PRAYERS OF DELIVERANCE

After making a verbal confession of our faith in Jesus Christ (the only name that brings deliverance), we need to confess the sin that gave the devil access to our life. This is where we need to acknowledge any cult or occult involvement.

Next, we should break Satan's legal right to our lives by renouncing each sin and its effect upon our lives as a lie of the devil, and then claim the truth of God's Word in that area.

To be free from deception we must recognize Satan's lies and replace them with the truth. After these steps, we then can out loud command the demons to go in the name of Jesus. When oppression or possession is severe it is helpful to have other believers pray with you.

The prayer of deliverance should be made only by "born again," Spirit-filled believers. In Acts 19:13-16, the unbelieving seven sons of Sceva experimented with deliverance and met with disastrous results. "Born again" believers have nothing to fear. Jesus overcame Satan for us. Casting out demons lodged in others is not risky but requires faith. Should you lack the faith and boldness to cast out demons, ask the Lord to lead you to the person or persons who can pray the prayer of faith and set people free.

We need to discuss here some guidelines for "casting out demons." The lack of teaching in this area has led people to devise many means by which they attempt deliverance.

These methods are varied and include wrestling and holding people down during deliverance, carrying on conversations with demons to discern the names of the spirits (which is futile as Satan is a liar and wouldn't tell the truth anyway.

Discerning of spirits is the gift given to aid in deliverance). Also calling out endless lists of demons, and many other methods which we shall not name here.

These methods will work if done in the name of Jesus, however when they are carried to extremes the enemy wastes a lot of time and energy.

These methods are usually not necessary, but God honours them many times because the practitioners are unsure of the proper procedures, and perhaps this is the only teaching to which they have been exposed.

God sees their hearts and He knows they are trying to help people get free, so He delivers them in spite of the techniques.