Overcoming Doubt and Double-mindedness

Overcoming Doubt and Double-mindedness & A Prayer to Break Ungodly Yokes    

    My previous post was a word of encouragement, but I wanted to follow up with this article dealing with doubt, unbelief and double mindedness because indecision means that God cannot answer our prayers. We cannot afford to be double-minded or unbelieving. Examine James chapter 1, verses 5-8. This is from the New Living Translation.

    Vs 5: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. Vs 6: But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Vs.7: Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Vs.8: Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

    Unbelief causes double-mindedness and confusion so that we don’t truly make up

our minds about what we believe concerning a matter. A double-mind is “having in the mind opposite or opposing views at different times.” The Lexicon gives us the deeper meaning of the original Greek word used for double-minded. It is the word ‘dipsuchos,” which means to have two minds, or wavering, having two souls. i.e. a person "split in half," vacillating like a "spiritual schizophrenic." It means to be divided in interest, between God and the world.

    Now, we know that scripture tells us that Satan is known as the Prince of this world, or the Prince of the Power of the Air. He is a fallen angel that has influence in the airways, or the natural atmosphere in which we live. So, to live with double mindedness is to be in some ways carnal or worldly.

    This reminds me of another verse of scripture in 1 Kings 18:21 where the prophet Elijah confronted the people and said, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” The word ‘halt” means to hesitate, to walk with uncertainty, or limping between two opinions, if you will. The prophet was confronting the people of Israel for their conduct. They lacked consistency between their worship of Jehovah and the worship of Baal, which was the god of the worldly nations. Back then, polytheism, or the worship of many gods, was widespread, and Elijah was trying to get people to make a decision and stick with it. They were  combining worship of Jehovah God with the worship of Baal. I'm simplifying, but essentially God said, “Hey, it’s all or nothing. I will not be a god among many other gods. You’re going to have to decide. Who are you going to serve?" But when Elijah laid it out there for them plainly, once they understood what he was getting at, they were struck with conviction and didn’t know what to say. Elijah asked them why are you so unsteady in your opinions and practices? Make a choice! If Jehovah is God, serve Him. Stop cheating on God by justifying behaviors he condemns. If you think Baal is God, then serve him, but at least be consistent. They were faced with the real condition of their hearts, in the presence of many false prophets of Baal on one side, and the servant of the Lord on the other. So, their beliefs were compromised and it led them to worldly behavior, indecision and thier worship to God was actually polluted. God sees these inconsistencies as spiritual adultery, or having an affair with the wrong spirits. It’s not a small thing to God. Elijah confronted the divided loyalties of their hearts, and that is what we learn from the scripture in James 1:8. A double minded person does not get their prayers answered, because if we are aligned with FEAR, COMPROMISE and UNBELIEF, it blocks God’s ability to answer. It takes faith to please God. Hebrews 11:6 tells us,  “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” KJV

    We may not stop to consider our doubts or double mindedness in the same light, but as we see in the above scripture, God views double-mindedness as a loyalty issue. Look at what it says in Romans 8:6-8. This is the New Living Translation.

    "So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. The sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God." 

    We cannot remain indecisive. Doubt, unbelief and indecision leads to instability and unanswered prayer. There is a lot more that can be said about an unstable person. A person that is of two minds or two souls lives by a double standard. That means that their behavior is often questionable and may not be trustworthy. A heart that lacks convictions produces an unstable life. So, when we feel tempted to doubt God, remember all that this verse means. When our faith begins to waiver, remember it is a temptation that comes from the enemy, in an attempt to produce instability, fear and result in unanswered prayer.  If you catch yourself going around in circles about what you believe, or if you have made a poor choice and found yourself justifying an area of sin, simply turn back to God, ask for forgiveness, and rebuke the enemy by saying, “You lying devil, I repent from my sin and I renounce any agreements I’ve made with spirits of darkness. You will not be my Lord or Master. I submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit and I command you, spirits of adultery, unbelief and double-mindedness, leave me now and go to the pit where you belong. For it is written, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and all your strength,” In Jesus name, amen.

    Accept God’s grace. Accept the truth and replace the wrong beliefs with the word of God, because the word of God settles the matter. 

    Read Hebrews 11:1  Faith is a substance we can stand on. It produces stability. In the Lexicon, the original Greek word is hupostasis, which comes from the joining of two words: 5287 hypóstasis(from 5259 /hypó, "under" and 2476 /hístēmi, "to stand") – properly, (to possess) standing under a guaranteed agreement ("title-deed"); (figuratively) "title" to a promise or property, i.e. a legitimate claim (because it literally is, "under a legal-standing") – entitling someone to what is guaranteed under the particular agreement.

    For the believer, 5287 /hypóstasis ("title of possession") is the Lord's guarantee to fulfill the faith He inbirths (cf. Heb 11:1 with Heb 11:6). Indeed we are only entitled to what God grants faith for (Ro 14:23).

    When we understand the deeper meaning of the words in scripture, it is easier to also understand why God takes the position of all or nothing. We are either all in, or we’re not. He is saying, if you take Me at My word, if you have faith and don’t doubt, then I will give you a guarantee you can stand on. It’s like owning the title-deed to My promise. You have a legitimate claim that entitles you to what is guaranteed under our agreement. 

    That is why God’s word tells us in Prov. 3:5-6 not to lean on our own understanding, but acknowledge what His word says. You’ve got to be willing to dig out the truth of His word for yourself, because when you do, that’s when the truth really becomes yours.

    Mark 9:23  All things are possible for one who believes. The word believe in the Strong’s Concordance is #4100, the word Pisteuo. It means to be persuaded, to affirm and have confidence, to have faith in, to trust, the believing that leads to/proceeds from God's inbirthing of faith.

    Our words determine where we have placed our agreement. Our words contain the power of life or death. We actually put the enemy on assignment every time we speak out words of unbelief, fear, or condemnation; not only over ourselves, but over others.We are either on the side of faith with God; or, our words are aligned with unbelief, doubt, double mindedness and that is the enemy's side. Let us break the power of negative words, either from ourselves, others, or from our loved ones so that they don’t continue to leave an open door to the enemy.

PRAYER:

    Father, I specifically lift up by name: (speak out the people you are praying for, including yourself.)

    I repent for negative, unbelieving words that I have spoken over myself and my loved ones. Let the power of all unbelieving words that I have spoken, or they have spoken about themselves be broken now in the name of Jesus. Let them not remember those words anymore, and I ask that Your forgiveness and mercy break the power of unbelief and double mindedness in all of us. Let the counsel of Your Holy Spirit unravel every lie and bring us back to the truth that sets us free.

    I bind the strongmen of the deaf and dumb spirit, unbelief and double mindedness in the name and authority of Jesus Christ. By the authority of Jesus Christ I render them powerless, paralyzed and impotent. I command these spirits to be sent back to the place God created for them in Jesus name.

    I declare that the ears that have been dull and without understanding, those that have sought comfort through denial, and those that have been under a spirit of stupor are opened now, in the name and authority of Jesus Christ, according to Mark 7:35. Lord Jesus, you said in Isaiah 61:1 of your word, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”

    I declare the head of the serpent that causes spiritual deafness is crushed according to Genesis 3:15, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

    I command the dullness to come out of people’s hearts, and they have been given a spirit of understanding from Your Holy Spirit, according to Matt. 13:15 and Is. 11:2.

    I break the spirit of stupor and release clarity, focus, and healing to people’s minds. I declare that Your words are clear to them according to Mark 7:14.

    I declare that people everywhere hear the word of the Lord and are compelled to do what He says, according to Acts 10:33.

    I declare that people will give up their other desires and pursue the Lord Jesus Christ, according to Mark 8:34.

    I declare by faith and by the power of Your word in Leviticus 26:13 the yoke on my neck, and on _______’s necks are broken now, for it is written, that God has brought us out of Egypt and broken the bars of our yoke so that we would no longer be slaves.

    I declare according to Micah 2:13 that our King has gone before us to break open the way and we follow where Your Spirit leads us; the gates are open and we are led out of those things that have confined us and restricted our movements in Jesus name.

    I declare a breaking of shackles, bands and bondages that have held us back, hindered our walk of faith, and kept us from being successful in life, according to Romans 8:15. For it is written, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” I declare the shackles and chains have broken and fallen off of me and my loved ones according to Acts 12:7.

    I declare that my loved one have called upon the name of Jesus for help and salvation, and that You brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart according to Psalm 107:14.

    I declare the spirit known as "Bands" that has bound me, my family and loved ones to wrong relationships, worldly behaviors, false burdens, false loyalties, fear and unbelief are broken now in Jesus name. Send those that the enemy has sent into our lives - out - in Jesus name! For it is wirtten in 2 Corinthians 6:14 it is written not to be unequally yoked. And, in 1 Corinthians 2:12 it is written, “We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

    In the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command all ungodly yokes to break off of us now. All ungodly soul ties, be broken now and return to your rightful owners. For it is written in Galatians 5:1 that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free, and we are commanded to stand firm and do not let ourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

    I declare we shall no longer wear the yoke of the enemy.  I cancel debt, poverty, infirmity, hopeless, unbelief, and fear RIGHT NOW in Jesus name! I declare that every one of my loved ones, including myself, that have felt like we have been in a pit of despair are lifted out by the power of Your Holy Spirit, for it is written in Zechariah 9:11, As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” Father, I know You are faithful to uphold Your covenant with my family, and I trust You to move on behalf of each one of us in Jesus name.

    (Insert your name and your loved ones) , I declare a release out of your captivity in the name and authority of Jesus Christ! For it is written in Jeremiah 30:8, ‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves.” And, in Nahum 1:13 it is also written, “So now, I will break his yoke bar from upon you, and I will tear off your shackles.”

    I declare we are prospering and in health from this day forward, in Jesus name! For it is written in 3 John 2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as our souls prosper.” And it is also written in Psalm 103:2-3, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; who forgives all your iniquities, who heals and your diseases." I bless you, my Lord, and thank you for all you have done for me and my family.

    I declare you are released from every man-made, self-imposed yoke and hindrance! For it is written in John 8:32 that “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free,” And, in 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

    Father, Your word says in 1 John 5:14-15 that I can have courage and confidence in my prayers because I am sure You hear me when I ask according to Your will, and You will grant my petitions. Thank you, Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit for releasing angels on their assignments to carry forth the fulfillment of my declarations and decrees. As I have declared Your word, you have released breakthrough and justice on behalf of those that have been oppressed in Jesus name.