DELIVERANCE ministry is not a performance, a counseling session, or an opportunity to satisfy curiosity. It is a sacred encounter where Jesus Christ sets captives free. Throughout Scripture, we see that people who came to Jesus for deliverance came desperate for freedom—not to debate Him, test Him, or hide their bondage.
Unfortunately, many people approach deliverance with the wrong attitude, and this often delays or even hinders their breakthrough. The minister is only an instrument. Jesus Christ is the Deliverer.
If you are preparing to attend a deliverance session, here's what you should never do! Avoid these three common mistakes.
1. Don't Come to Test the Deliverance Minister's Knowledge
Deliverance Is for the Desperate
Many people come carrying hidden skepticism. Instead of seeking freedom, they silently examine the minister.
"Can he really discern my problems?"
"Let's see whether he is truly anointed."
"I'll only believe if he tells me everything about my life."
This attitude is dangerous because it shifts your attention from Jesus to the minister.
Deliverance is not about proving how gifted someone is. It is about the mercy and power of Christ.
Throughout the Gospels, those who received miracles were usually people who had reached the end of themselves. Blind Bartimaeus cried loudly. The woman with the issue of blood pressed through the crowd. The Syrophoenician woman refused to leave until her daughter was delivered.
They were desperate.
Jesus Himself declared:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6)
Hunger attracts heaven.Pride resists it.
Testing the minister often reveals a heart that is not fully surrendered. Faith says, "Lord, I don't care who You use. I only want to be free."
Remember, even Jesus could perform few miracles in Nazareth because of unbelief.
Come expecting God—not inspecting people.
Ask Yourself
- Am I coming to receive or to investigate?
- Am I desperate enough to obey whatever God asks?
- Do I truly believe Jesus can set me free today?
When desperation replaces suspicion, breakthrough becomes possible.
2. Don't Hold Anything Back
Hidden Sin Becomes a Stronghold
One of Satan's greatest weapons is secrecy.
Darkness gives demons permission to remain hidden.
Many people confess ninety percent of their struggles but deliberately conceal the remaining ten percent because of shame, embarrassment, fear, or pride.
Unfortunately, the very area they refuse to expose often becomes the fortress that keeps them in bondage.
The Bible teaches:
"Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)
Notice the order.
Confession comes before freedom.
Demons thrive where truth is absent.
Hidden sexual sin...
Occult involvement...
Unforgiveness...
Secret addictions...
Family covenants...
Hidden trauma...
Unconfessed abortion...
Pornography...
Bitterness...
These are the areas many people avoid discussing.
Yet these are often the very legal grounds through which the enemy continues operating.
Deliverance ministers are not there to condemn you.
They are there to help dismantle the enemy's legal rights through the authority of Jesus Christ.
You cannot expect complete healing while protecting the very wound that needs treatment.
Imagine visiting a doctor but refusing to mention where the pain actually is.
Healing would be incomplete.
The same applies spiritually.
Everything brought into the light comes under the authority of Christ.
Everything kept in darkness remains vulnerable.
James teaches:
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." (James 5:16)
Freedom begins where honesty begins.
Do not fear exposure.
Fear remaining in bondage.
3. Don't Shift Responsibility for Your Freedom to the Minister
Your Freedom Must Be Maintained by You
Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding about deliverance is believing that once prayer is over, the work is finished.
In reality, the prayer session may only be the beginning.
Many people assume,
"The minister will fix me."
"Once hands are laid on me everything will automatically change."
But Jesus consistently instructed people to respond after receiving ministry.
He often said,
"Go..."
"Sin no more..."
"Take up your bed..."
"Show yourself to the priest..."
Their obedience protected their miracle.
Deliverance removes the enemy.
Discipleship prevents his return.
Jesus gave a solemn warning:
"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man... it returns... and finds the house empty... then it takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself." (Matthew 12:43–45)
Notice the word empty.
The problem was not merely that the demon left.
The problem was that nothing replaced it.
Freedom must be filled with:
- Prayer
- Bible study
- Worship
- Fellowship
- Obedience
- Holiness
- Forgiveness
- Daily surrender to Christ
Many spiritual attacks happen when people leave the deliverance session but fail to change their lifestyle.
The minister cannot pray for you every morning.
The minister cannot read your Bible for you.
The minister cannot forgive those who hurt you.
The minister cannot resist temptation on your behalf.
The minister cannot maintain your relationship with Jesus.
That responsibility belongs to you.
In many cases, the deliverance session represents only twenty percent of the process.
The remaining eighty percent is walking daily with Christ.
Paul reminds believers:
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12)
This does not mean earning salvation.
It means actively cooperating with God's transforming work every day.
Freedom is not merely received.
It must be guarded.
Children's Bread
Deliverance ministry is the children's bread - one of God's greatest expressions of compassion. Jesus came "to proclaim liberty to the captives" (Luke 4:18). Yet lasting freedom requires the right heart.
When you come for deliverance:
- Come hungry—not testing.
- Come honest—not hiding.
- Come committed—not expecting someone else to live your Christian life.
Jesus is still setting captives free today.
If you approach Him with humility, repentance, faith, and a willingness to obey, no chain is too strong, no curse too ancient, and no bondage too deep for His saving power.
The goal of deliverance is not merely the removal of demons. It is the restoration of a life that is fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. Come prepared to leave not only lighter, but transformed, determined to walk every day in the freedom that Christ has purchased for you on the cross
