recovery program, God dealt with the fear and guilt I felt and showed me that He did not condemn me. As I confessed my fears and hurts to others, God healed my heart (James 5:16). It was then that I could see Him more clearly.

Now when I think about God, I reflect on His kindness to me. I see His gentleness in the way He deals with me. I am in awe of His wisdom and the way He created the universe. God is the most loving, kind, wise and honorable Being in the universe. He takes delight in us and He wants us to know Him.

What a worthwhile goal it is to remove any stronghold that would block the enjoyment and pleasure of His company.

Lord, I want to know you better. I want to know the true pleasure of your company. Remove any obstacle that would keep me from really knowing you. Amen.

Go Deeper — In your prayer time, ask God to show you where strongholds exist in your thinking toward Him. Consider finding a recovery group or Bible study where breaking strongholds is the central theme.

Learn more of The Father Heart of God.



Tags: Pleasure 2 Corinthians
Photo Credit: Mi Pham