SPIRITUAL WARFARE or PRAYER:
How understanding the difference can MAKE the difference when confronting dangerous times
by Hank McIntyre
Some people have mistaken “Spiritual Warfare” for “telling God what to do.” Faith doctrines have gotten blasted undeservedly because of this misunderstanding. (It’s also gotten me into many long and irresolvable arguments.) But the difference is quite simple.
Prayer is petitioning God. It is for requesting wisdom and knowledge about how to handle a situation, for interceding for others, asking for forgiveness, and entreating God for the promises He’s made to us in His word.
Spiritual Warfare is what Jesus called “Speaking to the mountain.” This is done after we’ve paid our spiritual “bills” and are ready to stand in the authority of Jesus and address an unGodly situation. With Spiritual Warfare, we speak to spiritual beings – Godly and unGodly – and issue Word-based directions or commands to bring a situation to a Godly, successful result.
The angels of God – “Ministering Spirits” – are assigned to respond to our faith-based confessions in the name of the Anointed Jesus. The fallen angels, conversely, are compelled to submit to these same faith-based confessions. This is a principle that God has given us to live by. He wants us to stand on our own two feet while exercising the authority He’s given us over the devil, over an unGodly environment, activity, or circumstance.
Sometimes you will find Believers “praying” over things that God has instructed us to wage Spiritual Warfare against. It’s a weak and passive action that is based on the hope that through “submission” God will do all the work. But the Bible makes this point:
- Matthew 17:20 – for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
- Matthew 21:19 – And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
- Matthew 8:28-32 – there met Him [Jesus] two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.
31 the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”
32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water. - Mark 11:23 – For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
We’re confronting an age when both Good and Evil are being stepped-up respectively. Our reaction to this as Believers is to step-up our Spiritual Warfare against the satanic disruptions that we encounter whether personally or globally. If we’re not quite ready for “warfare”, stay in prayer and stay in the Word until God nudges you and let’s you know: “It’s time!”
Ephesians 6:13-14 – Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Then stand in full faith in the name of the Anointed Jesus that God backs His word, and God will back you when you act on His word.
God forbid that this should be thought of as an “ego” exercise. Just the opposite: it is a total submission to the power of God and the unchallengeable power of the name of the Anointed Jesus.
Whatever ferocity the world may show us the days ahead, our God is stronger – and so are His people when they wield the weapons of His Warfare.
Thank-you Hank
Pastor Thomas, I need to tell you and all your followers what happened this afternoon.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been studying the stories you have about spiritual warfare. I made the effort to learn the Pleading the Blood prayer. Every day I try to plead the Blood on myself, my cat and family.
This afternoon a young man who has autism was outside my house on the sidewalk. He was having a terrible time. Crying and in a meltdown. He was physically shaking he was so agitated. I went to my door and “Plead the Blood of our dear Lord on him. He immediately stopped his fit or rage and walked back home.
This was my first attempt at using it in action. Wow!!
Thank-you. I hope you are able to get this information out to everyone. What a blessing it is in my life now. I don’t have to feel so powerless over all the crazy stuff going on.
Bless you and Kate I think that’s your wife’s name. I prayed for Kate Friday night like you asked in your letter. I hope everything is better.
Ester Gail
Hi everyone.
Once we are truly saved we receive the Holy Spirit. That is what separates a saved Christian from all others. The Spirit of God brings with a lot of guidance, comfort, peace, strength, and power.
In my opinion, the gift of the spirit that is most notably not taught in most churches today is the power of the Holy Spirit. When a saved Christian is in a spiritual battle. Which is happening to almost all of us, almost every day these days. We need to remember that the spirit within us is the most powerful spirit there is.
In the spiritual world, all powers must bend to and obey the authority of Yeshua or Jesus Christ. They have no choice. It is the hierarchy that God set up. When we are in a spiritual battle, we need to remember that we are carrying the biggest weapon. It is actually an over match. The enemy doesn’t have anything close in their armament.
When we are being attacked or are under some kind of spiritual bondage we simply need to take out our big gun. We need to take out the spiritual weapon that God has given us and simply use it. Or, in this case, be bold enough to use it. We take out our spiritual warfare prayer and lift them up to the heavens. God does all the rest. When we take out our armaments–He fights our battles for us.
We conduct our battles “under the authority of Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit”!
This is a wonderful gift that God has given us. Here is the prayer I learned about fifteen years ago and still use-when a powerful prayer is needed.
Blessings,
Steve
THE FREEDOM PRAYER – BONDAGE BREAKING PRAYER
Lord, I repent and ask your forgiveness if I am now or have ever dominated or controlled anyone contrary to the perfect will of God.
In the Name of Yeshua, the one and only Messiah, I now renounce, break and loose myself from all domination and subjection to my mother, father, grandparents or any other human being, living or dead that has ever in the past or is now dominating or controlling me in any way contrary to the perfect will of God.
In the name of Yeshua, the one and only Messiah, I now renounce, break, and loose myself and all my children from all psychic power, demonic bondage, occult bondage, bonds of physical or mental illness and disease and all curses upon me and my family as a result of sins, transgressions, iniquities, occult or psychic. Thank you Lord for setting me free.
In the Name of Yeshua, and by the power of the Blood of Jesus , I rebuke, break and loose myself and all my children from all evil curses, charms, vexes, hexes, spells, jinx, occult powers, psychic
powers, witchcraft, sorcery and hypnotic influences that have been put on me or my family lineage by any person, occult source or psychic source. By the power of the Blood of Yeshua, I command all connected and related spirits to leave me now.
Under the authority of Yeshua, Lord Jesus Christ, I command all unclean spirits to leave me now, in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua. The most powerful name in the universe.
Praise be to God my Father in heaven,
Thank-you Father.
AMEN
An Enduring Faith. I think that is what we all need. Sooo very much. But isn’t the real point, faith in whom? Faith in a program or church vs faith in the Lord and savior Jesus.
I just found that there is a whole category on Enduring Faith. Really enjoyed the teaching on Romans.
Thanx,
In God’s time.
Karen