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THE WAY TO FREEDOM (MODULE 3)

SHUT THE HOUSE (PART A) - EXTERNAL

The first step on the way to freedom is shutting the entry points to our house. The enemy is constantly looking for ways to access your life and it is important to know what entry points the enemy will use to affect our lives. There are 6 main entry points that we identify in scripture that we can split up into 2 main categories: EXTERNAL and INTERNAL entry points. The external entry points refer to things that we have little to no control over and are things that start from outside of us but still impact us, and the internal entry points refer to things that we have control over and are things that start from within us. Today we will discuss the EXTERNAL points and tomorrow we will go through the Internal points.

The process that we will use to deal with these entry points is as follows:

READ: Each entry point will come with a brief explanation and supporting scripture to help understand the entry point.

REFLECT: Think about which entry point has been left open in your life. It is important that you are honest and real with yourself.

RENOUNCE: Pray a prayer of repentance to God and renouncement of sin. This is where we break the power of sin over our lives.

ENTRY POINT 1 - UNFORGIVENESS:

In Matthew 18:21-30, Jesus teaches on the parable of the unforgiving servant. This servant owed the king an insurmountable amount that could almost never be paid back. The king, out of his grace and mercy wipes the debt and releases the servant. But when this same servant leaves the king's presence and finds another servant who owes him a small sum of money, he gets him thrown into jail until his debt can be paid. When the king finds out that this servant whom he dealt with so graciously was not treating his fellow servants with the same grace, the king reinstates his debt and throws him in jail until his debt can be paid in full. This parable reminds us that God has completely wiped out our insurmountable debt despite our sin and brokenness, and the key to our forgiveness is that we too forgive others. We must live with the same mercy and grace to others, with no strings attached. God takes forgiveness so seriously, that in Mark 11, we are reminded that if we cannot forgive then we cannot be forgiven.

In the same way that there is no limit to God’s forgiveness, we must have the same level of forgiveness with others. And this comes with a disclaimer: to forgive someone does not mean to continually allow someone to hurt you. In a lot of cases, forgiveness should come with boundaries so we are not positioning ourselves to keep forgiving others. And this is true with authority figures. For a lot of people, we have been hurt by authority figures. People in our lives who have hurt us with their words or actions. Abused us or even abused their power. These relationships can be painful, yet God still calls us into reconciliation. Someone once said that unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. The reality is that unforgiveness only hurts you and keeps you trapped in sin. When we release people from the debt they owe us we are the ones who become free.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” - Mark 11:25-26 NKJV

ENTRY POINT 2 – TRAUMA:

Trauma refers to deep wounds that have caused lasting emotional, spiritual, and psychological damage to our lives. Trauma can come in many different forms such as harsh words, broken promises, rejection or abuse but all of that can lead to great pain, anger, bitterness or hate. Trauma can include pain we have experienced from something that was done to us or something that we may have done. Either way, the lasting effects of trauma can become exhausting to carry throughout our lives, whether your trauma came from your childhood or later on in life, it has the ability to impact your attitudes and reactions today. We cannot control the things that have happened to us, but we can control our responses to them. We are not responsible for the wrong deeds of someone else, but we are responsible for our handling of them. The truth is, Jesus calls us into a life of healing and restoration. What seems too far gone or too beyond repair, Jesus can heal, fix, mend and restore it. All things are possible for those who believe.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” - Isaiah 61:1 NKJV

ENTRY POINT 3 – GENERATIONAL INFLUENCE:

Generational influence can either be a bad thing or a good thing. Throughout scripture, God will not just bless someone, but their generations to come. Adversely, we can make decisions in our lifetime that can have a negative impact on our children and our children's children. It's important to look back at our ancestors and see whether there are any reoccurring attitudes or sins that need to be addressed and repented for. Identifying certain patterns and certain decisions that were made by the people and the families that have come before, is important for us to walk in generational freedom. Throughout scripture and even amongst people today we find that once a curse or a blessing is released, it usually moves from one generation to the next until decisive action is taken. The future of your lineage and family rests on the decisions you make and the chains that you break today. You have the opportunity to rewrite the story of the generations that will come from and through you.

“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” - Deuteronomy 7:9 NKJV

RENOUNCEMENT PRAYER 1 - UNFORGIVENESS:

Dear God, I confess that I have unforgiveness towards others and myself (name any person[s] including yourself). Lord, forgive me for the unforgiveness that I have held towards others and myself and for what that has done to me (tell God what has been done). I give you my hurt my anger and my bitterness. I forgive these people and myself from my heart. I close the entry point of unforgiveness towards others and myself; in Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

RENOUNCEMENT PRAYER 2 – TRAUMA:

Dear God, I declare that You are the great Healer and Comforter. Lord, I confess where I may have caused or received pain, hurt and trauma (name the specific pain, hurt or trauma caused or received). I ask that You come now and heal my spirit, my soul and my body. I turn from the past and I turn towards You and ask that You set me free. I now close the entry point of spiritual and emotional trauma; in Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

RENOUNCEMENT PRAYER 3 – GENERATION INFLUENCE:

Dear God, I confess that the sins of my family and past generations were committed against You. Please break the power of any curses and words that were spoken over me (name the sins, curses or words). Please forgive me and my ancestors for our rebellion and sin. Thank you, Father, that from this day forward, these sins no longer have any control over my life and there is now a new future for me. I now close the entry point of generational influence in my life; in Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.