Over the past two weeks, I have been experiencing extreme fatigue and exhaustion, hopelessness, anxiety, and the temptation to simply give up. I could not figure out why I felt like this. However, I know that God is faithful to answer our cries, and He will give us wisdom when we bring Him our concerns. As it is written in Jeremiah 33:3, we are instructed to call upon the Lord, and He will show us great and mighty things that we do not know. Even in my weariness, I’ve been seeking the Lord in faith, asking Him what exactly this is that I have been experiencing.

Last night, I had a vivid dream of a snake lurking in my bedroom. It started out as a small snake and then rapidly grew in size. After spending time in the Lord’s presence upon awaking, I began to gain understanding of what my dream represented. The Lord revealed to me that the snake in my dream had been a python, and it represented the spirit of Python.

Python is a spirit that seeks to suffocate and suck the very life out of you through its relentless and vicious attacks. The Lords showed me that many in the Body of Christ—myself, included—have been feeling the effects of this evil spirit. Looking back, I can now identify that the physical exhaustion and weariness I had been experiencing was as an attack from the enemy. This is why Word of God tells us that we are to “put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, [we] may be able to stand [our] ground, and after [we] have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

We can even see in Scripture the spirit of Python trying to latch onto the apostles and leaders of the early church:

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her (Acts 16:16-18).

The spirit that had possession over the female slave was that of Python. It was relentlessly taunting the apostle Paul, trying to get him off course and distract him from his assignment from the Lord.

As I continued to press into the Lord, He continued to expand understanding of my dream. I heard Him say, “I am bringing down the spirit of Python! In My goodness, I am exposing the evil spirit that has attempted to subtly sneak in and to harm to My people.” The Lord is now bringing freedom from the oppression that His people have been feeling, as they have cried out to Him for deliverance.

But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior;
so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;
their dishonor will never be forgotten (Jeremiah 20:11).

The Lord is turning the tables in this hour, and the attacks of the enemy are being overthrown! Where you have known such deep and seemingly unrelenting heaviness, you will now experience joy unlimited and full glory; where you have known heartache and despair, you will now experience freedom and a new spring in your step. People of God, the Lord is giving you your breath back! You will breathe easily once again, and truly your enemies will be no more (Isaiah 41:12).

The spirit of Python has attempted to get many of the Lord’s prophets to run and retreat into a cave, but now they are arising—coming forth with double strength, boldness, and anointing! For when the thief is caught, he must repay seven fold (Proverbs 6:31).

Just when it has seemed that all hope has been lost, the King of Glory is now coming in and bringing His radical deliverance and recompense! For whom the Son sets free is free, indeed (John 8:36).

Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in (Psalm 24:9).

I prophesy life, hope, and fresh joy over you today, as you are arising out of the very place of despair that the enemy has sought to keep you caged in. Be encouraged! The Lord is bringing you out into a wide and spacious place of freedom (Psalm 18:19).