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deliverance prayer
In the western church, the ministry of deliverance is often overlooked or mis-understood and therefore rarely ever used. Even so, we (the Church) need to contend for the full restoration of this ministry. According to the Gospel of Mark the sign of “driving out demons” will follow those that believe.
“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues” -Mark 16:17
Two frequently asked questions about deliverance are: 1. Can a Christian have a demon? 2. How do you know if you or someone you know has a demon and needs deliverance?
1. Can a Christian have a demon?
The answer is YES, a christian can have a demon. Have you ever wondered why you or even someone you know struggles so much in a certain area of life never seeming to overcome even though they passionately love Jesus? When you have tried everything from altar calls, retreats and fasting to self-help books, but the problem still persists, its time to seek deliverance prayer. The difference is that deliverance prayer goes straight to the source of the problem and removes it much like surgery, whereas many other things serve more as band-aids or ointments helping the wound but never completely healing it from the inside out. The distinction between believers and unbelievers when it comes to demonic bondage is that the believer may suffer from a “demonic oppression” while the un-believer may actually be “possessed”. For instance, the spirit-man of the believer is alive and sealed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation even if he is still influenced or tormented afterward by an evil spirit. Salvation is immediate but renewing of the mind and learning to live a holy life in obedience to God takes time. On the other hand, the unbeliever does not belong to Christ and is therefore still under the dominion of darkness and more easily susceptible to the demonic realm. The good news is that through faith in Jesus Christ anyone can receive freedom from demonic spirits.
2. How do you know if you or someone you know has a demon and needs deliverance?
Demons gain access to people’s lives in different ways. The most common ways are through sin or disobedience and generational curses. Sin is simply “missing the mark” by disobeying God’s divine laws and teachings as revealed in the Bible. This does not mean however that every time a christian sins, he picks up a demon. Rather, repeated and un-repented sins give demons legal ground to reside in one’s life and afflict or torment that person until the sin is dealt with and the demon cast out. Generational curses are sins that have been committed by previous generations in an individuals family line up to four generations.
“And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” - Exodus 35:7
For example, if someone is involved in occult activity such as the “Free Masons” or “Witchcraft”, this can open doors for spirits to gain access and afflict subsequent generations in the same way. This area then needs to be brought under the blood of Jesus and repented of on behalf of the one who committed the sin. At this point the legal grounds and power of the enemy are broken and the demon must leave. It’s helpful to research family history and learn the sins of the fathers or mothers to better understand how this might be contributing to demonic activity. Generally, you can tell if a demon is present if the person you know experiences one or more of the following symptoms. Prevailing illness, emotional disorder, addiction, destructive behaviors, fascinations with evil, compulsive disorders, mental disorders, recurring nightmares, etc. Sometimes it can be harder to detect the presence of evil spirits apart from the Holy Spirit revealing them supernaturally through the gift of the “discerning of spirits”. (See 1 Cor 12:10)
Deliverance Prayer - Setting the Captives Free
If you are a born-again Christian and walking in a level of wholeness and submission to Christ you can and should utilize the ministry of deliverance to cast out demons. Deliverance prayer is actually quite simple being no more than a verbal command to a specific demon to manifest and leave in JESUS name.
“Spirit of “Fear” I command you to leave in Jesus name!”
Deliverance prayer takes faith and perseverance so don’t give up! If the first time you pray nothing happens, pray and pray again. As you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal other demons that need to be expelled and continue until demons start moving out. You can tell that a demon has left when the person begins to yawn, cry, cough, belch or even throw up, so have a waste basket and plenty of paper towels near by. Sometimes the manifestations can be more violent and may require holding the person down. (Focus on holding down the arms and legs)
In most cases deliverance is more like a process than a quick-fix. At times the Holy Spirit can and will deal a death blow to a prevailing spirit during an initial time of prayer but in most cases deliverance is often a process of dislodging and uprooting demons one-by-one. Demons typically group in packs like wild dogs with an alpha-male (Strongman) at the helm. For example, the spirit of “Fear ” may be the lead demon undergirded by others spirits such as, anxiety, condemnation, shame, rejection, etc. That is why even the name of a demonic host in the Gospels was, “Legion”. Legion was a military term used by the Romans to denote numbers of fighting men. A legion is made up of anywhere from 3,200 - 5,000 men. That’s a lot of demons grouped under just one name. Deliverance can also be compared to peeling back the layers of an onion. The less powerful demons on top moving out more quickly followed by the more powerful ones underneath. Faith and perseverance are vitally important in this ministry so dont be discouraged if it takes time to see results.
Since deliverance prayer is based squarely on the believer’s authority in Christ and what He accomplished on the cross two-thousand years ago, it is not a matter of skill, ordination, volume or technique but of exercising your spiritual authority.
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” -Col 2:15
“Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you. -Luke 10:19
When ministering deliverance it’s best to have other believers present assisting in prayer and caring for the person being delivered. After expelling demons it’s always a good practice to ask the Lord to fill the person with more of the Holy Spirit and bind any remaining demons from manifesting anymore. Afterward, counsel the individual to walk out his or her deliverance through dedication to a holy lifestyle and actively resisting sin. Further deliverance may be required so set up another time to pray again before parting ways. It is a good idea to do an in-depth study for yourself in the area of deliverance while also seeking out people or ministries who demonstrate effectiveness in ministering deliverance and can provide training.
For more information check out the following websites:
http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/deliverance_ministry.php
http://pullingdownstrongholds.com/index.htm