Web Description: We are praying for Israel during this time. And as we pray, we should also ask ourselves, "Are we being effective?" When we look out on a natural level, are we seeing the truth winning the day in the media and on college campuses? Are we seeing the spiritual forces move in a positive direction toward Israel and away from the forces of evil? Real results on the natural level will occur when our intercession is divinely powerful to tear down the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly...
Web Description: We are praying for Israel during this time. And as we pray, we should also ask ourselves, "Are we being effective?" When we look out on a natural level, are we seeing the truth winning the day in the media and on college campuses? Are we seeing the spiritual forces move in a positive direction toward Israel and away from the forces of evil? Real results on the natural level will occur when our intercession is divinely powerful to tear down the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Show Notes: During this time of Israel's war with Hamas, many Christians have been in prayer and intercession for Israel. It is very important to be in prayer, but it is also important that our prayers be effective, and we should not be reluctant to ask the Lord how our prayer life could be improved. The disciples did that. When Yeshua (Jesus) cured a man's son of seizures after they had failed, they asked Him why they could not drive out the demon as He had done. We too should learn from our mistakes and become better equipped to accomplish what we want to accomplish by our prayers.
Our prayers need to be effective because we are looking to see a victory on behalf of Israel to end the problem of Hamas and their determination to annihilate the Jewish state and the Jewish people. No matter how the media want to frame it as Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, this drive for annihilation is an evil demonic determination going back thousands of years. This conflict is not a struggle with flesh and blood on a natural level; it is being driven by spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, our prayers need to be effective against these spiritual forces.
Paul wrote that our weapons are not fleshly but divinely powerful for the destruction of the fortresses that are built on speculations raised up against the knowledge of God. People today are being motivated to attack the Jewish people through many absurd speculations that war against the knowledge and truth of God. Our intercession must be that which takes all these thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and executes the judgments written to see the absolute victory over His enemies.
Key Verses:
• Matthew 17:14–21. "The disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not drive it out?'"
• Ephesians 6:10–18. "Our struggle is … against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness."
• 2 Corinthians 10:2–6. "The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses."
• John 16:7–11. "The ruler of this world has been judged."
• Daniel 7:21–22. "Judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One."
• Psalm 149:1–9. "… to execute on them the judgment written."
Quotes:
• "This determination for annihilation, this Islamic Jihad, is born of satan and is demonic in its origins. And I believe that only judgment is going to bring a solution to it."
• "The greatest way that we can assist as believers is through effective intercession to bring down these spiritual forces of darkness, which are behind everything that is transpiring on a natural level."
• "We're to move in this righteousness of God, which brings the execution of the judgment that has already been determined against these spiritual forces. And we are the ones that execute those judgments."
Takeaways:
1. We are up against the rulers, the powers, the world forces of darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. We cannot simply deal with things on a natural level and get the results that we are looking for. We must be able as believers by the power of God, by the Holy Spirit to move in a level of prayer and intercession that is divine in its power and anointing to tear down these spiritual forces.
2. Our intercession must be a weapon that is not fleshly. Our prayers need to be destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God. Just look at how people are moved by speculations and lofty thoughts raised up against the truth of God in Christ. Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ is what we need to be doing through the power of our intercession.
3. The judgments against satan and the spiritual force of wickedness have already been determined. As humans, we are not entering into judgment. We are establishing that the judgments won by Christ at the cross are being enforced. It is not enough to have a decree of judgment. It is only effective when it is executed. And that is what is necessary now.
