Overcoming A Spirit of Compromise

In my previous article, I wrote about the necessity of coming back to the heart of worship. Returning to the heart of worship involves many aspects of being able to recognize where our lives, the life of our family, the life of a church or even the lives in our cities and communities have gone astray. It is shaking out the irritants in our soul that get between us, the Lord, and others. Spiritual compromise is deadly. It's a slippery slope, and backsliding can happen quickly. When people leave the lover of their souls, they stray onto roads of compromise, and those many roads of compromise lead to destruction. It may not happen overnight, but eventually all compromise comes with a cost. We lose out on God's best. One of the hardest things is figuring out how to break that spirit of compromise so that people can return to the Lord with all their heart. Until people can actually recognize where they have bought into a lie or cooperated with the enemy in some way, they remain stuck in captivity. They may realize they are stuck, but remain frustrated, disappointed or angry that the answer seems to be out of reach. Many times there are powerful spiritual forces at work to keep people blinded and captive to their own need for deliverance or a change in their ways. This is applicable to entire churches, also. The same reasons can apply to a body of believers just as much as they can to an individual. There are reasons why people and churches get stuck and do not produce kingdom fruitfulness. It is called compromise. The anointing gets choked out when the enemy has a place to operate. The following is a prayer written for those purposes and can be used in a corporate setting just as much as it can be for an individual seeking release from spiritual constrictions.

Heavenly Father,

I lift up myself, my family, my neighbors and those in my community, city and state. I ask Your forgiveness for the many ways we have allowed compromise to turn our hearts away from you or allow our love for you and others to grow cold. Forgive me for:

·         Lost convictions of moral and spiritual purity

·         Losing a sense of the fear of the Lord

·         Having hardness of heart towards You and others

·         Lost fellowship with You

·         Lost faith and allowing unbelief and double-mindedness to make me waiver in my beliefs

·         Trusting in my own strength

·         Cold love and rebellion

·         Allowing pride and mediocrity to take up residence in my heart

·         Discounting my own need  for repentance

·         Thinking I could have your blessings while living in stubbornness of heart

·         Walking in false humility

·         Embracing religious traditions and the empty forms of religion more than I desired Your presence, power, and intimacy in relationship with You

·         Getting caught up with my own reputation and desires rather than desiring You above all else

·         Pretending to be more than I am for the sake of gaining the attention and approval of others

·         Exalting the leadership of mere men rather than elevating and desiring Your leadership

·         Making decisions and making plans that not approved nor appointed by You

·         Embracing immorality, self- sufficiency and other worldly ways

·         Embracing a lust for power and control

·         Being willing to injure the lives and reputations of others for selfish gain

·         Attempting to manipulate, dominate or control others

·         Attempting to reduce, restrict or quench the Spirit of God

·         Grieving your Holy Spirit

·         Allowing myself to be controlled, manipulated or intimidated in order to make ungodly peace treaties and place myself in subjection to demonic spirits

·         Failing to seek truth through the Word of God, and rejecting the truth that I know

·         Embracing the lies of the enemy

·         Becoming comfortable with things You call sin

·         Allowing intimidation and fear of man to rob me of confidence, boldness and leadership qualities in my life

·         Allowing religious works and traditions to replace Your power and passion for Holy Spirit

·         Self-deception

Therefore, I decree a severing and a breaking away from all spirits of control, the Jezebel spirit of witchcraft, fear and intimidation, pride, self-will and self-sufficiency, rebellion, unbelief, lying spirits, religious spirits, Python, Baal and Divination, the spirit of Compromise, a spirit of preeminence, the spirit of tradition, a perverse spirit,  spirits of death and poverty, self-deception, false boasting and false humility, and cold love. I renounce these spirits and the ungodly covenants and agreements they demand in order to remain in compromise. Forgive my sin, Lord. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness and renew a right spirit in me. I declare Jesus is Lord of my life. I declare Jesus is Lord over me and my family, my city, and my state. Come save us from our sins, Lord Jesus. Deliver us from evil. You are the Son of God and there is power in your name! Create in us a new heart, with new  desires, and give us a desire to pursue You, to love You and to know You. Let the blood of Jesus cover our sins and restore us to You, and to one another in right relationships. Show us what we need to do to break the power of spiritual compromise in our home, our personal lives, in our churches, in our cities and communities. In Jesus name, amen.