If curses are put into place through sin, then, true repentance must be the starting point if they are to be broken. Only then can spiritual authority be exercised effectively to remove the effects of curses.
“Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins: also because of their fathers’ sins they will waste away. But if they will confess their sins and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the lands of their enemies – then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.” (Leviticus 26:39-42)
“O Lord, we acknowledge our wickedness and the guilt of our fathers; we have sinned against you . . . Remember your covenant with us and do not break it.” (Jeremiah 14:10,21)
“I confess the sins we Israelites including myself and my father’s house have committed against you.” (Nehemiah 1:6,7)
“O Lord, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.” (Daniel 9:8)
“Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly. Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.” (Psalm 106:6,7, 13-15)
It must be noted that confession of sin does not always guarantee that there is true heart felt repentance. Only when there is true repentance is confession of sin effective. Many are quick to confess their sins in order to remove the pain they are experiencing.
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” (2 Corinthians 7:10-11)
Often, a demonic presence that is working in a person’s life will try to build a case in the mind to rationalize and justify past feelings and actions so that the person will not see his or her sin in the matter. Thus, repentance is not obtained. The bondage stays in place and the person is left with an empty self-justification.
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