Chapter 6.  Freedom

per — Capturing God’s Heart Volume #6 

Today I share what I have found to be a simple yet profound process of bringing the freedom of the Lord into very specific areas of our lives.

Receiving Jesus Christ as Saviour is the first step towards this freedom.  And then as we continue to walk with Him we can begin to bring His freedom into very specific areas of our life, increasing His light within our own hearts and lives, experiencing freedom and the lightness of the Lord in increasing measure.

Freedom in any area of life comes about through a process before the Lord.  (10)

1.  CONFESSION.  Confession is where we say “I did it”.  Confession admits to something that has gone wrong, and by our own heart and hand.

The ability to confess comes when we see clearly our sin.  Those things that offend, deny, or outright attack the character of God.

“I did it”

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”  James 5:16a ESV

The next part of freedom comes when we are repentant.  When our hearts find remorse and sorrow for our sin.  Repentance comes as a gift from the Father.  The Bible is pretty clear that without the revelation of the Holy Spirit over our hearts we will not understand or even see a need for repentance.

2.  REPENTANCE is the place where we declare our sorrow over actions, thoughts, words, whatever it may be, that contradicts the glory and nature of God.

“I am so sorry”

It is quite possible to have confession, “I did it”, without repentance, “I am so sorry”.  But to have full freedom we must have both.  First the acknowledgment of wrong-doing, and then the grief and sorrow regarding that.

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret”                             2 Corinthians 7:10a ESV

3.  RENOUNCING.  This is where we declare, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I say NO to this in my life.”

“I renounce (the name of the specific sin) in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is where we hold our hand out so to speak, against the sin, against the stronghold, and declare “No More!”

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and wordly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age”  Titus 2:11-12 ESV

4.  BREAK the hold of the sin upon us.

This, all of this, can only be accomplished in our lives because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross some 2000 years ago.  He did the work, we merely bring it specifically into and over our lives.  Breaking the hold of the sins over us goes something like this:

“I (name of self), stand in the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ and I declare the stronghold of (the specific sin) broken off of my life.  Where it has woven itself into my life, today I say ‘no more’ in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.  I remove its grip from my life, I break its hold, I sever its grasp, all in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.”

Breaking the sin, using whatever picture the Holy Spirit gives us, can only be done through the authority of Jesus.  It is why we keep saying His name so many times.  ONLY the name of Jesus Christ has any power to break us free from sin’s death grip.

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”  Isaiah 58:6 ESV 

5. CANCEL the accompanying things of the enemy, that most likely have come along because of the sin.

For instance, when we sin we agree with the enemies plans over our life.  When we sin we enter into an agreement with Satan.  This is like a legal document in the spirit realm, that then plays out in life-debilitating ways.  Cancelling the assignments and curses and authority of the enemy is as simple as declaring it so.

“I (insert your own name) stand in the name of my Living Lord Jesus Christ declaring that all assignments, authority and curses of the enemy be cancelled this day.  I declare all things of the enemy in relation to this sin silenced and bound to ineffectiveness, No More!  Today I declare a new contract written, this one unto the Lord with all glory and honour to him, all in the name and the blood of my Living Lord Jesus Christ.”

“God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.   This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”  Colossians 2:13b -14 ESV

6.  CLAIMING comes next.  It is the place where we receive from God’s heart and hand that which replaces the sin.

*If there were something to replace the sin in your life, what might it be? (remember, forgiveness is already a given based on the work of Jesus Christ).  Here we receive into our lives all that is beneficial, to replace the stronghold of sin that is now cancelled.  We then give God the thanks.

“In the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, I receive _______________ from the heart of the Father. Thank-you God for this gift. I press it through my whole being, heart, mind, spirit and body in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank-you for making a way for me to glorify You God.”

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant,”  2 Corinthians 3:4-6a ESV

7.  SEAL this work.  Covering it and protecting it with the presence of the Lord, sealing ensures that the enemy cannot muck about with the work done.  It claims the work as part of the Glory of God and not anyone else.

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare this work sealed and kept for the glory of God and God alone.”

Language is powerful, and speaking God’s heart into our lives is powerful.  Speaking and declaring in the Name and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is powerful.

It is because of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ that we can stand in the same authority and declare freedom.  We do this verbally, out loud for ourselves.

“Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Romans 10:9 ESV

This has been but a short summary of the process of bringing specific freedom into specific areas of our lives. We can do this because of the authority given us in Jesus Christ when we believe on Him.   And when we do this for ourselves, out loud with our own mouths, we participate in the power of the Kingdom of God come to earth.

Application

1.  Memorize these steps to freedom: 

1. 1. Confession
   2. Repentance
   3. Renouncing
   4. Breaking
   5. Cancelling
   6. Claiming
   7. Sealing 

2.  Write a short summary of each step and why it is necessary.  Memorize this also. 

3.  Practice praying these steps once every day until you are fluent in them. Use the following script. Notice the shift in your heart and spirit as you bring specific things to the Lord in this way. 

*Note: each day you want to ask the Lord to reveal to you something that he wants you to bring to the cross of Jesus, that you may be free. 

“God, I come before you in the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ.  I set this time and space for your glory and honour.   To any lying, deceiving, or confusing spirits I say ‘silence’ in the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ. (11)

Jesus, what would you have me bring to you today?  (12)

( Wait and listen for the Holy Spirit to direct you.  You will get a sense of what to bring to Jesus and to the cross. Let’s pretend that the Holy Spirit is directing you to bring your anger to the cross.  James 1:20)

Jesus, today I confess to my anger (step 1).  I realize that my anger is not compatible with your work or spirit.  In fact, many times I am damaging others with my anger.  I am sorry (step 2).  Today I renounce anger in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. I say ‘No more!’ to anger today (step 3). (13)

With the strong arm of my Lord Jesus Christ I reach back into my past where anger first took root in my life and I remove it, leaving nothing behind.  I unwind the chains and stronghold of anger from my life in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.  And I declare every link of that chain severed (step 4). 

In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ (14) I cancel all assignments, curses, and authority, of the enemy that has been over and through my life because of this anger, and I send all things to do with this anger to the place where the true Lord Jesus Christ chooses to send them (step 5). 

Jesus, what would you have for me in place of this anger? 

(now, wait and listen to see what the Holy Spirit might like to give you in place of anger — or, alternately, you can ask for something, such as patience)

Jesus, today I receive from you a new patience for life and people and all things.  Please soak your patience into my heart, mind, spirit, and body.  May I be a new creature in you (step 6). 

Thank you Lord for your work in my life today.  I wrap myself in the love of the Father, I declare myself covered in the name and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I breathe the Holy Spirit through me in a new way today.  

I seal this work in the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ.  To any messing of the enemy in this work, 

I say “No, back off’.  I reserve and preserve all the glory for God alone, in the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank you Lord.  Amen and amen. (step 7)”   

Summary – freedom

When we sin we create agreements with Satan.  1 John 3:4,  Isaiah 59:1-2

Sins are: 

• • Physical actions of our flesh.   Galatians 5:19-21
  • Words spoken carelessly.   Matthew 12:36
  • Attitudes not in accord with God’s heart.   2 Timothy 3:1-7
  • Judgments (contempt) against others.   Matthew 7:1-5

All sins invite bad fruit.  Matthew 7:18-19

To be transformed we enter into confession and repentance.  1 John 1:9,  Proverbs 28:13

We break agreements with Satan and declare new agreements with God.  James 4:8-10,  Joel 2:13

Footnotes: 

10. The prayer ministry processes in this course are heavily influenced by elijahhouse.org  prayer ministry model.  

*  NOTE: Further in the course we will be teaching more about inner healing prayer.  Please use the healing prayer process for yourself only, until you have completed the teaching in the later parts of this course.

11. We include this pre-step. We always begin listening prayer by inviting God to speak to us, and by silencing the lies of the enemy. We want to only hear from God and so it is important to set this expectation and to declare the space and time set for God’s heart and covered by Jesus. 

12. In the same way, unless the Holy Spirit directs us we may not know our strongholds. We take the time to ask Jesus to reveal to us what he would have us free from, and we take the time to become silent in our inner spirit and to listen to the Lord. ALSO it is very important that we ask very simple questions with very few words. This is hard to do as our natural habit is to speak many words, but when we speak many words we become unable to hear the Holy Spirit’s whisper back into our hearts. Therefore, as you ask Jesus a question, use no more than 4-6 words. 

13. Do not add extra words to this prayer process – simple is best.

14. We use ‘in the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ’ because it is only in the power of Jesus that we can be free from anything. Only his name has the power to free us. It is suggested that in specific spiritual warfare work we speak his complete title ‘Lord Jesus Christ’.