Restoring your Self-Image
Do you have a warped self-image? A negative self-image is closely related to whether you experience self-hatred and self-rejection. Self-hatred and rejection issues often occur in childhood and remain with a person their entire life, unless they do something on purpose to deal with it. There can be many things and various life situations that leave a person dealing with emotional pain, anger, bitterness, regret, feelings of guilt, shame or remorse. All of these things, when left unhealed, can be internalized and turn into self-rejection and a negative self-image. Our God is incredibly loving and merciful. He can forgive any sin we bring to him. Just as it says in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Read our blog about Self-Rejection
Freedom from the Spirit of Rejection
A common block to healing unforgiveness
One thing that can hinder a person’s ability to be healed (both emotionally and physically) is holding on to long-term unforgiveness. When we judge others, we place ourselves in the place of God. Often people are so hurt that they are not done being angry about whatever caused that hurt and offense.
But the Bible is clear that when we do not forgive, our own sins are not forgiven either.
When we choose not to forgive, we are turned over to demonic tormentors as punishment. A spirit of fear brings tormenting thoughts. Torment causes condemnation which results in feelings of rejection.
Forgiveness is such a big deal with God that He cannot overlook it. Jesus gave his very life and forgave us before we even asked. He offered His grace before we changed our ways or made amends. We simply need to receive it.
If we choose to retain unforgiveness, it blocks our prayers, blocks our ability to be received into heaven, and torments our thought life. We continue to dwell on painful thoughts and memories and are chained to our past until we realize our faults, confess them to God and choose to forgive those that have hurt us. When we do, the prison door opens and our hearts and minds are free.
There is a great deal of injustice in this world, but nothing is worth the surrender of peace with ourselves and God. Nothing is worth sacrificing eternal life because we are too stubborn to let go of hurt and offense. You must forgive (Luke 6:37).
When conflicting beliefs withstand healing
Another thing that causes feelings of rejection is the inner conflict a person has in their belief system when it comes to feeling safe and secure in their relationship with God. This is a huge struggle for many, many people. Most people land in one of two camps. Either their beliefs about God are tied to a fear of rejection (not being good enough, struggling with sin issues, violating one’s conscience in regards to sin, or feeling judged or disapproved because of it); or they embrace the joy of knowing they are loved and accepted by God and their approval rating has nothing to do with them, but all about what Jesus has done through His shed blood, cross and resurrection. Let me give you some good news! God does not reject the vessel whom His Spirit inhabits.
It is also completely impossible to both love and reject simultaneously. Beloved, God is not schizophrenic. His love and acceptance are not based on our performance rating. His love and acceptance are based on the fact that the Spirit of His Son lives in us (if we have received Jesus Christ as our Savior). And, since He has told us that nothing created can separate us from the love of God, and He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us, our confidence should remain steadfast towards Him.
Settle it in your heart and discard those uncertain, double-minded thoughts! Sometimes the very things we struggle with are there because God is shaking our belief system to weed out the lies and misconceptions about what He has said in His word.
A person will feel very unstable and perhaps struggle with self-worth issues until they finally make the decision that the enemy is a liar and God’s word is truth.
When the matter is settled, so is your faith, and your feelings of self-doubt and rejection will leave. Hallelujah! Take heart. Even the Apostle Paul lamented that the thing he willed to do, he found himself struggling to continuously live the life he wanted to do; and the sin he didn’t want to do, he found himself struggling with.
We can all take comfort in the fact that BECAUSE God’s Spirit dwells in us, we are ‘in Christ.’ And if we are in Christ, we are ‘in the Spirit’ because His Spirit is in us; therefore, there is therefore no condemnation – even when we wrestle to keep doing the right thing and fail. (Read Romans again with new eyes).
If our approval or our righteousness can be attained through our own efforts, then we do not need Christ.
Friend do not let the enemy, well-meaning ministers or even your own thoughts accuse you to yourself. Don’t be led you astray when it comes to the gospel. It is called the gospel of grace for a reason.
But if our thoughts condemn us, then ask yourself where is it coming from? Because it is not coming from God. It is either from the enemy, yourself, or a human spirit – all of which will try to produce self-rejection, self-loathing and more because you have focused on not measuring up rather than focusing on how good God is and what He has made available to you! Get out of that trap!
All rejection is tied to fear which is not from God! The wonderful encouragement for us all is found in Hebrews 10:17-23 “Their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
What good news! God does not remember our sins and therefore does not hold them against us. And, if you keep reading, you will discover that the blood of Jesus is powerful enough to cleanse our conscience of guilt, regret, shame, and many other unprofitable thoughts that lead to self-rejection, condemnation and other negative feelings. When you search the scriptures for yourself it becomes YOUR truth, and nothing can take it from you.
These things follow people around unless they decide to take authority over the spiritual root issues. You can choose to stop it!
In 2 Timothy 1:7 it says that “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”. Life is short and we need to take care of ourselves. Whatever occurred in our life that caused us to be wounded, abused, neglected, or turn feelings of rejection inward upon ourselves can stop, and we can come back into agreement with God so that He can heal us – inside and out.
Prayer to restore your self-image
Dear Heavenly Father,
Today I come to you to acknowledge that I have sinned against myself by believing lies instead of what Your word says about me.
I renounce unbelief! I have let the pain of disappointment or feeling like a disappointment to others influence my thoughts and feelings.
Your word tells me I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139).
Your word tells me I am not rejected, but I am accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6).
Your word says I am blessed and not cursed (Numbers 24:9).
I am the apple of Your eye. I have worth. I have value. For a long time, I have had a hard time believing that.
Today I break any and all agreements with myself and Satan that have allowed spirits of rejection, self-hatred, a spirit of abandonment, fear, insecurity, inferiority, shame, bitterness, self-pity, negative self-image and unforgiveness to manifest.
I renounce all of them and I command them to leave me at once.
Help me to shut my ears to the enemy’s unloving thoughts. They are not my own thoughts but his.
Father, I repent for allowing these things a place in my life. I thank You for forgiveness.
I thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking my pain, my sin and shame upon Yourself so that I don’t have to bear these things.
I thank You that Your blood and Your word cleanse my conscience from unprofitable thoughts and renew my mind.
Holy Spirit, forgive me for grieving You and not allowing Your Spirit to influence my thought life and actions.
Please come heal my mind, my emotions, my spirit and my physical body. Heal my disappointments, my hope and my faith.
Heal my ability to love myself and others.
Help me see myself through Your eyes and to walk in my true identity.
Father, give me Your love for others but also to help me love myself and to appreciate myself in a healthy way.
I come into agreement with God. I declare that I AM fearfully and wonderfully made.
I am loved, accepted, and I am blessed by the Lord.
I am surrounded with favor and grace. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Blessings are chasing me down to put themselves into my hands.
I am a confident person because you have made me whole and complete.
I lack nothing because the Lord is my shepherd and I do not lack. Therefore, I am in want of nothing.
Everything that is available to Christ is available to me, because I am a child of God.
I have nothing to fear! Fear no longer has permission to bring torment.
I embrace the grace You have provided through Your sacrifice, Lord Jesus, and Your love and acceptance for me.
Holy Spirit, I thank You for giving me the fruit of self-control in my thought life and I ask You to empower me to live for God.
Fill me with Your fullness. I ask You for supernatural assistance to overcome negative self-talk, and I give YOU authority over my mouth and my actions.
Help me overcome the areas of struggle in my life. You know what they are. I thank You for victory. In Jesus name, amen.
Other things to consider, if this is a stronghold in your life, are these steps to help you change your thinking about yourself. After deliverance from these demons we MUST renew our minds (or they could come back 7- fold) so if you have low self-esteem, please deal with this issue completely once and for all. The Lord needs a people that He can use. Stop letting the enemy block your gifts and anointing. Be all He created you to be!
Breaking the curse of negative self-image due to our nationality, ethnicity, or family
- Thank God for choosing the time and place of our birth | Acts 17:25-26 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings
- Forgive those who have despised us and pray for their souls | Matthew 5:43-47 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your [b]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
- Repent of our hatred, resentments, judgments or condemnations of those who have looked down on us | Luke 6:37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
- Repent of defending our culture or family above following God and loving others | 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- Renounce any oaths or cultural doctrinal teachings | Matthew 5:34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne
- Repent of judging God and submit to His will | Romans 13:1-2 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will [a]bring judgment on themselves.
- Invite God to lead us into the works He has prepared for us | Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Breaking the curse of negative self-image as a result of negative social experiences
- Thank God for giving us life and our experiences | Acts 17:25-26 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings
- Invite God to use our experiences for greater good | Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
- Forgive those who have hurt or abused us | Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
- Bless them in Jesus’ name | Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
- Repent of our hatred, resentments, judgments or condemnations towards those who have hurt us | Luke 6:37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
- Renounce any condemnations or death wishes we have spoken over ourselves | Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
- Repent of any inner vows we have made e.g. I will never be like them, I will prove myself etc. | Leviticus 5:4-5 Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters. And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing;
- Repent of judging God for not loving us or abandoning us | Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
- Forgive ourselves for our mistakes | Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
- Invite God to lead us into the works He has prepared for us | Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Breaking the curse of negative self-image as a result of parental wounds
- Thank God for our parents | 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
- Invite God to use our experiences for greater good | Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
- Forgive our parents because they did not know the harm they would have caused us | Luke 23:34
- Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
- Bless them in Jesus’ name | Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
- Repent of our hatred, resentments, judgements or condemnations | Luke 6:37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
- Renounce any condemnations or death wishes we have spoken over ourselves | Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
- Repent of any inner vows we have made e.g. I will never be like them, I will prove myself etc. | Leviticus 5:4-5 Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters. And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing;
- Repent of judging God for not loving us or abandoning us | Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
- Forgive ourselves for our mistakes | Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
- Invite God to lead us into the works He has prepared for us | Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
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