Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Hi, this is Russ Walden with Father's Heart Ministry and I'm here to be the prophet in your life. Today we want to talk about spiritual house cleaning in the mentoring minute. Discerning and removing occult and false religious influences from your home.
[00:00:27] As spirit filled believers, we understand that our homes, they're not just physical dwellings, they're also spiritual havens. And it's vital to creating your home an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can freely dwell and where we can grow in our relationship with God. But there are objects that can find their way into your home with occult or background in false religions. These things can invite and engender negative spiritual influences and hinder our spiritual growth. This teaching will guide you through a process of conducting a spiritual house cleaning to identify and to remove such things, empowering you to cultivate a home that's a little bit of heaven, to go to heaven in a home filled with God's presence and peace. Now right up front, make the determination. Don't get overly superstitious.
[00:01:38] Superstition laden thinking in a Christian context can do more harm than to your testimony and to you than any demonic influence. Secondly, what we're suggesting, if it doesn't find its place in the scriptural record, then it would be highly suspect. So do we have a New Testament example of what we will term doing a spiritual house cleaning?
[00:02:10] One scripture out of the book of Acts, Acts 19, verses 18 and 19.
[00:02:19] And many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds. And many of them also which used curious arts, brought their books together and burned them before all men. And they counted the price of them. They found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver. Wow.
[00:02:45] I remember years ago I had a contentious family member, a professing spirit filled Christian who would call me on the phone interrupting whatever conversation I was having and complete my sentences.
[00:03:02] When asked to explain themselves, they would boast about the occult background of their family, who allegedly had such abilities. But yet this person saw no contradiction between being a Christian and operating in these dark arts.
[00:03:20] In dealing with this, the Lord moved me to examine my home for things that didn't belong to exam very important. Remember this just to examine your home for things that don't belong. Things that might be like a demonic lightning rod that somehow in my case was focusing this person's efforts to move in these occult influences where my life was concerned.
[00:03:57] So looking around the room, I spied just this innocuous angel figure. You've seen the pictures of the angel with the two little children crossing the bridge. It was something like that. And it had been a gift in the family years before. And the Lord told me, he said, that's it. Get rid of that and the monitoring surveillance spirit will be defeated.
[00:04:23] Now, I wanted confirmation because the last thing you want to do is just go off on some tangent. You know, if the enemy can't make you just ignore such things altogether, he gets you just to plunge in and immerse your entire identity into such pursuits. And that's equally a problem.
[00:04:44] So I wanted confirmation. My wife came in. I gave her very little explanation of what I was doing, but just asked her to look around at things that she felt like, gave her a check in her spirit. She landed on this very same object and we did away with it and the activity stopped.
[00:05:08] Now we have to understand the threat. The Bible warns us against engaging in practices and beliefs that oppose God's truth. In Deuteronomy 18:10, we read, Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination, sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist, or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things, Deuteronomy tells us, is detestable to the Lord.
[00:05:48] So these practices, these artifacts, open doors to spiritual darkness in your home. And they can invite demonic oppression or influence objects associated with the occult or false religions, even seemingly harmless ones. They can act as conduits for these negative spiritual influences. And just a faint vestigial example, a short list.
[00:06:26] Idols and images. Statues or images representing deities or figures from other religions. They can also be very harmless things that have a context in your life from your past or even your present that the enemy can take advantage of. Use discernment. You don't have to have a full bona fides of exactly what's wrong with this. Just listen to your spirit and anything that gives you a check in your spirit.
[00:07:03] Occult symbols. Objects or jewelry bearing symbols associated with witchcraft, Satanism or other occult practices.
[00:07:17] Divination tools, tarot cards, Ouija boards. It's amazing how many people have a Ouija board in the garage or in the attic or it just turns up in the linen closet.
[00:07:31] Other tools designed for fortune telling or contacting spirits.
[00:07:36] Items from false religions, objects used in rituals or worship of false gods or goddesses. Cursed or haunted objects.
[00:07:49] You say, oh, I don't believe in haunting. Let me tell you something. Natural things can have a spiritual connotation.
[00:07:56] And yes, again, I commend you for not diving off head first into all this ghost hunting Foolishness, but yet it's a fact that the enemy is attracted and he embeds himself in our natural lives in ways that people out there with superstitious thinking would identify as haunting items believed to be cursed or associated with negative spiritual energy.
[00:08:31] Now, what's the process of spiritual healing? Number one, prayer and discernment. Begin by seeking God's guidance and discernment through prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any objects in your home that may be hindering your spiritual well being. This can include even mementos from previous relationships that give rise to soul ties and can hinder current relationships. And moving on now, be discerning about who you involve. I believe we should have prayer partners.
[00:09:13] But I remember there was a woman who was attending the first church I pastored back in the 1980s, and her and her husband had some thinking along this line.
[00:09:28] And during service one day she slipped out, went to my home, broke into my home with a ball peen hammer and broke every whatnot and ceramic item we had on the shelves. Can I tell you that my wife had a manifestation and this woman felt like all everything, like there was a demon under every lampshade and she thought she was doing as a favor. Listen, if the enemy, again, if he can get you to ignore these things altogether, he gets you to dive head first into this extreme emphasis that is as much of a problem as ignoring those things altogether.
[00:10:14] Use discernment. Don't be stupid, don't be ridiculous and don't allow others to come in being a part of the process that are only engendering it for entertainment value or to have the bone, the right to put a notch on their spiritual belt that they did such things thing.
[00:10:34] So prayer and discernment. Hooray. Anything that gives you a double take. Pray to interpret anything that gives you a check, get some confirmation.
[00:10:45] Examination. Carefully examine your home, room by room. Pay attention to decorations, books, artwork, jewelry and any other items. Ask yourself what what is the origin and meaning? This could bring so much freedom to you. This can. You may have areas of spiritual warfare you've been completely stuck in. Let me tell you something that this can bring instant deliverance. What's the origin and meaning of the object, not just in its design, but in its personal history with you? Does it have any associations with your sinful past, the occult or false religions? Does it promote practices or beliefs contrary to God's word?
[00:11:31] Do you feel a sense of unease or oppression when you're around it?
[00:11:36] We need to identify those things.
[00:11:38] Then removal and disposal.
[00:11:41] If you identify Any questionable objects, it's crucial to remove them from your home now. Don't sell them at a garage sale. If you don't want to pass on that oppression to someone else. Dispose of them in a way that seems appropriate. Burning, burying, discarding them away from yourself and others in some manner. I could tell you some real quote unquote ghost stories about. I remember one time there was a book that made its way into my house and the Lord told me, he said, take that, throw it in the fire. And when I did, I didn't see anything but what I heard. Just like you're hearing my voice in this room.
[00:12:23] I heard this. Some type of a creature, and it seemed like he had leathery skin, screamed and roared out of that flame and crawled out the flume of my fireplace and I heard wings flapping into the distance.
[00:12:42] And I get it if I was you. And I know if I heard a story like that, I wouldn't believe it at all. But it happened to me, so I have to believe it because I was sitting right there. And interestingly enough, I was very sick at the time. And when I did this, the Lord said, get rid of that book. I was instantly healed. I was on my knees in front of the fire, I threw that thing in, this thing happened and I got up healed.
[00:13:08] Cleansing and Dedication Once you've removed these objects, cleanse your home through prayer and worship. Ask God to fill your home with his presence and to protect it from any spiritual darkness. You can also anoint your home with oil as a symbol of dedication to God. Don't forget your devices. Don't forget your screens. Your screens are an avenue of ingress into your life. Anoint them with oil. Pray for them that the enemy will not be able to access your life through those items by that means.
[00:13:48] Now additional considerations. If possible, involve your family in the process of spiritual house cleaning. This can be a powerful opportunity to teach your children about spiritual discernment and the importance of creating a godly home environment.
[00:14:06] Ongoing vigilance Spiritual house cleaning is, and I found this out. It's not a one time event. It's an ongoing process.
[00:14:16] Be mindful of the objects you bring into your home and continue to seek God's guidance in maintaining a spiritually clean and healthy environment. I'm amazed. And how often something from the Mormon Church or something from the Jehovah Witnesses or something from some occult influence make it into my home.
[00:14:42] Just frequently go through your home. Keep your spiritual eyes and ears open and be prompt to get rid of things that again give you a check in your spirit.
[00:14:54] Spiritual Warfare in some cases, removing objects may be accompanied by strong spiritual warfare. If you experience any resistance or negative spiritual manifestations, pray for God's protection and authority and seek support through your church, community or spiritual leaders. Get your pastor to come and bless your home. Pray over your home. It's a wonderful thing to do.
[00:15:20] Now, by conducting a spiritual house cleaning, you're taking a proactive step to protect your home and family from negative spiritual influences. This process allows you to create an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can move and where you can freely experience God's peace and blessings more fully. Remember, your home is a sacred space and by dedicating it to God, you're creating a sanctuary for spiritual growth and intimacy with Him.
[00:15:51] Now let's review and reflect. Spiritual warfare is real. We live in a world where spiritual battles are constantly waged. Our homes should be a fortress of faith, not a stronghold of the enemy. Discernment is the key. The Holy Spirit empowers us to discern the origins and influences of objects and practices. We must be sensitive to his leading.
[00:16:17] Obedience brings freedom. When we identify and remove things that displease God, we open ourselves to his blessings and protection.
[00:16:28] Our homes are holy ground. We dedicate our homes to the Lord, making them places of worship, prayer and spiritual growth.
[00:16:36] This is an ongoing process.
[00:16:39] Spiritual vigilance is a lifestyle, not a one time event. We must continually seek God's wisdom and guidance. So how do you move forward?
[00:16:53] Number one, schedule a time. Set aside dedicated time to pray and seek God's guidance in conducting your spiritual house cleaning. Examine your surroundings. Take a careful inventory of the objects in your home, considering their origins and potential spiritual influences. Remove them with conviction. Don't hesitate to remove anything that hinders your spiritual walk or invites negative spiritual energy.
[00:17:22] Cleanse and dedicate. Pray over your home, asking God to fill it with his presence and protection.
[00:17:29] Maintain a a lifestyle of discernment. Be mindful on an ongoing basis of the things that come into your home and continue to seek God's wisdom in this and all areas of your life.
[00:17:44] So, Heavenly Father, we come before you in the mighty name of Jesus, recognizing your supreme authority and power over all creation. Father, I stand as a child of God, clothed in your armor of righteousness, and I rebuke any and all forces of darkness that may be attempting to infiltrate the home of the person reading this or listening to this.
[00:18:09] Father, I declare this person's home is a dwelling place of the Most High God, a sanctuary dedicated to your glory and no weapon against it shall prosper. Father, I bind every demonic influence, every spirit of oppression, fear or deception, and I command them to leave this place, to leave their home in the name of Jesus as it is written in James 4:7. You said, Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil. He will flee, we resist him, and he must flee this Reader's Home this Person Listening Their Home Lord, I ask that you would fill this person's home with your Holy Spirit, creating an atmosphere of peace, love and joy. I pray your divine protection to surround their home and that no evil may enter and that your angels would guard its inhabitants day and night. Pour out your blessings upon this family that they may experience your abundant grace and favor in every area of their lives. May this person's home be a place of spiritual growth where your word is honored, your presence is felt, and your love is shared as it is written in Psalm 91. No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent, for he commands his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Father, I declare that this home is a beacon of light in the midst of darkness, a refuge for the weary, a place where your kingdom is established. May your presence be so evident in this home that all who enter would sense your love and be drawn to you. Thank you Father for hearing our prayers and for establishing your reign in this home. In Jesus name, Amen. God bless.
