In general, idols have a grip on their followers. Whenever someone is dedicated to an idol, that idol ensures that as long as the person lives, they remain under its influence. Many parents, in ignorance, have dedicated their children to idols, spirits, or fetishes, and the lives of these children become a calamity on earth.

What does the word dedication mean?

• It is to make available to…
• To consecrate something or someone to…
• To set apart for a well-defined purpose.

If a person is dedicated to an idol, it has many repercussions or consequences in their life. But know that dedication does not come from the devil but rather from God, and the devil has imitated it as usual. Let’s take an instructive passage from the Bible:

“She made a vow, saying, ‘O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.’” 1 Samuel 1:11

Here, Hannah dedicated Samuel in advance. Samuel was not yet born, not even conceived in his mother’s womb. But we see that after the dedication with a vow, heaven set its seal on Hannah’s words. The Bible clearly reveals that Hannah conceived in the same year she made this prayer and named the child Samuel. You see, Samuel was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. When you examine his childhood closely, you will know that he was dominated and led by the Holy Spirit. Why? Because he was dedicated to God, and the instrument God uses to impact lives or fulfill His plan is the Holy Spirit.

Conversely, if Samuel were dedicated to idols or fetishes, he would be dominated or manipulated by evil spirits. Have you been dedicated to idols by your parents or to your family’s fetishes? If so, I can tell you that you have been sold to these idols, and they will always exert their power over you, claiming legal rights over your life. They can block your marriage, happiness, fulfillment, prosperity, etc.

Let me give you an example:

A man was dedicated to local idols, specifically to a family idol reputed to be the one that guards or protects the family. All his efforts to travel and live in Europe remained in vain until the day he surrendered to the Lord and followed this message. The Lord revealed to him in a dream that he was actually dedicated to an idol that spoke against him, hindered his success, and wanted him to live not only in Benin but also in the family house. This man went through deliverance, and today he lives in Europe, married, and a father of two children. When you are dedicated to idols, you carry a sign or label of that idol that follows you, making you easily distinguishable.

We see that Samuel, by virtue of dedication, was bound by a certain destiny. He was bound by hope, by greatness. If your parents dedicated you to God, this dedication will eventually take precedence over you.

“When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. And she said, ‘Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore, I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.’ And he worshiped the Lord there.” 1 Samuel 1:24-28

Samuel grew up and became the last judge in Israel. The dedication his mother had made on his life eventually came to pass. It wasn’t the day he was born that it happened, but in a way. Events in the Bible demonstrate that the spirit of the Lord was his companion every day.

Perhaps you are in this situation today. Your own parents dedicated you to fetishes or idols, and instead of moving forward, you are moving backward. Indeed, there is a cord tied to your feet, the end of which is in the hands of the idol or fetish to which you were dedicated. Perhaps you have been dedicated and given in marriage to a spirit; that’s why, despite your beauty, good character, and all your efforts, no man wants to marry you.

In reality, it’s the dedication speaking against you and refusing you to get married. The idol or fetish to which you were dedicated claims you for itself alone. Let’s examine some important facts about dedication.

If you are dedicated:

• You become the property of what you are dedicated to.
• It is equivalent to absolute sale. To escape, you must be redeemed, and this is possible if you give your life to Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
• You are systematically married to the power to which you were dedicated, and the spirit behind that idol ensures that the contract remains intact.
• You reflect the character or temperament of the idol to which you were dedicated. Example: Tshango (anger).

This text is an excerpt from the book “The deliverance of souls through the destruction of Family Altars” written by the Pastor HOUEDANOU Mahougnon Jean-Jacques Dieu-Donné.

We invite you to read the article “The Symptoms of Evil Dedication” to better understand and overcome malevolent altars.