© 2016 by Jennifer Eivaz
Published by Chosen Books
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.chosenbooks.com
Chosen Books is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016930717
ISBN 978-1-4412-3001-0
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations identified MESSAGE are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations identified NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Some names and details of stories included in this book have been changed in order to protect identities.
“There is no other writer out there who I have seen do as good a job as Jennifer Eivaz when it comes to writing and teaching on intercession. I don’t know how she does it, frankly, but Jennifer is able to pack into a paragraph or two an afternoon’s worth of teaching and study. What she explains is easy to grasp yet profound when put into application. Get The Intercessors Handbook, one for you and two for friends!”
Steve Shultz, founder, The Elijah List
“The Intercessors Handbook is both a journey and a classroom. It carries the depth of uncovering deep layers of a biblical foundation in prayer/intercession while putting flesh on it through Jen’s personal history. Over and over, I found myself personally challenged and inspired to take my personal intercession deeper. Tools are given to elevate both your knowledge and faith in this needed area. Jen also does a masterful job in breaking down the topic in such a way that those who don’t consider themselves gifted in this area can track and grow in this ministry. This is a must-read for all who want to contend for all that God wants to release, both individually and corporately.”
Sean Smith, director, Sean Smith Ministries / Pointblank International
“The topic of prayer is one that is often avoided not because people don’t have a heart to pray, but because they feel uncertain of how to pray or where to start. Yet prayer is a foundational aspect of our lives as followers of Jesus. Jennifer Eivaz has written a challenging and practical book that is much needed for the church. Rather than written from a place of theory, The Intercessors Handbook is written from biblical foundations and principles that have been lived out, not only by Jennifer but by the community she leads. As someone who has lived a life of prayer, she shows us a map of how to pray and ignites within us a passion to embrace the journey of prayer that is the privilege and responsibility of every believer.”
Banning Liebscher, founder and pastor, Jesus Culture
“The history of our ministry is written in our prayer life. We must brush away the cobwebs that have obscured true intercession if we want to win this generation. Here is your handbook.”
Mario Murillo, president, Mario Murillo Ministries
“Jennifer is forceful and to-the-point in The Intercessors Handbook. She helps us realize some critical issues concerning spiritual warfare that many of us have never been taught. The book guides us to a fresh dimension into the domain of spiritual authority and helps us to better recognize that invisible world that co-exists with this natural, physical realm, and how to deal with it successfully. Chapter 10 is especially helpful for pastors who want to establish an effective and dynamic intercessory prayer ministry.”
Dr. Dave Williams, bishop, Mount Hope Church Network; Strategic Global Mission
“Jennifer Eivaz has done a wonderful job of bringing brilliant insight and practical application to the sometimes intimidating subject of intercession. Learning to hear the voice of God is one of the most compelling journeys ever offered us. Unfortunately, we usually turn it into a nearly impossible religious activity. Yet it is God who takes upon Himself the responsibility to be heard. If that weren’t enough, God also listens for and loves to respond to our voice. This is the power of intercession—our voice yielded to God’s heart helps to create a powerful force that ushers in the manifestation of God’s Kingdom on earth. I encourage you to read The Intercessors Handbook and be changed. The gift of grace released will enable all who read it to bring about transformational change in our world!”
Bill Johnson, senior leader, Bethel Church, Redding, California; author, When Heaven Invades Earth and The Power That Changes the World
“This easy-to-read book is full of gems that will keep you sane in the midst of conflict, help you think, and stretch your understanding of the supernatural. It opens a door of insight that inspires us to grasp how heaven works with us on earth to strengthen our authority to make Jesus great in the land! Jennifer has a unique style, and her comprehension of the spiritual realms enables her to give clear instruction for many areas of warfare prayer. Anyone who is involved in church planting or establishing prayer teams should read this book. One of the strengths of this book is that it is rooted in the local church and has a heart for the church to flourish. Jennifer’s examples and stories are inspiring and encourage you to stand, fight and prevail.”
Rachel Hickson, founder and director, Heartcry for Change; author, Eat the Word, Speak the Word
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Endorsements 5
Foreword by Kris Vallotton 9
Acknowledgments 11
Introduction 13
1. My Lifeline for Victory 17
2. The Basics of Prayer 27
3. Who’s in Charge? 39
4. Our Spiritual Authority 49
5. Are Territorial Spirits Real? 65
6. God’s Mighty Invisible Army 81
7. Prophetic Intercession 97
8. Fasting Is a Game Changer 115
9. How to Pray Intelligently 133
10. We Are a House of Prayer 149
Appendix A: The Key Differences Between Christians and Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) 171
Appendix B: How to Deliver a Person from Demons 177
Notes 185
About the Author 189
Back Cover 190
Foreword
Much like learning a foreign language or reading hieroglyphics, understanding our authority in intercession is a skill that can be acquired through teaching, instruction and practice. Many gifted people find themselves troubled, confused or even plagued by experiences in the spiritual realm because they misinterpret or misapply tho
se experiences, which often leads to fear, anxiety and even depression. Jennifer Eivaz has done a masterful job in her book, The Intercessors Handbook, of communicating, in a simple and understandable way, how to access your full authority in prayer in order to take dominion over the earth.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware” (1 Corinthians 12:1 NASB). The word gifts is not in the Greek text because Paul was not just trying to teach us about spiritual gifts; he was explaining to us how the spirit world works. The Church has lost access to the spirit realm in this postmodern age. We have exchanged the visible for the valuable, and we have washed up on the shores of the logical, tangible and predictable.
The Intercessors Handbook is more than a book. It is a step-by-step training manual written to help you comprehend the unseen world. Jennifer hands us the lost keys to the mysteries of the power of prayer and shows us the way to bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth. I highly recommend this book to every believer!
Kris Vallotton, senior associate leader, Bethel Church, Redding, California; co-founder, Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry; author, The Supernatural Ways of Royalty and Spirit Wars
Acknowledgments
I want to thank my husband, Ron (www.roneivaz.com), for his endless support and for encouraging me to write this book. He is the love of my life and my very best friend. I am grateful we found each other, and I look forward to many more decades of happiness together.
I also want to thank my Harvest Christian Center family (www.harvestturlock.org) for their amazing support and endless efforts to reach the city and influence the nations. This book was made possible because the HCC family prayed together and experienced God together. Ron and I are proud to pastor such amazing and gifted people.
Steve and Derene Shultz, from the Elijah List (www.elijahlist.com), also deserve special mention for bringing me forward as a featured writer in their publication. Their endorsement resulted in creating the right connections to have this book professionally published. They have also become my trusted friends.
Many thanks to Kris and Kathy Vallotton (www.kvministries.com) for being my pastors and spiritual parents. Their enduring love and faith in me have made me the woman of God that I am today. They saw good things buried deep inside of my heart, and they pulled very hard to bring those things out. I am forever grateful.
Finally, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for taking me from nothing and fashioning me into who I am today. I was very lost, but now I am found. I was blind, but now I see. Jesus is the reason I do what I do, why I get up in the morning and why I lie down at night. He is everything to me.
Introduction
Prayer is like breathing. It becomes oxygen to our spirit. When we pray, we feel alive and connected to God. In prayer, we can distinguish His voice and encounter the realm He lives in. Prayer takes the dryness out of our souls and releases refreshing rivers into our world. It is not just something we do for a few minutes here and there. We integrate prayer into our lifestyle and make our lives a living prayer.
I learned to pray in the fires of desperation. It was during those times when I felt my world caving in that I discovered how to reach out to God for answers. With gut-wrenching tears, I would ask Him the tough questions, tell Him all my fears and contend for answers. I rested in knowing God was not offended by my authenticity and would respond just as honestly. I learned how to listen and trust His voice in tough situations. He was working everything for my good. It was all going to be okay.
Many people do not even think about prayer until they are handed a problem they cannot solve. Find out you have a terminal disease, for example, and suddenly you have a prayer life. Get a miracle because of prayer, and now you are committed. Prayer becomes the first thing you do instead of the last. You have discovered the power of prayer, and you will never be the same.
Intercessors are most often birthed in crisis. Once you have seen the impossible made possible through prayer, something happens on the inside of you. Faith is birthed in your heart, and prayer takes on a fervency in your life. You just know that you know prayer will change what needs to be changed.
Still, we run into situations that seem not to respond to prayer. When this happens, know that God is not withholding His clear promises from you. Rather, there is something you do not understand about His Word or about the spiritual realm. God always has an answer, but we do not always know how to appropriate it. These are the gaps I hope to bridge in this book, helping you connect not only to prayer but also to answered prayer.
All the principles of prayer covered in this book are rich treasures excavated through the trials and wildernesses of my life and ministry. I have taught them diligently to my church and to anyone who would listen. Now I am glad to share them with you.
This book was a project held in my heart for several years before the outset of writing it. I did not consider myself a writer and could not find the grace or the time to produce it. Then one day, I received a Facebook message from a prophet and minister living in Anderson, California. Her name was Mary Andersson, and we had known each other for only a few years. Mary receives dreams from God on occasion, and she had been given a dream for me. In her dream, I had written a book about prayer. It was a handbook, she said.
When Mary sent me the dream, I felt the tangible anointing of God come upon me. It felt like a calm liquid, filled with power, on my whole being. From there, I was able to start writing and wrote the first edition of this book, which I self-published.
The first edition was written to my church. We have a unique prayer history, which I will share with you in the chapters of this book, and I wanted something written down that newcomers could read and assimilate. I also knew the book would go farther out, such as to the other places where I minister, but not too much farther.
To my surprise, the book began selling in the United States and even internationally. It sold in Canada, South Africa, Australia, England, Latvia, New Zealand, Japan and a few more places. The content resonated with intercessors. They desperately needed validation and instruction for the things they were encountering in the place of prayer. I was overjoyed to become that bridge, someone who could help them pray with greater confidence in their unique spiritual climates.
Finally, a lovely woman approached me about writing a book for Chosen Books after reading some of my featured articles in the Elijah List. I could not resist the challenge and responded with an enthusiastic yes. We decided to rewrite and expand the handbook, and you hold the result in your hands. I think it is much improved over the first edition, as it is written for a broader audience and includes even more content to help you process the unique work of intercession. My team of intercessors are praying over this book and all those who read it, that prayer would come alive all over the globe and be effective!
1
My Lifeline for Victory
If you were to ask me my maiden name, I would hesitate to say it. That is because I have little identification with my birth name. My biological father abandoned my mother and me when I was a baby. I would express my loss as a young toddler by asking men, even strangers, “Are you my daddy?” My mother offered very few details of her marriage to my father, except to say that he drank too much and had left my home state of Nevada to find work.
He never returned home but made contact again soon after my mother remarried. I was then four years old. He began to pay a small amount of money each month for my care, and Mother allowed him visitation rights once a year. As a young girl, I was excited to see him. Our annual visits, however, became huge disappointments. His behavior could swing from paranoid to jovial to abusive—you never knew what to expect—all fueled by alcoholism and schizophrenia.
This led to a sequence of events that resulted in the book you now hold in your hands, which teaches you how to be an effective and powerful intercessor in and on behalf of the Kingdom of God. I will tell you in this first
chapter how I became one such intercessor myself—someone who believes in the spiritual realm that surrounds us at all times and with which we are meant to interact in the authority of Christ—and then, in the remaining chapters, I will give you all the essential tools you need to become an intercessor, too.
What happened next, then, is that my mother, unable to make ends meet as a single parent, moved us back to her home state of California to be near her family. Her sister introduced her to a recently divorced man, a security guard by trade, whom she soon married. He was a faithful member of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) church,1 also known as the Mormon church, and we all became LDS members. My new stepfather assumed a father’s role in my life, and I was glad to receive the attention.
Mother, on the other hand, had struggled to keep her emotional balance for as long as I could remember. I even had dreams as a preschooler that her head kept falling off. Imagine that! Over time, her frequent episodes of anger, anxiety and depression exhausted me. To cope, I withdrew, doing everything I could to keep my distance. I disengaged from conversation and stayed in my room as much as possible.
As a teenager, I began exhibiting my anger and pain through rebellion. I snuck out of my home at night to attend unchaperoned parties with my friends and boyfriends. I drank heavily, used cocaine and lied about nearly everything because I no longer trusted anyone with my world. I missed several high school classes, writing fictitious notes from my parents to the school office to be excused, and barely graduated.
Between my spiraling rebellion, my mother’s emotional issues and some serious financial issues, our family began falling apart. This challenged our connection to the LDS church because we felt unable to meet their high standards. Mormons place an emphasis on good works and strong families, but they lack the empowering of the Holy Spirit to see those things happen. According to their beliefs, those who meet the standard will progress to become a god in the next life. You can imagine our dilemma when we discovered that no matter how hard we tried, we could never be good enough. Discouraged, we stopped attending the LDS church. We had no strength to be in a religion that proved powerless to help us.
The Intercessors Handbook Page 1
