#6. Prayer Against Strongholds
by Jo Getzinger, Vice President, C.A.R.E., Inc.
I. Introduction
Strongholds are a term given to the demonic forces when they have found a pattern of sin that has become a long-standing problem. These are difficult areas usually to overcome. We have selected the strongholds that commonly plague mankind. These strongholds are also what we have discovered are used as foundational tools of the enemy for building false beliefs, programming and continued dissociation in the survivor's life.
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in Elohim (God) for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim (God), bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of the Messiah (Christ)" (2 Cor.10:4-5).
II. The Prayer
1. Defining True Deity
6.1. Dear Heavenly Father, Yahweh-Elohim, in the Name of Your Son, and My Master and Saviour, Yah'shua the Messiah of Nazareth, who was born in the flesh over 2,000 years ago, was fully Elohim and fully man, led a sinless and holy life, voluntarily died on the cross and rose again on the third day to conquet sin and death, and who gave me His righteousness -
2. The Major Strongholds
6.2. I ask that you would have mercy and bind up all ruling spirits over the following strongholds in my life and deliver me from these, teaching me to walk in Your ways that I might bring glory to Your Name:
- a. FEAR - Show me where there is fear in my life that I might specifically surrender these to You. [Name what Yahweh brings to mind]. In place of fear, Father, please give me Your perfect Love that casts out all fear (1 John 4:18);
- b. UNBELIEF - Show me the specific areas in my life that I have not believed in You. [Name these as Yahweh brings them to your mind and surrender these areas]. Father, please bind up all false images of You, all false gods, false holy spirits, and false messiahs and christs, and remove any deceptions. Please reveal the lies I've believed about You and replace them with Your truth. Purify Your holy Word (Bible) to me that I might understand Your true character. I believe, Father, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24). Where there is unbelief, please grant me the gift of faith;
- c. PRIDE - Show me my pride, Father. Help me see the specific areas in which I am prideful. Humble me in these areas that I might surrender all of these to You. Let me not forget that all good things come from You (Josh.23:15) and that I can do nothing without You. Give me the wilderness experience that teaches me to depend on You and You alone. Forgive me for all my self-sufficiency and all the ways I believed I could do things better than You. Please forgive me for caring more about what I think than seeking Your understanding and Your plan for me even in the midst of my suffering;
- d. REBELLION - Father, have mercy on the many ways I have rebelled against You and taken my own path. Please show me all of the ways I rebel, even subtle ways, that I might surrender them to You. I give You all self-harm, vows, covenants, pacts, oaths and agreements of all kinds with the demonic, others, and self-vows. I am powerless to change my ways without You. I accept Your forgiveness and ask that You would bring me into obedience. I give you all demonic power attained through any ritual or repeated sin pattern. Please forgive me;
- e. UNFORGIVENESS - Father, help me fully understand Your mercy and forgiveness for my sins that I might do likewise to others. Show me specifically the areas of unforgiveness in my life that I might surrender them to You. Soften my heardened heart and grant me Your gifts of forgiveness for others. Help me trust Your promise: "Yahweh is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (1 Peter 3:9);
- f. CONTROL - Father, please forgive my unbelief that cause me to do it myself and control. Show me all the ways I control things, people, situations and my own dissociative system. I give you permission to take complete control. I recognise that if I hold on to anything it gives room for continued strongholds. I confess my fear of things falling apart or my perceived inability to function. Help me trust that if You tear anything down You will rebuild it in the right way and You will not give me more than I can handle. I confess and repent of all vows, covenants, pacts, oaths and agreements to take control, even in ways that have given permission for the demonic to keep me from seeing and knowing what has happened to me so that I can keep functioning. I realise this just keeps me in bondage and fooling myself;
- g. LEANING ON MY OWN UNDERSTANDING - Father, show me the thoughts and beliefs that are wrong. I confess I'm so accustomed to my thoughts and beliefs that I don't know when I'm thinking wrongly. I acknowledge my complete dependence on You for every thought and I ask, Father, that You would correct my every thought and belief; according to Your Word bring these into obedience to You. Thank You for Your forgiveness and tender mercies toward me. May You be glorified in my life. Amen.
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