Derek Prince - How To Be Released From A Curse
All right, now we come to the really important climax which is how to be released from a curse. I want to give you some simple instructions. There’s a basic pattern which I teach people that consists of four words, each of which begins with RE. Recognize, repent, renounce, resist. Recognize. Recognize what your problem is. See why I’ve spent this time dealing with these things, to help you to recognize your problem. All right. Number two, repent. Repent of anything that you’ve done that exposed you to the curse. Number three, renounce. Declare that you are no longer going to be subject to this thing.
God told Israel don’t bow down before their gods. Don’t submit to them. I refuse it. I renounce it. From now on it’s got no place in me. And finally, resist. And that’s something continuous. Keep on resisting. Keep on refusing to let that thing again have any control over you. Let me say those words again. Recognize, repent, renounce, resist. James 4:7 says: Therefore, submit to God, Not to the enemy, not to demons but to God. And then it says: "resist the devil", and what will happen? "He will flee from you". What will he do? I didn’t hear you. "Flee!", that's right!
When you’ve met the conditions. All right? But resisting is sometimes an ongoing process. It’s like if there’s a strong wind blowing you have to keep the door shut. If you open the door the wind will come in. Then I say establish a clear scriptural basis for your release. The best one is Galatians 3:13–14: Christ has redeemed us from the curse, having become a curse for us, that we might receive the blessing of Abraham. I’ll give you a few other Scriptures. Ephesians 1:7: In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood.
Colossians 1:12–14: The Father has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the son of His love: in whom we have redemption through His blood. So through the work of Jesus on the cross we can be delivered from the domain of darkness (that’s Satan’s domain) and translated, carried over into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. It’s like there are two territories and there’s a chasm between them. This territory is the territory of Satan, this territory is the kingdom of God. But there’s only one bridge across that chasm and that’s the cross of Jesus. If you take that bridge you can get out of this kingdom and into that kingdom, which is where God wants you.
Then 1 John 3:8, the second part: "...for this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might destroy the works of the devil". To do what? Destroy the works of the devil. That’s why He came! And then Luke 10:19, which I quoted earlier. Jesus says: Behold, I give to you authority over all the power of the enemy. So those are very clear scriptural bases. Then when you’ve established that basis, confess your faith in Christ because Jesus is the high priest of our confession. It’s on the basis of your confession, what you say about Him, that He acts as your high priest. Thirdly, commit yourself to obedience.
You remember, how do we qualify for the blessings? What do we have to do? Hear God’s voice, do what He says. So, when you’ve received your release, make up your mind, commit yourself: From now on I’m going to listen to what God says and do it. The next step is confess any known sins. Either by yourself or your ancestors because the sins of your ancestors can in some ways affect you. But there’s a difference. You are not guilty for your ancestors’ sins but you’re affected by them. Do you understand? You are responsible for your own sins. But in order to be fully clear, if you know that your ancestors were idol worshipers or Christian Scientists or Mormons or, let’s not go too long into the list, but something that’s totally unscriptural; be released from it.
Then you need to forgive all other persons. Jesus said when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, what did He say to do? Forgive, that’s right. Anything against anyone. That leaves out nothing and no one. Unforgiveness in your heart is a barrier to the answer to your prayers. Now, forgiving is not an emotion, it’s a decision. I tell people it’s tearing up the IOU. I don’t know whether I’ve got time to tell this but I think of a woman.
I was preaching on this, explaining how many wives who’ve been mistreated by their husbands still suffer because they’ve never forgiven. And I said, it’s like this. You have in your hand a sheaf of IOUs from your husband. I owe you love, support, care, honor, et cetera. Those are perfectly valid, they’re legal. But God has in His hand up in heaven a sheaf of much larger IOUs from you to Him. Now, God says, we’ll make a deal. You tear up your IOUs and I’ll tear up mine. But if you hold onto yours, I’ll hold onto mine. So, if you want to be forgiven you have to forgive. You don’t have any options. Well, at the end of one message I hadn’t done anything, just finished preaching.
A young woman of about thirty, really sophisticated, smart looking woman, marched right up the aisle to the pulpit. I wondered what she was going to do, was she going to assault me or what. She looked me right in the face and said, Mr. Prince, I just want to tell you that while you were preaching I got rid of about $30,000 worth of IOUs. Turned around and walked out. I mean, I didn’t have to say a thing to her, she had got the message. I wish everybody would get it that quickly! So you have to forgive other persons. Then you must renounce all contact with the occult. Okay? By yourself or by your ancestors. Again, you’re not responsible, you’re not guilty for what your ancestors did but it affects you. Then you must get rid of all contact objects, the things I’ve been speaking about. If you bring them into your house you bring a curse with them. Then when you’ve met those conditions you can release yourself in the name of Jesus.
Jesus said whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. We’re going to do that in a moment but I want to show you where to go from there when you’ve been released. Then you have to confess and expect the blessing of Abraham because we’re released from the curse that we may receive the blessing of Abraham. And so Ruth and I are going to make our one of our commonest confessions as a pattern to you. Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross we have passed out from under the curse and entered into the blessing of Abraham whom God blessed in all things. How many things? All. Do you want that blessing? God has provided it for you. We’ll probably do that again. Thank you, sweetheart. Remember that it’s the blessing of the Holy Spirit.
In other words, it’s the Holy Spirit who administers the blessing. That’s important. You’ve got to be friends with the Holy Spirit. See, if you grieve the Holy Spirit, if you don’t honor the Holy Spirit, He withholds the blessing. He’s got the key to God’s storehouse. If you want the treasures, make friends with the keeper of the storehouse. And then, as I’ve said already, bear in mind that it’s in all things. You won’t get it all in one night but you’ve qualified for it in one night, do you understand? If I can put it like this, some of you are going the wrong direction. Tonight you can make a U-turn, start going the right direction. But that doesn’t mean you’ve arrived. You’re on the way. You have to keep that direction, you have to keep hearing and doing what God says if you want to continue in the blessing of Abraham. And you have to keep making the right confession.