Wednesday 27 March 2013

Spirit of Faith

Faith is the catalyst of the Word of God. Faith activates the entire elements of the world of exploits.
But what is faith? Is it positive thinking? A feeling? One’s church affiliation? The belief that Jesus died for your sins? Confidence? Hope? Or is it something far more? Why do millions misunderstand this subject? Here is the Bible answer! 
The Bible states that “without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (Heb. 11:6). This is an incredible statement—yet, it is in the Bible! Take it for exactly what it says. Just think! Anything a person does, in attempting to be Christian, means absolutely nothing, if he lacks faith. For without faith, he has no hope—no possibility of pleasing God. Any who are not pleasing God are Christians in vain. That is serious! Consider yourself. Do you have real faith? Is it sufficient for salvation? Can you know? You can! This booklet will explain how.

A Lack of Real Faith

Through the years, people have often asked, “I lack faith. I do not feel the presence of God or His power in my life. How can I have more faith?”What about you? Do you lack faith to know that God is with you? To overcome sin and guilt? To be healed of disease? To believe all things in His Word? Do you lack faith that “all things [will] work together for good” if you love God (Rom. 8:28)? To believe God will work out injustices you have received? To believe God will provide for you? To believe that you can endure severe trials and persecution? Or that God will deliver you from them? Do you lack faith to see the soon-coming kingdom of God more clearly and that you can be in it?The Bible says that you need not lack faith in any of these areas! You can develop real faith. However, the Bible says that most people, in the age preceding Christ’s Return, will not have sufficient faith to confidently claim any of these or other promises from God’s Word!

Faith Found When Christ Comes?

This world is in trouble. Problems are escalating everywhere on a planet cut off from God. The Return of Christ is imminent. This event will only occur after certain catastrophic events have taken place. Wars, famines, disease epidemics, religious confusion, economic upheaval and catastrophic weather will have first rocked civilization to its foundation.

When speaking of our time—the last generation before His Return—Christ asked, “When the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Think of the incredible implications of this question! Is it possible that true faith could be completely gone from earth at Christ’s Second Coming? Christ was able to look forward, into our time, and know that conditions would exist allowing this to be true—almost!
An article titled “A Famine of the Word of God,” by reporter Wendy Griffith, discusses the issue of people’s ignorance of the Bible. Here is what she wrote:“It is clear that many Americans do not know their Bible, and a recent George Barna study backs up that notion.“Barna’s research showed that 60 percent of Americans cannot name half of the Ten Commandments and 63 percent can’t name the four gospels of the New Testament. Eighty-one percent believe that ‘God helps those who help themselves’ is a direct quote from the Bible . . .”What a shame! What a terrible indictment of the most blessed nation on earth. And it is the single greatest reason why so little genuine faith is to be found.


But Christ said that He would build His Church and He promised that it would never be destroyed (Matt. 16:18). His Church—God’s true Church—is where people do have true faith according to the Bible definition. Therefore, the presence of God’s true people on earth will ensure that at least a few people will be found to have faith when Christ returns. (Read our free booklet Where Is God’s Church?)
Notice Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” We must establish another important point relating to the life of all true Christians. Real faith comes from the Spirit of God—it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. No one can have it—or even be a true Christian—without God’s Spirit.But what is faith? Surely God would not state that those lacking faith cannot possibly please Him—and then withhold the real definition of faith from all who seek to know it. Before examining what the Bible says about real faith, one must examine what people think it is.

Various Counterfeits

There are several common ideas about faith. If you doubt this, then merely ask a half-dozen people to explain it—to precisely define it for you. Be prepared for just as many different ideas—probably all of them wrong.
I have known many people who believed that faith is an intangible “feeling” that cannot be defined. It is often thought to be personal, mysterious and unique to each person. This feeling usually has no definition, structure, or clear purpose and, inevitably, is whatever people want or need it to be. In other words, for almost every person, there is a different description and definition of faith. It is strange how many people view faith this way, yet the Bible has never said anything of the sort.


“Living by Faith”

There is an Old Testament verse that is so important that it is repeated twice in the New Testament. Habakkuk 2:4 says, “the just shall live by his faith.” This is a powerful statement about faith as a way of life! It is the faith of each person (notice the singular word “his”) that guides individuals through life. This verse is cited to show that God has always taught that His true servants must have real faith. Faith has never been merely a New Testament requirement for salvation. Some of the greatest examples of faith are found throughout the Old Testament. Actually, every one of the examples found in the “faith chapter” (Heb. 11) lived in Old Testament times. This did not keep them from being “witnesses” (12:1) to the awesome power of properly understood faith.
Hebrews 10:38 (also Rom. 1:17) repeats Habakkuk almost verbatim: “Now the just shall live by faith.” Take note that the definition of faith follows immediately on the heels of this verse, in Hebrews 11:1. Again, God could not require people to live by faith and then not tell them what it is! Then, in the very same verse 38, God continues, “but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”Where faith is lacking, God is not pleased!Faith is not merely something you only exercise during life’s moments of crisis. It is not just something to consider when “things aren’t going well.” In other words, faith is not just for the “bad times”—it is full-time! Grasp this vital point. Faith is completely inseparable from the entire spiritual understanding through which you are to confront all the issues you face in the Christian “walk” (II Cor. 5:7).


“Where is Your Faith?”

The books of Matthew and Luke record an important parallel account regarding faith. Christ and His disciples were in a boat when a tremendous storm arose. The disciples became terribly frightened, while Christ was “asleep.” This account reflects the dramatic difference between the faith that Christ had and the FEAR that governs the thinking of most human beings. Notice that the accounts records that they “awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish” (Matt. 8:25). The disciples actually thought they were about to die. They lacked even basic human confidence that, with Christ in the boat, this could not happen.

If you've lacked faith and want God to restore the Spirit of Faith in you pray the following prayer points:




PRAYER POINTS
(say each of the following 3 times each, then begin to pray)

1.John 8:32,36
The truth of God’s Word is the “buckle” my life is fastened with, I shall walk and live by faith (Hab 2:4) in the name of Jesus Christ.

2
Romans 10:9-11 . I confess with my mouth that my faith is growing and grounded and every word of God is true. Every dead situation in my life will live again…In the

3.Ephesians 2:8-9 I am saved and sanctified through the gift of God’s Word. My life is changing, by faith I will accomplish/own/possess what God has promised me…In..

4.Rom. 12:21. I am not conformed to this world my mind is transformed, renewed, I will experience change, blessing, deliverance, victory, peace and power…In the.

5. Mark 9:23 Today I activate my faith, all things are possible to me

6. Say 12 times: The blessings of Abraham embrace my life today through Jesus Christ. I receive every promise of God through faith. I am an heir to the promises of









Monday 25 March 2013

SPIRITUAL WARFARE PRAYERS TO PRAY DAILY

These are just samples.

Ps 79:12 And render unto our neighbors SEVENFOLD into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
Gen 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him SEVENFOLD.
Gen 4:24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech SEVENTY and SEVENFOLD.
The following Spiritual Warfare Prayers are sample prayers. They are not to be ritual prayers or incantations. They are a guide to go by. Some or all of these prayers should be prayed DAILY, and sometimes often during the day.
ANY UNGODLY THOUGHTS, OR THOUGHTS YOU DON'T WANT, PRAY THIS IMMEDIATELY:
IN JESUS NAME, I CIRCUMCISE THESE THOUGHTS.
You may have to pray this several times before the bad thoughts leave. This really works too!
WHEN ENTERING YOUR OFFICE, GROCERY STORE, ANYONE ELSE'S HOME, ETC., PRAY THIS BEFORE ENTERING:
IN JESUS NAME, I COVER MYSELF AND THIS PLACE WITH THE BLOOD OF JESUS. I BIND UP EVERY DEMON IN HERE, AND I ASK FOR GIANT WARRIOR ANGELS TO PROTECT ME.
AFTER HANGING UP THE PHONE, LEAVING WORK, GROCERY STORE, NEIGHBORS, OR VISITORS LEAVE YOUR HOME, ETC., PRAY THIS IMMEDIATELY:
IN JESUS NAME, I COMMAND EVERY DEMON THAT HAS FOLLOWED ME, WAS SENT TO ME, OR TRANSFERRED TO ME, TO LEAVE ME NOW.
BEFORE DOWNLOADING EMAIL OR OPENING WEB PAGES ON THE COMPUTER, PRAY THIS:
IN JESUS NAME, I BIND UP EVERY DEMON COMING ACROSS THE COMPUTER LINES, AND I RETURN THEM AND ANY CURSES.
BEFORE OR AFTER GETTING INTO ANY VEHICLE, PRAY THIS:
IN JESUS NAME, I COVER MYSELF IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS. I COVER THIS VEHICLE AND THE ROAD I TRAVEL IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS. I TAKE AUTHORITY AND DOMINION OVER ALL ANIMALS AND DEMONS OF THE ROAD SO THEY DO NOT CROSS MY PATH. I DISPATCH ANGELS AHEAD OF ME TO PROTECT ME.
BEFORE GOING TO SLEEP, PRAY THIS:
IN JESUS NAME, I COVER MYSELF AND ALL MY PROPERTY WITH THE BLOOD OF JESUS. I TAKE AUTHORITY OVER ALL DEMONS OF THE NIGHT, BAD DREAMS, NIGHTMARES, AND SEX DREAMS, AND ANYONE OR ANYTHING TRYING TO GET INTO MY DREAMS, AND I COMMAND THEM TO STAY AWAY. I ASK FOR GIANT WARRIOR ANGELS TO PROTECT ME AND MY PROPERTY AS I SLEEP, THROUGH THE NIGHT AND THE DAY. I ASK FOR A FIERY WALL OF PROTECTION AROUND ME.
ANY SHARP PAIN THAT COMES ON YOU SUDDENLY IS ALMOST ALWAYS WITCHCRAFT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, PRAY THIS IMMEDIATELY AS YOU USE YOUR INDEX FINGER AND THUMB ON THE SPOT OF THE PAIN, LIKE YOU WERE PULLING OUT A VOODOO PIN:
IN JESUS NAME, I PULL OUT ALL FIERY DARTS, PINS, NEEDLES, SPEARS, VOODOO, ALL WITCHCRAFT AND CURSES AND ANYTHING ELSE, AND I RETURN IT TO THE SENDER, ONE HUNDREDFOLD. (Then motion with your hand towards a window or door like you were throwing it out.) If it is witchcraft, the pain will go immediately. This is a highly effective Spiritual Weapon.
TO RETURN ALL EVIL BEING SENT, PRAY THIS SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY, AND ANY TIME THE HOLY SPIRIT PROMPTS YOU:
IN JESUS NAME, I CUT AND BURN ALL UNGODLY SILVER CORDS AND LAY LINES.
AS YOUR WAR CLUB AND WEAPONS OF WAR, I BREAK DOWN, UNDAM, AND BLOW UP ALL WALLS OF PROTECTION AROUND ALL WITCHES, WARLOCKS, WIZARDS, SATANISTS, SORCERERS, AND THE LIKE, AND I BREAK THE POWER OF ALL CURSES, HEXES, VEXES, SPELLS, CHARMS, FETISHES, PSYCHIC PRAYERS, PSYCHIC THOUGHTS, ALL WITCHCRAFT, SORCERY, MAGIC, VOODOO, ALL MIND CONTROL, JINXES, POTIONS, BEWITCHMENTS, DEATH, DESTRUCTION, SICKNESS, PAIN, TORMENT, PSYCHIC POWER, PSYCHIC WARFARE, PRAYER CHAINS, INCENSE AND CANDLE BURNING, INCANTATIONS, CHANTING, UNGODLY BLESSINGS, HOODOO, CRYSTALS, ROOTWORKS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE BEING SENT MY WAY, OR MY FAMILY MEMBER'S WAY, OR ANY DELIVERANCE MINISTRIES WAY, AND I RETURN IT, AND THE DEMONS TO THE SENDER, ONE HUNDREDFOLD, AND I BIND IT TO THEM BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.

If you brought a bottle of spoiled milk home from the grocery store, would you drink it or RETURN it? By RETURNING it, is your intention to have the clerk drink it? No. You RETURN it because you don't want it. Same for RETURNING all evil, because you don't want it.
Recently, a friend of ours was prayed for by another minister. Through Discernment, the minister praying for her saw pentagrams (5 pointed star) drawn on her liver. She had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C (a disease effecting the liver and other body parts). The minister did not know this.
While praying for her, the Lord showed us that we could take the Blood of Jesus and “erase” these evil lines drawn on her liver or any part of her body. So we prayed this way:
Father, In Jesus' Name, I take the Blood of Jesus and break the power of all witches, warlocks, wizards, satanists, sorcerers, wiccans, pagans, and any other source, and all of their rituals off of us. With the Blood of Jesus, I erase all evil lines drawn on our liver or any parts of our body, soul, will, and emotions.
Note that this is a “spiritual” act of erasure, just like when we do Spiritual Warfare and pull out all fiery darts, pins, needles, etc. where there is pain in our bodies.

Saturday 23 March 2013

Spiritual Warfare

“There are two ways to be fooled.  One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” 
Soren Kierkegaard, philosopher

Are You Under Attack
Without Realizing It?

Prayers for Spiritual Warfare

            The concept of spiritual warfare makes some people uncomfortable.  Some believe there’s no such thing as spiritual warfare so they don’t want to discuss it at all.  Others, convinced of its reality, are obsessed with its apparent power over every aspect of our lives.  They, too, are reluctant to discuss the topic for different reasons: fear of ridicule, fear of retaliation by those evil forces, fear of drawing too much attention to the topic, thereby giving it even more power.
            The predominant view in our modern, western world—naturalistic, rationalistic, scientific—dismisses the concepts of spiritual warfare, Satan, demons, evil spirits, and the like.  Surprisingly, that viewpoint is shared by some Christians as well.
            There are those Christians who believe demons may have been active during Biblical times, but they’re no longer active in the modern world.  Others say what was called demonic activity back then was really what we know now as mental illness.  Some who actually allow for demonic activity insist it’s only involved in extreme cases: excessive violence and brutality or major sin.  And we’ve heard it said more than once that Christians—saved and sanctified by Jesus—can’t be affected by demonic activity.
            Here’s our take on the issue:
            If you believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, then you must believe in the Bible.  If you believe in the Bible, then you must believe in angels.  And if you believe in angels, then you must believe in fallen angels—Satan and others.  They are mentioned in the Bible as real, not metaphors.  And as much as we dislike an either-or approach to things, as much as we dislike driving black-and-white stakes into the ground, sometimes it’s necessary.  There can be no middle ground on this: it’s either all true or it’s not.  You either have God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, angels, and demons…or you have none of it.
            There is a danger of going overboard, to be sure.  But some people, fearful of going overboard, wind up missing the boat.

 
            It’s one thing to be aware of the spiritual warfare that is present in our lives, in the world, and in the universe.  It’s quite another to give the enemy in that battle more power than he possesses.  Satan is a defeated foe.  Much of his power can come, ironically enough, from us.  We can grant him far more power than he actually has.
spiritual warfare
            And as far as Christians being immune to demonic influence, we need only go to the Bible.  Here’s the progression:  First, Christ’s position in the heavenly realms is at God’s right hand and he has all things in this world under his authority. (Ephesians 1:20-22)  Second, we Christians are now seated with and united with Christ. (Ephesians 2:6)  Third, we are given instructions for fighting evil spirits.  (Ephesians 6:10-18)  We’re warned to be alert and to resist the devil. (1Peter 5:8-9)  These passages are written for believers, fellow Christians.  The enemy has little reason to attack those who oppose the church, either actively or through unbelief.  It’s God’s work in restoring us to Him that Satan opposes.
            So although Satan is a defeated foe and has no ultimate power over us, he can still be active in our lives.  Today.  In the modern world.  His strategy is straightforward and has three primary phases.

            > The first phase is simply “I’m not here.”  If we deny his existence, there is no need for him to do anything else.  Needless to say, the vast majority of the culture around us reinforces this message and the strategy can be effective, particularly among Christians who refuse to accept the reality of spiritual warfare.

            > If Satan fails to convince you he doesn’t exist, he moves to the second phase of his strategy: coercion.  This is where the father of lies, the great deceiver, can be at his best.  Remember, the biggest lie is that he has more power than he really does.
            He will take the emotional wounds we all carry and plant the seeds of lies and distortions in the fertile soil of our wounds.  In the absence of God’s truth, those seeds take root and grow, spawning more lies, more distortions, more seeds.  It’s the vicious cycle of cancerous evil.  Cancer cells in our body mimic healthy cells, drawing the very life out of the body.  Satan’s deceptions often mimic Biblical truths, truths we’re either unaware of or don’t fully understand or accept.  An example would be how wicked our hearts really are—based on a single verse from the Bible completely out of context and ignoring the redemptive work of Jesus. (Jeremiah 17:9)   So the lies and distortions seem to make sense, even as they’re drawing the life out of the body.
            The coercion could take the form of harassment, like a fly buzzing around your head.  For instance, you suffered an emotional wound as a child for being late too often to suit your parents.  Now, when people are late--or they “make” you late—Satan is whispering lies in your ear and you react far too harshly for the situation.
evil spirits demons and Satan
            The coercion could be stronger, like oppression, where a fog seems to set in and you can’t see or think clearly.  You find yourself on a pornographic web site, not sure how you wound up there.  But you can’t seem to leave.  Thoughts seem to come crashing in from all directions.  Our life, or at least some aspects of our life, seem to fall apart.  If the oppression is strong enough and continues, we may withdraw and isolate ourselves.  Satan, of course, encourages Christians to separate from community, so he throws in sufficient quantities of shame and guilt to keep us away from the very people who could help us.
            Experience enough oppression and you may become afflicted.  Emotional and physical issues grow worse until they begin to affect the way we live.  Conventional medicine and/or therapy often have little effect or the relief from symptoms is not permanent.  Migraine headaches, depression and dizzy spells are often signs of affliction, for example.
            The strongest and most intense level of Satan’s coercion is bondage.  In most cases, bondage is only present in one area of a person’s life, but in that one area they are truly living as a slave to whatever it is that has control over them.  Pornography, greed, brutality, anger, food, lying, alcohol, drugs…the list is long.  Total bondage—complete “possession”—is rare.  But it can occur, just as it did when the Bible was written.
               > There is a third phase to Satan’s strategy, used if denial isn’t present and coercion is resisted and perhaps neutralized, but not completely overcome.  Satan plants the seed of complacency.
            This strategy may make more sense if we borrow a word picture from Neil Anderson.  He likens our lives to houses where spills have not been cleaned up and the garbage hasn’t been taken out for weeks.  The natural tendency would be to clear out the flies.  But even if you’re successful at getting rid of the flies, all that garbage will attract more flies.  Perhaps even more than before.  The solution is to get rid of the garbage.  Allow Jesus to clear out the garbage—heal your wounds—and the flies—evil spirits—will have nothing to feed on and leave.
            In his strategy of complacency, Satan watches as you clear your house of garbage and flies…except for one room.  It’s more than likely a hidden room, one your family and friends know nothing about.  Perhaps you’ve even tried to pretend it doesn’t exist.  Satan allows you your little game, not standing in the way of blessings flowing into your life: financial security, a loving family, a rewarding career.  But you have this hidden room.  And you know you can’t hide it from God.  So you take a page out of Adam’s book.  You stop seeking God.  Stop communing with God.  Stop depending on God.  Then, out of nowhere, the door of the hidden room flings open, freeing thousands upon thousands of flies who have been breeding and waiting for just this moment.

            Think it doesn’t happen?  Consider prominent Christian leaders, corporate executives, or politicians whose lives and careers have been ruined when they fell in disgrace from one sin or another.  Rest assured, that fall wasn’t part of the plan when they began their career.  They believed the lie that they could “get away with it,” and when they seemed to be doing just that, they grew complacent.  There’s nothing like a high profile example to help with denial and coercion of the rest of us.

            Complacency doesn’t have to be the headline-making fall of a prominent person.  The rest of us can be vulnerable to similar promptings.  ‘I’ve done enough around the church or in my ministry; let others pick up the slack.’  Or ‘I’ve already read so many books about God, I sure don’t need to read another one.’  Or ‘The Bible?  Read it.  Twice all the way through.  Thanks.’  Or one of our favorites, ‘I’ve managed to do a pretty good job with my life and I thank God I was able to.’

Rest assured, behind every act of greed and avarice, injustice and oppression, destruction and brutality, behind every evil you can imagine are evil spiritual forces.  Dark spiritual forces we must face and battle.  None of us are immune.
            That doesn’t mean we live in fear.  Remember, Satan is a defeated foe.  Jesus was granted all power and authority and as his followers, we can ask him to exercise that authority and power on our behalf.  But even though Satan’s defeated, that doesn’t mean he’s inactive.  We must put on the “armor” (Ephesians 6:13-18) and fight on behalf of the kingdom of God.  As Neil Anderson so aptly puts it, it’s not our job to defeat the devil.  Jesus has already done that.  Nor are we to dispel the darkness.  We are called to turn on the light.  That’s what prayer for spiritual warfare is all about.

            Let’s make one thing clear right from the start.  Prayers for spiritual warfare are not said just once, then we wipe our hands across the brow and say “Whew!  I’m glad THAT’S over with.”  Yes, Satan is a defeated foe.  But like those pockets of isolated Japanese soldiers on remote islands in the Pacific at the end of World War II, Satan and his demons fight on, oblivious to or in denial of God’s ultimate victory.  These prayers will be a continuing part of your Christian life here on earth.

            Effective prayer for spiritual warfare starts with prayer in general.  You should begin from the baseline of an active prayer life.  It’s especially important to draw on your close relationship with God when engaged in spiritual warfare.  And a prayer life filled with regular prayers of praise, thanksgiving, confession, supplication, and meditation are what nurtures and grows that close relationship.
Satan demons evil spirits
            Do not pray from a position of fear.  Understand and take to heart the truth that you have eternal life with Jesus.  He is your strength.  With him, there is nothing to fear.
            Usually we address prayers for spiritual warfare to God and not to the evil spirits.  We ask God for protection and deliverance.  We thank Him for our lives in Jesus and for the power of His Truth.  This is important because too often people will just try to rebuke the evil spirits without prayer to God.  Remember Mark 9:29 where Jesus tells the disciples some spirits cannot just be cast out; prayer and fasting is required.  We believe it's just prudent to pray to God for help; He'll decide if we need it.  And He'll lead us to fast if necessary.  Then we renounce the evil spirits and their effect on our lives, in the authority of and in the power of Jesus.  Authority and power he gave us and commissioned us to use. (John 14:12)
            There are people who seem especially gifted in the discernment of demons and spiritual warfare. It's almost as if they are anointed by God for direct battle with the enemy. For the rest of us, taking on evil spirits directly can be risky. We're fighting in a realm we don't know much about--the spiritual realm.
            God will lead you to confront evil spirits if that's what He deems best. Before you do it on your own, check with God for guidance. Although it became very popular in the '90's to cast out this demon, bind that one, and name the other one, the practice is not scripturally sound. The apostles used direct confrontation in those rare cases of complete demonic possession. Otherwise they prayed to God for His help and deliverance. The archangel Michael, who does have the authority to speak directly to demons, deferred to God when addressing Satan: "But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, 'The LORD rebuke you!'" (Jude 1:9)


                      And now for some details.
            There is no specific Biblical instruction, but the generally accepted practice when praying against evil spirits is to pray out loud.  Neither demons nor Satan himself can read our minds like God can.  Sometimes it seems as if they can, but that’s only from their experience in observing human behavior.  Someone once asked if they could read what we wrote down. We don’t know for sure; we assume they can.  But pray out loud so there’s no mistake about what you’re saying and who you’re saying it to.
            Also, you have probably seen, heard, and read a lot of 'Satan this' and 'Satan that.'  We even seem to ascribe a lot to Satan on this web site.  Just keep in mind: Satan is not God.  He's not omniscient, omnipowerful, or omnipresent.  Thus, he relies on his host of demons and evil spirits to help him in his work.  We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but it’s probably not Satan himself taking the time to harass you.  His entire hierarchy of evil spirits are organized like an army, with different ranks and powers and assigned duties.  So feel free to mention Satan in your prayers, but be sure to include “any and all evil spirits” as well.  You can also address the specific issue you’re battling by name: lust, fear, anger, depression.
            As with other types of prayer, don’t get hung up on using exact words.  Some people pray to “bind” Satan and other evil spirits.  While that use of the word isn’t exactly what was meant in the Bible, we prefer to rely on God to do what He thinks best in any particular circumstance.  What we don't want to do is take it upon ourselves to try to do the binding.  That is the work of God and His angels.


“Binding,” usually paired with “loosing,” refers  to forbidding (binding) or allowing (loosing) certain things like fasting, dietary guidelines, burial practices, worship, etc.  Rabbis of the time, as well as Jesus, used bindings and loosings as precepts of their interpretation of the Bible and what was intended by God as a way for us to live—their “yoke.”  (…my yoke is easy to bear…” Matthew 11:30)


            Truth is our most effective weapon in prayer against Satan.  Jesus stood on the Truth when he was confronted in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1-11)  We should do the same.  Find Bible verses that are particularly meaningful to you.  The Holy Spirit can help.  Either memorize them or write them on index cards.  Repeat them often.  And use them when praying against spiritual warfare.
                                             Bible Jesus Satan
            Some examples of Biblical Truths and corresponding verses would be:
  • Jesus is our Lord and Savior and he’s triumphed over Satan. (John 1:1,14 & Colossians 2:15)
  • I am a child of God, seated with Christ in the heavenlies. (Ephesians 2:6-9 & 1John 3:1-3)
  • The Truth will set me free and Jesus is the Truth. (John 8:32,36 & John 14:6)
Biblical Truths shine light into the darkness of spiritual warfare.

            God has promised to help.  But sometimes that help isn’t immediately forthcoming.  There are two possible explanations.  One can be that help was sent but delayed.  Read Daniel 10.  Remember, we exist in a battle zone.  Another possible explanation could be that God is standing to one side, watching, allowing the fight we’re in to strengthen us.  He promised to be here when we need Him, not when we think we need Him.

         To summarize prayers for spiritual warfare then:
1.      Acknowledge God’s sovereignty and kingdom.
2.      Position yourself as being in Christ, seated in the heavenlies.
3.      Ask God for help, asking for angels if He thinks its necessary.
4.      With the authority of Jesus, renounce demonic influences and activities and their effects in your life.
5.      Ask the Holy Spirit to seal the progress you’ve made to prevent the return of these particular evil spirits.  
6.      Thank God for His victory over death and for deliverance from spiritual bondage—those are gifts only God can give.

Thursday 21 March 2013

Prayer and it's types

The greatest power God gave to man is the Power of Prayer. Let me begin by giving you my definition of prayer. Prayer is the ability of an individual or group to communicate to the spirit realm. We communicate to God (John 4:23-24), Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:10-18) in the name of Jesus (1Timothy 2:5)

Prayer can be frustrating if we don't understand God's Word and His ways. Most Christians aren't aware that there are several types of prayer discussed in God's Word, and if you use one type when you should be using another, it won't work. You would be applying the wrong spiritual tool to your needs or request. God intended for each of the six forms of prayer mentioned in the Bible to have different functions, as described below.
1. The Prayer of Agreement
In Matthew 18:19, Jesus introduced the prayer of agreement when He said, "'Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven'" (NKJV).
Right off the bat you can see that for the prayer of agreement to work, the people involved in the prayer have to agree! You cannot know what someone else wants—what someone is believing for—and God cannot answer your prayer for someone else against his or her will. To use the prayer of agreement, you must be sure that the person with whom you are agreeing is in line with what you are asking for.
If someone asks me to pray in agreement with them, I ask, "What specifically do you want me to pray for?" You absolutely must make sure you are in perfect agreement about what your prayer request is before you join with another believer in the prayer of agreement.
2. The Prayer of Faith
The prayer of faith, also known as petition prayer, is the prayer that most people think of when they use the term "prayer." Petition prayer is between you and God. It is you asking God for a particular outcome.
The key verse for the prayer of faith is Mark 11:24, in which Jesus says, "'Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.'"
The rule to consider here is when you pray—not after you pray, not when you feel something, not when you see something. When you pray (the moment that you pray) you must believe that you receive what you asked for.
Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Your faith is substance—it is something real, something tangible. It is evidence of things you cannot see.
Notice that Mark 11:24 does not say when you will actually see the result of your prayer. It does not tell you how long it will take for that prayer result to appear, and this is where many Christians get hung up.
God lives in one eternal now. There is no past or present for Him. But we are temporal beings who live in the context of time.
When you pray in faith, God immediately gives you what you prayed for—in the spirit realm. But in the natural world, due to a number of factors, it may take time for the answer to manifest itself.
God answers prayers, and He will answer your specific prayer in line with His Word, but it is your faith that brings that answer out of the spiritual world and into the physical world. How many times in Scripture does Jesus say to someone, "According to your faith"?
He referred to peoples' faith constantly, and even though it was His power that healed them, He always credited their faith with being the catalyst. In fact, when Jesus went to His hometown, we are told that "He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matt. 13:58).
Did Jesus suddenly lose His power on that visit to Nazareth? No!
His power never changed. What changed? It was the people's level of faith mixed with His power.
There is a simple spiritual explanation for this. God will not do something against your will. God cannot violate free will. If you don't have faith to do something, He won't arbitrarily override your lack of faith.
3. The Prayer of Consecration and Dedication
In Luke 22:41-42, we see outlined the prayer of consecration and dedication: "And He [Jesus] was withdrawn from them [Peter, James and John] about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.'"
He was praying, in effect, "If there is any other way to do this, let's do it that way." But the key for Jesus, and for us, is, "Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
You pray that God's will would be done when you don't know His will or don't know if an alternative path that appears is equally "correct" or godly. In the absence of direct instructions, the prayer of consecration and dedication says you will allow God to set your direction or make your decisions.
The prayer of consecration and dedication works when you have two (or more) godly alternatives before you, and you are not getting a clear sense at that time about which option God wants you to take. When the direction is unclear—but any of the options appear to be legitimate, righteous options—that is the perfect time to say, "Lord, if it be Your will, I'm going to go with option A."
Believe me, He will let you know if you are taking the wrong fork in the road.
4. The Prayer of Praise and Worship
In this prayer, you are not asking God to do something for you or to give you something. You are not even asking for direction and dedicating your life to whatever it is God has called you to do. Rather, you just want to praise the Lord, to thank Him for His many blessings and mercy. You want to tell Him how much you love Him.
A good example of this type of prayer appears in Luke 2:20, which describes the reaction of the shepherds who had seen baby Jesus: "Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told them."
In Luke 18:43, the blind man who was healed was described as "glorifying God." The verse also says all the people who witnessed the miracle "gave praise to God." They prayed prayers of thanksgiving.
Look at the way Jesus prayed in John 11:41: "'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me," referring to His previous prayer regarding Lazarus. In the Lord's prayer, Jesus told His disciples, "'When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name'" (Luke 11:2).
Paul wrote to the Philippians: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6, emphasis added). This says that even when we pray the prayer of faith, we should always intersperse worship and praise.
5. The Prayer of Intercession
Intercession means you are interceding—acting in prayer—on behalf of someone else. The person may be incapable of praying for himself. Perhaps he is on drugs or mentally confused by demonic doctrines. Perhaps the person is so sick he can't muster the energy to stay awake, let alone pray.
Intercession involves praying for others. It may involve praying in a general way for such things as the church or the government, or offering up more specific prayers based on your knowledge of a person's need.
In Ephesians 1:15-18, Paul wrote: "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."
Here Paul makes it plain that he prayed regularly for the church at Ephesus and for the individuals there to receive these blessings. He does not set himself in agreement with anyone, so this seems to be a good example of intercessory prayer.
Likewise, in his greeting to the Philippians, he wrote, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy" (Phil. 1:3-4). The fact that Paul said he made requests for them suggests that this also was an example of intercessory prayer.
6. The Prayer of Binding and Loosing
This prayer is found in Matthew 18:18-19. Jesus says: "'Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.'"
There are several important nuggets in Jesus' statements here, the first being that we have authority here on this earth by virtue of our covenant rights through Jesus. The second thing we notice is the direction of the action. Things do not begin in heaven and come to Earth, but rather the action starts here on Earth. Notice that it says, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Like all things in God's system, this type of prayer works only in line with God's Word and His laws. You cannot bind things willy-nilly. Binding a team to lose in the Super Bowl won't work any more than loosing someone to love you.
You can, however, bind foul spirits that are at work in people's lives or loose angelic spirits to work on your behalf in those areas where God has already promised you results. When you pray in this manner, God affirms it in heaven and puts His seal of approval on your prayer. Binding and loosing have to be based on the authority God has granted you in Scripture, not on some desire you have.
God has provided each type of prayer for a specific purpose. Though you may use more than one at any given time, it is important to be clear about which type you are using and why, and to be aware of its limitations. If you follow the examples in the Bible, you'll be sure to use them properly.

7. The Warfare Prayer
This is the most |powerful| type of prayer. Most Christians are either ignorant or not aware of Spiritual warfare and influence of various demonic powers over our everyday lives. In Ephesians 6:10-18, prayer
is highlighted to be a weapon of warfare likewise the Word of God. On my next post, I'll give you more details on this powerful method of prayer

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Elements of Planet Exploit






            Every child of God is destined to command exploits in every sphere of life (Mathew 15: 13-15). By virtue of the Greater One at work in him, he is expected to dominate, prevail and attract attention as a result of the strange acts being done through his hand. But exploits in life is a function of knowledge and understanding. It is what you know that makes you renown.
           
Where is Planet Exploit?
This is the place where uncommon feats are performed. It’s a place where you do the impossible with the little available; realize the seemingly realize; scale uncommon heights; do what the ordinary can’t do; reach where the ordinary cannot reach.
            The Elements
In order for you to enter into Planet Exploits, you have to key into its elements which are;
The Word of God                                  
Ø      Spirit of Giving
Ø      Spirit of Righteousness
Ø      Evangelism
Ø      Prayer
Ø      Spirit of Faith
Ø      Salvation

Subsequently I’ll explain and breakdown the entire elements. But I’ll begin with the mother of all elements the Word of God .

God’s Word is the Master Key
            Every exploit of man in the world is a result of a certain information and knowledge the individual possess which others are not appointed to access.
            Knowledge is the foundation and fountain of exploit. Therefore, in order to perform beyond the ordinary and go farther above what natural ability can offer, you need to possess supernatural empowerment which comes via knowledge. God’s Word is the pacesetter of the world of the extraordinary accomplishments. All the exploits of Moses are traceable to the rod and the rod is the Word; “And thou shall take this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shall do signs” (Exodus 4:17, Micah 7:14). Similarly the exploits of Peter after a long-time toiling came about when he encountered the Word (Luke 5: 1-7).
            Those who possess the Word are commanders in Planet Exploits (Daniel 11:32; Proverbs 24:5)

Understanding determines your placement
            Even though it is the Word that produces exploits, you need understanding of how it works before it can maximally deliver to you. Exploit does not come just by hearing the Word but by the understanding you derive from the word which in turn empowers you to take appropriate steps thereby enabling you to enter into Planet Exploit. It is understanding that determines the quality or results you possess in this “Planet”. In the words of Bishop Oyedepo “There is no mountain anywhere; every man’s mans ignorance is his mountain”. Many believers have opened themselves to all manner of oppressions due tom their ignorance (Hosea 4:6). In other words, your destiny is delivered to it’s maximum on the platform of knowledge (1Peter 2:9). When your understanding is enhanced, there is no limit to your rising

Pathways to Understanding 
v     Crave for knowledge (Job 23:12; Ezekiel 7:10; Psalm 1:1-3)
v     Engage the author, custodian, interpreter and teacher of the Word, The Holy Spirit (Isaiah 34:16; 1Corinathians 2:14; 2Timothy 3:16; John 14:26; Jeremiah 33:3)
v     Faith is proof of understanding (Romans 10:17). When you have understanding of what step to take in any issue, there will be no need for anyone to urge you before you take the step of faith
v     You must be born again. When God created man he was in tune with God; with the life and ability of God resident in him. But, when he embraced sin by listening to the voice of Satan, his fellowship with God was jeopardized. God’s nature in Adam gave him dominion to name all the animals. However, for man to reconnected back to God, he needed to be born of the Spirit of God i.e. to be regenerated (John 3:3). When this happens he becomes entitled to gain access to understanding God’s Word (Mark 4:11)
If you want to become born again or reconnect to God in other for you to enter the Planet of Exploits. Declare this in prayer.

Lord Jesus, come into my life,
Have mercy on me and forgive me of all my sins,
Wash me thoroughly with your  Blood I may be clean,
Write my name in the book of Life,
I hear by declare that you are my Lord and personal savior,
Thank you Jesus for you Salvation.
In Jesus name I am born again
Amen!
Conclusion
So, embark on a desperate search of knowledge. There is a way out of every predicament of life as you engage in the search of the scriptures (John 5:39; 1Corianthians 10:13). The process can be enhanced through prayer and fasting just as Jesus discovered what was written concerning Him (Luke 4:1,16-17). In the same vein, there are things written about whatever situation you’re passing through. You change situations by discovering what is written concerning your case. Then start to practice till the Word comes to fruition (John 2:5, Luke 5:6; 1Timothy 5:16; Ezra 7:10)
            Thus, give attendance to God’s Word as your necessary meal and allow the Holy Spirit to brood over what you have discovered. When this is done, your understanding will come alive which inturn will make you a member of Planet Exploits.

Friday 15 March 2013

Preface: My Blogg Ministry

Hi! am Michael Brown-Diogo. I'm a young Believer from West Africa. This blog inspired by a strong desire for the fulfillment of a prophetic scripture in Habakkuk 2:15 "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea".

The objective of this blog according to scriptures from Genesis 6:5-10:18 Matthew 24:37-42 Luke 17:24-30 2 Peter 3:3-6 1 Peter 3:18-20 is to share with you genuine messages of light, hope and faith. The modern world we live is filled with darkness, deceit and destruction, it has never been more imperative to share the gospel of salvation to whoever is willing to listen.

I believe ‘blogging’ is a significant instrument for change, this blog is my little candle I’m hoping to use to enlighten the world

Brace yourself for an experience on this Ark while we await rapture.