Set free from the shackles of shame

Shame defined

* Guilt – feeling sorry for something we did.

* Shame – harmful emotion that eats away our self- esteem.

It is like internal bleeding...An inner torment, a sickness of the soul. A shame-based person is haunted by a sense of absence and emptiness." Psychologist John Bradshaw

The origin of shame (Gen 3: 7-8)

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”

1. Shame causes us to cover up our mess with inadequate means (vs7) –covered with fig leaves.

2. Shame causes us to seek refuge in the wrong places (vs8) – hid behind trees.

3. Shame causes us to run from the one we ought to run to (vs8) – running away from the source of love

grace and mercy.

Four sources of shame in our lives

1. Individual shame – our own sinful acts.

2. Generational shame – continuous cycle of shame manifested & transferred from one generation to another.

3. Inflicted shame – Shame inflicted on us by others.

4. Societal shame – Shame from values and mind sets of society we live in.

Satan’s game plan

Romans 8:33-35 reveals Satan’s plan for us to be shackled in shame:“Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” (Holman Christian standard Bible)

Breaking the shackles of shame

1. Shut the doors on the devil’s game plan to accuse, condemn & separate us from the love of God by counteracting it with God’s truth.

Leave no room for his accusation – Repent today!!

1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness”.

a. Accusation – God has justified us (Rom 5:1)

b. Condemnation – there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus ( Rom 8:1).

c. Separation – nothing can separate from the love of God (Rom 8:38-39).

2. Shut the door on our past and move forward

a. Fixing our eyes on Jesus – Heb 12:2.

b. Taking captive of every thought – 2 Cor 10:5.

c. Reaching forth to the good things before us – Phil 3:13.

d. Thinking about good & Godly things – Phil 4:8.

3. Shut the door on generational curses Through renunciation we cut the cords that link us to any of the generational sins, curses and shame related to it. It means cutting every links with generational curses.

4. Shut the door on unforgiveness Matt 18 : 21-35, Heb 12:14-15, 2 Cor 2:5-11.

PRAYER: Father God, I repent of doubting your love for me. I also repent of not believing that you really have forgiven me and that the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all of the sin, all of the guilt and all of the shame of my past. Holy God, I repent of listening and agreeing with the voice of the accuser telling me I am an evil person that I am unworthy to come and receive your love. I now, in the Name of Jesus, renounce guilt and shame. I renounce condemnation, self condemnation and all sense of unworthiness

I renounce every spirit assigned to work against me with guilt, shame and condemnation. I renounce what they have done to keep me from becoming the person God created me to be. I break all agreements I have made with the lying voices of guilt, shame, condemnation and self condemnation. I break all word curses I have spoken about myself. I break all soul ties and all generational ties that would bind me in any way to past guilt, shame and condemnation.

I break every vow and covenant, every agreement and all word curses that would give these spirits any power or influence in my life. Guilt, shame and condemnation, I break your power over me in the mighty Name of Jesus.

Father God, I choose to open my heart right now to receive your unconditional love. I choose to receive your full forgiveness and release from all guilt, shame, condemnation and sense of unworthiness, in my life, in Jesus' Name. Amen!