Two Hands Healing Prayer Model
a practical memory tool for remembering key inner healing steps
This model works great in most any cross-cultural context
Ann Muller
a practical memory tool for remembering key inner healing steps
This model works great in most any cross-cultural context
Ann Muller
The RIGHT hand (Healing Prayers) will tend to be more sequential in nature as you work your way from your thumb to your pinkie (use pinkie if needed). As you work through The RIGHT hand, do keep in mind the potential issues from the LEFT hand that might come up, and might need addressing later in the session. The LEFT hand (Breaking Prayers) is optional and yet it's a resource in case deeper work is needed to bring deliverance and breakthrough. OPTIONAL: It is also possible that you may want to devote one or more prayer sessions of the breaking prayers alone (LEFT hand), starting with the first, and going methodically through all five.
By using the steps of the "Healing Hands" you can lead yourself through an inner healing session. If you do inner healing on someone it is best to partner with another person. Those ministering can help one another in the inner healing session by interceding for the person on the receiving end, by each bringing different perspectives or approaches, and by both tuning in to Holy Spirit to give you wisdom, insight, and revelation as to what to do.
LEADER > O God, You are merciful and compassionate. Thank You that You are here with us. You are both good and powerful, and You love to heal us. We ask for Your protection over us and our family members as we pray. Because of the victory God gives us through Jesus, we forbid any forces of darkness to interfere with what God desires to do here today. O God, we set aside this time to be with You. Cause us to sense Your nearness now. We open our hearts to You.
God Causes Us to Remember in Order to Heal Us
Begin by asking God, "Father, what memory would you like to bring up right now so we can work on what You want us to address?" Then allow yourself to be brought back to a particular memory from your life's past. Trust in the power of Holy Spirit to choose one that is key in your life, even if you may think there are better ones. God works in stages in your healing process, and can be trusted to release revelation leading to partial or full healing in the areas He is targeting.
RECIPIENT > God, You know how and when I have been afflicted. You want to heal me. Would You remind me of what You want to heal? Would You take me to a time when my heart was affected by what happened in my life?
(Think about simply being with God. Wait until something crosses your mind... Ask Him about it... Let Him bring up the painful emotions as you open your heart to Him...)
What The Bible Says
"Remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” - Lamentations 3:19-24 NIV
"The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!' The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” - Lamentations 3:19-24 NLT
"Search me, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:23-24
"These things I remember as I pour out my soul." - Psalm 42:4
Deuteronomy 8:2-3 - After the exodus, Moses encouraged God’s people to look back and remember the difficulty and hunger, but also the provision of God. Remembering drew them closer to God.
John 4 - When Jesus encountered the woman at the well, he caused her to remember, and Jesus did not condemn her.
Philippians 3:7-14 - "forget what lies behind" – forgetting accomplishments and reasons for confidence in the flesh – not talking about forgetting pain
We Pour Out Our Soul to God
As God brings a memory to your attention, allow yourself to feel the feelings and emotions associated with that memory. Let yourself pray out what you were feeling in the flashback of that memory. There may be deep, honest questions and wonderings as to why would allow this event to happen. Pour out these thoughts, questions, concerns, and frustrations out to your heavenly Father.
RECIPIENT >
God, thank You for reminding me of ______________ (say what incident or time of life is coming to mind).
I see ___________ (describe the scene and who may be in it with you).
I hear __________ (describe any words you are hearing in this scene).
I feel ___________ (describe your reaction – as if you were the age when it happened).
My darkest thought is __________ (describe thoughts that were whispered to you).
Explanation
As God causes us to remember, we will pour out our hearts to Him–fully and honestly. We will express to Him all the anger and all the anguish. He already knows what is in our hearts, but he longs for us to bring it before Him in detail. (See Kings 8:39; Ps. 44:21; Acts 15:8)
At the bottom of the pain is often a lie–a conclusion we have drawn ourselves, or that has been suggested by an emissary of the father of lies. Lies can ensnare and dishearten us, but God wants to save his people from the hands of the enemies who bring such lies. Expressing the pain, along with the accompanying painful conclusions, brings the pain and lies into the light of God's presence, opening the way for healing. (John 8:44; Rev. 12:10; Ezekiel 13:20-23)
What The Bible Says
"'Not so, my lord,' Hannah replied, 'I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.''' - 1 Samuel 1:15-16 NIV
"Oh no, sir!' she replied. 'I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.'” - 1 Samuel 1:15-16 NLT
1 Sam. 1:1-20 - Hannah was rewarded by God when she poured out her soul to him.
Psalm 64:1 - Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint.
Psalm 38:9 - my longings lie open before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.
Psalm 109:22, 26 - I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
Psalm 62:8 - Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Psalm 69:29 - I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.
Isaiah 26:17 - As a woman with child and about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, O LORD.
Jeremiah 15:18 - Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable?
Psalm 62:8 - Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Luke 22:39-44 & Mark 14:32-42 - Jesus himself poured out his soul to God, as he faced the anguish of what was ahead. The sorrow he had already started carrying for us during his life, he was about to ultimately bear for us on the cross, so that we could be healed.
Lam. 2:19 - Jeremiah encouraged the people to pour out their hearts to God in their severe difficulties.
We Wait for God's Presence in the Place of Pain
Welcome Holy Spirit to come and release revelation, in this memory, as to where Jesus was while these things were happening to you, what He was doing, and what He might be saying to you. The Holy Spirit is releasing new perspective and helping you reframe this memory in ways that bring healing to it.
RECIPIENT > O God, I look to You for Your help. O God, where were You then? O God, how are You with me in this? With my whole heart, I long for You. You are all I have. Like a little child, I want to be touched by You. I am listening. I will wait for You…
(We wait until we experience His healing nearness. We may need to pray more breaking prayers until His healing reaches us – until we meet Him at the place of our pain. When we are found by Him, peace floods our minds and hearts, and we experience His power and love.)
Explanation
When God heals us, he does not change the event itself, but He opens the curtain so we can see the whole picture of that event. He wants to give us now what we did not receive from Him then - His help, his healing word, His presence. We know when He has healed our pain when we encounter Him in a hurtful scene that we remember, and the pain, shame, fear, anger, rejection, hate, self pity, etc. are lifted from us. We may hear Him, see Him, sense Him, feel the pain lift, experience peace and joy, or feel His light and warmth.
What The Bible Says
"One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock." - Psalm 27:4-5 NIV
"You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues." - Psalm 31:20 NLT
"Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him." - Psalm 105:4 NLT
"I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!" - Psalm 139:7 NLT
John 8 - To the sinful woman whose life he had just saved from a lawful stoning by religious leaders, Jesus said, “... neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin."
Luke 19 - Zacchaeus experienced blessing and salvation that replaced the guilt that hung over him and his household
John 9 - A blind beggar accused of bringing disaster on himself through his sin (or his parents' sin), was healed and honored
Luke 5:13; Luke 17 - Ostracized lepers were touched, healed and received again into the community that rejected them
People knew when they came near to Jesus, God's healing power flowed. (Luke 6:19) | Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28-30). | All who touched him were healed (Mark 6:56). | Parents brought their children to him to be touched and blessed (Mark 10:13). | Many came to hear his words and were healed and delivered (Luke 6:18).
Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus met a hopeless Peter on the beach as he was fishing for fish instead of men (Matt. 4:19). | Jesus' words carried the healing power of God, and Peter was restored from the devastation of having denied Jesus on the night of his arrest. Peter's fateful words, "I don't know him!" were spoken three times over hot coals in the courtyard of the high priest where Jesus was being questioned (Luke 22:54-62). | And now, healing words, "Feed my sheep," were spoken to him three times over hot coals and a freshly cooked breakfast (John 21:7-19). | In addition, Jesus indicated that Peter would one day be killed because of his love for Jesus. Jesus was promising Peter that next time, he would pass the test and stay true to his Master. This healing prepared Peter to receive the astounding anointing soon to be given to him, such that thousands came to faith when he preached (Acts 2:14-41), | and even his shadow brought God's healing to anyone touched by it (Acts 5:15).
We Forgive the Offender, Confess Our Reaction, Confess If We Blamed God, and Forgive Ourselves
Explanation
Pain comes to us from from sin we have committed and sins committed to us. Even our response to being wrong can at times step into ways of self-protecting or responding that are not pleasing to God. Often, in an inner healing session(s), you may become aware that you have been holding unto thoughts and assumptions, based on limited facts, leading to grudges, bitterness, etc. These lies over time keep you bound and not experiencing the freedom Christ came to give. In such times, we must confess our own sin and receive forgiveness. We may also need to forgive those who have wronged us, if we find that we are actually doing damage to ourselves in the resentment, bitterness, and anger we are holding towards them.
Forgiving a Person
We need to specifically speak forgiveness toward any people who caused hurt. We can be hurt either because someone did something, or because someone did not do something. We are not letting them “get off the hook,” but are instead handing them over to God. He will decide how to handle their sin.
Luke 6:37
Romans 12:19
Matthew 18 – the man who didn’t let go
Gen 50 , 33 – OT – God helped Joseph forgive his brothers, and Esau forgive Jacob
1 Kings 8:39 & 2 Cor. 5:16 - Since God alone knows the hearts of all people, he can help us see them from his point of view. This will help us to "regard no one from a worldly point of view." Often, this kind of insight from God helps us to forgive and release our offenders to God more easily.
RECIPIENT > O God, would You show me _______ (name of the person who hurt you) from Your point of view? I totally release ________ (name, even if the person has died) to You. You alone are wise and fair. God, You are the one who will deal with _________ (name). I forgive ________ (name). God, please wash me clean of all unforgiveness toward this person. I ask You to bless _______ (name).
Confessing Our Reaction
Eph 4:26,27 – Sinful reactions to pain need to be confessed as a response to God’s healing.
2 Chronicles 6:29-30
Psalm 19:12 – hidden faults
James 5:16
1 John 1:9,10
Psalms 103:12
Mark 2:10
Matthew 26:28
Acts 13:38
John 20:23
RECIPIENT > O God, would You show me my reaction to the pain You have just healed? Would You show me any patterns in my life that started or were reinforced at the time of this pain? I looked for comfort in _________ (state anything God is showing you). I reacted by _________ (state anything that may have grieved God). O God, I repent. Please forgive me. I receive Your cleansing and forgiveness, through the sacrifice of Jesus. I agree with You, God, that I am forgiven for ___________, and I forgive myself.
Confessing If We Blame God
Possible reactions to pain include not only sin or unforgiveness on our part, but also the human tendency to blame God. As God heals our pain, He may remind us that we have put the blame on Him, where it did not belong. As we ask His forgiveness, He releases us from the guilt of "charging Him with wrongdoing" (Job 1:22), "contending with the Almighty to correct Him" (Job 40:2), or "discrediting His justice and condemning Him to justify ourselves" (Job 40:8). Since being mad at God carries great risk with it, such as being put to shame (Is. 45:24) and straying far from Him (Jer. 2:5), He wants to set us free from judging Him. As we taste and see that he is truly good (1 Pet. 2:3; Ps. 34:8), experiencing his goodness first hand, we deeply know that he is "upright and that there is no wickedness in him" (Ps. 92:15). We believe that He "is light and in Him there is no darkness at all" (Is. 45:24) and we "rely on the love He has for us" because "God is love" (1 John 4:16). He will not disappoint us (Is. 49:23).
RECIPIENT > O God, forgive me for being angry with You. O God, forgive me for blaming You for my pain. Please release me from anything I hold against You that keeps me from soaking up Your love for me and loving You in return. Let me experience Your goodness first hand.
Forgiving Ourselves
We agree with God and forgive ourselves as he has forgiven us.
Psalms 32:1 - Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Romans 4:6-8 - David speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works... Blessed are the ones whose sin the Lord will never count against them.
Romans 8:1 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
RECIPIENT > O God, I agree with You. You have forgiven me and made me righteous apart from works. I agree with You that I am blessed, and therefore I forgive myself.
What The Bible Says
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9 NIV
"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." - James 5:16 NLT
"Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 'That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.'" - Matthew 18:32-35 NLT
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us." - Matthew 6:12 NLT
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 NIV
“Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right? Are you as strong as God?..." - Job 40:8-9a NLT
"I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance." - Job 42:5-6 NLT
We Engage in Spiritual Struggle
Cast out any demonic presence or command any demonic oppression to go. (You may need to first deal with one or more categories of the LEFT hand, in order to loosen Satan's grip - footholds and strongholds give Satan's a rightful claim to be there).
"There is an assault, a bondage, and an oppression—whether in subtle whispers or in screeching fury—that can hold us back from walking in freedom and entering into our destiny. But, ...God desires to set us free from the wiles of the demonic and usher us into our divine destiny." - Restoring The Foundation
Explanation
In all spheres of life, opponents and enemies attack and oppress at the point of greatest weakness (Ps. 12:5). This pattern is observable with demons in their relentless attacks on humans as well (1 Peter 5:6-8; Job 1:6-11; John 10:10). Scripture indicates that inner pain and emotional wounds greatly weaken us (Psalm 69:29; Psalm 109), thus making us susceptible to the onslaught of the evil one. When we are overwhelmed and our spiritual armor is compromised, one of the enemy's fiery darts may find its mark (Ephesians 6). Therefore we often see the need to go through prayer for freedom from evil spirits once we have experienced healing from wounds of the heart.
As followers of Christ, we have been given authority over evil spirits by Jesus (Luke 10:19), who has received ultimate authority from God (Eph. 1:18-23; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; Heb. 5:4-9; Heb. 7:26). We use this authority over any lingering evil spirits that may have found their way into our lives through pain or our reaction to it.
LEADER > Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world! (1 John 4:4) We command any and every spirit related to the oppression and pain God has just healed, to come into the light of God now. (Wait for an indication that there are any evil spirits. The guest of honor will explain any sense or indication.) We command the spirit causing _________ (state what the spirit has been doing), by the authority granted to us through Jesus, to leave now. (Do this for each spirit that appears to have been causing oppression, until the guest of honor senses freedom.)
We praise You, O God, for Your power. We place the sacrifice and victory of Jesus our master between ______ (person’s name) and these evil spirits, forever. We cancel all assignments these spirits had against _____ (person’s name).
We forbid these spirits to come back, retaliate, or send any other spirits. O God, thank You for washing away all effects of these spirits from the life and physical body of _____ (person’s name). Fill every place with Your Spirit, Your power and Your presence. Bless ______ (person’s name) with ____________________ (speak out blessings).
What The Bible Says
"The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." - John 10:10 NLT
"Do not give the devil a foothold" - Ephesians 4:27 NIV
"Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. 'What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!' " - Mark 1:27 NLT
“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” - Luke 10:18-20 NLT
Many Examples Of People Being Freed of Evil Spirits In Scripture
Luke 8:1-3; 13:10-16
Mark 5:2-19; 9:17-27
Luke 6:17-19
Luke 7:21-22
Matthew 4:23-25
Matthew 8:16-17
Matthew 12:15-30
Matthew 28:18
Mark 3:13-15
Mark 6:7,12,13
Luke 9:1-2
Luke 10:1, 17,19-20
Matthew 10:7-8
Acts 5:12-16
Acts 8:4-8
Acts 16:18
Acts 19:11,12
John 14:12-14
Rom. 8:37-39
Freedom from Negative Legacies
Repent, renounce, and break agreement with any generational sins and curses in your family line
Generational Bondage Explanation
Scripture teaches that we can be negatively affected by the sin and actions of our ancestors, just as we can benefit from godly decisions made by those who have gone before us. Though God does not want us to blame our ancestors for our difficulties, he gives us the opportunity to ask forgiveness for what they have done, as did Moses, Hezekiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Nehemiah, Solomon, Ezra, and those who responded to Peter's preaching in Acts.
RECIPIENT > O God, I acknowledge that my ancestors grieved You by not always walking in Your ways. Forgive _______ (names or line of ancestors) for ________ (specific sin). Forgive me for participating in this by _______ (say if you have participated in any way). O God, I acknowledge that my ancestor(s) experienced the pain of _________. I forgive _______ (names, if known) for causing pain in the life of ________ (name or line of ancestors). We break the power of this sin and pain, coming down from my mother’s and / or father’s family, from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generations, all the way back to the beginning. We break this in my life and the lives of my children and their children’s children.
We render powerless the plans evil spirits have against my family concerning this sin and pain, by the authority You granted over the devil’s work through Jesus our master. Thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus, giving us the power to declare a new blood line.
God, pour out Your Spirit on my offspring, and Your blessing on my descendants.
What The Bible Says
"Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation." - Exodus 34:5-7 ESV
"You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments." - Deuteronomy 5:9-10
"Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors! Let your compassion quickly meet our needs, for we are on the brink of despair. Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name." - Psalm 79:8-9 NLT
"But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the Lord their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the Lord.' " - Leviticus 26:40-45 ESV
Exodus 32, 34, Numbers 14 - Moses – Repentance on Behalf of his People
2 Chronicles 29 - Hezekiah – Perceiving the Cause of Disaster and Responding
Ezrah 18 - Ezekiel – The Effects of Generational Sin and the Justice of God
Jeremiah 31, 14 - Jeremiah – the Promise of Freedom from Generational Bondage
Daniel 9 - Daniel – Repenting for Generational Sin in Light of a Promise
Nehemiah 1 - Nehemiah – Generational Bondage Broken and Lives Rebuilt
1 Kings 8 - Solomon's repentance prayer
Ezra 9, 10 - Ezra's prayers
Lamentations 5:7 - Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment
Jeremiah 16 - It is because your fathers forsook me... but you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers
Psalm 106 - We have sinned, even as our fathers did... Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known
Jeremiah 3 - From our youth shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our fathers' labor—their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers...
Leviticus 26 - If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands... I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful... I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. If you will confess your sins and the sins of your fathers... I will remember my covenant
Psalm 79 - Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need
Acts 2 - When the good news of Christ first went out, the people of Jesus' day realized that they, their leaders, and their people had sinned by not recognizing him. Their response was repentance, and great blessing followed for them and their descendants.
Psalm 102 - Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.
Deuteronomy 30 - The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
Isaiah 44 - I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
Luke 1:50 - His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
Freedom from Words that Bind
Repent, renounce, and break agreement with any judgments, vows, and curses you have made or spoken out against yourself or others
RECIPIENT > O God, I confess my sin of judgement against ________ (name), by thinking or saying _________ (state in what way you judged this person). Please forgive me. I bring this judgement to You and renounce it. I confess that You are the only Judge over _________ (name). Release _____ (name if person is still alive) from the effects of being judged by me, and instead bless this person with _______ (mention several blessings). Likewise, release me, O God, from the results of my sin of judging another person.
RECIPIENT > O God, I feel judged by ________ (name) because _______ (state what was said / done). We take this judgement to You, and pronounce its power destroyed in my life. Cause me to readily forgive ______ (name) from the heart. You have appointed Jesus as my judge and master, and Jesus is able to make me stand firm. O God, cause me to live closely to You, safe from accusations.
Vow Explanation
When we are hurt, we feel unsettled, unsafe and not at peace. We often cope by making decisions in our own strength, hoping to avoid further hurt. We think or even say out loud statements such as these: “I will never trust another man/woman again.” | “I will never be like my father.” We may be able to shield ourselves from a degree of hurt, but we end up shielding ourselves from God's help as well, because our striving distances us from him. At other times we may make vows to God (or to others) that we are later unable to fulfill.
God provided a way for release from thoughtless vows through the offering of a sacrifice (Lev. 5:4-6), of which Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment (Heb. 7:27). For vows that cannot be fulfilled, God provided a way for them to be re-valued by a priest (Lev. 27:8). The role of a priest is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who is our great high priest (Heb. 4:14,15), the fulfillment of what is foreshadowed in the Law.
We will not strive to fulfill vows made in our own strength, but will surrender fully to God and lean on His strength, as he lifts the burden of these vows from us. We will no longer rely on our own vows to protect us from hurt, but instead will turn to God to protect and shield us (Ps. 18:2; Eph. 6:16, 1 Pet. 1:5).
RECIPIENT > O God, forgive me when I vowed ______ (state the context when you made the vow, your pain that caused you to make it, and the nature of the vow itself). I look to You to nullify this vow. Thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus that cancels this vow. I rescind the vow of ______ (state the vow). We break its power and effect on my life, from this day forward. I will no longer protect myself with this vow – I look to You to protect me. I will no longer be guided by this vow – I surrender to You to guide me in everything
RECIPIENT > O God, forgive me when I vowed ______ (state the vow) in my own strength. Forgive me for not fulfilling it. May Jesus, the great high priest, cancel this vow, or re-value it, should there be any part of it that You still require me to fulfill. I thank You for the sacrifice You provided that makes atonement for this vow.
Curses Explanation
To curse someone is to declare the opposite of blessing over a person, or to wish calamity upon someone, or to speak negative things concerning a person's future. We can curse God (Lev. 24:15; Job 2:9; Ex. 22:28), curse our parents (Lev. 20:9, Prov. 20:20), curse ourselves (Job 3:1-26), curse others (James 3:9-10), or pay a practitioner to curse someone (2 Pet. 2:15). We can unknowingly curse one of our children by favoring one child over another (as in Gen. 37 where Jacob favored Joseph over his brothers). Our sin can cause God’s curse to fall on us (Deut 11:26-28; Gen 3:17,18). Solomon recorded the words of God saying that an undeserved curse does not come to rest (Prov. 26:2), but is anyone of us completely innocent and undeserving of trouble? Experience shows that even believers have been affected by others’ curses. The way to freedom from curses is to confess anything that may have given rise to the curse, and to break the power of it by the authority God gives us through Christ, who “redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). We then agree with God who replaces curses with his blessings (Deut 23:4,5; Ps. 109:28), and we bless those who curse us (Luke 6:28; Rom. 12:14).
Num. 22-24 – Balaam - In seven other places in the Scriptures, Balak and Balaam's actions are soundly denounced (Deut 23, Josh. 13, Josh. 24, Micah 6, 2 Pet. 2, Jude 1 and Rev. 2). In the end, God overruled Balaam, and only words of blessing came out of his mouth. Rev. 22 - One day, there will no longer be any curse.
RECIPIENT > O God, I confess that I cursed _______ (name) by saying or thinking ______ (state the nature of that curse). Forgive me, O God, because of Your provision of the sacrifice of Jesus, who took the curse in our place. I renounce the curse and break its power by the authority of Jesus. Free ______ (name) from the results of my curse. Instead of my curse, give ______ (name) Your blessing. Free me from the power that this sin of cursing has had in my life. Show me what restitution, if any, You want me to make.
O God, I confess that I have asked or paid ______ (name) to curse ______ (name) for me by _____ (state nature of that curse). Forgive me, O God, because of Your provision of the sacrifice of Jesus, who took the curse in our place. I renounce the curse and break its power by the authority of Jesus. Free ______ (name) from the results of my curse. Instead of my curse, give ______ (name) Your blessing. Free me from the power that this sin of cursing has had in my life. Show me what restitution, if any, You want me to make.
O God, I confess that I have received payment or other rewards for cursing _______ (name) on behalf of _______ (name) by ______ (state nature of the curse). Forgive me, O God, because of Your provision of the sacrifice of Jesus, who took the curse in our place. I renounce the curse and break its power by the authority of Jesus. Free ______ (name) from the results of my curse. Instead of my curse, give ______ (name) Your blessing. Free me from the power that this sin of cursing has had in my life. Show me what restitution, if any, You want me to make. Show me what must be done with money or possessions obtained through this sin.
RECIPIENT > O, God, forgive me for the sin of cursing myself. You are the one who created me. I have said or thought _____ (state the nature of the belittling, negative or harmful things that were said or thought). By the authority of Jesus who became the curse for me, we break the power of this curse over me. Heal me from all the effects that this curse has brought into my life. Replace the curse with Your blessing.
RECIPIENT > OO God, I feel that I am cursed because of the sin of ______ (state the sin). I confess my sin to You. Forgive me. Cleanse my heart from this sin and lift the resulting curse over my life. We place the sacrificial death and victorious resurrection of Jesus between the curse of this sin, and my life along with the lives of my children. Deliver me and my family from the effects of this curse from this day forward.
RECIPIENT > O God, I feel that I have been cursed by ______ (name or description of person) in the area of _____ (state nature of curse). Forgive me for the sin of ______ (state sin, if any, that may have caused someone to want to curse you). Cleanse my heart from any effects this curse has had upon me. By the authority of Jesus, we cancel this curse and destroy its power over my life, and the life of my children, from this day forward. O God, take this curse and make it a blessing, according to Your promise. I forgive and pray for blessing for _____ (name of the one who cursed you).
What The Bible Says
The Power of Words
"Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose." - Proverbs 18:21 MSG
"...For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way... the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!" - James 3:2,5,7-9 NLT
"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire." - Matthew 5:22 ESV
Psalm 62:4 – spoken out loud or in the heart
Proverbs 18:21 - power of life and death is in the tongue
Hebrews 12:24 - better word God has spoken in Christ
Judgments
Acts 17:31 - God is the just Judge who will judge through Christ, the one he has appointed. We overcome judgment by taking judgments back to the Judge.
1 Corinthians 4:3-5 - judge nothing until the Lord comes
1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:15; Col. 2:13-17 - resist coming under the judgment of others
Psalm 31:19-20 - In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues
Psalm 109:30-31 – God saves us from those who condemn us
Romans 14:1-13 – the Lord is able to make us stand
Deuteronomy 18 - Korah judged Moses
2 Samuel 6:12-23 – Michal judged David
Matthew 7:1-5 - Do not judge, or you too will be judged
Luke 6:35-42 - But love your enemies, because God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
1 Corinthians 6:1-8 - judge a dispute between believers
Romans 14:1-13 - stop passing judgment on one another
Galatians 5:14-15 - If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
James 4:11,12 - Do not speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbor?
Vows
Judges 11:1-40 - Jephthah made a vow outside the will of God; it is possible he did not know of the provision of release from a vow through sacrifice
Prov. 20:25 - It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows
1 Samuel 14:24-45 - Saul also made a rash vow... he was about to kill his own son, but others stepped in to save Jonathan, and thankfully Saul did not fulfill his vow
Mathew 5:33-37 - Jesus taught us that vows made in our own strength are related to the evil one
Freedom from Occult Involvement, False Religion, Magic, Sorcery, Divination, Folk Rituals, etc.
Repent, renounce, and break agreement with any involvement in a cult, the occult, false religion, or for any other God-forbidden practices you have participated in, in the past. This includes breaking off any forbidden spiritual powers practiced in your family line, as well.
RECIPIENT > O God, I repent of grieving You through my involvement (and / or my ancestors’ involvement) in forbidden spiritual power. Forgive me and my ancestors for practicing any traditional rituals by which we unknowingly invited the involvement of evil spirits in our lives. I sought help from the wrong source(s) in this way: ______ (say the type of involvement). Forgive me and cleanse me. Rescue me from the consequences of my own sin. I cancel any call to any spirits of the dead in which I have participated, entrusting people in that realm to You alone, O God. By the power of God and the authority of Jesus, I reject all benefits, abilities, blessings or powers: ________ (speak out anything that you are reminded of) obtained through occult encounters.
I rescind any occult pacts/covenants I or my ancestors made: _____ (speak out any agreements made). I cancel all spells or mantras I have spoken (speak out any details). I renounce the taking in of any magic substance – food, drink or potions. I bring to You, O God, any items connected to the occult. Give me strength to destroy charms, amulets or any other object that is associated with dark powers (all items under the authority of the guest of honor should be destroyed by the decision of the guest of honor, by the guest of honor with others present if at all possible, to support in prayer). By the authority of Jesus, we command all evil spirits connected with this occult involvement to leave immediately. I forbid them to touch me or my children. O God, I receive from You alone all help, blessings, healing, abilities, power, gifts or protection that You want to give me to replace what the enemy has temporarily provided.
O God, I believe that others have used magical powers to help me. I forgive _______ (name of person to be forgiven) for what was done _________ (say type of involvement) in order to obtain something on my behalf _________ (say type of help being sought). I turn _____ (name) over to You. I reject any help, benefit, blessing, healing, protection, ability or power supplied by evil spirits. By the authority of Jesus, we break the power of any mantras or spells said on my behalf. We break the power of any pacts or vows made on my behalf.
By the power of God and the authority of Jesus, we order any evil spirits to leave now that may have come to me as a result of someone else’s involvement in forbidden spiritual power.
I receive from You, O God, all help, blessings, healing, abilities, power, gifts or protection that You want to give me to replace what the enemy has temporarily given me. Thank You that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and that You are giving me life, both now and in the world to come.
What The Bible Says
"Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power." - Acts 19:18-20 NIV
"Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God." - Leviticus 19:31 NIV
The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek. I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people. Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." - Leviticus 20:1-7 NIV
"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” - Revelation 21:8 NIV
"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21 NIV
"When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness." - Isaiah 8:19-22 NIV
"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so." - Deuteronomy 8:10-14 NIV
"Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.’ Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells. You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you. "Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. These are not coals for warmth; this is not a fire to sit by." - Isaiah 47:8-14 NIV
Freedom from Unhealthy Attachments to Other People
Repent, renounce, and break agreement with any sexual involvement outside the healthy boundaries of marriage (fornication, adultery, etc.), any emotional ties (leading to emotional affairs), and any type of enmeshment between family members or in an unhealthy relationship you may have had.
RECIPIENT > O God, protect and comfort me as we break this harmful tie in the spiritual realm. We sever all ties between __________ and me. I give You any part of ____________’s heart that is still with me. I receive back any part of my heart that I left with _________.
RECIPIENT > O God, forgive me for sexual involvement with ______________. We sever all ties between __________ and me. I give You any part of ____________’s heart that is still with me. I receive back any part of my heart that I left with _________.
RECIPIENT > O God, I bring to You all emotional ties from my relationship with __________. We sever all unhealthy ties remaining between _____________ and me. I give You any part of ____________’s heart that is still with me. I receive back any part of my heart that I left with _________.
RECIPIENT > O God, I bring to You ______________ who has had unhealthy control in my life. We sever the unhealthy soul tie between _______________ and me. I give You any part of ____________ that is still with me. I receive back any part of my heart that has been taken by _________.
O God, I bring to You ____________ whom I have tried to control. Forgive me. We sever the unhealthy tie between ____________ and me. I release ________’s whole heart to You. I entrust ______ to Your care and Your direction. I receive back any part of me that I have forced on _______.
RECIPIENT > O God, I bring to You ____________ (person) with whom I have a soul tie created through occult activity. Forgive me. We sever this tie between ____________ (person) and me. I send back any part of ________ (person) still affecting me, along with any supernatural power that flowed through ______ (person) to me. I receive back any part of me that was left with _______ (person).
"Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, 'The two are united into one.' But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him." - 1 Corinthians 6:15-17 NLT
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." - Genesis 2:24 ESV
Genesis 44-45 – Possible soul tie between Jacob and Benjamin
Judges 14-15 – Samson’s soul ties
1 Corinthians 6:15-20 – soul ties through sex outside marriage
Leviticus 26:13, Gal. 5:1 - soul ties involving control / oppression of one person over another
Proverbs 29:25, Gal. 1:10 – soul ties involving living to please others
Genesis 2:24 – soul ties involving grown children to parents after marriage
Colossians 2:2 – healthy soul tie – knit together in love
Freedom from Hidden Shame or Sin or Idols
Come clean on any other hidden things or sins you have kept from the Lord and/or from others. Repent, renounce, and break agreement with it.
There may be something that happened to us that is so shameful, we promised ourselves or someone else that we would never tell anyone – we would die with the secret never brought out into the open – we made a vow of silence. It may be something done to us, or something we did. It may be some pattern in life where we have effectively put up an “idol” – something that has our allegiance in place of the Lord. By bringing the secret into the open with a trusted person, as God leads us, the power of the secret is broken. The enemy cannot use it against us any more.
RECIPIENT > O God, I break the vow of silence concerning what happened in my life. O God, I have told my trusted friend the secret of my shame. Lift the shame from me, O God, because of what Jesus has done. Thank You that Jesus bore my shame and takes it away. I forbid the enemy to use this secret against me anymore, by the authority of Jesus. O God, wash me. O God, let me experience Your nearness.
RECIPIENT > O God, I confess my secret sin _____ (state type of sin) against _____ (name of anyone who was affected). O God, forgive my sins. Thank You that Jesus bore them on my behalf. Show me if I must ask forgiveness of _____ (name) and give me the courage to do it. Show me if I must make restitution of any kind. Even if I feel unable to make full restitution all at once, I ask You to give me the determination to begin the process. I trust in You, O God, to help me, step by step.
What The Bible Says
"Do not give the devil a foothold." - Ephesians 4:27 NIV
"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech." - 1 Peter 2:1 NLT
"They thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents." - Romans 1:28-30 NLT
"The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!" - Mark 12:2-3 NLT
"Everything hidden and covered up will soon be exposed. For the facade is falling down, and nothing will be kept secret for long. Whatever you have spoken in private will be public knowledge, and what you have whispered secretly behind closed doors will be broadcast far and wide for all to hear. - Luke 12:2-3 TPT
"God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad." - Ecclesiastes 12:14 NLT
"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy." - Proverbs 28:13 NLT
Psalm 25:20 – The Lord guards, rescues, takes away shame
Psalm 32:1-7 – Silence brings anguish; speaking brings God’s response
Joshua 7 – Ai and hidden sin/idol
Psalm 90:8 - The Lord sets our secret sins in the light of his presence
Psalm 32:5 - Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to God,” you forgave the guilt of my sin
Proverbs 28:13 - he who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy
Luke 19:1-10, Numbers 5:5-7 – restitution is important to God
LEADER > O God, You are here. You know me and everything about me. You have been with me all along, and now You are right here. Thank You. I love You. I receive Your love now washing over me. This is what I was made for – to be close to You. I thank You for all You have done, are doing and will do in my life. We trust that You have sealed Your work today by Your power. Amen.