When childhood strongholds meet the power of the Most High.

There are some battles we fight that did not begin yesterday. Some began long before we even understood what a battle was.

Some began in childhood.

They started as experiences, words, disappointments, rejection, fear, pain, and things we did not know how to process. And without realizing it, those experiences began planting roots.

Roots that grew deeper over time.

Roots that began influencing how we thought, how we responded, how we viewed ourselves, and even how we approached certain situations in life.

I didn’t always recognize those roots for what they were. I just knew that there were things I had carried for years, things that seemed to follow me no matter how much I grew or how many steps forward I took.

But something changed.

In 2025, God delivered me.

And when I say delivered, I mean that the Most High began breaking strongholds that had been rooted in my life since childhood.

Strongholds that had become so deeply embedded that I didn’t always recognize their presence.

But God knew they were there.

He knew where they began, how deep they had grown, and what it would take to pull them out.

And when He began delivering me, those roots could no longer hold on the way they once had.

I began moving forward.

And with every step, I could feel another root snapping.

Another chain breaking.

Another stronghold losing its grip.

Things that once had power over my thoughts, emotions, and reactions began losing their authority in my life.

I was no longer standing in the same place mentally or spiritually.

I was walking out of what had once held me captive.

The Battle Near the Breakthrough

But there is something else I learned during this journey.

Sometimes, when you are getting closer to your breakthrough, the enemy will try to interfere with your progress.

And the attack isn’t always loud.

Sometimes it comes quietly.

Through a thought.

Through doubt.

Through discouragement.

Through a negative mindset that tries to convince you to question what you already know about God.

I experienced that.

There came a moment when a thought tried to settle in my mind:

Am I going to God too much? Am I always coming to Him about something?

And for a moment, I had to confront what was trying to take root.

Because that thought was completely contrary to the God I know.

I had to stop myself.

WAIT A MINUTE! THAT IS NOT GOD!

Why would I believe that the Most High, who loves me, who created me, who knows me, and who has carried me through so much, would ever become tired of me coming to Him?

Why would I allow a negative thought to convince me that I was approaching Him too often?

The very God who delivered me from what had been holding me captive is the same God who welcomes me into His presence.

And suddenly, I recognized what was happening.

That thought was trying to create distance between me and the One who had been bringing me closer.

It was trying to introduce doubt where there had been trust.

Fear where there had been faith.

Distance where there had been relationship.

And I refused to let that thought take root.

I Had to Remember Who God Is to Me

I had to remind myself of the relationship I have with the Most High.

Not a relationship built on fear that I might be bothering Him.

Not a relationship where I can only approach Him when something has gone wrong.

But a relationship built on love, trust, communication, obedience, and faith.

Because when I say I have faith, I am not simply saying I believe God exists.

I am saying I KNOW who I am walking with.

I know who has kept me.

I know who has heard my prayers.

I know who has carried me when I didn’t have the strength to carry myself.

I know who began breaking those roots that had been growing since childhood.

And I know that He did not bring me this far just for me to begin doubting whether I belong in His presence.

The Word tells us:

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)

Come boldly.

Not hesitantly.

Not feeling like a burden.

Not believing that we have exhausted His patience simply because we continue to seek Him.

Come boldly.

That Scripture reminded me that I am welcome in His presence.

Deliverance Is Also About Renewing the Mind

I began understanding that deliverance was not only about breaking what had been attached to me.

It was also about learning not to give those things permission to return.

Because a stronghold may lose its grip, but an old thought pattern can still attempt to revisit the mind.

And that is where discernment becomes important.

I had to learn to recognize what was attempting to influence my thoughts.

I had to become intentional about what I allowed to remain in my mind.

Every thought does not deserve a place to grow.

Every negative suggestion does not deserve my agreement.

And every feeling does not determine the truth of who God is.

The Word reminds us:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” — Romans 12:2 (KJV)

I realized that as God was breaking those childhood roots, my thinking had to change too.

I could not continue giving authority to thoughts that contradicted the relationship I had been building with Him.

So I corrected myself.

I redirected my thoughts.

I remembered His goodness.

And I stood back on the faith that had carried me this far.

Those Roots No Longer Define Me

Today, when I look back, I recognize how far the Most High has brought me.

Those experiences from childhood were part of my journey, but they do not get to dictate my future.

The things that tried to shape my identity do not have the final say over who I am becoming.

The strongholds that once seemed deeply rooted do not get to determine how far I can grow.

Because God has been doing a work in me that reaches deeper than what people can see on the outside.

And I am grateful.

Grateful for the deliverance.

Grateful for the growth.

Grateful for the discernment.

Grateful that He continued working in me even when I did not fully understand everything He was removing.

And grateful that when doubt tried to enter, I could recognize it and return my thoughts to His truth.

I am not who those roots tried to make me.

I am who the Most High is continuing to shape me to be.

My Encouragement to You

If you are reading this and you recognize that some of your struggles began long before adulthood, I want to encourage you.

Do not believe that something is too deeply rooted for God to reach.

Do not assume that because you have carried something for years, you must carry it forever.

And when negative thoughts try to convince you that you are asking too much, praying too often, or coming to God too frequently, remember this:

Your relationship with God is not a burden to Him.

You do not have to distance yourself from the One who is helping you heal, grow, and become free.

Keep seeking Him.

Keep building your relationship with Him.

Keep allowing Him to renew your mind.

And keep moving forward.

Because sometimes you won’t recognize how much has broken until you look back and realize those old roots can no longer pull you into the place where you used to be.

My deliverance began breaking roots that had grown for years. And my relationship with the Most High continues teaching me how to walk in that freedom.

I am still growing.

I am still learning.

I am still walking by faith.

But one thing I know:

What God delivered me from does not get to reclaim me through doubt.

And the roots that once held me captive will not determine where my footsteps go next.

This is my testimony. This is my growth. And this is my faith beyond the Amen.

Scripture to Carry With You

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” — John 8:36 (KJV)

A Question for Your Heart

Have you ever recognized an old thought pattern trying to return after you had already begun healing or growing?

What helped you remember the truth and keep moving forward?

Share your reflections in the comments. Your journey may encourage someone else who is learning to walk in freedom.

— Dawanda R. Dade

Faith Lives Beyond Amen — Where Real Life Meets the Living Word