Pray against DESPAIRING WITHOUT HOPE

Day 8 Put Off

As your child Lord God, purchased by your blood Lord Jesus Christ, I choose to confess and acknowledge my despair.

I will trust in your promises Lord God. Your word says, “Sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” [Psalm 30:5] Your word also tells me that your will for me is to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances”. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]

Because of my circumstances, I have found “rejoicing always, and giving thanks in all circumstances” difficult in the past. Today I will choose to “pray continually” and focus on my hope:

YOU, Oh God of the universe have chosen me to be your heir, and want a relationship with me. You have proven this love by sending Jesus to be a sacrifice for my sin and make a way for our relationship! The hardships of this short life will not seem so hard in comparison to the eternal blessing of sorrow-less life that you have promised me later. You have shown me amazing grace! Impress upon me Lord how much I needed your salvation and the magnitude of your love!

I ask your Spirit to also open my eyes to see the many other temporal blessings you have given that I have to be thankful for.

Save me from being overwhelmed by sadness because my life is not turning out how I had hoped. Give me an accurate vision of heaven and an eternal perspective. Lift my despair.

If I learned these sins from people in my past, I choose to forgive and release them and not hold them accountable for each and every way that their sin has affected me.

[Name memories that come to mind and choose to forgive for each instance.]

In the name of Jesus, I now renounce the despair in my ancestors that may have caused this stronghold of despair. I release myself from the effects of any curse or ungodly dedications by my ancestors. Based on the finished work of Christ on the cross, I release myself from any demonic claims upon or oppression of me that have been telling me I have a reason to lose hope. I will not listen to them!

I affirm that I have been crucified with Jesus Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. On this basis, I announce to Satan and all his forces that Christ took upon himself the curses and judgments due me.

Your Word says I have been raised up with you Christ and now sit with you in the heavenly places, where I have a place as a member your spiritual family, I declare myself to be completely and eternally signed over to, owned by, and committed to, you Lord Jesus Christ. YOU ARE MY HOPE AND SALVATION!

I also break all curses that I have spoken or thought about myself that have lead to this despair. I also break the power of any curses I have spoken about others and caused them to despair. I receive my freedom from every one of these curses. Lord please heal the wounds in others that I have caused. Show me ways to make restitution and seek forgiveness if it is appropriate.

[Curses that come to mind are…]

I receive my freedom from every one of these curses.

Lord, I am sorry for giving in to despair. I ask you to forgive me for this and to wash me clean. I choose to receive your forgiveness.

In repentance, I ask you to teach me to identify and remove any “stinking thinking” when it enters my mind, so that I will refuse to despair.

Since you have convicted me of this stronghold, and have forgiven me, I am serious about working with you toward change. Bring to mind the friend or godly counselor would be best for me to confess my struggles to and find accountability. Guide me to finding support so that I can experience lasting change. Give me the courage to seek them out this week.

It is a mystery to me how you are the one who changes me, and still I do my part in working out my salvation. I am so thankful for victory over sinful habits and behavior in the past, and the ways you have already changed me. Continue this good work in me as I work with you and submit to you.

I believe you will do this, because by thinking rightly about who I am in you, and your promises for my future, you will give me the strength to face the challenges of today and will renew my hope and confidence. I believe that this bleak winter season of sorrow will pass and that you Lord will walk with me into a new season of spring in my life.

I pray in the name and with the authority of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen!

(From Put On / Put Off: 31 Days of Prayer for Freedom in Christ, my work in progress. Message me if you'd like a soft copy of the draft.)