Step 10. Declaring Forgiveness and Blessings 

Step 10. Declare Forgiveness and Blessings 

It is done! You just did what Jesus said we would do: 

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. (John 14:12)

Jesus broke the strongholds of darkness over people’s lives. In faith, you also broke the strongholds of darkness over your life and set yourself free, just as Jesus said we were to do. And now, based on your confession, repentance, and willingness to grow in the image of Christ, you are forgiven! You are absolved of your sins. In the name of Jesus, you are declared free from the bondage of sin. You are free from the enslaving power of unredemptive pain and heartache. You are cleansed and pure, spotless, clothed in white, sealed for all the good work the Lord God has accomplished in you. Now, read the triple priestly blessing and accept it for your life:

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24)

If you have chosen to go through this process with a confidant, ask that person to pronounce the above blessing over you. You must believe that it is done! You took the scriptural steps to heal the pain from trauma. You made a giant step to sanctify your life. The healing of your heart has begun because you are on your way to being transformed in the image of Christ.

Attention! You must also know that before your state of heart gets better, it will get worse. Don’t be discouraged! Be informed! There is a turning point at which the old structures of flesh are replaced with new structures bearing the likeness of Christ Jesus. This point is marked by unrest, uneasiness, heaviness, and pain. One feels more burdened after taking the practices of the flesh to the cross than before this step. The reason for this condition is embedded in the process of dying to one’s self and rising anew in Christ. Physical death is not pleasant or easy; neither is spiritual death any different, especially death on the cross. 

Don’t be discouraged if you experience the same thoughts and emotions that tormented you for so long. You are very likely to continue experiencing heartache, but the pain is bound to lose its power with each affliction. The degree of suffering may vary, depending on your stand against it. You must continue claiming the one most important thing you have done: You renounced your old ways, thinking structures, attitudes, bitterness, resentment, anger, or whatever other areas of your life were problematic. You placed them on the cross and reckoned them as dead. They are dead indeed! The changes in the spiritual realm have already occurred. Even though you may not be aware of them yet, you must accept the healing by faith. It is only a matter of time until your awareness of the transformation increases. The physical changes lag behind the spiritual reality. For permanently evident change, you must commit to a daily discipline of prayer for sanctification and transformation. You must claim daily the power of the cross for your healing. You must live up to what you have already attained (Philippians 3:14). And what you have attained is the healing of your heart by faith in the Word. You achieved what the Scripture promised—freedom from the enslaving power of sin. You took the road of healing in faith. You must accept the fact of your healing by faith. Do not be deceived by feelings or thoughts of failure! Remember, the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9). 

   Don’t be enslaved again by old emotions, feelings, and behaviors, for the Scripture tells us not to put confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). Instead, hold on to the Word of God because it is eternal, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. By doing so, you will experience the blessing of being the righteous who lives by faith (Habakkuk 2:4).