I have been a believer for a while now, and I have read a lot of books about spiritual warfare. I was wondering if it’s possible to do deliverance on yourself. I don’t have a pastor or a church and I’m trying my best, but I don’t want to lie to myself or think that it worked if it didn’t. What do you suggest?
This is a great question! Controversial too! I am going to give you my opinion, Sis.
Knowing about deliverance, spiritual warfare, generational sin et cetera is important. These issues do not affect everyone in the same way. Sometimes there are deeper ties to our heritage that make these issues more stubborn to deal with. So first of all, I want to say, we cannot dismiss the work of the enemy. We live in a time where there are too many churches who refuse to address demonic activity because they think that if they don’t talk about it, they won’t have to deal with it. And this is kinda true, because ignoring it allows it to stay active but quiet. The end result is that the people who really need help in those congregations have nowhere to turn to and are often deeply embarrassed about these problems.
I am an advocate of reading, but all books are second to the Bible. People have such varying stances, you really need to have a grasp on a few different perspectives before you can start to see what beliefs you align with. The book I recommend for everyone to start with is The Bondage Breaker, by Neil T. Anderson. The greatest criticism I’ve heard of it is that he might be considered too thorough by way of the long laundry lists of things to renounce. I personally think it’s better to be safe than sorry, and I would rather have many options to choose from.
Next, I want to talk to you about FEAR. If you are afraid, reading this kind of literature is not going to be helpful. Usually once people have received some freedom after prayer, they find that they are drawn to wanting to surrender more of their scars to God, so greater deliverance and healing can take place. If you are afraid, I want you to seek help from a person, even if it’s an email (you can email me: secretsfromursister@gmail.com). Fear is a spirit too and it needs to be broken for your prayer to be effective in this area.
Some of the materials (books) and opinions out there are also written from a perspective of FEAR. Why? Because demonic manifestations can be scary. I am fortunate that while they surprise me from time to time, I am not afraid, but you also have to know I’ve been dealing with these things for years. When I read certain books (Liberty Savard, Charles Kraft) I can’t help but think that these have been written from a perspective of outsiders looking in. This is why having an experienced, mature Christian stand with you in this time is very important. Deception is such that we do not know it until we realize that we have succumbed to it.
I believe that you can experience healing, freedom and relief in praying for yourself. I believe that soul ties, inordinate affections and curses can be broken by you. But I also believe that there are some spiritual messes that are like badly tangled hair; they require an expert to help sort out what’s good and what needs to be removed. It can be hard to find these experts, but reading and gaining a few different perspectives will help.
Here’s a huge tip: step back from people who pray deliverance using anything other than the blood of Jesus and perhaps a little anointing oil. You have to establish some trust and boundaries with this person before they pray for you. It would be good if you could see them pray for others so you have an idea of what to expect.
The good news is that in 2018, there is at least one online source where you can be prayed for via Skype and have it be effective. I am not here to endorse anyone, but I have personally done online deliverance with Above and Beyond Counselling, based out of Florida, in the USA. They are open to discussing everything and anything, including the fees (not bad, by the way!). Their website has a ton of great articles, testimonies and they host a weekly podcast. I hope you reach out to them.
I don’t want to sound like an old biddie, but I really am praying that you find a church with a community of believers who can support you in daily Christian living. It makes all the difference, especially while you go through processes like deliverance. Don’t give up on the search! You will eventually find a place to call home.