Introduction:

In this Freedom Prayer Guide, we are going to take time to prayerfully:

• Identify our own personal idols.

• Confess and repent of the ways we have worshipped idols.

• Replace our idolatry with a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit

Biblical Foundations:

Idolatry is divine honor paid to any created object (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) in Scripture we see idolatry ensnares us, turns us away from the Father’s love for us, and is something we need to be diligent to watch out for.

“Dear children, keep yourselves from __________.” 1 John 5:21

“Those who ______ to worthless idols _________ from God’s love for them.” Jonah 2:8

“Be careful not to be __________ by inquiring about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.’” Deuteronomy 12:30

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we know that the freedom we are designed to walk in is found as worship you alone (Matthew 4.10). Please search our hearts, our thoughts and our lives and reveal to us any places we have worshipped or are presently worshipping idols and have opened our lives to the destruction idolatry brings. We want to keep ourselves from idols and to worship you wholeheartedly (1 John 5.21).

Confession:

During this phase of the freedom journey, we want to turn to God’s Word and God’s Spirit to highlight to us place where we have worshipped idols, and then we are going to take time to prayerfully confess those idols.

Idols of the Heart:

One type of idol found in Scripture are what are often called idols of the heart. They are things like money, sex, and power and the like. Here is a list of ways people engaged with heart idols in Scripture. As you read, ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment into areas of idolatry in your own life. Ultimately, the Lord knows the state of our heart better than we do!

1. Idolatry of Personal Desires and Selfish Ambition:

• Philippians 3.19: For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

• Common current examples: obsessed with sex and sexuality, food, popularity, control, status, success, etc.)

2. Idolatry of Money / Greed:

• Matthew 6.24: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

• Col 3.5: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

• Common current examples: obsessed with accumulating money, bank account size, constant anxiety over finances, decisions made with primarily money in mind, etc.

3. Idolatry of Human Wisdom, Philosophy, Intellect:

• Col 2.8: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

• Common current examples: allegiance to humanistic world view, rationalism, materialism, relativism, fatalism, etc.

4. Idolatry of People:

• Matthew 10.37: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

• Galatians 1.10: “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

• 1 Kings 11.1-4: “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”

• Common Examples: Obsession with family, Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Children, Friends, Leaders, Celebrities, Influencers, etc.)

5. Idolatry of Pleasures:

• 2 Timothy 3.2-4: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”

• Common Examples: Obsession with phones, computers, social media, food, drinks, substances, sports, etc.

Spiritual Idols:

A second type of idol found in Scripture are idols connected to other religions and spirits like Baal, Asherah and Molech. Although most of us probably don’t have direct experience worshipping Baal, Asherah or Molech, our world and culture is still still filled with these types of idols as well.

We can engage actively in them (I went to a shaman to help me connect with the spirit realm.) or passively engage with them (I have a dream catcher above my bed as a decorative piece). Both are ways of practicing idolatry.

Here is a list of ways people engaged with spiritual idols in Scripture. And while the names might have changed over time, many still engage in this same type of idolatry today.

1. Witchcraft/Sorcery (Deuteronomy 18.10-12, Galatians 5.19-21, Acts 19.18-20) Common Current Examples: Magic, Witchcraft, Sorcery, Voodoo, Spells and Curses.

2. Mediums or Spiritists (Leviticus 19.31, 1 Cor 12.3, Revelation 21.8) Common Current Examples: Astrology/Horoscopes, Tarot cards, Palm reading, Witchdoctors, Shaman, Spirit Animals, Ouija Boards, Seances, Dream catchers, Fortune Tellers, Crystals, Clairvoyant, Psychics, Spiritual Psychedelics, Necromancy, and things like these

3. False Religions & Spiritual Practices (Exodus 20.3-5, 1 Kings 18.21, Jeremiah 11.13, Judges 2.11-13) Common Current Examples: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Hare Krishna, Bahaism, Mormonism (Latter-day Saints), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Freemasonry, Christian Science, The Way International, Unification Church, Church of Scientology, Unitarianism/Universalism, Native American spiritism, Wicca, as well as art, artifacts and amulets from these false religions and spiritual practices etc.)

4. Non-Christian Vows, Pacts, Rituals, Initiation Ceremonies (1 Kings 11.1-8, 1 Kings 16.31-33, 2 Kings 8.16-18, 2 Corinthians 6.14-16) Common Current Examples: Fraternity and Sorority Vows, Gang Initiations, Secret Societies, Freemasons, Rosicrucians, Illuminati, Shriners, Order of Red Men, and things like these

5. Encounters With Demonic Spirits (Matthew 4.1-11, 1 Samuel 16.14.23, Mark 5.1-20) Common Current Examples: Rooms or Houses with spiritual beings, night terrors, voices, repetitive thoughts like I’m dumb, I’m ugly, nobody loves me and things like these etc.

Places of Idolatry:

As you review the above list, prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any way you have participated in idolatry like those listed above, or other things like these that may not be mentioned on this list. Write down what the Holy Spirit brings to your remembrance.

Repentance:

A working definition of repentance encompasses experiencing godly sorrow over your sin (2 Corinthians 7.10), turning away from that sin and turning towards the Lord (1 Thess 1:9), as well as bearing the fruit of genuine change (Matt. 3.8). The Lord extends mercy and forgiveness to the repentant (Isaiah 55.7).

After you have prayerfully considered the Idolatry Inventory, we have an opportunity to experience the freeing power of Jesus as we confess and repent of these places of sin and receive forgiveness for our idolatry.

Guided Prayer of Confession, Repentance and Receiving Forgiveness:

In the name of the true and living God, Jesus Christ, I confess, repent and renounce my worship of the idols of ______________________ (name them specifically). I know that these of the idols of ______________________ (name them specifically). I know that these places of idol worship are evil and offensive in Your sight. I renounce any and all involvement worship are evil and offensive in Your sight. I renounce any and all involvement with the idols with the idols of_______________________ (name them specifically), and I cancel out any and of_______________________ (name them specifically), and I cancel out any and all ground that the all ground that the enemy gained in my life through this activity. I ask for and humbly receive enemy gained in my life through this activity. I ask for and humbly receive your forgiveness and the your forgiveness and the cleansing and freeing power of your blood. Amen.

Acts of Repentance:

Is there anything you need to do to practically as a next in bearing the fruit of repentance?

Examples:

• Ephesian believers repented and burned their magic books (Acts 19.19)

• The rich young ruler needed to repent and give away his money to get rid of his idolatry (Matthew 19:16-22)

• Zaccheus made things right with those he had wronged as he got free of his idols (Luke 19.1-10)

Replace & Restore:

Repentance leads to sin being replaced with new life, healing and renewal.

As we have broken ties with idolatry, take time to listen to the Holy Spirit for ways that He wants heal you and free you of the bondage idolatry brings.

Sit in silence for 2 minutes and listen to what the Holy Spirit would speak to you. Write down anything you sense the Spirit speaking to you. Share what you sense with your discipler.