Lift Up Your Heads O Ye Gates

Gates are very important. Just as in the natural realm gates are used for security and protection, God uses spiritual gates which you can’t see with your physical eyes like you can see the gate of your house, church, or office, to secure, protect and fortify people’s lives.

The devil too has spiritual gates that are in operation. You can’t see them but they are there quite alright. These evil spiritual gates existed in the time of Abraham and other Bible characters. (Genesis 22:17). Evil spiritual gates still exist today.

Gates also serve as entry points; entry points to a house (Luke 16:20), city (1 Kings 17:10), palace (Esther 5:13), church (Acts 3:2), or a person’s life (Isaiah 60:11). While God has gates He uses to pass or release blessings and good things into our lives, the devil uses his own evil gates to pass or introduce sin, problems, afflictions and all manner of evil into people’s lives.

One of the blessings God gave Abraham which is ours in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:14) is the blessing of possessing the gates of our enemies (Genesis 22:17). Our enemies have gates that are to be possessed, captured and destroyed. If we don’t possess these gates, if we don’t destroy them, they can hinder us from progressing in life, they can prevent us from getting to where God has destined for us. Today we are going to possess or destroy every gate of the enemy contending and fighting against us. What are these gates?

1. Ancient or Everlasting Gates (Psalm 24:7-10)

As the name implies, these gates are very old. They are gates that have existed for so long in an individual’s life or in a family, community and nation. They are problems and issues that have been a part of a particular family, community or nation for ages. Before you were born, those problems and issues where there. It could be a health, marital, financial challenge that one generation after the other has to contend with. Ancient gates work in this way: a person meets particular problems and issues when born into a particular family. The person’s children meet those same problems and issues. Even the person’s grandchildren come to meet those problems and issues. For example, the great-grandfather had asthma, the grandfather, father, children, grandchildren all battle with asthma. Ancient gates bring about generational curses.

Through Christ Jesus we have victory over ancient, long-standing problems in our lives and family. Every problem that is determined to keep following you and your family year in year out, the Almighty God will destroy. The Egyptians were determined to keep following and oppressing the Israelites, but the Lord delivered them from the long bondage and captivity of the Israelites (Exodus 14:13-14). That ancient, longstanding problem in your life and family will not remain with you this year. That ‘Egyptian’ that has troubled your life and family for so long will be completely destroyed today.

When you are dealing with ancient gates you have to exercise the spiritual power and authority you have in Christ Jesus. You have to command them to give way. That was why a strong authoritative command was issued in Psalm 24:7 – Lift up your heads, O ye gates. So command every ancient, unending, longstanding problem in your life and family to be lifted up. Pray with authority:

Lift up your heads O ye gates of longstanding spiritual, health, financial, marital and educational problems.

The King of glory is the one that shatters ancient or everlasting gates. God’s glory is so powerful. The ancient or everlasting gates can’t withstand the King of glory. They will surely give way when they see God’s awesome glory. That’s why when addressing the ancients gates, the Psalmist said “lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in” (Psalm 24:7). The King of glory is strong and mighty, He is mighty in battle that is why the ancient gates no matter how strong they are, no matter how long they have been there are lifted up when the King of glory steps in. As you invite the King of glory to come into your situation, all those long-standing problems in your life will surely give way. So pray:

King of glory, come into my life and fill my life with your glory. Cover my life and family with your glory so every ancient gate; every longstanding problem in our lives will give way as they see your glory in my life.

2. Gates of Bronze (Psalm 107:15-16)

There are gates of bronze and bars of iron that only God can cut through. Gates of bronze are very strong gates that are hard to penetrate. The enemy uses gates of bronze to hinder people from moving forward. They are gates that hinder people’s progress. They are gates used to tie down or cage people to a particular level. These gates of bronze are gates of stagnation erected around a person’s life; around a person’s spiritual life, ministry, business, career, education. To be free from every evil gate standing in the way of your progress, every gate of stagnation keeping you from moving from one level of glory to a higher level of God’s glory pray this prayer: