There IS Freedom From Shame
- by Janell Lyle
OpeningAshamed Little Girl Story
Little Girl Grows Up Ashamed
Married and still feeling Shame
Hope
My Eyes are Opened
Bible Quotes to Learn From
Prayer
Ps 139:14-18
14 "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee."
For the majority of Christians, it is difficult to think that they are wonderful and precious. Sure, they can quote this scripture but they do not really believe it. Their manner of speaking gives them away.
Why is it so difficult for us, who know the love of Jesus, to see how precious we are to the Father? Perhaps this story will help us better understand one of the reasons why we do not realize how precious we are to the Father.
This is a story about a little girl who spent most of her life crying and asking the Lord "Why can’t I be normal? Why can’t I be like everyone else?" She was always hiding, hoping no one would see. She was continually saying to herself, "Please, don’t look at me!" I could start out this story as "Once upon a time…" Because for this little girl it was once upon a time but I know there are people today who are saying the same thing. "Why can’t I be like everyone else, but don’t look at me because I am not worthy."
This little girl had a family like any other family. She had parents that did the best they could and she loved them. But because of problems within the family, this little girl struggled to be "normal". She tended to be closer to her father in the early years, more than her mother. Her father was extremely domineering and this little girl was afraid of making her father angry. She would watch how he related to her siblings — there was a lot of yelling — and this little girl vowed that she would do nothing to make her father angry. Around the age of 6 or 7 something happened to this little girl that really changed her life. She was betrayed by her father. He did things that a father should never do. He began to molest her. He made her vow not to "tell" anyone, so she became quiet. This little girl turned inward and became a quiet mouse so no one would ever see her. This began the struggles in her life.
The vow that she took of "not telling" was incorporated into her every day life. She became so quiet that people began to say that she was "just shy". This little girl desperately wanted to communicate but there was so much fear that the things she wanted to say never came out right. So, no one would listen or else they would be offended by what she said. Something seemed to be haywire between her thoughts and her mouth. This was carried into her adult life. She found speaking to anyone very difficult.
Her mother, perhaps because of her own problems, did not have a lot of patience with her daughter. Food seemed to be an issue. This little girl recalls eating potato chips one day and her mother saying, "Go ahead an eat them fatty". So, with the hurt that came with those words, she ate. This little girl began to think of herself as fat. This reinforced the thoughts, "Don’t look at me." Again she thought, "Why can’t I be like everyone else?"
She was excited for school to begin because maybe then she would find someone to listen and see her, hoping for some acceptance. Out on the playground the kids were all playing and because she was a good athlete she was picked to play. She was semi-popular, not like the pretty girls, but she was tolerated. Whenever this little girl had something to say or suggest, the other kids would look at her, smile and walk away. "What’s wrong with me?", she would say. How many times did she walk home alone in tears. School became a burden.
Fear overcame her and she began to dread school. One vivid memory was in fourth grade class, sitting in the third row, third seat back. She would sit hunched down so the teacher would not call on her. She was very good in academics but to stand in front of the class to read sent chills down her spine. "What happens if they see me? What happens if they find out?" She was not sure what she was hiding but she sure did not want them to know. The teacher would call on her and sweat would begin to pour out. She would begin shaking and stumble over the words and the kids would snicker. As she sat down she would say to herself, "Why can’t I be like everyone else? I wish no one saw me?"
Another vivid memory that happened that year was getting a haircut and permanent by her Aunt and mother. This little girl looked like a poodle and to top it off a bow was put in the middle of the front of her hair, just above the bangs. Oh, this little girl wanted to die right then and there. It was also picture day so this little girl has a permanent reminder of the humiliation. She was ashamed of how she looked because she did not look like all the other girls. Now it was not the fault of her Aunt and mother. They just tried to help make things better but in their kindness they devastated this little girl. "Why can’t I be like everyone else? I hope know one sees me?"
This little girl grew up lonely and angry. High School was not any better. Oh, she was known by the "popular kids" as far as they knew her name and would say "Hi", but that was as far as it went. She even had friends that were kind of the "nerds or outcasts". They were really smart but could have fun so she did not mind that. But even with them she never fit in. During her lunch breaks she would walk the halls alone, crying, "Why can’t I be like everyone else? Why don’t I fit in?" She always seemed to be the odd duck. She never could fit in any where no matter how hard she tried.
Having a lot of boyfriends was not appealing because it would mean she would have to be vulnerable and that was not going to happen. Boys would not like her anyway because she was so SHY so they thought she would not be much fun. She would go to dances and not be asked to dance and she would go home, again in tears. "Why can’t I be like everyone else, but please, don’t look at me".
She was in constant turmoil because she wanted to be noticed but she would panic if someone did see her. So she would push them away. It was easier being a loner. At least this way she was the one who could hate her self. At least this was safe.
Then she heard Brother Andrew, (the one who wrote God’s Smuggler). He came to her college and inspired her to be a missionary. "This is it! This is my calling", she thought.So, off she went to Denmark as a student missionary. She finally felt like this was her niche or so she thought. Because she was so shy it was difficult to do street witnessing. In fact, she just kind of went along with everyone and stayed back while everyone else witnessed. No one noticed that she hung back and did not really participate.
There she met a young man who actually made her feel like she was okay. They dated and eventually married. They were both missionary minded, she thought, and they had a vision of working for the Lord.
Then a dark cloud came over the marriage. On the first anniversary her husband confessed that he was homosexual. The woman’s world fell apart. She was a missionary and had a gay husband. How could this be? Shame just engulfed her and she cried out to the Lord. "What did I do wrong? How can this be? Am I so horrible that a man does not want me?" She was continually plagued with these thoughts. She turned inward even more.
She stayed married to her husband because she was told that it was the right thing to do. She was also told that if she prayed hard enough then her husband would change. He continued to sleep with other men or even move in with them from time to time. She would keep forgiving him and keep on praying. As the years went by and there was no change, this woman began to think that maybe Jesus did not seem to love her because her prayers were not being answered or so she thought. Maybe she was not good enough. Maybe she really was a bad person, like she always thought.
She still remained a missionary and lived abroad, sometimes with her husband and sometimes without him, but always lying to others about him. She would always make excuses for his absence. Darkness and depression as well as shame engulfed her continually. It was hard living a lie and having no one to ask for help. For 18 years she tried to be normal but to no avail. She continually cried out, "Why can’t I have a normal marriage? Am I so bad that I can’t be normal?" She was out saving the world for Jesus but she could not save herself from the downward spiral of depression. The end came when her husband died of Aids. (He did give his life to the Lord just before he died. The Lord did bring freedom into his life.)
Well, she thought the end came then. The depression was still there; the shame was still there. At least she could say she was a widow but sure could not tell anyone that her husband died of Aids. Shame was still there.
This woman did not realize how she was bound by shame and rejection. She did not realize how all the circumstances in her life had her bound up so tight that she could not feel or even be "normal". She still would cry at night wondering why she could not be normal. Panic attacks began to happen, at an increasing rate. Worry, fear, and destructive thoughts came in. In fact, a number of times she tried to kill herself through pills and even twice stabbed herself with a knife. If it had not been for Jesus being right there with this woman, she would be dead.
The Lord, in His mercy and grace, began to show her what had her bound. He began to show her the shame that was in her life. He showed her how she had let rejection destroy her and shame put a blanket over the rejection so she could not cry out for help. Through His grace and the kindness of her pastor and his wife, Tommy and Wanda Cook, who hung in there with her, she began to get freed from her bondages. Also, a kind and loving man, James, came into her life who loved her unconditionally. They married. He showed the love of Jesus to her. It was through his love and acceptance that she could finally learn the love of Jesus.
As you probably surmised, I am this woman. I lived so long in shame and rejection that I did not realize that my personality was deformed. As I began to receive deliverance my eyes began to see the world and my life differently. I received deliverance for many things and always felt better afterwards but there seemed to be something still there. I still had a difficult time speaking to people, as a group and even with individuals. Certain things in my life still had not changed. I would see Christians around me who could pray eloquent prayers, who could preach wonderful sermons, sing beautifully, and I could hardly utter a word. When I was asked to pray it was as though I was back in fourth grade. I would begin to shake and sweat and could hardly speak. I would get so upset with myself. "Why couldn’t I be like everyone else? Why can’t I talk to people?" If the Lord gave me a prophetic word to give out I would get so nervous that it was difficult to give out and then when I did, the voice of condemnation would come in. Words like, "That was so stupid. That wasn’t God. Everyone is going to think you are so dumb". I would battle and fight against all of these voices and think, "What is wrong with me? Why can’t I be like everyone else?"
Finally, the Lord showed me the reason. I had dealt with unforgiveness, rejection, bitterness but the shame that was handed down from what my father did to me was still there. The vow that I had to take of "not telling" anyone and the fear that if I did tell kept me bound up. When I broke that vow and spoke openly about the molesting to others I received deliverance and became free. The two most important steps I had to take were, first: forgive my father, which was difficult but by the grace of the Lord I was able to do this. The second and most difficult was to forgive myself. I had blamed myself for the molesting. I always thought I must be a bad person that is why this happened. I had to face myself, believe it was not my fault and forgive myself and accept myself as one who could be loved. Until this point and time I could not even believe that Jesus could love me, much less anyone else.
The Lord had a timing for my deliverance. I had buried the reason of my shame so far back in my soul that I could not see it. It took years for the Lord to bring it to the surface and cause me to deal with it.
During my first marriage I had gained 100 pounds. Just recently it seemed to be time to lose it. So I went on a diet through an organization. I began to lose weight, which surprised me, because in my head I sure did not think I would ever be able to do it. Jesus helped me. As I became 50 pounds lighter I became nervous with the weight loss. I was not sure what to do with myself. I discovered I had been hiding behind my weight. I saw that my weight had been covering all my feelings of self-hatred and reinforced the shame. You see, I saw how rejection and shame caused me to hate myself. As long as I was fat, I had the excuse of hiding my shame. I would think, "People didn’t like me because I was fat (so I thought)". That was a good excuse to withdraw and hate myself even more. But I could not hide anymore because the weight was leaving. When I dealt with self-hatred, first, by forgiving myself (which again is no easy task because I had to change my whole way of thinking and talking about myself — no longer calling myself Stupid or Fat) and then commanding shame to leave me. It has to go once it is uncovered.
My life has totally changed. There came such a freedom that I had only dreamed could be possible. I can speak and do things I could never have done before. I can stand up in front of one person or thousands without one tummy butterfly. I can prophesy, walk in the Gifts of the Spirit without a thought of "what if I get it wrong". I am free to be seen and not be seen; it no longer matters because Jesus is my focus, not man. Jesus brings freedom to us.
A side note about self-hatred, it is the most
destructive spirit there
is. You see, when we hate our self we always want to punish our self. I
would always think something was my fault even when I had absolutely
nothing to do with it. I considered myself bad and not good enough,
even for the Lord’s love much less anyone else who tried to love me.
The Lord showed me that I could not even follow the Commandments if I
hated myself.
37 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
The Lord spoke to me and said that if I hate myself then how can I love the One who created me? If I hate myself then how could I ever love my neighbor? By hating myself, I put a wall up between myself and God and everyone around me. So, I had to deliberately forgive myself for not living up to the standards or expectations that I had for myself. I had to, also, forgive myself for not living up to the standards "I thought" others had for me. I had to allow Jesus to show me how much He loves me. It took much warfare to be able to lay all this down. It did not happen overnight. But as my way of thinking began to change and I did not expect perfection from myself, things began to be easier and Jesus was able to show His love for me. It takes a process to unravel all the thoughts and hurts from the past, especially those we put on ourselves, but I can tell you, Jesus does have the answer. We need to lift up our hands to Him and ask Him to show us the way He sees us.
Self-hatred also causes illnesses in our life. Any autoimmune disease such as thyroid problems, diabetes, lupus, etc. are rooted in self-hatred. The body turns on itself and tries to destroy itself.
The Lord showed me that shame is like a veil. It covers us and hides our rejection and bitterness. We look at life through this veil that distorts our vision. It distorts our way of thinking. It distorts our relationships with others, including our relationship with God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It distorts the way we see our self.
Shame is a dark, heavy cloak over you. It feels like heaviness is all around. It causes depression to take you over. It has a strong hold on the mouth and the voice. It makes you feel as though you are unimportant. It makes you feel as though you do not fit in anywhere. It keeps you from achieving all that the Lord wants for your life. It hinders one’s ministry. It covers your eyes so you cannot see Jesus clearly. You cannot see the true picture of a situation. In fact, it can cause us to think that people are coming against us or saying things against us when they are not.
The cloak of shame is like the woman in Matthew 5:25, who was bent over for 12 years. When she touched the cloak of Jesus, she was healed. Shame keeps you bent over so that you cannot see Jesus’ face. Shame is such a heavy burden to have to live with. We can touch the cloak of Jesus and be healed.
Shame was not always on the land. When Adam and Eve were
first created
there was no shame. They walked freely, full of happiness.
5 "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
But when they sinned, shame came in. You see, sin puts
a wall between
you and Jesus. We become bowed down. We become the tail and not the
head. In other words, we always feel like we are getting the "raw end
of the deal’.
7 "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."
The shame that came from Adam and Eve is passed down
from generation to
generation. It is because of the iniquities of our forefathers that
shame is passed down. Notice the scripture in Ezra.
4 "Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.
5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,
6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day."
You see, shame is on the face. It causes us not to look up. It causes us to be in captivity to satan. Have you seen people who will not look you in the eye? Shame keeps you from making eye contact with people.
Shame also can come on a people when they are
overpowered by another
country. In our past, our ancestors came from countries that have ruled
over or were over taken by another country. The American Indians were
over taken by the English, French and Spanish. The African Americans
past shows their people were overtaken and brought to America as
slaves. The Irish were overtaken by the English. The English were at
war with the Vikings and on and on. Most of our ancestors passed down
the heritage of shame.
3 "And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire."
When there is shame then our walls are broken down. We
do not have the
defenses to battle the enemy in our life. Shame brings much sorrow,
pain, suffering and poverty. If, in our family line, there is much
sickness, poverty or war, either within the families or ourselves, then
shame has come down the generations and along with it comes bloodline
curses. Shame is like the canal that brings in all the bloodline curses
into our life. Shame is one of the last things we deal with because it
is the last one we see. All the other problems cover it up and shame
covers up the other problems. It is a two handed curse.
19 "Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth."
We bring shame into our life, or actually perpetuate shame in our life, when we are young. How many of us have done really stupid things in our younger days? Oftentimes, we do not want to tell our children what things we did as kids because we do not want them to do the same thing. Or we can feel so ashamed of what we did in the past that we do not believe that if anyone knew no one would love us, not even God. There is nothing so bad that we could do that would prevent God from loving us. All we have to do is repent. Jesus forgives us, that is what He died for. Now, the hard part, we have to forgive our self.
Shame also means being confounded which means to wound,
to taunt, to
insult, to confuse. Shame causes a deep wound. It causes thoughts of
taunting to replay in our mind. The continual thoughts of not being
good enough, of calling ourselves stupid or dumb, and the words of
others that reinforce these thoughts can plague us. The words of
parents calling us things like stupid or saying "SHAME ON YOU!" will
follow us. Just by saying that to our children brings shame on them.
Those three words and everything that is associated with it will
destroy children. We must be careful. If this was spoken to us we must
break those word curses off our lives.
18 "Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?"
Shame can be passed down while we are still in the womb.
If a child was
born out of wedlock then shame comes into the child’s life.
2 "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD."
These are harsh words but have you ever noticed a child that has a hard time fitting in or finding their niche is oftentimes born out of wedlock. Shame keeps them from fitting in. That curse needs to be broken off. In Jesus we are born again and have a new family.
Shame can, also, come into the womb through rape, an
untimely
pregnancy, problems in a marriage, etc. The baby only knows he is not
wanted. It not only brings in shame but rejection and a wounded spirit.
21 "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.
28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.
29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.
31 Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
33 And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.
34 And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.
35 Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbor, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?
36 And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
37 Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?
38 But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;
39 Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:
40 And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten."
Did you know that by saying, "Thus saith the Lord" and it was not the Lord telling you to say it, that it brings shame in your life? Now, do not panic. We all mess up sometimes and say things that we should not say. When we first start walking in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and begin to prophesy we can be eager to give out and it might not always be the Lord. It is okay; we just repent. The Lord knows our heart. But this scripture is talking about those who KNOW BETTER and speak lies saying that it is God. We have people today, even ministers, who say "this is God" when it is a lie that they are speaking. The Lord will deal heavily with them and it will bring a perpetual shame upon them.
The only thing that will keep us from this is to stay
humble and have
the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge. We must know in our heart and in our walk life with Jesus,
that God created all things, including us. That He is in control of all
things. He has, in His hand, Life and Death. We submit to Him and His
dealings in our life and that all the glory, honor and praise goes to
Him.
1 "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck."
The fear of the Lord, knowledge, wisdom and instruction
are all an
ornament of grace to our head and chains about our neck. As we submit
to the Lord in our daily activities our head (our mind, desires,
emotions) and neck (our will) will be beautifully decorated. We will
trade our cloak of shame for a beautiful crown and a beautiful
necklace. And we will have the wisdom of God in our minds. What joy we
have in Jesus!
11 "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever."
Shame comes down the family line.
24 "For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God."
When we, or our forefathers, have not obeyed the Lord,
then shame is
carried down through the bloodline to future generations. Now, did your
forefathers obey the Lord? Probably not. There was at least one person
that did not obey the Lord, so shame was brought down the family line.
In turn, this shame brought poverty. Shame devours (to eat, consume,
burn up) the labors of our fathers and our own labor. Are you in a
financial position to where you have to do the proverbial "rob Peter to
pay Paul"? It might not be just in the financial department but could
be problems in a marriage, or the children getting into trouble. Or do
you ever feel like you are getting the raw end of the deal? Look in
Deuteronomy 28.
15 "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:"
Read on down to the end of the chapter. These are curses that will follow if we do not listen and obey the Lord.
But if we do obey the Lord then we become the head and
not the tail.
Jesus WILL TURN IT AROUND FOR US AS WE HUMBLE OURSELVES TO HIM AND WALK
IN HIS WAYS.
13 "And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them."Ps 40:13-1713 "Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God."
Shame brings desolation or dry ground. There is no life — both spiritually and physically. This comes on those who speak against those who love Jesus. But what about those of us who are brothers and sisters in Christ? When we speak in a negative way about our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord, then we are bringing a curse of shame and desolation on ourselves. We say things about others by excusing it as "I’m not saying anything against this person but…." Or "I really love this person but…" Sorry, that does not cut it. It is just an excuse to come against a brother or sister and the curse will follow you.
To those that are in the world, who do not understand
the walk life of
a Christian, and come against us, the Word says we are to love them and
bless them. Now, that is difficult to do in our flesh. Most of the time
we want to let them "have it". But Jesus says we are to bless them.
This is something to meditate on and ask the Lord for grace to be able
to do (especially during rush hour).
37 "But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Perfect here means "full age" or complete. Loving our
enemies is one of
the characteristics of maturity.
2 "Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt."
Again, we see that shame and confusion, lack of
understanding, not
hearing, and not seeing will come upon those that try to hurt the
people of God. Think back in the past, maybe yesterday or 10 years ago
or even longer. Have we hurt people? As a parent have you said unkind
words to your children perhaps because of anger or frustration? As a
child did you say angry words to your parents because they were either
cruel or seemed unfair? As a teacher or anyone in authority who have
people under them, were you unkind or a respecter of persons, putting
one person above another? Shame and confusion will come upon you. This
is serious business. Jesus specifically spoke the words in Matthew 5.
We are to love, not only our neighbor, and our self, but also those who
speak against us. We must repent for our unkind words and anger toward
our children, parents, pastors to the flock, flock to the pastors. We
must guard our words and only speak what Jesus would have us say. We
must give our voice and heart to Jesus.
9 "But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies. (we can not seem to get on top of things. Always losing the battle)
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves. (we become afraid and run from the enemy and the enemy overtakes us. We always seem to be in a battle of some kind. Things go from bad to worse)
11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen. (children go off into bad situations, husbands or wives want a divorce)
12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price. (we work but never have enough. Never can get ahead of the bills.)
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. (people say, "I thought you were a Christian!)
14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. (why would I want to be a Christian? I cannot see victory in your life!)
15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,"
We become confused and shame covers us. We wonder why the Lord does not show His glory. We need deliverance in our life. We need to break off this shame and repent for what we have done and what our forefathers have done.
"Shame on my face" — the Lord has shown me that certain
illnesses that
are on the face is caused by shame. Rosasea, an inflammation of the
face, which causes it to be red all the time and looks as though you
are blushing, is caused by shame. This one I am sure of because I have
it. It reinforces the shame because it is embarrassing to have a red
face all the time and people ask why is your face so red. I believe
acne can cause shame. When you get a pimple or a blemish on your face
do you feel embarrassed about it? You know the whole world sees it and
is looking at it. I also believe that skin cancer can cause shame. It
causes one to be self- conscience about one’s appearance. Anything that
causes one to be embarrassed (another word for shame) reinforces the
shame in our life.
18 "Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.
19 Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.
20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none."
Jesus knows our reproach. Reproach means disgrace, giving the occasion for taunting by spoken words or rumors — humiliation which brings depression, discouragement, self pity and bitterness.
As a child were you called names that were very demeaning? I sure can remember many of them. Those words really hurt. It was amazing how these kids could pick up on my weak points and use that to try and destroy me. Those words can still haunt us when we are trying to climb out of our hole we seem to be in. It causes much rejection to enter in and it causes great depression in our life. When we cannot find anyone to feel sorry for us then we feel sorry for our self. A vicious cycle begins. I was in depression for many years. It felt like there was a weight on my shoulders. Nothing would make me happy, there was not really anything to live for. All seemed to be lost. It was the grace of God that helped me walk through the depression.
Thank you, Jesus!
A person that has shame and rejection, like myself, has
a problem with
being a people pleaser. We want to be accepted so we are constantly
looking to people to affirm our worth. The Lord showed me that this was
idolatry. Not only was it idolatry to have my eyes focused on other
people to get my self worth but having my eyes on myself (self pity)
was just as bad. Self pity keeps your eyes on yourself and off of
Jesus. If we keep our focus on Jesus then we will have a right sense of
worth. We are worthy because of the blood of Jesus. We are worthy
because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
9 "They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals,
and fashioneth
it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he
is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is
faint."
16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusions together that are makers of idols."
You see idolatry brings shame into our life. It puts a
wall up between
us and Jesus. We must not put our eyes on any person or our self. We
must not put our eyes on anything, including ministries — whether our
own or someone else’s. Our eyes must be on Jesus and only Him.
5 "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."
Life comes when we have our eyes on Jesus. His Living
Water nourishes
us and we will not faint. We will have joy, strength to run the course,
to jump over the mountains.
31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
So, let us repent from idolatry. Let us repent from
leaning on the arm
of the flesh. Let us mount up with wings as eagles, look on Jesus and
soar in the Spirit with our Lord.
10 "Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets."
Shame will come on those that mock God. Sometimes, when Christians go through hard times, others begin to say things like — "I thought you were a Christian. If you have such a loving God then why are you going through these things?" Or, "You’re faith isn’t strong enough or you have sinned". Job went through this with his friends and even his wife. They mocked him and tried to condemn him. Shame comes on the ones that mock God.
But what about what we bring on ourselves? When we go
through troubles
and things seem to be going from bad to worse, there is the possibility
of doubting God. There is the possibility of being offended. In other
words, we get mad at the Lord because He is not doing things like we
think or want to happen.
says, "Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended."
We must never be offended because of what we are going
through. There
is a reason for what is happening in our life and we must humble
ourselves before the Lord, surrender and ask Him what it is that He
wants us to learn.
9 "Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul."
The Amplified Bible says it this way, "Woe to him who obtains wicked gain for his house, [who thinks by so doing] to set his nest on high that he may be preserved from calamity and delivered from the power of evil! You have devised shame to your house by cutting off and putting an end to many peoples, and you have sinned against and forfeited your own life."
The New Testament says,
15 "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on."
We see how the world acquires money, gold, silver,
position, fame, and
recognition. Many times it is through evil ways. The old saying of
"It’s a dog eat dog world" is true. "Keeping up with the Jones" starts
at a young age. Children compete for the best clothes, shoes, etc. When
they get older, it becomes the "coolest" car or going to the "elitist"
college. There is so much competition that it becomes "do whatever it
takes to get to the top". It is hard to even keep jobs. Now a days, you
have to be more aggressive than your co-worker. All this will come back
on us. It will bring shame on us. The Lord will expose our actions to
try to turn us back to Him
10 "Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them."
We have people who store up gold, silver, food, become self-sufficient in their homes, etc. thinking that when times get tough they will survive all the destruction. People in the world and many Christians have similar ideas. But Jesus said not to take any thought for tomorrow. Sure, we can save up for college or retirement as long as we do not trust it for our source. Things could happen and all of it could be wiped away. Many lost their entire investments when Enron and other companies filed bankruptcy. People thought they were secure in their future but because of man’s evil way of doing things, those in charge destroyed the livelihood of others.
Our hope and trust is in Jesus. He said He would take
care of us if we
walk uprightly before Him. Father God said in Deuteronomy 28 that if we
hearken or obey His voice, commandments and statutes then His blessing
will follow and even overtake us. What more could we want than to have
His blessing overtake us. Our eyes must be on Jesus. He will never
bring us to shame.
"Set his nest (home, family, ministry, work, etc.) on
high" — Pride and
ambition is a major downfall in the world and in the Church. People
like to build their own empire (or ministry). The religious world gets
so caught up in their building programs, preaching about money and
financial prosperity that they lose their focus. They are trying to
build their Tower of Babel instead of winning souls, helping the poor
and widows.
"And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."
The Church world is more interested in who can be the
greatest. There
are those who are claiming to be prophets and apostles and wanting to
be seen. A true prophet or apostle will never call himself anything but
a vessel and servant of the Lord. They will never seek the limelight
but will always lift up Jesus.
21 "And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom."
Again back to Habakkuk 2:9"…that he may be delivered
from the power (or
hand) of evil." This is carnal security. Trusting in the arm of the
flesh and not in the Lord. Self-confidence is thinking that we can
handle this or that we have it made.
15 "Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:"
Satan fell because of pride. Pride stands up and says
"I am as God".
Pride says that we know more than God knows. Pride will always bring
shame on us because God will always bring it down.
78 "Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely
with me without
a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts."
2 "When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the
lowly is
wisdom."Pride and strife go hand in hand. When there is contention,
strife or arguing it is because one person thinks himself better than
the other. Okay, you say, no way! Just think a little here. Do you get
upset when someone else gets noticed for something that they did and
even though you were working along side them, you did not get noticed
or thanked? How about all the newcomers are introduced and you get
missed? Or the pastor shakes everyone’s hand except yours. Does that
bother you? Or what about if someone says something that is cruel, do
you fight back? What about when our husband or wife tells us we are
wrong, do we start yelling? Or if we think we are right on a matter, do
we start arguing and not listen to the other side? All of this stems
from pride.
24 "And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among
you, let him
be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve."
8 "Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame."
Shame will come upon us when we fight, argue, get unreasonably upset. Do you not feel like a fool sometimes when you have overreacted over a situation and find out it was not what you thought it was? This is shame coming upon you. The worse part is that we have to apologize in order to make it right.
I had a terrible problem about overreacting. After having to apologize time and time again, I finally learned it was better not to react instantly but seek the Lord concerning a matter. It really works. I began to learn how to respond in a Godly manner. It not only brought peace to the situation but it saved a lot of time and energy.
We can bring shame on our children in many ways. It is
sad that the
words we use on our children can destroy their personalities. Saying
things like "Shame on you…" or "you are stupid…", or "you are so
careless…", "you will never amount to anything…". These words and words
like these are so destructive. They bring shame on the child. I
remember I had a problem keeping my room clean (what child doesn’t?).
My mom would say how she would hate to see my house when I got married.
That stayed in my thoughts and when I did get married I was a clean
freak. I would clean house, from top to bottom, at least twice a week.
This was before I had children. I became more compulsive after the
children came along. It took the Lord to get my attention and to face
this problem. He showed me I was getting my identity from having a
clean house. Needless to say, my children had extremely messy rooms as
well. I was not going to make the same mistake with them.
45 "The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah."
Have you ever noticed people who look older than they
really are? I
believe that shame can cause our countenance to look old before it
should. Sometimes people look as if they had a "hard life". This is
what shame can do to us.
"Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured."
Rebellion allows shame and poverty to overcome us. If we refuse to obey the Lord then shame will come into our life. As children, if we did not obey our parents in all areas (we all qualify for this one), then shame is upon us. The word refuse means "to avenge, avoid, dismiss, go back, perish". Have we dismissed the things the Lord is trying to show us? Do we avoid dealing with things in our life? This will all bring shame on us.
Those of us who are parents have a great
responsibilities in raising
our children in a Godly way. If we do not correct them and re-direct
their behavior then shame will come upon them.
30 "In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion."
If the children rebel then they will cause shame to come
upon them.
26 "He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.
27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth
to err from the
words of knowledge."
15 "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."
If there is no correction we see that shame comes on the
family. Our
Heavenly Father corrects us to bring us out of shame. If He did not
correct us then we would be considered illegitimate. Shame would keep
us separated from Jesus.
8 "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are
partakers, then
are ye bastards, and not sons."
2 "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD."
We can be freed from shame forever. It is by His blood
that we can be
made free from shame. His blood covers us but we must appropriate the
blood of Jesus in our life. We must submit to the Lord and His dealings
in our life.
9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.Rom 9:3333 "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
As we walk in the ways of Jesus, deliverance will come.
Psalms 119:1-11
gives us a clear picture of how to walk in the ways of Jesus.
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. (Once we come to Jesus we are made clean and we will stay clean as we walk in the law and grace of the Lord.)
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. (As we seek Him with everything in us then we can keep and proclaim Him Greatness.)
3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. (As we appropriate the Blood of Jesus and break off all iniquities and bloodline curses off of our lives then we are able to walk in His ways.)
4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. (Diligently means exceeding, wholly. In other words, purpose in our hearts to follow the ways of Jesus. It takes great care and thought to follow Jesus. It takes a dying to self and giving up our thoughts and ways. It means a total surrender. I used to sing the song "I surrender all". One day the Lord stopped me and asked "Do you really?" I had to really stop and think this over. Do your surrender all? Make a list of all the things that are important to you and ask your self if you are willing to give up or walk away from each thing or person listed. Do we keep His precepts or commandments? How about "love your neighbor as yourself"?)
5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. (We will not be ashamed any longer when we have the fear (respect) toward the Lord.)
7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Obedience.)
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. (Our focus must be Jesus and nothing or no one else.)
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not
sin against
thee." (Staying in the Word, studying, praying without ceasing will
bring victory in our life. We will triumph over our enemies. We will
have freedom and actually discover we are a new creation.)
18 "Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles."
Our depression, fear and poverty will fade away and joy
and gladness
will be our countenance. People will see Jesus!
11 "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and
not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever."
4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
From the Amplified Bible, Isaiah 61:7-10 reads, "Instead of your (former) shame you shall have a twofold recompense; instead of dishonor and reproach (your people) shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double (what they had forfeited); everlasting joy shall be theirs. For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong with violence or a burnt offering. And I will faithfully give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with them. And their offspring shall be known among the nations and their descendants among the peoples. All who see them (in their prosperity) will recognize and acknowledge that they are the people whom the Lord has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God: for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
Jesus will take our shame and reproach and give us a
robe of
righteousness and a garment of salvation. Praise the Lord!
23 "And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."
As we wait on the Lord instead of doing things in our
own strength then
we will enter into the rest of the Lord. When we walk in the ways of
the Lord then we will realize how wonderful our God is and be able to
trust Him and know that He is in control of all things and that He
cares for us.
7 "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret
not thyself
because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who
bringeth wicked devices to pass."
1 "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
This is a wonderful promise from the Lord. He is going
to turn around
all that shame that came from our forefathers, parents and what we have
put on our selves.
28 "And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
30 Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.
31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men,
and I am your
God, saith the Lord GOD."
1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
As we walk through the tribulations or trials and
testings in our life,
we learn of the character of Jesus. Through these times we learn to
lean on Jesus, who is our Hope.
27 "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"
Jesus is our hope. Jesus, by His blood has given us the availability of being set free from shame and all of it’s fruit. Shame brings fear, poverty, sickness, spiritual blindness, spiritual deafness, confusion, lack of understanding, early death, un-teachable spirits, self pity, depression, hopelessness, dryness, discouragement, bitterness. It affects the heart and brings dishonor to ourselves and those around us. We can be free from all of this. We must submit to the Lord. There is so much joy when this blanket of shame has been lifted off and in its place we receive the robe of righteousness. Alleluia!
The Lord desires all of us to be made whole and to
mature to "full
age". He desires us to stand boldly and give all the glory to Him. Let
us determine in our hearts to serve the Lord whole hearted. Let us
desire Jesus above all else. Let us desire to be free so that we can be
a witness for Jesus and bring Him the glory. The world is covered by
shame and we must be a walking witness that Jesus desires and will
deliver His people from shame. The world needs to see the reality of
Jesus’ power in our lives. So, let us get free from the stronghold of
shame. It’s easy with Jesus!
Father, I come before You and submit myself to You. I repent for my forefathers for not following Your ways. I repent for their rebellion, idolatry and pride. I forgive them for causing shame to come into my life and overshadowing all of my actions. I repent for bringing shame on myself because I did not follow Your ways in the past. I also repent for my rebellion, idolatry and pride in my life.
In the Name of Jesus and by His blood, I command the blanket of shame to be lifted off of me. I command all of it’s fruit to leave me now. I command depression, self pity, fear, poverty, all sickness, dullness of hearing, confusion, dryness, and hopelessness to leave me now.
I surrender my ways, thoughts and desires to You, Father. I ask that You teach me Your ways and give me a spirit of obedience to follow You. Cause my heart to change to a heart that only desires You. Give me single vision, Father.
I thank You that You have released me from this blanket of shame that had me bound. I loose the blessings of the Lord to fall upon me and my family as I walk in Your ways.
Help me, please, to always be mindful of Your leading in my life. For You are the Author and Finisher of my life. I receive Your love for me and help me to share it with others.
Establish me upon the Rock. Give me sure footing along Your path. Thank You, Father. I surrender my ALL to You. Amen.
End of Prayer
