In this session, we will address several blocks that were in my life that were key in preventing the blessings of God to fall upon me. It's not that God was not wanting to bless, it was that I wasn't able to "receive." This whole web-teaching addresses many other areas that could be issues in your life, but the ones listed here are the most important that God revealed to me personally that were key for me. (Remember, I teach out of my testimonial and so every thing I've taught I had to go through too.)

The main theme in every block is Unforgiveness. If forgiveness is not received for yourself, or forgiveness is not given to others, then that is a major issue in your life. The Bible says that "If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you forgive NOT men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14) In order to have a good relationship with your Father in Heaven, you need to have relationships restored at this level. The Bible says "Whatever you do to the least of these my brethren, you do it unto me." (Matthew 25:40) If we don't forgive others, what does that say about our relationship with God?

Jesus came so that we could have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. He came to cleanse us from all sin. However, if someone does not recognize this and apply the sacrifice Jesus did on the cross for that sin, but keeps it because they think that sin is unpardonable, that person stays in that state of being, then that will be a major block from having fellowship with God. And a result of not having fellowship with God is not having healing and blessings come your way. Remember that SIN SEPARATES us from God. We put a BLOCK before God to work in our lives because of our SIN. Isaiah 59:1-2 clearly states this. He CAN heal and deliver, but He CHOOSES not to because of our sin! Jeremiah 5:25 says, "Your sins and iniquities prevent good things from happening to you."

So keep in mind if there is any unforgiveness or sins that have not been confessed as you go through these blocks. If you find yourself described in them, at that moment, stop and bring it before the Lord. Don't fear or get condemned because they are there, but rejoice that the Lord has shown you so you can be free! These things are using you as a puppet, you need today to get your life back. II Tim: 2-23-26 says a minister is to help you recover yourself from the snare of the devil… and identify blocks we are exposing the enemy that has a foothold in your life to loose you from those bands that bind you!! (Isaiah 53)

There are many blocks I am sure, but the following are the main blocks I had in my own life. Once recognized, God was able to begin the healing in my heart, which then healed my body, changed circumstances in my life, and brought me peace. So I encourage you to do the same.

So what are blocks? Blocks are emotional, spiritual and/or physical defects that prevent you from:

a. Receiving God's love
b. Having Healthy Relationships
c. Healing
d. Blessings and Promises of God
e. Seeing truth

Then continue on to the next block. This is a time for recognizing what is in you and taking it to the Lord, not to fall under guilt or shame because it's there but rejoice because you see it and you can become free from it!

Identifying blocks will help you find peace within. These things can be emotional, spiritual or physical and can even cause disease in our bodies. It's proven medically that guilt causes mental breakdown, fear causes stress and many disease derive from that, shame causes insecurity and fear, and idols or statues or symbols can cause bodily injury.

• Fear - Lack of God's Love "Perfect love casts out all fear and torment."

  There are hundreds of thousands kinds of fear, but we first need to get rid of the "spirit of fear" in order to be victorious over the fearful thoughts. Fear is a manifestation of something that we experienced, saw, heard, fealt, or believed. It starts in our thinking! The Bible says that perfect peace comes when our minds are stayed on God BECAUSE we trust him. (Isaiah 26:3).This is the real ticket! Trusting God becuase in doing that, we stay in peace, and there is no fear. (Refer to the indepth fear sessions)

  Until I discovered that fear was a spirit I was a puppet on a string to him to do whatever he wanted with me. But after casting it out - yes as a bliever - my life began manifesting amazing things - I was no longer controlled by fear, I was now free to keep it off WHEN it tried to return. 2 Corinthinas 10:5 - casting down all imaginations... this is where the enemy attacks, in our thoughts.

  James 1 teaches that we are tempted (to fear, etc.) when we are draw away of what is already inside of us. So it's important to release the spirit of fear from your life and to begin basking in God's love. For in doing so you will be keeping yourself from the snare of the devil!

• Doubt and Unbelief (John 6:28-29) We are to believe! Believe on the one who sent Jesus. Do you feel stuck? Do you lack peace and stability? James 1 says that a double-minded man in unstable in all his ways. When we have doubt, believe, doubt, believe, we are double-minded. We need to remain constant in belief no matter what is going on.

For believers Jesus is a stepping stone
For doubters Jesus is a stumbling block.

Remember, this scriptures is talking to the Christians! We need to decide if we are believers or doubters. Recognizing this will help God restore your faith in areas you are stumbling. Do not be ashamed to confess this to God, it's between you and Him.

• Pride is the original sin - it's behind every sin, that's where it started with Lucifer and that's where it starts with us.

Pride is what caused Satan's fall. He was thrown down with such force from heaven that in his wake there was a lightening bolt! (Luke 10:18) That was pretty hard, don't you think? Pride comes before a fall.

So we have to look at our lives and see how many times we have fallen. But the bible says that a righteous man may fall seven times, but he can get back up. (Proverbs 24:6)

Satan fell and he can never get back up! He is trying to keep you down when you fall, it's up to you to get back up. It's not a time to get under guilt about it, it's time to just face it and address it. Then after he fell, love was removed from him leaving him alone which resulted in fear. Now he works day and night to get you to fear so you are separated from the Love of God.

Pride is behind every type of sin imaginable.

Indicators of pride:
When we do what we want out ahead of God
Frustrated with others because they don't do it our way
Irritated by others
Rebellion
Control and Manipulation
Fear
Needing to be needed
Needing approval and acceptance
Get embarrassed easily
Sensitive and hurt easily
You say, "I'm a good person" but you don't feel appreciated
"I can do it better than them"
Don't they know who I am and what I have to offer?"
You think everything that happens is because of you
You think everything that happens is about you
Offended continually
Feeling guilty
Self-exaltation - Bragging and exalts own achievements
False Humility - looking for someone to see their humility
False sense of responsibility (false burden bearing) - you are not Jesus

A Person who is Humbled manifests the following:

Nothing anyone says hurts them, they are never offended and if they are, they repent
Submits to authority
Forgive quickly and unconditionally
Esteem others over own self and desires
Trust God in every area of their life
Peace, stability and soundness
Teachable
Admits when they are wrong
Sees the good in everyone

While going through this teaching, and other areas of teaching, you may start to get a bit uncomfortable. You may want to run or question God on what is going on, but the truth is, He may just be cutting away the pride in your life that is attached to your soul. Let Him do the work. Buckle your seatbelt and go for the ride.

Exercise 1:

From the list above, do any ring true for you? If so, check them off. This is not to bring you under condemnation but to help you see where the root causes are behind your issues. Pride is a hidden enemy but once he is exposed, you are will on the way to peace and freedom. This is an area people don't even know they have because it is so hidden - we are being deceived by this sin - pride.

Exercise 2:

Since Pride is the root of sin, take the time to seek God on the matter. Ask yourself what your motive is behind the issue. Any thing you do to make yourself look good or feel OK is a pride issue. Ask Him to help you expose all pride, there may even be more indicators in your life than listed above. When you are dealing with a sin or area in your life that you are struggling with, ask Him where the pride resides? Then as the Lord shows you, take what you see and confess your sin (i.e. control and manipulation, fear, reputation, etc) , and receive forgiveness and restoration in that area. That may be the strong hold keeping you bound. Write down one or two areas in your life you are struggling with and then ask the Lord to show you where the pride resides:

i.e: Getting your kids to sit still in church. In this case, what could be the motive? Not looking well to others - what will people think? This is pride and fear and people pleasing.

• Shame (I Peter 2:4-7) Closely kinship to pride. Whoever believes that Jesus is the chief cornerstone (and all that it represents) we will never be put to shame. There are several references to "shame" in the Bible so it tells me that there is a real problem here and if not dealt with can lead to other problems. And whoever doesn't believe this truth, that same rock becomes a stumbling stone. And this reference isn't talking to non-believers, but to Christians! How many Christians are stumbling around in their life?

Shame is an inherent feeling that no one can feel for me. It's produced by my own thought process. If I don't know who I am, that I've been chosen by God, that no one else's thoughts about me matters, then I will be shamed (embarrassed) and set up for rejection and abandonment.

• Guilt and Condemnation (produces shame), unworthiness which leads to no courage or boldness.(Be sure to go thorugh the Guilt and Condmnation on the teaching links for indebth study.)If you continually live under any kind of guilt or condemnation, you have not applied the forgiveness to your sins that Jesus sacrificed His life to give. When you are under guilt, you believe that you have to "pay" for your sins, or that your sins are so bad, they could never be forgiven. That is a lie! Jesus was enough - it's up to you to believe that. You need to understand "repentance". What salvation really means.

Revelations 12:11 Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony…
James 2:10
I John 2:1,
I John 1:9.

List your guilt's and regrets here: ___________________________________________________________________________

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Take these to God and confess your part in the guilt. You should never be under any guilt, ever! Guilt is an indicator something is not right in your heart. Don't let guilt stay, recognize it, go to God with it and be set free. Conviction is from God, letting you know of something you did wrong. But guilt is put on you when you don't deal with that conviction.

II Peter 1:5-9 Says that whoever lacks these things cannot see and he is blind, and has forgotten that he was purged from his Old Sins!! Remember, we are recognizing things that we struggle with, which is a tell-tale sign we have not "received" the forgiveness of your old sins (or new ones for that matter).

Staying clean before God is our main focus. In every area of our life. We do that by confessing everything we see to God that is not of his nature and character! It's not that we are perfect, we'll never be perfect, but we can stay clean before God in our heart when we take everything to Him in prayer.

• Accusations (blame) One major block! Bitterness and disappointment toward God. Blame and Guilt comes from accusing. Judging is very close to accusing.

Romans 2:15 "accusing or excusing one another"

I Thess 5:23 "preserved blameless"

Rev. 12:10 - Accuser of the brethren is the Devil.

Strongs concordance: Against one in the assembly; i.e. a complaint of the law. Satan offered complaint about a believer who was not obeying the law.

Satan's nature is to accuse - he turns the truth into a lie: (Romans 1:25). The following scriptures describes how Satan accuses:

Accused God of withholding good - Gen 3:5-6
Accused Job to God - Job 2:5
Accused Brethren Rev 12:10
Adam and Eve took on the characteristics of accusation - blaming each other Gen 3:12-13

Practical application: Satan actually accuses you - sometimes - of something you actually did!. For example if you were impatient with someone at church, he will continue to remind you all day and make you feel bad that you were impatient. So, how to deal with this is:

1. Agree with your adversary - Matthew . This means admit to it. Say, "Hey Devil, yep, you are right. But guess what, I'm forgiven!
2. Take your sin and confess it to God.. Don't keep it, come clean before God about it, don't dilly dalley around. Take responsibility and repent and accept forgiveness.
3. Tell the Devil to take a hike!

Manifestations of accusation:

• Suspicious - always looking for evil intent Num 16:3 Matthew 9:34
• Bitterness - keeps record of wrong done
• Easily Offended
• Envy and Jealousy
• Murder - gossip/slander
• Scrambling thoughts - misunderstandings - this is NOT an accident - Kingdom of Satan wants to separate us and if he can do it by causing misunderstandings, then so be it.

Results of Accusations:

• Makes one feel unworthy, guilty, not pleasing to God
• Works against, self, God and others
• Blames God for evil happenings. "We call evil good when we do this."
• Keeps record of wrong done when God has forgiven
• Co-Dependent, burden bearing, plays holy spirit over another's sin
• Falsely charges others with your own sins (we accuse others of things that we ourselves have done.)
  
  Exercise:

Write down any disappointments, wishes, dreams or desires that have NOT been fulfilled

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If you look at each of these carefully, you will discover that God is at the root of each of these. We are disappointed with God because since He is God, why haven't these things come to pass? Why didn't He stop things from happening. Why, Why, Why?

The truth is, behind every thing listed above, there is blame and disappointment toward God. You don't want to feel that way, but that is the truth.

Now take each one of these to the Lord and tell him how you feel about them. Be honest with Him. Tell Him you blame Him, that you don't think He's been fair, perhaps you feel He's withholding good from you, perhaps you feel He doesn't love you like he loves others, etc.. Repent to Him for blaming Him.

The truth is; God didn't cause any of these things in your life to happen. We are reaping what has been sewn. God is not mocked, whatever you sow, that you shall also reap (Galatians 6:7). I heard someone say once, "This world is a place of reaping and sowing." What we have today is what has been sown in our generations before us or what we ourselves have sown! Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad. It's up to us TODAY to decide what to do with this sowing thing. Choose today to start sowing good seed into your life so you reap a harvest later.

We need to stop blaming God for our circumstances and related issues. We have been given freedom to choose our path, God is not going to tell you what to do but what He does do is that whatever choice you make He is there to help you through it. He does not drive or even lead, he guides and prods, but you still have to make the choice.

God is not evil and by blaming Him, we are calling Him evil. Repent this to him along with any other areas where you accuse Him of not being the God you expected Him to be. (James 1:17).

Sample Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I realize that I have been blaming you for not fulfilling my life the way I believed it should be. I realize that you are good and can only give good, so the junk in my life didn't come from you, it came from my own choices. Forgive me for not seeing this and I take responsibility for my life and ask you to cleanse my heart and fill me with your love and peace. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness and restore our relationship. In Jesus name, Amen.

• Abandonment and Rejection - (For more indepth study, go to the on-line teachings) These two areas are most common in people's lives. But I discovered that these two areas would block my relationship with others, God, and myself. If I feel rejection, I will also reject others. I discovered that in order to "feel" rejection, you first have to have been abandoned, physically, emotionally or spiritually.
  
  In order to truly understand abandonment and rejection, you first need to know their definitions.

1. Look up the word Abandonment in the dictionary and describe:
   
2. Look up the word Rejection in the dictionary and describe:

Write down the names of individuals who abandoned you. (Could be physically abandoned you, emotionally or spiritually abandoned you.)

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Take these individuals to God and forgive them. (Refer to the "how to forgive" section). The truth is, people will abandon you and when they do, what are you going to do about it? Remember, no matter who abandons you, God will never abandon you. The reason you may thing He has is because you have a breach in relationship with Him somewhere in your life and you seem to be far away from Him. The truth is, He is as close as a breath, but you have put up a block between you and Him because of possible blame and accusation toward Him. (See "accusations" teaching.)

Receive God's love - for He has not abandoned you - He is your Father. He is not silent to you. He does not ignore you. You need to understand God's relationship with you as Your true Father. He is not like your earthy father at all who is imperfect. God's love and relationship with you is perfect. When we finally get this in our hearts, our whole life will change. We will no longer need the "approval" of others once we "know" we are accepted and loved by God.

• Lack of Patience - Romans 5:3 "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation works patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. Hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
  
  I Peter 2:20-24 - When we suffer patiently for wrong done to us, this is commendable to God! Pay close attention to how we suffer - with patience!!! We are no greater than Jesus and look how he took no offense to wrong done, he didn't even defend Himself, and he was given a place most honorable of God, to sit at His right hand. Jesus endured with patience didn't he???

In order for us to obtain the promises of God, we need to have patience. But patience comes through tribulation, that is why we are to "rejoice" when tribulations come because it creates in us patience. (James 1: 2) Patience is worked in us by experience. Then when we begin to live in patience, we have peace that restores all Hope in God.

Are there any areas in your life where you lack patience? Confess them to the Lord and allow Him to develop patience. Patience is the root of Peace! You have patience, you have peace. And isn't that what you want? Peace also balances out your system so your body works properly. Don't be afraid of asking for patience, it will actually help free you!

• Thanklessness - Be thankful every day. Thank God for His mercy and Grace. Thank Him for your life. Thank Him for your situation. Yes, thank Him IN all things! If you keep asking you are still climbing a mountain. But once you begin thanking Him, you are sliding down the other side of the mountain. You have begun to "Receive."
  

  Psalm 100:4 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."

  Colossian 3:15 "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

  2 Corinthians 9:12 "For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God." (You want to be supplied and abundantly filled? Then be thankful to God!)

  Romans 1:21 "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." (When we don't thank God, our hearts grow hard and darkened with sin.)
  

Proverbs 10:28 Hope comes when we are thankful (glad). We need hope to continue to seek and serve and love others, self and God. Our home comes from God. "Hope in God." Nothing else!!! As we focus on God, all the rest will follow that we need to hope in.

• Hopelessness - Hope deferred makes the heart sick. (Proverbs 13:12)
  We are saved by Hope (Romans 8:24).

When we Hope, it should only be in God. What are you hoping for?

Are you hoping that someone helps you? Are you hoping the doctors figure out what is wrong with you? Are you hoping that your job offers medical coverage? Are you hoping you get a new car? Are you hoping that the weather cooperates? Are you hoping in things???

If you are relying on God to deliver what you are hoping for, then you are doing wisely. If you are hoping in fear, then you are setting yourself up for more pain and suffering.

• Approval and Acceptance - When we constantly need approval from people, this will block our peace and relationship with God and man. (Psalm 23) The Lord is my shephered I shall not want.. so why do I need approval?

I need to be needed is rooted in pride. A person who feels that no one is paying attention to them is someone who is needy. This very thing will cause people to reject you - the very thing you don't want. The only way to be freed in this area is to confess your self-righeousness and pride and seeking approval from man.

The Bible says we are already accepted, we are already approved of and to seek man's approval is the sin of "people pleasing."

• Ungodly Grief - Having a sense of grieving over a long period of time (years and years) will block your peace and rob you of the present. Self-pity glues us to the past. Regret glues us to the past. Guilt because of someone's death, glues us to the past and opens the door for the enemy to keep you down.

  If you are suffering long-term due to a loss of a loved one, or even loss of a job or relationship, etc., and it's keeping you from moving forward with your life - this is ungodly grief. Jesus is the only one who carries our pain and grief, but when we keep it, we are trying to take His place. It's time to take off your grave clothes and come out from among the dead and into the living.

  Grief can even cause your eyes to have problems. Psalm 6:7 "Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies."

  Grief can cause other health issues - Psalm 31:10 "For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed"
  

  Greif can cause us to have anxiety - Jeremiah 45:3 "Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest."

  And one of my favorite verses is found in 2 Corinthians 2:5-11. "But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

  There may be someone in your life, a neighbor, friend, or relative that causes you so much grief! According to this verse, that person who causes grief are they themselves full of pain. They are filled with sorrow, and aren't being comforted. To forgive the person of causing you uncessary grief and discomfort because as Christ forgives, so we must also, so that Satan won't get an advantage over us! So we not only help that person who is perpetrating our problems, but if we don't forgive them, it opens the door for the enemy to come and make things worse!

  So if you have been grieving over a loss, or if someone is causing you grief, in both cases forgiveness has to be administered. Confess where your grief is because when we keep on grieving about it, we are trying to get back something that was lost, and only God can replace it or heal your broken heart. But He can't unless you go to Him with it. And for those causing you grief, forgive them and go the extra mile to comfort them.

• Judging (I Corinthians 4:5) "Therefore judge nothing before the time (which is when Jesus comes back to judge the World on the last day) until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God."

  Paul said that he didn't even judge himself! 1 Corinthians 4:3 "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self." Paul didn't listen to what others said about him, and he didn't even judge himself!

  We are not to judge others or even ourselves. With judgment comes sentencing. But Jesus pad for our sins and took on our sentencing so why are we continuing to do it to each other? We need to realize that when we judge, we always judge in an area where we "think" we've arrived! We have to understand that when we do something "good" it's not us doing it but God. (John 15:5) And when we do something "bad" it's not us doing it either, it's sin within us. (Romans 7:17). We are a vessel that holds something, we are ALL vessels holding something. How can we think ourselves so highly that we can even judge another?

1 Corinthians 5:13 "But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." Hmmmm.... Selah

But judgment is the manifestation of pride and fear. If you want to be free from judging others, critizing or complaining, then confess your pride, impatience, anger, frustration, self-righteousness and fear to the Lord. This isn't to cause you guilt or condemn you, it's to help you see the truth within yourself so you can come clean before the Lord. As long as we hide from these issues, we will remain in bondage to them. But once they are exposed, freedom is just around the corner.

• Communion - "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep."

  There are several things to see here. The main issue is that if you drink the cup and don't believe in the sacrifice for sins or if you eat the bread and don't believe in healing, then you causing your own health issues. Then to go once step further, before taking communion we are to examine our own hearts and confess any sins. If we have to lay the cup down so that you can reconcile to someone, then do so. It's better to not take the cup than to take it unworthily - that is why so many among "us" are sick unto death.

 

Closing Comment

There are many "blocks" preventing healing, health and blessings, I have come to the conclusion that when we walk in "Love and Truth" with God, ourselves and our fellow man, there will be NO blocks! Matthew 22:37-40 sums it up: "Love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself, upon these hang all the laws and the prophets." If we did this one scripture, we would be a whole lot happier and freer.