When Answers Aren't Enough

 I first introduced my sister, Mindi Fredrick, back in 2014 when her husband went into a coma and changed their life forever. The punches kept on coming for them, and by 2017 it was clear that their lives would never go back to the way they were before.

There were times that the question was asked, "why", yet there was never an answer. It's hard to trust God and keep walking the Christian walk when you have to trust a God you can't fully understand. And then just this month, they got some more devastating news.

These are her words.

I am a Christian mother of five children, currently ages 12-22 years old. Back in 2014, their father became physically and mentally disabled due to a massive anoxic brain injury. We cared for him in the home for 7.5 years until my ribs started cracking as I was picking him up. He is currently receiving rehab and long term care.

In the mean time, we were trying to figure out what was going on that my heart and lungs were struggling to do the simple task of just standing or walking a few feet.

At the beginning of January 2023, I was admitted to the hospital for a heart rate above 150 and testing. Turns out I have stage four cancer through many organs in my abdomen including my liver, gall bladder and ribs.

For me, the scary part wasn’t about what would happen to me, but how are my kids going to make it after I'm gone. Who will help them? Will they become angry or bitter? Will they stay in church and get the support they need to keep thriving and growing?

How long will I have left to help guide them along and not become a burden?

I asked the doctor to hit the cancer as hard as he could with everything that we can throw at it. So, we are doing that now, with 9 to 10 hour chemo sessions every first and second week out of a  three-week cycle. They have definitely made me more physically tired, but I’m trusting God and thankful for all the care and love shown by so many.

Over these next couple days, I will hopefully complete tying up all loose ends on will/guardianship, and other legal matters to make everything as easy as possible after my passing.  It seems morbid to think about, but since none of us know the day of our appointment with death, it’s probably one we should all address sooner rather than later. And especially taking care of bills, life insurance etc. to not leave your family struggling.

Some days you just have to do the practical. It reminds me of hearing someone asked an old preacher… If you knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow, what would you do?  His answer, "I’d plant my potatoes." The person questioned why he would do something so mundane (as opposed to go preach, etc.) and the preachers response was, "tomorrow I am supposed to plant potatoes, so I would be planting my potatoes." Just doing what we are supposed to do day in and day out.

As I lie in bed waiting to fall asleep, I thought I’d talk about my day. Of course, there were two excellent sermons and uplifting music from church that I was able to enjoy through a video link. But the majority of my day was spent in writing out thank you notes.

Did you know, it’s impossible to be ungrateful as you’re writing out things that you’re thankful for and blessings.

So here’s my challenge, for myself and for you…Let’s praise God for the blessings and be thankful.

I am humbled by her attitude. The doctors say, "It is inoperable. Without treatment she has 3 months to live." Currently she has a buildup of bilirubin and they’re having to use medication during her cancer treatments to bring it down (she starts to looks slightly jaundiced).

There's a Christian hymn that goes "When answers aren't enough there is Jesus. He's more than just an answer to our prayers. And my heart will find a safe and peaceful refuge. When answers aren't enough, He is there."

Mindi is resting in the promises that God will never leave her nor forsake her. She is holding to the promise that God will take care of  her children and husband when she is gone.

Her family is standing in awe at the grace she is exhibiting during this trial. We know that Christ promises to go through the troubles with us, and we can see that promise fulfilled as we pray and try to help her in with our meager attempts. We can’t help with the pain or the disease, that’s God’s part; but we can help with the burdens. It's such an amazing blessing to be used by God to help fill the needs of others!

I have set up a GoFundMe for her to help with the medical treatments and pay bills since she was the breadwinner for the family and due to treatments can no longer work. If you feel led by the Lord to help, please click the link and donate. I would also ask that you add the Fredrick family to your prayers.

Interview With An Ex-Vampire

 There are 9 different videos in this series. I am posting the last 2 because they deal with his time as a vampire in particular. However, this man has a background spanning from witchcraft to catholicism to mormonism and you would get some very valuable information if you watched the entire thing.

NOTE: When he says Yeshua, he is referencing the Lord Jesus Christ. That would be the Hebrew word for Jesus. I believe that it is not necessary to call Him by His Hebrew name because the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is where the power lies, not in the language in which it is spoken. The Bible says in Philippians 2:9-11- Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Boast Not Thyself Of Tomorrow (video sermon)

Funny Happenings- Getting around

 One of my children was learning about people who get paralyzed. She looked at me very seriously and asked if they had to use wheelchairs to move around.

I was about to answer her when my husband asked, "How else would they get around?"

This then got my son to respond with what he thought would be a good alternative, "Henchmen!"

Roach Dough Ball recipe

Boric acid is low in toxicity and relatively safe to use around children and pets. Also, it is not a carcinogen like other pesticides. As with most things, toxicity is in the dosage or exposure, so you want to place these where children or pets will not happen upon them and decide to eat them.

Wearing a mask and some gloves are a wise extra precaution.

The easiest way to do it is to use disposable plates and forks. Take a little leftover dinner and put it on a disposable plate. Add some boric acid to it and mix it in really well with the fork. Leave the plate on the counter, table, etc. where you see the most activity. Seal off the room for the night (I use a baby gate to keep the dogs out).

Discard the fork deep in the trash so your pets can't dig it out. Make sure that there is no other food out on the counters or in the sink. Let the roaches feast over night. Throw away the plates in the morning. Do this for about a week and then three days any time you happen to see more activity.

If you want an actually recipe use this one below:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup boric acid
• 1/4 cup Crisco
• 1 tsp minced onion

Mix together flour, sugar, boric acid, and Crisco, making sure they are mixed well and are a dough-like consistency.

Add some minced onions and continue mixing. If you need to add more Crisco or flour, do so until you can roll the dough up into marble size balls that hold together.

Place them in the corners of cabinets, under the fridge and oven, behind furniture, underneath the sink, and in other places where cockroaches are seen. If you can put them in cut up Styrofoam egg carton pieces or on small pieces of cardboard that would be best, so they are easy to move or remove.

Check the baits daily. If they hardened, add a few drops of water to moisten the dough balls. It helps cockroaches feed on it easily.

Note: Borax is not boric acid. You must mix borax with hydrochloric acid to convert it to boric acid.

Don’t use sticky pads or traps. This will reduce effectiveness of the boric acid’s killing action. The objective is for the cockroaches to take the boric acid with them (ingested or attached to their exoskeletons) to the nest.

My Lord Was Emptied (song)

Freedom From Oppression

This study comes from the book Blood On The Doorposts; An Advanced Course In Spiritual Warfare by William Schnoebelen. I highly recommend that you read this book AND get some prayer warriors with you before you attempt any of this. These steps are not to be taken lightly or haphazardly! You must be prepared both spiritually and mentally before beginning.

Following up on our prayer devotional, sometimes we must go to battle in prayer. The battle could be for us, for our children, for our family or our church. There are sometimes things in our past that need to be specifically renounced and put under the blood. There can be doors that were opened that allow demons to invade our homes and our lives. 

Whenever you find yourself being oppressed by the devil, you need to aggressively go to God in prayer. Please note that it's not the exact wording that is important. It's the fact that you are boldly coming before the throne of God to find grace to help.

The first thing to note is that for you to be able to get rid of devils in your life, you must be a born-again Christian. This means that you believe the Jesus Christ is the Almighty Son of God who was born in the flesh and that you know you are going to heaven because you have asked the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins by His sacrifice of dying on the cross of Calvary, being buried, and rising again the third day according to the Scriptures and that His blood has been applied to redeem their souls from sin.

This is very important because there are other false Jesuses, gospels, and spirits!

II Corinthians 11:4- For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

I John 4:1-3- Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

As a Christian, you may find yourself under spiritual oppression by the devil. If you are uncertain, I will give you a brief portion of the list that is given in Schnoebelen's book on page 233:

1) Fiery Darts: Thoughts and feelings fired at us by Satan. All Christians experience these. They are to be rebuked and resisted as soon as possible in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2) Mild Oppression: More serious or chronic problems with the thought or emotional life: depression, anger, bitterness, impure thoughts, etc. Usually, at this stage, they cannot remain long without the person's consent.

3) Oppression: This is similar to the above, but more frequent, almost constant attacks on one's physical, emotional, or moral well-being. Here, the "squatters" begin to stay longer.

4) Mild Demonization: Involves more or less permanent occupation by demons, but usually only in a few key areas where the person has either consistently sinner or been sinned against.

5) Severe Demonization: This involves an increase in either the depth of oppression or the number of spirits indwelling the person. Usually, radical and almost permanent changes in character occur here.

6) Possession: Impossible for true born-again Christians, but common enough among unbelievers all over the world, especially those involved in habitual and serious sin, occultism, or generational bondage.

7) Perfect Possession: This is rare, where there is almost literally "no-one home" except demonic strongmen.

Please note that if you are not a born-again Christian the only thing you can do is get saved. Those who try to tell demons what to do will find out real quickly that they lack the only thing powerful enough to deal with them. That thing is the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!

You may want to purchase and read the book mentioned at the end of this blogpost BEFORE trying any of this.

Acts 19:15- And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

If you are experiencing oppression in your home or other location, you should check your home and make certain that it is free from occult or cultic objects. Sometimes the presence of such objects can be a reason why devils are oppressing you. Anything you wear, a decorative item that adorns your home, pagan art, or even something somebody brought into your home that was used in or cursed during a Satanic or other religious ritual. Relatively innocent objects can be loaded with demonic energy and create an object-link or access point into your home.

If you find anything you need to burn it. Then pray and declare that everything in your home is now consecrated to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to remove any defilement from the room. You should probably go room by room and do this for each room.

You could also prayerfully walk your property line. Plead the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ over your property and ask the Lord to forgive any sin that occurred by anyone at any time on your property.

This process is not an exorcism. We don't use rituals or tactics which mock Satan or his demons. They are dangerous, and without the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and His protection, you will end up in bad shape!

If there is serious oppression, you want a few prayerful Christians with you when you do this. Perhaps plan it so that they and you have time to fast and pray before you begin. You should also be at a place that is used for worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ so that you aren't contending with devils who have laid claim to a specific location. 

Speak audibly, even if it is just a whisper. And speak in your native tongue. You should not be speaking in charismatic "tongues" or "spirit languages" when doing this.

So, the first step is to acknowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life. If you are saved, but have trouble with this step, then you need to ask the other prayer warriors present to pray for you. They should be "seasoned" prayer warriors themselves. They can pray that God bind Satan from interfering with God's process of freedom for the person. They should also persist in rebuking Satan in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and reminding him that he is defeated by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and has no right to even be on the property, much less bothering the person.

I declare that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I declare that every aspect of my life is under the protection of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There may come some serious resistance. It can come from nature, demons, or even from within the person themselves. At any time during the process, if this occurs, along with praying you should sing loudly songs from an old-fashioned hymnal about the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and read Scripture aloud from the King James Bible. Psalm 91 is a good chapter to read.

You must speak aloud, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the power of His blood, that the devil and demons surrender the ground they have gained in your life, body, mind, or soul and command the devil to immediately go where the Lord Jesus Christ tells them to go. 

Please note that during this process, there can be physical complaints or thoughts that aren't necessarily your own. These can include acute headaches, panic attacks, thinking that you are unworthy to command this, difficulty hearing or speaking, inability to concentrate or confusion, or even extreme lethargy and a difficulty remaining awake. These are all stumbling blocks that the devils will use to get you to stop. These can be prayed against. Pray against whatever the afflicting spirit is and bind it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the power of His blood.

Satan can also attack on an emotional level making you feel like you are being a bother or a burden to those that you have asked to pray for you while you do this. Again, this is a tactic used by the devil to get you to stop.

The Lord rebuke thee, Satan. You are bound and you have no place here by the power of the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Next, you are going to ask the Lord to forgive you for opening any doorways that allowed the demons entrance and for Him to shut any doorways of demonic access which have opened in the area of their life and ask that they be sealed with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Doorways are things in our lives that devils use to gain entrance. They can be generational bondage from ancestral involvement in idolatry or occultism. They could have been opened by dabbling in the occult, trance channeling, oriental meditation, fortune telling or astrology, magic, or even besetting sins like anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, rebellion against parents, gossiping or tale-bearing, gambling, greed, drunkenness, drug abuse, abortion, adultery, fornication, masturbation, or homosexuality.

This list is not exhaustive. These are just a few of the most common doorways that people willingly open that allow access by evil spirits.

In some cases, they are doors that were opened by someone else and not willingly by you. These things could be abuse in all its forms (physical, emotional, mental, or sexual), loss of faith in God, or the use of hypnosis.

You can have those with you pray for discernment and the Holy Spirit's guidance in which doorways need to be specifically called out and renounced. The prayer warriors should also pray that any lying or deceitful spirits be bound from speaking or manifesting in any fashion.

It is important to note that if any demonic manifestation happens that you don't interact with it. Do not ask it questions or converse in any way. King Saul lost his life by going to a witch to commune with the dead. It is a sin to not only communicate with demons but also to let those demons speak through a human to you! Pray that they be bound from speaking or manifesting in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the power of His blood.

Two essential principles need to be remembered when dealing with bondage to drugs: drugs, especially hallucinogenic ones, are powerful initiation tools in the occult, and drug abuse is a form of idolatry. You will need to renounce the demon over the particular drug which is holding you in bondage.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I now repent of my involvement in the use of illegal and soul-destroying drugs and ask you, Father, to forgive me for using them. I repent of the sin of using (alcohol, marihuana, cocaine, etc.). I only want to use my mind to serve and honor you, Lord.

I speak now in the authority of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to all the strongmen and principalities over the drugs I took and declare that you have no power over me anymore for I am bought and paid for by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which He shed on Calvary. I especially come against the Spirit of Divination and any other demonic spirits which came into me through my use of drugs. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bind you all present together and I command you to go where the Lord Jesus Christ tells you to go by the voice of His Holy Spirit.

In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, I ask you, Father, to shut any doorways of demonic access which may have been opened by my abuse of drugs. I ask you to seal those doorways by the Blood of the Lamb, shed on the cross of Calvary, and I invite with thanksgiving the full and manifest presence of the Holy Spirit of God to come in and dwell with me, filling the void places left with the healing balm of His love and power.

Praying for the release of generational bondage is the easiest. You never know what your ancestors before your grandparents did during their lifetime. Most of us will have someone in our ancestry going who knows how far back that was in the occult or brought a blood curse on their family. The exact wording is not as important as the meaning. We aren't spouting magical phrases, they just need to be biblically correct.

Exodus 20:5- Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Next, pray for the renunciation of religious sins. Idolatry is especially evil! It's curse of demonic access can be carried on until specifically prayed against. You should confess each form of idolatry to the Lord and ask for His forgiveness in that sin. If you worshipped specific idols or spirits, or if you channeled any spirits, then you should specifically name and renounce them. Ask Christ to forgive you and remove any holds they have placed on your mind, soul, or life. 

You should also renounce the Spirit of Divination and cast it out. Especially if you used psychic powers or astral projection or if you used psychedelic drugs or channeled spirits. You need to ask the Lord the cut/ break the link of which the Spirit of Divination created between your soul and the evil spirit.

If you were in Satanism, Voodoo, Espiritu, Spiritualism, or anything like that, you need to renounce the familiars, fetches, or demon helpers by name. And declare that you no longer with to send or receive messages from the spiritual world except from the Holy Spirit of God.

Those who were in cult type organizations or who were made to swear oaths or covenants (witches, Mormons, Catholics, Masons, etc.) need to renounce those oaths/ covenants, and ask God to forgive them for that sin and break their power over them.

Joshua 24:20- If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

Any self-destructive spirits should be renounced and cast out. Suicidal spirits or those who cause people to cut or burn themselves can be renounced and cast out through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you have made it this far, you should be feeling some relief. At any point, there could come resistance and if you encounter it then bind it from speaking or manifesting in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, sing hymns about the blood, and read Scriptures out loud until the resistance fades.

Next, you should repent and renounce any specialized sins. This could be abortion, drug abuse, drunkenness, homosexuality, adultery, pornography, etc. Also, any deep, sinful emotions such as hatred, bitterness, lust, unforgiveness.

Abortion is actually a two-fold evil. First, it can create emotional trauma. But also, the killing of an innocent child can open a doorway to two very mean and powerful evil spirits; Schnoebelen calls them "strongmen".

You must ask forgiveness for the sin, renounce it, and cast it out. This should be done by a woman who has had an abortion and by a man who has pressured a woman into having an abortion.

Renounce drunkenness or drug abuse by name. These have specific demons associated with it, and you need to ask forgiveness for and renounce each one. Ask the Lord to remove any strong men that were associated with them and through the power of His blood command them to go out and never come back.

A most powerful and pernicious doorway to demonic infestation is unforgiveness and pent-up anger. This one is tricky because it's not something that's easily seen. You can pray through the power of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive this person for this grievance. Not only does it set you free from demonic oppression, but it also helps to heal us emotionally.

2 Corinthians 2:10-11- To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

You are asking God to cleanse your body, soul, heart, and mind, to forgive you for each sin, and to close any doorways of demonic access opened by any sins, at any time, in any way. And, then ask the Lord to seal those doorways shut forever with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Next, prayer for breaking of ungodly soul ties. These are ties made between us and other people. They are basically spiritual STD's. Anything that has defiles the other person or that will defile them in the future can travel through these ties back to you.

They can be ties that were made through abuse or promiscuity. It could have been created by a willing act or a forced attack. The good news is that they can be severed.

By the authority of Jesus name, I ask you to cut any and all ungodly soul ties between myself and any person or spirit with whom I have been intimate, known or unknown, remembered or forgotten. I ask you to use the Sword of the Spirit to cut any ungodly soul ties which may exist between us, right now! In Jesus name, I ask you to cleanse those ties by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ of any possible access through which Satan can trouble me or my children.

If it was a voluntary behavior or act, then you need to confess it as a sin and ask Christ to forgive you for committing it. Place those acts under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I John 1:7,9- But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If there was ritualistic abuse, you do not need to probe deeply and painfully into long-buried memories of childhood trauma. God knows what you went through. In most cases it is only necessary to make a broad statement. Put it under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and leave it there. This prayer is a good example:

By the authority of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I break the power of any and all covenants, contracts, dedications, or commissions made over me or my children, known or unknown. I also ask the Holy Spirit of God to dismantle all triggers, post-hypnotic suggestions, implants, or mind control and to destroy their power over me and my children forever.

I declare to Satan that he is a defeated in my life and in the lives of my family, and that by the power of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I shut any doorways of demonic access into my life and command him to get out of my life altogether. I ask you, Father God, to seal those doorways forever by the blood of the Lamb of God shed on the cross of Calvary.

If you forgot to mention something during the initial prayer session, and remember it later, just confess it to Him and say that you are sorry and ask Him to shut any doorways that are opened by the sin. The Lord Jesus Christ may bring something to your mind that you forgot and need to get taken care of.

Lastly, pray that the Holy Spirit fills and heals the areas that the devils invaded or destroyed. And that He gives you the wisdom and discernment and courage to carry on in your walk with Christ.

Philippians 3:13-14- Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Satan loves trying to convince Christians that they aren't saved, or that they somehow lost their salvation. In the age of grace, once you have asked the Lord Jesus Christ to apply His blood to your sin debt, you are saved. Only in the Tribulation can people lose their salvation.

Also note that demonic infestation is not responsible for every sin you have ever committed. We are still sinful flesh in a sinful world. We may have strongholds in place that are fleshly habit patterns which demons used that we now need to tear down.

Repeated abuse, sinful acts, and willful recurring sins can create a strong hold, and if you aren't saved a Strongman (demon) will enter in. The above prayer by a born-again Christian will remove the strongman, but the stronghold will take time to break down. You may need to fight an addiction for a while.

Character building and discipline are needed. Much Bible reading, prayer, Scripture memorization, and waling closely with the Lord is needed to build up good habit patterns to replace the sin strongholds which were crippled. Jesus Christ will be with you through it all and He will help you.

It goes like this: You get sinful thoughts caused by our flesh, the world, or the devil. You need to renounce them immediately and plead the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you don't resist, it leads to a choice to willfully sin in either thought, word, or deed. You should repent and ask for forgiveness and renounce the sin. If you don't it will become a sinful habit. This is where the stronghold is constructed. It becomes a behavior which gets harder to resist and eventually leads to a loss of control. That is the point where demon elements begin to take hold again. Soon you will find yourself back in bondage to the sin and the demons behind it.

Satan will certainly try to exploit any of these habits and try to use them to convince you to sin and reopen doorways. You need to rebuke him sharply and keep up your prayer life! Also renew your mind with Scripture. An idle mind is the devil's workshop; a passive mind is also dangerous.

For more information, get the book Blood On The Doorposts; An Advanced Course In Spiritual Warfare by William Schnoebelen.

Following your initial prayer session, you will want to begin every morning with Bible reading and prayer. The Bible is such a vital tool in spiritual warfare- the most important part of the armor. Using the King James Bible is also important. Many other Bibles offer a nearly perfect counterfeit of Jesus, His salvation, His church, and His gospel, but they remove or attack the name and diety and the blood of Jesus Christ and because of this they have lost their spiritual authority.

Begin by seriously seeking God's face and affirm your desire for Him to be your Lord and personal source of power and safety. Ask Him to make known to you what He would have you do today. Ask Him for forgiveness of any sins that you have committed, knowingly (by name) or unknowingly; this keeps you free of Satan's power to accuse you. Then thank Him and praise Him for all that He has done for you. Claim any Scriptural promises that you feel the need to claim. If you are going to encounter any specific events then now is the time to begin praying for His guidance and discernment. Ask God to help you see any situations as He sees them and ask that the Holy Spirit take full control of each situation you will be facing that day; tell Him that you surrender your will to His will. If you invite Him to help you and work on you (and in you), He will!

You want to face every day as an open, honest, sincere prayer warrior who is girded about with the whole armor of God and is a dependable Christian servant that has confidence in God's truth. You are not fighting in your strength; you are fighting clothed with the supernatural power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's time for Christians to take up the sword of the Spirit and battle aggressively!

Teach Us To Pray

 I have been striving to grow in my prayer life. One thing that I realized is that no one actually teaches us to pray for anything except our dinner.

Luke 11:1- And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

The disciples asked Christ to teach them how to pray. They reference John the Baptist teaching his disciples how to pray. Yet, I cannot remember a time where any of my teachers ever taught me how to pray.

When I decided to make prayer an individual part of my daily life, I went about researching what prayer was and how to pray. I read books, listened to sermons, studied the word "pray" in the Bible, and this is what I came up with.

Begin with thanking him.

Psalm 100:4- Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

David had a very close relationship with God. He was known as the man after God's own heart. He advised that you enter His gates with thanksgiving. And I believe that's a very wise way to begin any prayer!

Philippians 4:6- Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Even the Apostle Paul says that your requests should contain thanksgiving. You can't go wrong beginning your prayers by remembering the blessings God has given you and being grateful for them.

Ask for forgiveness for your sins.

I John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Our position as a child of God never changes once we are saved. However, our relationship can be hindered by sins we commit. To fix that relationship, we need to ask God to forgive us for those sins. Our motive shouldn't be "I've broken God's law", but rather as His child "I've broken God's heart".

We should ask God to forgive us both for specific sins that we know we have committed and also for sins that we unknowingly committed. Grievous sins should be named, renounced, and put under the blood specifically- adultery, abortion, murder, theft, and others. If you are convicted about the sin, then name it when asking for forgiveness.

Note this is for the Church Age. Once the Rapture happens and the Tribulation period begins, a person can lose their salvation. They must ask God to again save their souls every time they sin.

Seek His will.

Hebrews 4:16- Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

God says that we can come before His throne anytime we have a need. Paul says we can come "boldly", meaning without fear of Him ignoring us or getting angry with us. But, we should not come with the idea that it's God's duty to give us our heart's desires.

Luke 22:42- Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

The purpose of asking our requests is not to tell God what it is we want. We, of course, do tell Him how we would like the thing handled, but we should always preface it or follow the request with seeking His will just as Christ did in the Garden.

Refract the psychic influences of others.

This one may sound strange. I was uncertain when I first read Watchman Nee's book The Latent Power Of The Soul. However, after much research and prayer, I understand now what he was saying.

People today say, "send out into the universe what you desire". I found that this corresponded a lot with Watchman's book. 

There is a power within our soul. In eastern religions, they learn to tap into and use that power. But as a Christian we shouldn't rely on anything of ourselves.

John 8:28- Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Jesus knew that the Spirit was not only alive but also life giving, but though the soul is alive, it cannot give life. He did nothing of Himself- meaning every work He ever did was through the Spirit, not the power of the soul.

Many people today are using the power of the soul without even realizing it. And this can have an effect on those around them. 

As Watchman Nee advised, and I have found true in my prayer life, asking God to take away the "psychic" influences of others that may be affecting you can truly help when it seems nothing is working.

Bind and silence demonic powers.

A Christian who is walking with Christ and reading their Bible on a daily basis really has no need to fear any hex or curse that others may throw at them. There is more power in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ than any witch could summon from multiple demonic forces.

However, you may find that demons will try to influence your life. In this case, it could be because of an unconfessed sin or something in your past that opened a door to allow them in. This can happen with both you and your loved ones.

In an interview with Bill Schnoebelen, an ex-masonic warlock (among other things), he tells that if you have a family member who is dabbling in witchcraft or appears to be "cursed" that you may need to pray and ask the Lord to bind and silence the demonic forces that are at work in a person's life.

Satanism is very alluring. And, in today's Hollywood era of romanticized wickedness, our loved ones need the Lord the intervene on their behalf in more ways than we could ever imagine!

Plead His promises.

There are many promises in the Bible. And God doesn't get upset with us when we remind Him, and ourselves, of them.

II Peter 1:4- Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

There are some precious promises that we can cling to in the Bible to help us through our trials. Pleading God to fulfill His promises to us will help us through our troubles.

Acknowledge His attributes.

I found that with my brothers or my husband, when I admit my shortcomings and point out their ability to help fulfill my needs they are more readily available to assist.

The same goes with God. When we humble ourselves and point out His ability to help us through His greatness, we get His attention. 

James 4:6, 10- But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Following that, I remind him of my frailty.

Sometimes we get a bit overwhelmed. Even Elijah who took on 400 prophets of Baal got discouraged and wanted to die. Yet, I don't see God get angry with Him.

When we remind God of our frailty and put our dependence on Him, we will see Him move in mighty ways!

Psalm 34:18- The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Be urgent for His help.

There will be times when you need an immediate answer from God. It may seem like He's taking His sweet time about it, but He may be waiting to see how important it is to you. Will you be fervent and continue in your prayer for this?

Psalm 39:12a- Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears:

James 5:16b-  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Finally, listen for His guidance.

You may not hear an audible voice from heaven, but a Scripture verse may come to mind or part of a sermon or perhaps a song. There are many different ways that God speaks with us, if only we will listen.

John 16:13- Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Holy Spirit has a way of answering us. Many times it is through the Bible; that's why Bible reading and prayer go hand-in-hand. When we fill our minds with Scripture reading, Bible study, and good preaching, we train ourselves to think the way God wants us to think and we "hear" God clearer.

Romans 12:12- Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

I Timothy 2:1- I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

Whether we are rejoicing or going through troubles, we should always be constant in prayer. Not only for our wants, but also interceding on the behalf of others. You cannot go wrong fighting battles on your knees.