A Heart for the City Ministries

 What if I told you that I could teach you how to pray more effectively within a matter of a few minutes and receive understanding that would lead to deep inner healing and spiritual breakthrough? What if I showed you why you have been in cycles of frustration, going around the same old mountain? What if I told you that I can help show you a way to break those cycles right now? What would it be worth to you to FINALLY see different results from your prayer life and walk into breakthrough and blessing? If you're hungry for change - real change - then keep reading!

The prayer below is not a magic formula by any means, but, if you begin to learn and apply these principles and adopt them into your prayer life, it will absolutely bring you change,  a new level of maturity, healing and wholeness.  A teaching article is included here, but if you would like to skip it please scroll down to the prayer below.

We all have blind spots. Blind spots are just that: we can't see them. The enemy can because he put them there! He knows when there are open doors in our life, granting him legal access to block our prayers, revisit temptations that will cause us to sin, bring mental torment, fear, poverty, illness and any manner of thievery or destruction in our lives. Satan will work very hard to keep us in that place of defending our attitudes, thought processes and behaviors because he knows he will be able to work negatively against us if we fail to submit every part of ourselves to the Lord's keen eye and evaluation. "God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble." Real breakthrough comes from revelation and understanding how to shut all the doors to the enemy.  When we begin to close every door to the enemy, even doors that others in our generational line have opened long ago, a series of progressive events begin to take place. First, the pride, the identity issues, power struggles, submission and trust issues, as well as self defeating behaviors that we have had with ourselves, others and God begin to dissolve as we renounce certain things. Renouncing sinful patterns and behaviors cuts off the enemy's access to our lives! Secondly, as we take these steps of obedience, we begin to receive revelation. We begin to hear and understand the word of God and principles in the Lord that we couldn't grasp before. Thirdly, the blind spots become more clear. Fourth, when we understand how the enemy has played on our weaknesses,  especially those things we were not aware of previously, we become more discerning. Our lives also begin to come under divine order, properly submitted to one another and to the authority of Christ. This whole processs opens the door for God to bring inner healing and wholeness. Once the deception and the lies of the enemy are gone, there is no more "nest" for him to take up residence in our lives. The doors are shut, and what remains is a new cycle of revelation, breakthrough, spiritual growth and blessing. Now, does that sound like it's worth it to you? I hope so!

Before we can command the mountain in front of us to move we have to remove the mountains within us. And before we can move any mountain - no matter where it is - we have to come to a crossroads. The crossroads is making a decision to go deeper with the Lord. The cross roads is making a choice what we will prefer over the way of faith and risk. You can choose to stay stuck, or we can judge ourselves according to righteous judgment. We have a natural tendency to judge ourselves, and justify ourselves, too, based upon our perception of truth. However, our perception of truth, if it is not measured by the standard of God's word, will often times be faulty, which is why we continue to live in negative cycles that only keep us going around the same old mountain of unanswered prayer, defeat, poverty, broken relationships, problems within our family, illness, frustration, etc. The standard will always be THE WORD OF GOD! 

Sin is satan's greatest weapon to withhold blessing from us and attempt to derail us from fulfilling God's purposes for our lives. Sin produces the effect of withheld blessings, un-answered prayer and curses in our lives. This evidence is shown by symptomatic problems such as:  poverty, loss of income/jobs, accident proneness and untimely deaths, mental illness, depression, inability to cope with emotional stress, sickness, self defeating behaviors, broken relationships, divorce, addictions, fear, compulsive sin, repeated cycles of loss and the evidence that something in our life is consistently robbing us of finances, joy, faith, soundness of mind, other blessings, etc. Sin places us in bondage until it is made right before God, and sin removes us out from under our covenant protection from the Lord. Sin also builds a new belief system in us, moving us away from God and developing a mindset of unbelief, rejection of God, and resistance  towards God and His ways. 

The enemy gains entrance to our lives through:

1) indirect sin, which originates from the original fall of man. Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…" We have inherited a sin nature and no man can stand before God and say he is not guilty of sin. Only the blood of Jesus Christ washes us clean and justifies us before God.

2) direct sin, which encompasses our actions, words, thoughts and the intents of the heart. Direct sin comes as a result of our will being contrary to the will of God, and the subsequent actions of making a choice to disobey God's will. The enemy will work on us, introducing lies and temptation so as to get us to come into agreement with him. Jesus said that we shall have whatever we are in agreement with. The words of our mouth and the actions that result from our belief system determines what we are in agreement with, and what we will receive. The first thing we need to take a look at is, what is our confession? Who and what are we in  agreement with? We can choose to be in faith with Jesus and His word, and align ourselves with blessing; or, we can produce death with our words and actions and continue to live in a negative cycle. It's up to us, but we have to make a choice. When we are in agreement with anything rooted in sin, our carnal nature or the demonic realm, we have allowed the enemy an open door to bring any manner of wickedness, destruction  or torment. We must repent for disobedience and embrace the forgiveness that is afforded to us by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:9 says, "For if we confess our sins, He is able and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." and Romans 10:9,10 : "…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

"He who covers his sin will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy." Prov. 28:13

The words "renounce" or "forsake" have very similar meanings. It means "to loose, untie, break away from, set free, disentangle, or divorce." Our confession is how we make known to God and the enemy that it is our intention to "forsake, or divorce" the agreement we have with the enemy. When you file for divorce, you file a legal petition to break a covenant agreement. You need to divorce the enemy and break any agreements that have been made by you or other family members such as spouses, parents and grandparents.

Did you know that things such as anger, broken relationships, unforgiveness and other sins place us in debt to the enemy? Jesus came to pay that debt, and He did, but until we  cooperate with Him by genuine repentance, then we can remain indebted to the enemy and under the enemy's yoke of bondage. Jesus wants you to be loosed from these ungodly yokes!

3)generational sin: "For I, the Lord, am a jealous God, visiting the inquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. " (Exodus 20:5)  There are certain illnesses that can have a genetic trait and are inherited in certain family lines, such as heart disease, cancer or other physical conditions. Likewise, the results of sin can produce a curse that is transferred down generational lines. Although we have no control over the sins of our forefathers, we can still be victimized by curses through generational iniquity. Just as certain genetic traits are inherited from our generation line, such as the color of our hair or the shape of our nose, unrepentant sin can leave a spiritual weakness toward that sin in a family line. The enemy understands God's timing. Demons know iniquitous patterns within us, and at the time of our deliverance, they will often times bring forth a very strong temptation to lure us back into the pattern of sin. At the right time, and using a bait that the enemy knows will be especially tempting to us, he hooks us and pulls us down – also with the plan to take others with us. It is in this way that we are again ensnared and the patterns repeat into additional seasons of our life and into future generations.  We must allow the work of the cross to crucify every area of our life, thereby depriving the enemy of access to our lives. Familial spirits operate within family bloodlines. Familiar spirits work to cause a person to come into agreement with familial spirits and the objectives of satan, thereby producing the agreement of the person to disobey God and enter into sin. Strongholds are developed in the believer's mind so that satan can manipulate behavior without being detected.

It's bad enough with all the doors we open to the enemy, but there's also the question mark of the unknown in our past. What DID those previous generations of our parents, grandparents and others in our family line open a door to that we are unsure about? That alone should encourage us to pray the prayer below to renounce those possibilities and apply the blood of Jesus to those doors, cutting off satan's access through our past!  We must come "out of agreement" with the enemy wherever we have knowingly or unknowingly entered into agreement with him. Sometimes it is parents or other ancestors that have somehow made an ungodly agreement with something that has its roots in the occult or principles of satan. We might never know about it, but satan still sees it as a place where he has legal access to future family members. All he needs is one inroad that we can't trace back to the origin and he has an open door. For instance, when satan introduces a lie, even a half truth and we do not resist it or take authority over it, those words can take root in our heart and begin to produce the byproduct of that lie. It is a place where the enemy sets up camp in our thought life, so to speak. He brings other demonic influence to reinforce his lie, thereby creating an opportunity to turn that lie, whatever it may be, into a reality in our life. When we enter any agreement with satan, we have given him a place of authority to create a false belief system centered around the lie or area of deception. We can't even recognize that we have bought into error, which makes it incredibly hard for us to break free from it and close the door - unless the counsel of the Holy Spirit brings the method to freedom and revelation. That is why it is so important to have a faith-filled confession, and counteract every lie with the word of God! It is important to be as thorough as possible in our prayers to renounce any and all agreement, whether it has been by direct sin on our part, or unintentional through believing a lie from the enemy, or something in our generational line that continues to allow that open door to the enemy by which he brings defeat to our lives.

It is a good exercise to first pray and ask the Holy Spirit to tell us specific sins that must be renounced. He can tell us things that our ancestors were involved in that we might not even be aware of! Secondly, make a list of anything that He tells you, or sins/involvement in things that you know are ungodly or wrong. Below is a prayer that you can pray to bring cleansing and healing to your life, and if you genuinely mean it from your heart, then the same principle applies as to how we believe unto salvation. We confess with our mouth, believing in our heart, that God will honor our prayer and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, bringing healing to the things of our past, present and future! I admit, these prayers are lengthy, but if we're going to do it, then let's be sure to do it right the first time. When we deal with these things in our prayers then we can walk in full assurance that we are closing every door possible so that the enemy cannot re-enter. Pray this out loud:

                                BREAKTHROUGH PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Right now I declare that I break every agreement with satan and the works of darkness. I choose this day to divorce the enemy, to renounce and repent of any covenants that have been made by myself or other family members in my generational line. According to YOUR word in 2 Chronicles 7:14, Father, You said that if I would humble myself, pray and seek Your face...If I would turn and repent from my wicked ways, You said You would forgive my sins and heal my land. Whether I or other family members have partaken of these  sins knowlingly or unknowlingly, I ask Your forgiveness and I renounce:

All spirits of fear, the fear of man that brings a snare, self pity, insecurity, and inferiority. Forgive those in my family line for the need to control or manipulate others out of a sense of fear, insecurity or inferiority.  Forgive us for not trusting in your provision or your timing, and for failing to rest in Your love. I  renounce all spirits of heaviness that bring depression, mental illness, obsessive compulsive disorders, schizophrenia, suicide, and grief. I renounce  infirmity, sickness and disease. Forgive me and forgive those in my family line for desiring the attention from our problems and self pity  more than our freedom from illness and other  issues in our lives. Forgive us for coming into agreement with  poverty spirits, laziness and sins of poor stewardship. Forgive me and my family line for sins of gambling, excess, greed or stinginess. Forgive us for not releasing what has been in our hands in order to be a blessing to others.I renounce bitterness, jealousy, strife, anger, hatred, profanity, gossip, lying, slander and murder. Forgive me and those in my family for any sins of hard heartedness, being critical or condemning, or showing lack of compassion towards others in their time of need. Forgive me and those in my family line for turning a blind eye towards those in need and withholding good when it was in our power to help. I renounce unforgiveness, including unforgiveness towards myself, retaliation, and vengeance. Forgive me, Lord, for any time that I have sowed seeds of discord or caused pain to others through my actions. Forgive me for acts of maliciousness or things I've done with the intent to hurt and cause pain to others. Forgive me and those in my family line for selective obedience or ignoring the prompting of your Holy Spirit when You wanted us to show love, mercy, grace or compassion. I renounce the sins of pride, lawlessness, rebellion, selfish ambition, presumption, and testing God. I renounce atheism, mockery, scoffing the things of God and Your Holy Spirit, grieving the Holy Spirit and unbelief. Forgive me and my family line for despising godly wisdom and authority or rejecting Your counsel.  Forgive us for self rule and choosing authority figures that did not represent Your government or authority for our lives. I repent from any time that I have cursed God or others. Forgive me Lord, for loving gossip, slander and my judgments more than I loved your law of showing love and kindness. Forgive me for not blessing others more freely, even those I do not like. I renounce all soul ties to illegitimate spiritual fathers or spiritual leaders, religious attitudes, and spirits of legalism, disrespect, self righteousness, prejudice, controlling behaviors, manipulation, imposing my will on others, racism, disobedience, independence, critical spirits, arrogance, vain and judgmental attitudes.  I renounce a spirit of rejection, and I repent for sins of judging or rejecting others, withholding love, acceptance or forgiveness. Forgive me for the times when I have not honored nor shown respect to those in authority, parents, spouses or others. Forgive me for not humbling myself or apologizing when I should have done so. Forgive me for broken relationships, and please help me to do whatever I am responsible for to make things right.I renounce all worldly addictions including drugs, alcohol, nicotine, gambling, gluttony, compulsive physical exercise, compulsive spending, sexual sins against myself and others, pornography, and sins of excess that feed the lusts of the flesh. I renounce the perverse spirit and all that is connected to it. I renounce ungodly soul ties and those of former lovers. I renounce all false gods and masters. I renounce the spirit of mammon, greed, and selfishness. I I renounce and repent for any involvement with secret societies and the ungodly covenants they demand. I renounce, divorce, and break any and all agreements, covenants or involvement with all lying spirits, the occult, demonic spirits, witchcraft, familiar spirits and seducing spirits. Forgive me and my family line for any sins in -volving the abuse of trust, authority, power or using our influence in an ungodly manner. Forgive me, and forgive my family line Father, for any sins involving sorcery, witchcraft, practicing charms or incantations, the use of horoscopes, tarot cards, fortune telling, or astrology. I renounce all spirits of divination. I renounce and ask Your forgiveness, Father, for broken covenants, unfulfilled vows and promises, betrayal and divorce. I ask You to please disentangle me and release me from ungodly covenants, vows, and peace treaties, and all unrighteous agreements that would bring me into relationships where I am unequally yoked with things of the kingdom of darkness, evil and wrong relationships. Lord, let there be a release of every curse that has come against me or my generational line as a result of these things. I decree a cancellation of every form of witchcraft and curse that has resulted from my involvement or that of my generational line, and let all demonic attachments be severed from me and my family line, both in the heavenly places as well as in the earthly realm. I declare that every seed that was sown by satan in order to perpetuate a curse or cause myself or  someone else in my family line to reject you , accuse You, and enter into rebellion must shrivel and die immediately. I give You permission to change what You know needs to change in my life and to convict me when I resist You.

Father, I repent for these sins on behalf of my family to the third and fourth generation back. I thank You for Your forgiveness and cleansing of these sins. I declare that when I am tested, the Spirit of God will arise within me and bring me into a place of victory. I give You permission in advance of any situation I may encounter that You and Your Holy Spirit may change my actions, words and responses so that I honor You. Please reign and rule over my emotions. Enemy, according to the scripture in James 4:7, as I am now submitted to God, you must flee from me. I command you to take everything that you have put on me, everything that you have tormented me with, every sickness and GO! I command you to pay restitution at no less than a 7-fold return, according to Proverbs 6:31 in every place that you have brought poverty, defeat, robbery, or death and destruction. Father God, I ask that You cleanse my mind of all  unfruitful thoughts, fantasies, and works of the flesh. I thank You for the blood that Jesus Christ has shed on my behalf, and I appropriate the power of His blood and the resurrection power of Your Holy Spirit to every sin, transgression and generational iniquity over myself and my family line. By the power and authority of the blood of Jesus Christ, I and my family have victory. Satan, you no longer have authority to torment me or my children with iniquitous sin patterns, for God has promised in Hebrews 8:12 that He will be merciful to our unrighteousness and our sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more.

Jesus, You are the Son of God, and You are seated victoriously at the right hand of the Father. Today I declare that the enemy is defeated where I am concerned. You are my Master, my Lord and my Savior. Please come with Your Holy Spirit and heal my mind, my emotions, my thoughts, my confession and my memories. I forgive those that failed to reach out to me when I was hurting. I forgive those that have intentionally caused hurt and pain to me and my family, and those that have done it unintentionally. I ask You to bless, heal  and deliver those that have acted as an enemy, and those that have hurt me or caused harm to me or my family. I will trust You to judge fairly and mete out any justice in these issues. Bless those that have hurt me, lied about me, or deliberately caused harm to me or my family, and set me free from offense. Please forgive me Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit for willingly disregarding Your words and Your Spirit when You have tried to get through to me. Please heal my trust issues with you and others. Please heal the issues related to my past, my present and my future. Heal my hope, my faith and my love. Heal any areas of grief, heaviness, unbelief, and let the renewed mind of Christ be strengthened and formed in me each and every day. Thank You for releasing into me a spirit of Faith, a spirit of Obedience, the spirit of Adoption, the spirit of Revelation and Truth. Now tell me Lord, what I need to do as an act of faith that will release my breakthrough. Confirm it and convict me that I will not neglect to do whatever You tell me to do. Thank You for eternal life, health, and victory, and for restoring my life and my future, in Jesus' precious name, Amen. 

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