Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outbursts, and blasphemies, with all malice, be taken away from you. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.
—EPHESIANS 4:31–32, MEV
BITTERNESS IS VERY common, and multitudes need deliverance from it. Bitterness often results from rejection and hurt. People become angry and bitter when they fail to forgive and release people who have wounded and offended them. Everyone has experienced some sort of pain in life, and many do not resolve it and therefore end up becoming bitter.
Bitterness is a deep-rooted spirit. It goes deep into a person’s emotions and is hard to dislodge because the person “feels” anger and other deep emotions that are so real to them. This demon gets rooted down into the flesh. Reacting in anger or revisiting the bitterness satisfies the flesh.
There is a relationship between bitterness and sickness (cancer and arthritis). The Lord revealed Himself as a healer at Marah (Exod. 15:23–26). Marah is the Hebrew word for bitterness. Spirits of infirmity have a legal right to enter and operate through bitterness.
A root of bitterness can result from a lack of grace, causing defilement and trouble (Heb. 12:15). A root of bitterness, though hidden from view, will eventually spring up and defile the individual. This is a poisonous root that bears gall and wormwood (Deut. 29:18). Gall and wormwood, being poisonous, represent bitterness, which likewise poisons the system. A person can also be in the “gall of bitterness,” which leads to witchcraft and sorcery (Acts 8:23, KJV).
Harlotry and sexual sin can open the door for bitterness (Prov. 5:4). Bitterness is also linked to envy and strife (Jas. 3:14). And bitterness can enter parents through foolish children (Prov. 17:25).
Bitterness also results in hardness of heart, the heart turning away from God, bitterness toward God for misfortunes in life, and not appropriating God’s grace. Other manifestations of bitterness include envy and strife (Jas. 3:14), sharp and bitter words (Ps. 64:3), and complaining (Job 23:2).
Unforgiveness opens the door for tormenting spirits (Matt. 18), including bitterness. Unforgiveness is the result of being hurt, rejected, abandoned, disappointed, abused, raped, molested, taken advantage of, lied about, cheated, talked about, and the like. You can begin to attack all the spirits connected with rejection, bitterness, and unforgiveness through prayer and obedience.
If there is something you can’t seem to let go of, go to someone who is strong and mature in the Lord and get some prayer and deliverance. When you can’t let something go, that is a devil gaining a foothold in your life, and it needs to come out in the name of Jesus.
Keep in mind that bitterness, unforgiveness, and anger can be stubborn demons. If things don’t seem to be shaking loose, add fasting to your prayer and watch God deliver you.
Don’t let bitterness contaminate your spirit. Instead, declare, “I will not be angry, upset, and revengeful. I will not be full of hatred. I will not be miserable. I will not become old and grumpy. I want to enjoy life. I want to enjoy food, friends, and fellowship. I want to enjoy church. I want to enjoy my family. I choose to release bitterness and forgive.”
Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe that Jesus overcame every principality, every power, through His death on the cross. I believe that Jesus defeated bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, anger, hatred, rage, wrath, and murder; in the name of Jesus, these demons are defeated. The love of God and the power of the blood defeat you. You have no place to operate in my life.
I will not be a bitter person. I renounce all bitterness, anger, hatred, murder, rage, retaliation, spite, and revenge, in the name of Jesus. I renounce all pain, misery, and frustration, in the name of Jesus. I renounce all sickness, all lust. In the name of Jesus, I renounce all alcohol and drug addictions.
In the name of Jesus, I break the power of bitterness. If there is any bitter root in my life, I command you, in the name of Jesus, to be plucked up from the root. I renounce all hurt, all brokenheartedness. I forgive any person who has hurt me, mistreated me, taken advantage of me, disappointed me, rejected me, stolen from me, or cheated me. I forgive them, and I bless them.
I forgive my relatives for anything they’ve done to hurt me or disappoint me. I love them, and I bless them. In the name of Jesus, I forgive any leader, pastor, or authority figure who has ever hurt, disappointed, rejected, or taken advantage of me. I forgive them, and I bless them.
In Jesus’ name I loose myself from all bitterness, all anger, all hatred, all rage, all murder, and I command these demons to leave my body, leave my heart, leave my mind, and leave my mouth. In the name of Jesus, you cannot stay; you must depart. I cast you out. Every strongman and every stronghold of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness, and root of bitterness, I drive you out in Jesus’ name.
If there are specific people you know you need to forgive, do that now. You can fashion your own prayer or use the one here as a starting point:
Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, I release [name the person] for [name the offense(s)]. I forgive them. Lord, I know You said that vengeance is Yours to repay. I put my trust in You to work in this person’s life according to Your perfect and just ways.
I release all feelings of hurt, anger, bitterness, resentment, judgment, retaliation, revenge, wanting to get even, wishing for their demise, and anything else that I have held and wished against [name of person]’s future.
Lord, heal my memory of the hurtful events. Heal my eyes and ears from what I may have seen or heard in error. Bring me to a place of love for this person. Let me come to a place where I can pray prayers of blessing for [him or her], even if it is from afar. You are my example of perfect love and forgiveness, as You prayed for those who crucified You, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Help me, God, to be like You.
Lord, I ask that You would heal me in every area of my mind, body, and soul that has been affected by my lack of forgiveness. Restore to me what the forgiveness, bitterness, and resentment have stolen from me.
I also ask that You would forgive me for trying to take matters concerning [name of person] into my own hands. They are Yours to chasten or bless. Whatever I have done to cause them harm in any way, I ask that You would forgive me and restore to them what has been lost. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.