The Intercessors Handbook

by Jennifer Eivaz

  The Demonstrable Power of Prayer

  Our situation was not unique. The devil has always gone to church and will continue doing so until Jesus returns. This may be something you are encountering right now in your own church, in fact.

  Even Jesus encountered this during His ministry on earth, but He did a much better job of handling it. In the first chapter of Mark, for example, He went to Capernaum with His disciples to teach in the synagogue. While He was teaching, a demon-possessed man openly challenged His authority. Jesus wasted no time casting the spirit out. He then left the synagogue to heal Simon’s mother-in-law of a serious fever and followed that miracle with a healing-and-deliverance service that evening. Then, in the dark hours of the early morning, He woke up and prayed before traveling to the nearby villages to do it all again. (See Mark 1:21–39.)

  Jesus flowed in the river of power, prayer and spiritual authority everywhere He went. The apostle Peter portrayed Him well, saying, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and . . . he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him” (Acts 10:38). Those possessed with spirits often cried out in His presence as their resident demons challenged His authority. He answered the question of who was in charge by casting them out and setting people free.

  The Root of Power Is Prayer

  Here is the important thing to notice. Although fully God, Jesus chose to function as a man anointed of the Holy Spirit on the earth (see Philippians 2:6–8). He was preparing us, through His example, to embrace a new lifestyle anointed by the Spirit of God and fueled by the power of prayer. Jesus demonstrated this lifestyle of prayer and often withdrew to pray alone in the wilderness (see Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16). Prayer was a point of communion with His Father and also the source of His miracle ministry.

  For example, one day He infuriated the Jewish leaders by healing a man on the Sabbath. The leaders defined His miraculous healing as work. They argued that work on the Sabbath was unlawful and even worthy of death. Keep in mind that they were not really concerned about the Sabbath but were acting out of jealousy. Jesus told them the secret to His power, saying, “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). Where did Jesus see what His Father was doing? He saw it in the place of prayer.

  Another time, the disciples, unable to cast a spirit out of a young boy, brought the boy to Jesus for help. Jesus cast the spirit out of him and then instructed His disciples about it. He said, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29 NKJV). Having observed all these things, they took note that Jesus was powerful because He was prayerful.

  The Focus of Prayer Is God’s Will

  The disciples later asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus complied, giving them point-by-point instructions in prayer, also known as the Lord’s Prayer, to get them started. As part of His instruction, He taught the disciples to pray for the will of God to be done: “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’” (Matthew 6:9–10).

  This teaching for the disciples is also a teaching for us. We, too, need to pray for God’s will to be done.

  The prophet Elijah demonstrated this concept well. The Lord told Elijah He was going to end a three-year drought in Israel and send rain on the land (see 1 Kings 18). But Elijah did not leave things there. Instead, he climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and postured himself in prayer (see verse 42). Even though Elijah knew what God wanted, he still prayed for it to happen. As he anticipated, it soon began to rain, and God’s will was being done on earth as it was in heaven.

  God’s will being done on the earth requires a person to know the will of God and then to pray it through to completion. Too many people stumble over this concept. Why do we need to pray for something God already wants? It does not seem logical. If God desires something, can’t He just make it happen?

  The answer is no.

  God’s will is for everyone to know Him and escape hell, but not everyone does. God’s desire is for all children to grow up in safe and nurturing environments, but many do not. God’s plan for peace and prosperity on the earth is clear, but much of the earth has missed this blessing. His will is not being done on a lot of levels. Why?

  Because we are in charge.

  The Fluctuating History of Power

  God gave mankind full authority over the earth back in Genesis, when He created man and woman in His image. Men and women were not intended to function autonomously, but rather in partnership with God as they lived out their assignment. I think this verse explains it well: “The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind” (Psalm 115:16).

  God blessed Adam and Eve when He told them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion” (Genesis 1:28 NKJV). Apparently, God gave Adam and Eve so much authority over the earth that they had the power to lose it. They did not know they were giving it up, but they had the free will to be flippant with their authority, even to the point of giving it to someone else. Through deception and disobedience to the command of God, Adam and Eve did just that. They gave their authority away to Satan, and Satan ruled the earth for several thousands of years.

  That is, until he met Jesus.

  Three times, Jesus referred to Satan as “the prince of this world” (see John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). During one interaction between Jesus and Satan, we see the devil attempt to broker back the authority given to him by Adam in exchange for Christ’s allegiance and worship.

  In that encounter, Jesus had been fasting for forty days in the wilderness. The Holy Spirit led Him to do this in preparation for His upcoming ministry. Then, in His weakened state, He was tempted by Satan, who was trying to gain the advantage.

  We read in Luke 4 that the devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showcased all the glory of his earthly kingdoms. Then he made a very grandiose offer, saying, “All this I will give You, if you will bow down and worship me” (see verses 6–7). Jesus did not negotiate that day but instead took the earth’s dominion back from Satan by paying man’s penalty for sin on the cross. Only a perfect Man could pay this penalty in order to strip Satan of his authority and restore that authority to mankind, as our heavenly Father originally intended.

  Jesus died and is now alive, and He has taken Satan’s keys (see Revelation 1:18). Keys are a symbol of authority, so if Satan has no keys, that means he has no authority. Just think about that! When we encounter demonic resistance, then, we do not take no for an answer. In Christ, we hold the keys of authority He gained for us. Because of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, we are once again in full charge of the earth, and we are endowed with all of the spiritual resources we need to steward it.

  Our assignment is clear: to bring forth God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. This depends first on our prayers and intercession. It depends next on our stewardship and actions. It is now our privilege to press into a God-ordained authority shift on the earth that favors the Kingdom of God (see Isaiah 9:7).

  By His own design, God does not override our will and authority in the earth’s sphere. We have been charged with inviting the will of God into the earth, and when we fail to do so, God’s will does not happen. Many Christians, unaware of this truth, give their spiritual authority away on many levels. When resisted or demonically attacked, they remain prayerless and passive, not recognizing the spiritual dimension behind what is happening. And much of what is happening behind the scenes is spiritual.

  Just before His ascension, Jesus told His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go” (Matthew 28:18–19). He charged the disciples—and us—to go. But when we go, we need to know we will encounter resistance. This is why we need to know our spiritual authority.

  Let’s turn to a deeper exploration
of that subject now.

  Kingdom Prayer Principles

  Our spiritual authority rests in knowing who’s in charge.

  Jesus connected His ministry of power to His lifestyle of prayer. He said, “I only do what I see the Father doing.”

  Demonic powers, or the “strongman,” can stand behind earthly structures or leaders to accomplish their evil intentions. We will not be able to solve problems relationally that are actually problems spiritually.

  When we “bind” things in the spirit realm that work against God’s Kingdom, we are actually “tying it up.” We do this by using our words and commanding it to be done.

  In Christ, we hold the keys to spiritual authority. We are now pressing into a God-ordained authority shift on the earth that favors the Kingdom of God.

  Thoughts for Reflection

  Is there any area of your life in which you’ve given your authority away? Are you ready to take it back?

  Have you considered that a person opposed to the Holy Spirit could be the agent of a strongman? How would you know for sure?

  Many Christians try to change a person who is the agent of a strongman through relationship and fail at it. Since it is a spiritual issue, how, then, should you handle this kind of problem?

  Jesus prepared us, through His example, to embrace a lifestyle anointed by the Spirit of God and fueled by the power of prayer. How are you experiencing this truth?

  Have you experienced jealousy or criticism from others for your prayerfulness, your answered prayers or your ministry? Does that hinder you or make you self-conscious in some way?

  Have you considered that God’s will is not done without the prayers and cooperation of His Church? How does this motivate you?

  How do you know for sure that you are praying in line with God’s will?

  4

  Our Spiritual Authority

  In Luke 10, Jesus sent His seventy disciples out ahead of Him, two by two, to prepare the various cities for His ministry. He readied them with an uncomfortable truth, saying, “Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves” (verse 3). It was a warning about what they could expect from the people they would meet and an instruction to stay calm, no matter what.

  We can presume that when the disciples entered the city territories, the resident spirits challenged their authority, because they were later excited to report back to Jesus how the spirits submitted to them in His name. Jesus then further clarified their spiritual authority, saying, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you” (verse 19). This marked the beginning of a true authority shift on earth toward the Kingdom of God—an authority shift we, too, get to live out.

  It is an authority shift the prophets Daniel and Isaiah had long ago foretold. In Daniel’s words, “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him” (Daniel 7:27). And according to Isaiah, “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever” (Isaiah 9:7).

  Spiritual authority was delegated first to the disciples and then to every believer in Christ. We have all authority in His name and the capacity to subdue anything that hinders His Kingdom from expanding. And while this is a powerful truth, it is something we need to learn how to live.

  We Are Meant to Overcome

  In the first chapter, I shared about my deliverance from occult spirits during a house prayer meeting. There is actually a bit more to that story that connects to what we are discussing here about learning our spiritual authority.

  Right before I entered that contention, I encountered the voice of God in an unusual way. I was in bed late one night, listening to a Christian radio station, and had the volume turned low so it would not keep me awake. Before I fell into a deep sleep, the volume turned up high on its own. The radio voice seemed to shout one phrase: “You have to understand your spiritual authority!” Then the volume went down again. I had not touched the volume dial at all.

  As a new Christian, I was experienced enough in the paranormal not to react to what had just happened. I knew it was supernatural, but I was not afraid of it. At the same time, I was too inexperienced to see what God was trying to do. He was warning me of things to come and instructing me, all in one moment, and that warning and instruction was this: I was not going to be able to avoid a battle with demonic spirits coming my way. Instead, I needed to overcome them—and I did, once I understood my spiritual authority.

  You see, we are meant to overcome those spirits. We have been given all authority and empowerment by the Holy Spirit to do so.

  This is something my church has learned to live out, as well. One example has to do with the spiritual leadership we knew the children in our city needed.

  For years, my husband had led our church to reach out to the city school system by meeting the material needs of kids. We had provided clothes, shoes, socks, coats, underwear, backpacks—you name it, we gave it, and kids were getting much-needed help. We even brought in quality ministry teams to do anti-bullying and anti-drug assemblies in our schools and continued those messages at special church functions to which we invited all the kids to come.

  We were faithful to meet the physical needs of those kids, but they still needed spiritual instruction. Very few parents took their kids to church on Sundays, and kids without God are always kids without hope. We had to do something!

  My husband spoke to the school district about renting a room each week to offer a voluntary Kids Club to the students. Kids Club would offer instruction about Jesus and the Bible and impart important life skills in a fun-filled environment. We knew parents would send their kids to it because it would be free and alleviate their need for childcare in the afternoon.

  But the idea turned into a wrestling match with the district. They would approve it one day, only to reject it the next. Back and forth it went until the idea was finally stalled. It looked like it would be tossed out.

  At the same time, our children’s pastor was learning to see these things as spiritual problems and not to take no for an answer. I had encouraged her to get more aggressive in prayer about the situation. She finally did something about it during an all-night prayer service. She took a designated prayer team to the targeted school site and then to the district office to intercede. Three more prayer teams did likewise during the night and early-morning prayer shifts. We remembered Jesus’ instruction to pray for God’s Kingdom to come and for His will to be done. We also used our words and commanded the demonic spirit resisting the Gospel to be bound in Jesus’ name. As we interceded, we felt a sense of faith that circumstances would shift in our favor.

  The very next week, we received the good news: Kids Club had been approved by the district. We assembled ministry teams, wrote lesson plans, distributed flyers and headed onto the campus. Within a few weeks of ministry, one hundred students were in attendance, which signaled us to plan for more schools. This ministry was going to be effective!

  What we were doing was continuing an ongoing authority shift in our city for the Kingdom of God. This authority shift began centuries ago, with Jesus and His disciples. Jesus gave His disciples spiritual authority to overcome any spirit that attempted to hinder their message about the Kingdom. It is clear that being a follower of Christ does not mean avoiding demonic resistance, but rather learning to overcome it.

  We Have Been Given Authority

  Understanding our spiritual authority has been a progressive revelation in my life. I do not know everything there is to know, but I have learned some key truths that will help you grow in your authority and pray more effectively. Let’s take a look at each one.

  Authority Where We Have Overcome

  One Christmas Eve, we rece
ived a phone call on our church emergency line. A man was having problems with his stepson. My husband had ministered during the previous Sunday’s church service about the need for fathers to pray with their families, and this father had decided to pray for his family for the first time at their Christmas Eve dinner. He did not know, however, that his stepson had been participating in occult activities. As the father prayed a simple prayer over the meal, the stepson began to levitate off the ground. This shocked the family, of course, and they did not know what to do, so they called the church.

  A small group of us went out to help. We arrived at their home and talked briefly with the young man. He now stood firmly on the ground, no longer levitating. However, you could feel the demonic presence inside of him.

  The team began to pray for his deliverance but could not get him free. Then it was my turn to pray. I took hold of the young man by the shoulders and commanded the spirit to go. The young man began to exhibit unnatural tension in his body. That was my signal that the spirit was losing power and about to break. Within thirty seconds or less, it left. The young man came to himself, gave his life to Christ and began attending our youth group.

  Why could I authorize freedom when the others could not? Because we walk in spiritual authority in the areas we have personally overcome. As Revelation 2:26 says, “To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.” I had experience with the occult in my past and had overcome it. Therefore, I could walk in greater authority to pray against it.

  Again, the Christian life is all about overcoming. Overcoming implies gaining mastery over something, be it poverty, depression, bad relationships, perverse tendencies, drug addiction or something else. These problems were issued to each of us, one way or another, by the demonic kingdom. The Lord said once to Cain, “Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master” (Genesis 4:7 NLT).