Category Archives: Prayer
Light Exploding as Unity Restores the Earth
The Lord showed me a very encouraging vision 2 nights ago. I was with a group of people, waiting on the Lord to see what He would show us.
Someone saw us standing in a circle with our hands outstretched toward the center of the circle. Suddenly there was a bright light in the center and Jesus was there! We felt enveloped by His presence and were awestruck with the weightiness of His glory – it was awesome!! đ
The Lord showed us that our unity reveals the brightness of His glory. We each have Him inside of us and when we come together in unity, His glory is revealed. This is what creation is waiting for – His manifest glory through our unity as One. Wow.
Then He said, “Stay focused on the Light, there’s more coming.”
Someone sensed a new beginning – that it was time to dance!
I saw this bright burst of light explode into the night sky like a rocket. Then it split off into two and circled the earth.
Immediately I knew: This light represents the power of restoration for all creation – His glory revealed in our unity. HE is doing this – bringing people into unity all over the world because now is the time. No more playing around – it’s time for Unity on the earth in order to bring Restoration.
I was in AWE. đ¤Š
And then He made it clear to my mind that it wasn’t just Christian people He was uniting. He was bringing unity to all kinds of people – so that what is inside of them can come together and reveal His glorious power to restore the earth.
WOW. WOW. WOW.
God is SO GOOD! I’m excited to hear and see what that looks like.
Already so many good things are happening in the earth and it seems they are accelerating. Every week I hear good news about new breakthroughs that will help solve the problems of the earth. There’s an app you can download that will give you good news like this regularly – I read it to encourage me, especially after I’ve been reading regular news headlines. Here’s what the icon of the app looks like:
Here’s the links to download it, if you’re interested. I love what they are doing to share good news!
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.impactpartner.goodnews
Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/good-news-app/id1321856447
What are your thoughts? Please share them below. Can you imagine things getting better on the earth as people begin to work together to solve the world’s problems? I completely believe it is possible and now that I know God is already working on it, it makes my heart so happy!! đđđđ¤
đ HE IS THAT GOOD!!! đ
Book Review: Third-Heaven Authority
Third-Heaven Authority by Mike Thompson is a new book on prayer that is worth reading. If you are not familiar with third-heaven authority, I highly recommend it. If you are familiar with the concept, you still may enjoy the book as he shares several visions and experiences of going to heaven that are inspirational and encouraging. If you don’t have time to read the entire book, read the first chapter and the last chapter, where he gives a brief summary of the entire book’s message. His visions are spread throughout the book and several are described in detail starting with chapter 13.
The Lord taught me how to pray with third-heaven authority many years ago – primarily from the Scripture, Colossians 3:1-2, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Jesus told us to pray that “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. How can you pray God’s will on the earth unless you know how things are done in heaven? So you sit in heavenly places in Christ and you see what God is doing – that’s what you pray.
I mean, what is the point of praying for things from YOUR perspective if you don’t have HIS perspective? His perspective shifts everything and it’s the power of His words that make things happen in the natural realm, right? All authority in heaven and on earth was given to Jesus after He rose from the dead.(Matthew 28:18) It just makes sense to go the Source if you want your prayers answered. đ
The author, Mike Thompson, does an excellent job outlining what is third-heaven authority and how to access it. He’s a good teacher and lays it down, point-by-point, with many Scripture references so that beginners can understand what is meant and how to apply it.
If you’ve had trouble seeing your prayers answered, then this book will be a GAME CHANGER for you!! Praying from heaven’s perspective gives you great authority to see things change on the earth. He explains why in the book.
If seeing things from a heavenly perspective is new to you, you may want to read the post I wrote recently called, Visit Heaven Today. You may also enjoy the one on the Courts of Heaven. Both of these will help you with the concept and encourage you on your journey toward establishing God’s kingdom in the earth.
You can pray from your soulish desires or you can pray from His Spirit’s desire – and you will get very different results. Do you know when you are praying from your soul or when you are praying from your spirit? I can hear the difference when I listen to someone pray. I explain the differences in the post, Spirit vs Soul, Surprising Power in Prayer. This is somewhat related to Mike Thompson’s teaching in his book, but he doesn’t directly say it. He does explain the difference between the soul and the spirit and how these two interact, which I found refreshing and explained well.
It is part of growing in your relationship with God to learn who you are in Christ – and that includes the tremendous authority you have in the spiritual realm. You have NO IDEA how powerful you are! Pay attention to your words, they are not “just words”. The intention of your heart is what empowers them. So please “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
You can get a copy of Mike’s book on Amazon here – or check your local library. I found a copy on the Hoopla Digital app, sponsored by my library. I hope by reading it on their app, it encourages the library folks to keep buying good Christian books like this one. đ
Emergency Rescue Prayer for Others
“Help! I need God to breakthrough for my family member NOW!”
How many of us have had that thought well up from deep in our heart – desperate to see someone we love set free from whatever binds them to trouble?
I have often pondered why some people just can’t seem to escape the trouble they experience in life. No matter how much they wish they could change, they don’t. Or you try talking to them and they won’t listen. Sound familiar?
So what can you do to help them?
We can pray. But not just regular prayer – though that always helps. I’m talking about a different kind of prayer that shatters strongholds and sets them free – without them evening knowing about it.
It’s called Identificational Repentance and it’s very, very powerful. I first learned about it from John Dawson in his book, Taking Our Cities for God. He applied it to cities and I was on prayer team who practiced the methods he recommended. We were amazed at the results!
A few years ago, the Lord began teaching me about this as it applied to individual people. I did not know it could be done that way but it made sense. And again, I was amazed at the results!
Basically instead of praying FOR the person, you talk to God as though you ARE the person.
For example, instead of praying, “Lord, please help Billy get off drugs. You know he’s already been to rehab, but he’s back at it again. He needs you, Lord. Please help him!” you pray this way instead, “Lord, I come to you now as Billy Jenkins. Please forgive me for using drugs instead of turning to You. I am sorry I don’t trust you. Please forgive me for believing the lie that I can do this on my own. I am weak and I need Your love to free me from this addiction. I can’t do this on my own. Please open my heart to Your love and show me how to live. Thank you.”
This is not easy to do – don’t take this lightly. You have to let go of your ego and lay aside your sense of self. You let go of judgment about Billy and what he’s doing. You come before God as thought you are Billy and you ask Holy Spirit to guide you as to what you need to say to God.
It is very powerful and very intimate. If you are trustworthy, God will show you what it is like to BE Billy. And it will probably surprise you. These are secrets you must keep – please don’t share them with anyone, not even Billy. These are between you and your Father.
Pray this way as often as you feel led for as long as you feel led to pray this way. You will see surprising results.
Why does it work?
Legal ground is established by our agreement with darkness â like a contract. We believe a lie (or a partial truth) and by agreeing with it, it has authority in our lives.
When we repent and come out of agreement with the lie, then its influence (or authority) over us is broken.
Sometimes someone is so deeply deceived that they donât even realize they are in agreement with darkness. They canât see the lie to come out of agreement with it. It is so deeply entrenched in their psyche that it seems impossible for them to recognize it. We all know people who have struggled for YEARS to overcome addiction. This is an example of an entrenched lie that is deeply hidden. No matter how they change their behavior, they are unable to overcome the lie that is hidden deeply in their hearts and minds. As a result, addiction still has a hold on them.
Hereâs a secret: We are all âaddictedâ in some way or other. Some of us have obvious addictions like drugs or alcohol. Others have more âsocially acceptableâ addictions like worry, codependence or workaholism. These are all just evidence of our addiction to âselfâ. We all suffer from this âdiseaseâ (the more popular term for addiction now).
So, how do we get free? We turn to Jesus and repent of our false beliefs and come into agreement with His truth.
If someone is not able to do this on their own (because they canât see the false beliefs), then an intercessor can start the process for them. The intercessor can take the place of the âaddicted oneâ and repent before the Lord for whatever strongholds of agreement the Lord shows them to repent of. These are usually mindsets, patterns of thought or heart attitudes. It could be pride, independence, self-centeredness, fear, doubt, disbelief, etc.
We agree with HIM regarding what the truth is and come out of agreement with the lie â doing all of this as though we are the other person.
How does it work?
We become âoneâ with the person we are praying for, the one for whom we are repenting. Here are some examples from Scripture of the principle of being âoneâ with another person.
Husband and wife are one, according to Scripture. Genesis 2:22-24, Ephesians 5:31 and Matthew 19:4-6:
And He answered and said to them, âHave you not read that He who made them at the beginning âmade them male and female,â and said, âFor this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one fleshâ? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.â Matthew 19:4-6
If we truly are one and thatâs how God sees us, then that means I can âtake the placeâ of my husband before God, if necessary. I can repent on his behalf â as though it was him talking to God, but the words are coming out of my mouth. I canât change his heart, his mind or his will, but I can remove the stronghold of darkness that is exerting its influence on his heart, mind and will by repenting on his behalf.
All believers are one, according to Scripture. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Colossians 3:11, Galatians 3:28 and Ephesians 2:13-16:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. Ephesians 2:13-16
How about unbelievers? Can we be âoneâ with them?
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christâs behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 18-21
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. I John 2:2
What if they are unwilling?
What if they are unwilling? You canât make anyone receive Godâs love. From my experience, the only people Iâve ever met who were unwilling to receive Godâs love and forgiveness were people who had a misconception either about God or about themselves. They believed a lie or partial truth that convinced them that either God didnât really love them or that they were unworthy of being forgiven and loved by God.
Thereâs no logical reason for anyone to reject Godâs love! The only time people reject it is when they believe a lie. We remove the power of the lie by breaking the agreement with it through repentance.
What an amazing masterful strategy from our God!
Once the power of agreement is broken, darkness no longer has any legal right to have such strong influence on their mind and heart. Then they can receive Godâs love and forgiveness more easily!
Really â try it! It works! đ
Iâve seen it happen in âhard casesâ â people who were not able to receive Godâs love. Then someone prayed for them in Personal Identificational Repentance. Suddenly Godâs love was accessible to them on a very deep level and they completely changed! Their hearts opened up like a flower bud and they blossomed with His Love! Itâs an amazing miracle!
Spirit vs Soul, Surprising Power in Prayer
I LOVE to be in a prayer meeting where each person is listening to the Holy Spirit and only praying what they hear the Lord saying. There’s such freedom and power! It is incredibly encouraging as the Lord reveals His plans for the problems we see. By the end of the prayer time, we are so filled with joy and anticipation of what God is going to do!! I don’t enjoy as much the prayer meetings I have been in when people are praying from their souls. It can be moving to hear how much they care about an issue, but often it begins to feel almost like charismatic witchcraft – trying to get God to do what YOU want Him to do. It’s actually quite painful at times as you sense the lack of faith in God’s goodness – when you “pray the problem”, it tends to grow in your mind and weigh you down even more. Yuk! If you need help learning how to listen to the Holy Spirit, I created a short course to help with that. It only takes a few minutes to go through the material and then practice – I recommend 15 minutes each week for 4 weeks. The more you practice, the easier it gets! The course is called Developing A Close Relationship with God: A Simple Method.John said it like this, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” I John 5:14-15
Deep Healing So You Can Rest
Many times we experience spiritual attacks because of wounds we have inside (emotional or spiritual). We are often unconscious that we have these wounds. We tend to move on with life without dealing with them, usually because we simply don’t know how. These wounds often bring curses or “open doors” to the realm of darkness.
A friend sent me this wonderful video that helps to deal with those hidden wounds. Jim Banks talks for a few minutes and then he does a “prayer process”, as he calls it. He covers several things in his prayer and you will be surprised by how many seem to impact you directly. Many people say listening to this helped them sleep better than they have in years!
He also does some specific things during this prayer that can help with spiritual attacks – he breaks curses and disconnects you from things that may be harassing or influencing you. He helps your body release anxiety and stress that you may not know you are carrying.
I recommend listening to it at a time that you can pay attention without distraction, just before bedtime. The video is a just under an hour. Listening to the prayer makes you very relaxed and sleepy (hence the suggestion to listen before bed).
Once you’ve listened to the whole thing, you can go back the next day and listen to just the prayer process. I’ve listened to it several times and I always get something new. He says on his blog that some people make it part of their “getting ready for bed” ritual, to help them relax and sleep peacefully. đ
The video is on YouTube – it’s called Effective Trauma Release — [deeper healing in the spirit]. Here it is:
There’s a copy of this “prayer process” in his book, The Effects of Trauma and How to Deal with It.
If you want more in-depth help, Jim and his wife offer individual prayer counseling sessions by phone, skype or Facebook messenger video call. They also offer 1-3 days intensives if you want to meet with them in person. They are currently located near Nashville, Tennessee. Here’s the details of how to make an appointment: https://jimandpatbanks.com/personal-ministry/
After you listen to the video, please come back to this blog and let me know how it helped you. Your testimony may encourage someone else!
Get Your Fire Back!
What do you do when you know you should have a desire to seek the Lord, but you just don’t have it?
I recall when I first “fell in love” with Jesus. It was so powerful! I couldn’t believe how good I felt and how much I could feel His love for me. It was like falling in love, except it wasn’t with a natural man – it was with Jesus!
I remember trying to explain this to my friends – they didn’t get it. But Jesus was SO REAL to me and I KNEW for the first time in my life, really knew I was loved by Him.
But then the drudgery of daily life took over.
I wanted to keep my passion and fire for Jesus, but it was disappearing and I didn’t know what to do. I was also afraid to tell anyone because they might judge me.
Have you ever felt that way? LIke you wanted to be close to God but the desire to seek Him just was not there?
I have great news! I figured out what to do and it has worked for me many, many times since then. And it’s super easy!
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33
How to Get Your Fire for God back
First, just admit it. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize that you are losing your fire – it happens very slowly and quietly. If you are not around other people who are passionate about Jesus, it can be even harder to recognize – there’s no one to stir you up! But eventually you will realize it. It’s important to admit it – that’s the first step. Admit it to yourself – “I don’t feel like seeking God. My heart is cold.” This is humbling – it kills your pride.
Then, tell Jesus that you feel cold toward Him. I know you probably don’t want to, but this is important. Acknowledge that you WISH you had a desire to seek Him and His ways, but you just don’t. Ask Him to forgive you for the lack of desire to seek Him.
Lastly, ask Jesus to give you a desire to seek Him. I know that doesn’t make sense, but honestly – where do you think you got the desire to seek God in the first place? From Him! We are dependent on Him even for the desire to seek Him.
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” John 6:44
You may not have an “instant” experience of suddenly being passionate about God again. What I’ve noticed when I’ve prayed this prayer is that it takes about 24-48 hours to take effect. I often forget about the prayer and then a couple of days later I notice I suddenly have a desire to seek the Lord. It happens spontaneously, at least for me.
So – try it! I encourage you to choose to seek the Lord. He is worthy and you won’t regret it. Life with Him is AWESOME!
Here’s an example of a prayer you can pray:
Jesus, I’m sorry. I have no desire to seek You right now. I don’t know why. I feel cold in my heart and I want to be different inside. Please restore the desire to seek You in my heart. Thank you. Amen.
Let me know in the comments below what happened after you prayed that prayer. I love to hear how God changes lives. He’s changed mine over and over again. He’ll do it for you too!
How to Host a God Gathering
It has been on my heart recently to host a “God Gathering” – a place where people can gather to seek the Lord. In the old days, people referred to this as “tarrying in the presence of the Lord”. It’s not exactly a prayer meeting – I’m not sure what to call it so I call it a “God Gathering”. đ
I have hosted many of these over the years and it occurred to me last night that there may be someone who doesn’t know how to do this so here’s how I do it – in case it might inspire someone else to host a God Gathering of their own!
- Make sure you are hosting the God Gathering for the right reasons. The Holy Spirit is usually the one who initiates the invitation by putting it on my heart to host one. You do not want to do this just because you feel like it – it won’t work. I had a friend call me one time and ask me to host one for her. I had a feeling she was motivated by emotion more than by the Spirit because she seemed upset and hosting the meeting was a reaction to her emotional turmoil. She contacted a bunch of people and twelve of them said they would come. I prepared for it, but I had this sense that this was an empty endeavor. Sure enough, the day for the meeting arrived and she was the only one who showed up. We sat together, quietly talking. When it became obvious that no one else was coming (not even other spiritual leaders, pastors, etc. that had promised to come), I told her I had a sense that it just wasn’t the right time. She agreed and went home. This was a clear object lesson for me – don’t be tempted to do this on your own. Wait for His timing.
- Prepare the environment. I usually do this by cleaning the room where we will be meeting and playing some soaking music softly in the background. I often do this a few days before and just let the music keep playing. My brother used to tell me he could tell the angels liked it when he left the soaking music on. I’m not aware of that but it does help your mind to focus on the Lord every time you hear the music. Some suggestions for soaking music are here.
- Send out an invitation and make sure people are clear on why you are hosting this meeting. You want to make sure that the people who are coming are sincerely wanting to connect with the Lord. This is not just a social gathering. If parents ask, I don’t usually include young children because it’s hard for them to sit still (though I have seen some children who really like these kinds of meetings, but it is rare). You want an environment with no distractions.
- Prepare the spiritual environment. Once the people have gathered and greeted each other, I turn down the lighting to signal that it’s time to begin. Then I pray some specific prayers to prepare the spiritual environment and our hearts for an encounter with Jesus.
- Pray over the room, asking the Lord to wash it and commanding everything else to leave. For example, “Lord, thank You for meeting with us. We are here for You. Would You please wash off this room and remove anything that does not belong here? No spirits of the enemy are allowed to stay here – leave now, in Jesus’ name.”
- Pray over the people, asking the Lord to wash us off and remove any distractions from hindering our time with Him. For example, “Lord, I ask that You wash us off from all that we’ve picked up today. Would You please draw us close to You? Open our hearts and minds to hear from You. Please remove any distracting influences during our time together.”
- Invite the Holy Spirit to come. Yes, the Lord is already there, but there’s something about this step that prepares YOU to hear from Him. For example, “Holy Spirit, we invite You to come. You are welcome in this place. Please increase our awareness of Your presence.” There’s a difference between the omnipresence of God and the tangible manifest presence of God. We are seeking His manifest presence.
- Invite Wisdom and Revelation. For example, “Wisdom and Revelation, come. We welcome you. We invite you to speak to us and show us God’s glory and goodness.” I don’t know how this works, but I know that when I do this it shifts the atmosphere. Some say these are specific angels that are released to minister – others say these are aspects of the Spirit of the Lord. Either way, you are welcoming them to reveal the Lord’s goodness and glory. I don’t have to understand it for it to work (like electricity, right?). Childlike faith is simple and powerful.
- Wait expectantly. At this point, I often turn the music up just a little bit so we can hear it and drown out any other sounds. It helps us to focus without distraction. Often the presence of the Lord has been building with each prayer of invitation spoken so now we just enjoy Him. I often find a smile bursting on my face because He’s HERE in such a tangible way – I am so happy to be with Him. Sometimes I whisper my love and worship to Him – trying not to distract anyone, but at the same time honoring who He is to me. Others may also whisper their love and worship. đ Some people sit, some lay down on the floor, some kneel – each one is free to do whatever feels comfortable for them. (I have tile floors so when I host these, I often put big cushions on the floor and some fluffy throw rugs for people to lay on, if they want to.) Sometimes people pace at the end of the room – that’s okay too. It’s important for each person to be free to be themselves. I also make sure there is paper and pens on the coffee tables in case anyone needs to write what the Lord is saying to them, especially if they wish to give it to someone else.
- Receive from His presence. Just being together in God’s presence is incredibly refreshing and healing. We often just sit quietly and soak up His presence. No one is moving or talking – just being together. Letting God be God.
- Ask people to share. After a time of waiting on God, I will often feel prompted to lower the music a little bit and then I ask, “Would anyone like to share what the Lord is showing them?” One by one people share what the Lord shared with them – it could be a Scripture verse, a new insight into His goodness and care, a word, a song or a vision. Scripture says, “When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. Take your turn, no one person taking over. Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other.” I Corinthians 14 The Message.
- Respond to each thing that is shared. This is really important and some people miss this. Pay attention to what the Lord is saying through each person who shares. Acknowledge what has been shared (thank the person) and then ask the Lord if there’s anything that needs to be done. I am often doing this internally while the person shares, asking the Lord to direct us. Sometimes it is obvious – perhaps something the person shares relates to a current event that needs to be prayed for. Ask that person to lead in prayer, others can join in after they pray. Usually the person who gets the insight or revelation has the authority to pray it out. If someone gets a word of knowledge or word of wisdom for an individual in the meeting, they should offer to minister to that person. Maybe they need prayer – but don’t force it. Ask them first. Sometimes it is not obvious right away what the Lord is saying but after 2-3 people share, you might see a theme emerging that guides you. Ask the Holy Spirit – in fact, I often just stop everything and say out loud, “Holy Spirit, what do You want us to do with this?” and we all just wait. If you don’t hear or sense anything, then just move to the next person who wants to share.
- Pray for each other. After everyone has had a chance to share what the Lord showed them, ask if anyone needs prayer. If there are many needs and time is running out, break up into pairs or groups of three and pray for each other. This is so important – we have no idea how much the people around us are in need until we ask. Asking for prayer requests tends to open people up like nothing else does – this is often the most precious part of these gatherings as people feel safe enough to be vulnerable and transparent about their pain and struggles. This is the body of Christ loving on one another – first we love God and receive His love, then we love one another. â¤
- Close in prayer. You’d think you could skip this step since so much prayer has been going on all night, right? But there’s something about “closing” that feels right. For example, “Lord, thank You so much for meeting with us tonight. We enjoy Your presence so much! Thank You for all You did tonight. We ask that You seal these prayers and all that happened here. We love You.”
I have not encountered too many church meetings that follow this format. But every time I follow it, the Lord comes powerfully and everyone leaves very happy, refreshed and blessed.
I wonder if you could do this virtually. Could you have an online God Gathering using video chat? What do you think? Would it work?
Is there anything you do that helps you and your friends connect with God? Please feel free to share it. I love new ideas!
God’s Voice vs Other Voices: How Can You Tell the Difference?
Last night a young lady called me. She’s in a very sticky situation.
She is currently separated from her husband. A young man from church started pursuing a relationship with her. She’s not interested in him romantically and has made that clear. But they are talking and becoming friends due to their common interest in the things of God.
She told me, “I’m trying to free myself from this guy. I just want to focus on my relationship with Jesus and healing my heart! But for some reason, I keep feeling like I’m forced to be his friend and maybe more some day. I’m praying and praying, but I can’t get any peace. What can I do?”
Whew! That’s tough. When you are praying and yet don’t see the results you had hoped for, what can you do?
We talked for some time. She’s been growing rapidly in hearing from God and learning His ways.
One thing she said that caught my attention – “feeling forced” to be his friend.
I asked her about it. She said she feels this pressure and she wonders if it’s God or not. She’s afraid to cut things off with him because she’s not sure if maybe God WANTS her to be friends with him.
I told her that there’s a big difference between following the leading of the Lord and the feeling of being forced or pushed.
I sent her this chart I made to help her discern when it’s God voice or some other voice.
She immediately replied:
“Wow, I havent realized how much of the other voices I’ve been listening to because I wasn’t sure whether they were from God or not. It’s so clear now.”
I know this chart has helped me – sometimes when we feel unclear about something and especially if our emotions are involved, this can help bring clarity about exactly whose voice we are following.
Some charts I’ve seen contrast God’s voice to Satan’s voice. I chose to contrast God’s voice to “other voices” because sometimes that voice is our own! We are sometimes our own worst enemy – we tell ourselves what we “should” be doing, using guilt and manipulation to get ourselves to do things. Sometimes that “other voice” is someone in our lives giving us advice or telling us what we should do. This chart can help us figure out whether what they are saying lines up with the Lord’s voice. And yes, sometimes that “other voice” is the enemy, Satan, whispering things into our minds (which sounds like our own thoughts).
I encouraged her to keep that chart somewhere she could refer to it frequently. You might want to do the same.
So how do you know when it’s God’s voice versus Other voices? Feel free to share your experience below. What advice would you have given her?
Would you please share this post in your favorite social media to help others discern who’s voice they are hearing? Thank you! đ
Confronting Intimidation
Jenny* called me on her drive home from work. She told me how her boss was not treating her well. He was humiliating her in front of other employees. Now the higher up boss was doing it too. She felt so embarrassed when they did this.
What made it even more infuriating was that she was filling in for 4 other people who had left the job. She was working really hard, really long hours trying to keep everything running in her department, but instead of being appreciated and thanked, she was being called out on every little mistake they were finding. She was exhausted, both mentally and emotionally.
When she first got this job, they had shown her a lot of respect. She had many years of experience in the industry and they were very happy she had joined their team. Now she felt intimidated daily by all their accusations and frustrated no one could see the good she was doing. She was angry, tired and feeling overwhelmed.
I listened and tried to empathize with her. I recognized a pattern – this was similar to the previous job she’d had. That boss had accused her and treated her badly as well. She justified his actions because she knew he had mental health issues and was on and off medication. This time there was no justification.
“You’ve got to deal with this in the unseen realm,” I told her.
“This is not normal. You’re right. What should I do?” She agreed.
“You need to take authority over this spirit of Intimidation so that it doesn’t harass you at work any more,” I said.
“But how can I? It’s my boss. I don’t have authority over him. I don’t want to be disrespectful of his position,” she replied.
“You’re right. You do want to respect his position. But you don’t deserve to be treated disrespectfully. That’s not right! I learned something that I believe will work for you. You cannot change his actions, but you can bind that spirit of Intimidation from manifesting in your presence. Then you’ll just be dealing with a normal human being – not one that is being influenced and empowered by an evil spirit,” I suggested.
She agreed to try it. I sent her some prayers to pray before work. I put them in an email so she could keep it easily accessible on her phone. Here’s the message I sent her:
Here are 3 specific prayers that will help you stand and take authority in your situation.
You don’t deserve to be treated with disrespect. You don’t deserve to work in an environment where you feel intimidated.
1. I come out of agreement with fear and intimidation. I release peace and trust in the Lord into my soul. (pause for a moment)
2. Spirit of Jenny, I call you to attention. Please come forward and lead. Soul, please go to the back and rest. (pause for a moment)
3. I take authority over Intimidation operating through (name of person). You do not have permission to manifest in my presence. I release the fear of the Lord, wisdom, humility and teamwork right now, in Jesus name! Thank you, Lord!Save this email. When you cannot think straight, say these 3 prayers in this order.
Also say them before any time you know you will speak to your boss, supervisor, etc. Any person who is not treating you right – say this prayer before you talk to them. I would encourage you to say these prayers each day before work.You WILL see this situation change – I promise!
The next morning I sent her a short text message reminding her – she said she got my message while driving to work and immediately pulled over so she could say those prayers.
At the end of the day, I got this message from her:
“I don’t have words enough to thank you for your time listening and your time writing this for me. Thank you for your prayers. Today was a good day at work. I haven’t had a good day like this in a very long time.”
Many times the issues we have with people are not about the people themselves. It is an attack against us by demonic forces. They want to see if you know who you are – your identity in Christ.
Paul said in Ephesians 6:12:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (human beings), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Especially when you see the same pattern happening over and over in your life, it’s safe to assume there’s something spiritual going on. Ask the Lord for insight and understanding. Feel free to adapt these prayers to fit your own situation.
I hope this post will help someone today – it certainly helped Jennie! đ
Feel free to share below any specific prayers that you have found helpful so we can learn from each other. And if you try these 3 prayers – please let me know how it worked out for you. I expect you’ll see a shift in how people are treating you at your job too!
*name changed to protect privacy
For more information about prayer #2, follow these links:Â Spirit vs Soul Part 1 and Part 2
Battle Strategies in a Song
You gotta know when to hold âem
Know when to fold âem
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run!
These lyrics from the song, The Gambler, by Kenny Rogers came to mind today as I contemplated some principles of spiritual warfare that I teach.
When the enemy is invading your territory (i.e. your home, your relationships, your business), it is vitally important to know which action to take.
There are times when you are supposed to âhold âemâ â that could be standing your ground, making declarations in the spirit realm or even confronting another person about the darkness they are bringing into your territory.
There are times when you need to âfold âemâ â that made me think of folding your hands together to pray for the situation. Maybe the bulk of the warfare is just clearing out the emotional baggage in your own heart and mind. This usually requires repentance â your own, or on behalf of someone else, and often on behalf of someone in your bloodline or ancestry.
There are times when you need to walk away. Yes, this is hard. But sometimes the best thing to do is pray for the other person and then say, âThis is not my problem. You need to figure this out.â You emotionally disconnect from the darkness they are bringing into your life. You still love them, but you just step back from being emotionally attached to their breakthrough. This is often the hardest step for most of us to take because it doesnât feel like love â but it is. Itâs called Tough Love. And it can be a critical step to surviving a battle.
Lastly, âknow when to runâ means to be very aware of backlash from the enemy after you have stood your ground. You donât literally ârunâ, but you do make sure that every door of opportunity that he has used against you is slammed shut and sealed with the blood of Jesus. You donât open it and check to make sure â you keep that door closed!! If alcohol has been a problem for you, you donât take one sip at a party just to see if youâre still free of it. If a certain person has been removed from your life, you donât send a birthday text just to make sure they know you remembered it was their birthday. Donât do it!
Backlash Can Be Brutal
I think the hardest part of spiritual warfare is the surprising force with which Backlash hits you. Usually when you least expect it. Youâve done the hard part of standing your ground, cleaning out the emotional âgarbageâ from you and your bloodline, releasing your sense of responsibility for the breakthrough of the people involved and finally you rest. Ahhh, the breakthrough is coming â I can feel it. You may even begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Then, BAM! You get hit by something unexpected that is designed to shake you to your core. It is sent to rattle you â to cause you to question who you are and your basis for authority. Itâs happened to me many times.
Yet all you can do is STAND. Just keep moving forward in faith. Even when it seems impossible and you are ready to give up. Just do it. (And having done all, stand. Ephesians 6:13)
One of the enemyâs main tactics is to get your eyes off of the Fatherâs goodness and blessing to you and instead turn your eyes onto the darkness he is attacking you with. Use all your strength to ignore him and turn your eyes to God. Stay in Peace â he hates that!
You will keep her in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because she trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3
Backlash can be brutal. It makes you wonder who you are and what you think you are doing. It can attack your body, your mind and/or your emotions. Sometimes it is so vile, you donât even realize what is going on. You just know you are miserable!
THIS is when you need the body of Christ around you. THIS is when you need a stable prayer partner or someone you can call to help you. Having a person who is very prophetic and sees in the spirit clearly can really help you break the power of backlash â because you will think you are losing your mind. You need someone who can tell you, âWait. This isnât yours. This is backlash. Let me pray.â And when they do, suddenly all the effects of backlash disappear.
I didnât know that the enemy could attack your emotions and suddenly make you feel depressed, overwhelmed, jealous, fearful, suicidal, [insert any negative emotion here] FOR NO REASON. I thought emotional attacks were related to your actions â for instance, if you focus on your problems, you can get depressed or feel overwhelmed. But when you are suddenly hit with deep, overwhelming emotions that are dark, it surprises you. You have no idea why they are there. You canât âfixâ âem because they are NOT yours! They are often so thick that it is hard to think clearly so it may take a while for you to figure this out. Thatâs why having a close relationship with another intercessor or prophetic person can really help â tell them how you are honestly feeling and then the Lord can give them insight for you.
So, remember,
You gotta know when to hold âem
Know when to fold âem
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run!
And how do I know when to do each of these in battle? , you might be thinking. Answer: ATL
That means Ask The Lord. He is the Commander-in-Chief and He is the only one who knows which step is needed when. You follow Him and everything will work itself out for your good.
Got any keys that help you in battle? Please feel free to comment below so we can learn from each other. đ
Discernment of the Supernatural Realm 