Hi Ladies,
Ephesians 6: 10-12 – “…be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
When preparing for spiritual warfare, don’t neglect the importance of putting on the full armor of God. It is another facet of the weaponry you have available to war on behalf of your future mate. This photo of a fully garbed Roman soldier shows all of the components with which you have already been equipped. Read Ephesians 6:14–17 for a complete description of the powers you possess when you armor up for war. Know your weapons!
THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
When I began intercession for my spouse-to-be, God notified me that there are rules to be followed in warfare prayer, same as with any other form of combat. By heeding His directions, I experienced firsthand the effectiveness of binding, loosing and intercession when my previously unknown mate arrived less than six months after I started interceding for his wellbeing.
Warfare prayer is not begging. Beseeching God for the answer to your prayers is not warfare. Warring in the Spirit assumes that our Father has already heard your request, knows your heart, and has sent the answer. In warfare, you are not to waste time continually harassing the Lord. Instead, warring seeks to engage the enemy, not to bombard heaven.
This is an entirely different prayer motivation. It accepts that our All-Knowing Father is fully aware of your desires, and that the goal now is to help defeat the forces of evil that may be restraining or detaining your answer. See the story in Daniel 10: 12,13 about the delay in God’s response to Daniel. The answer had been dispatched on the same day he prayed, but the angel delivering the message encountered demonic resistance that delayed his arrival for weeks.
When you commence warfare prayers on behalf of a future spouse, you demonstrate that you accept the mission that God has given you, so constantly pleading for Him to make it come true is unnecessary. It’s time to take a proactive stance against powers, principalities, and spiritual wickedness. Intercede against the traps that are crafted to steal, kill and destroy him, with the spiritual authority you have been given through Holy Spirit.
Pray in the Name of Jesus. Demonic forces do not recognize us as being threats capable of defeating them, because in our own strength we are not. The only Authority, the only Name they acknowledge is that of Jesus Christ, the Name above all names. Ephesians 1:21 confirms that His Name is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” No other name has His power, and certainly not ours.
Establish verbally in Whose name you are praying. When you say the words, “in the Name of Jesus Christ”, neither you nor the devil will mistake Who is doing the commanding.
Matthew 28:18 – “Then Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’”
Luke 10:17 – “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
Expect a battle. Nothing about warfare is ever without battles, and if there were no conflicts, it wouldn’t be war. When you begin binding, loosing and intercession, situations or people will appear to come against you, because Satan’s strategy will be to distract you. His aim is that you will falter, or become so distressed by negative circumstances that you’ll abandon your efforts entirely.
For example, if you already know the man you’re interceding for, he may suddenly start acting strangely, perhaps becoming distant or uninterested. Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged from praying on his behalf, but instead understand the weapons of the enemy and stand firm on what you’ve heard from God.
There are more rules of engagement that are necessary to facilitate the processes of warfare, especially in this last situation. We’ll consider them next week. Until then…Joy and Shalom! Jo Lynne Pool
jo lynne pool - Love in The Book.org 