Steps to Break Free
from Spiritual Bondage
1. Surrender Your Devotions to God
God is the only one who can accurately assess the spiritual condition of your heart. God knows if you have been praying to him in communion with the saints (as per the Catechism), or if you have been committing the sin of idolatry by praying directly to the saints. God knows if you have given demonic spirits access to your life, or if you have been obedient to the Holy Spirit. The first step to a deeper and more profound relationship with Jesus is surrendering everything into the Lord's hands. Ask the Holy Spirit to shine the light of truth into your heart to illuminate everything that he wants to show you.
2. Discern God's Will for Your Situation
After you ask the Lord for guidance, the next step is to discern what Jesus has to say. If in the event you are unable to spend several hours sitting in silence communing with the Blessed Trinity, then it may be necessary to start removing all forms of noisy distractions from your life. You may also want to consider a seven-day fast on vegetables and water in an attempt to get more serious in your efforts to hear from the Lord.
3. Ask God Questions About Your Life
Once you develop the ability to commune with the Blessed Trinity in your prayer time (as per sections 2709–2724 of the Catechism), you can begin the process of asking God questions and listening for the answers. A good question to ask Jesus is, Did I have your permission to consecrate myself to the Immaculata? If God says, no, then you will need to break those agreements in the name, power, and authority of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Take the Spiritual Discernment Test
Another way to discern your spiritual condition is to stop praying to the saints for thirty days and focus all your prayers on the Blessed Trinity. If you find yourself being constantly plagued with requests from the Blessed Mother, then it would be a good indicator that you have opened the door to the demonic. God and his real angels and saints will never violate your freewill by getting inside your head to harass you for more prayers. Demons, on the other hand, will violate your freewill, and constantly plague you for more devotions.
5. Prepare for a Major Battle
If you have participated in unhealthy devotions for many years, the demonic spirits will not want to let you go without a battle. You will need to search your heart and past for every kind of sin and agreement you made with deceptive religious spirits. Once you identify the agreements, you will need to break them in the name, power, and authority of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. After you identity any sins of idolatry, it will be necessary to go to confession and make amends for your actions.
6. Cleanse Your Spiritual House
If you have been using religious objects as amulets, talismans or magic charms to provide protection, or bring you power, it will be necessary to remove those objects from your house. In order to maintain an authentic relationship with the Most Holy Trinity, you will need to rely solely on the Lord God Almighty for your protection, power, guidance, and provision.
7. Deepen Your Relationship With God
Once you have removed all unhealthy devotions and false gods from your heart, life, and environment (so that you can effectively commune with the Blessed Trinity), the next step is maintaining that relationship for the rest of your life. During your prayer time, if God calls you to forgive some people from your past, you will need to be obedient. If God calls you into ministry, according to Matthew 7:21, you will need to follow Jesus wherever he leads. Step by step, your relationship with the Most Holy Trinity will produce an abundant harvest for the kingdom of heaven.
