NO HALF-HEARTED PRAYING
As servants of the Lord, we are constantly in danger from the enemy. Our love for Jesus is a threat to all of hell and we cannot undertake any holy work without encountering all kinds of snares set for us by Satan.
A marriage counselor recently called me. “Everywhere I turn in our church, couples are breaking up,” she said. “It’s a literal plague in the Body of Christ right now.”
I hear every kind of reason given for the turmoil in Christian homes: incompatibility, lack of communication, loss of affection, infidelity. But in truth, it is much more than that. Behind it all is an attack from hell against God’s saints.
The cause of broken homes among non-Christians is no mystery. But among the righteous, all such turmoil has a cause. Think about it. How can dedicated Christians who have sat under godly preaching for years suddenly have no authority in their homes? They know full well God’s covenant oath to be their strength. They know He promises to destroy every satanic power that comes against them. So, why is the devil prevailing? Why is their marriage under constant threat?
I believe it is because at least one partner has opened the door to a satanic delusion. Perhaps they both have allowed some compromise in their lives, or they have become spiritually lazy. And now an enraged devil has gained a stronghold in their hearts and home.
If you are under such an attack, you should be asking what the disciples asked: “Master, why could we not cast out those demons?” Jesus answered that certain demonic bondages will not respond to the laying on of hands or a halfhearted, one-time prayer. Such strongholds are so deeply entrenched that the only way to cast them out is by sustained prayer and fasting.
Yet the Church today is in a stupor regarding the power of prayer. A veil has fallen over the eyes of millions. And now, whenever they face trouble, the last place they turn is to Jesus. They abandon the secret closet and, instead, turn to psychology, counselors, books, friends—everywhere but to the Lord.
If you say your marriage is a wreck and you want it healed, I wonder how much time you spend shut in with God. How many times have you turned off your television for an hour just to sit before Jesus and unburden your soul? How many meals have you missed so you could fast for your marriage?
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).
A marriage counselor recently called me. “Everywhere I turn in our church, couples are breaking up,” she said. “It’s a literal plague in the Body of Christ right now.”
I hear every kind of reason given for the turmoil in Christian homes: incompatibility, lack of communication, loss of affection, infidelity. But in truth, it is much more than that. Behind it all is an attack from hell against God’s saints.
The cause of broken homes among non-Christians is no mystery. But among the righteous, all such turmoil has a cause. Think about it. How can dedicated Christians who have sat under godly preaching for years suddenly have no authority in their homes? They know full well God’s covenant oath to be their strength. They know He promises to destroy every satanic power that comes against them. So, why is the devil prevailing? Why is their marriage under constant threat?
I believe it is because at least one partner has opened the door to a satanic delusion. Perhaps they both have allowed some compromise in their lives, or they have become spiritually lazy. And now an enraged devil has gained a stronghold in their hearts and home.
If you are under such an attack, you should be asking what the disciples asked: “Master, why could we not cast out those demons?” Jesus answered that certain demonic bondages will not respond to the laying on of hands or a halfhearted, one-time prayer. Such strongholds are so deeply entrenched that the only way to cast them out is by sustained prayer and fasting.
Yet the Church today is in a stupor regarding the power of prayer. A veil has fallen over the eyes of millions. And now, whenever they face trouble, the last place they turn is to Jesus. They abandon the secret closet and, instead, turn to psychology, counselors, books, friends—everywhere but to the Lord.
If you say your marriage is a wreck and you want it healed, I wonder how much time you spend shut in with God. How many times have you turned off your television for an hour just to sit before Jesus and unburden your soul? How many meals have you missed so you could fast for your marriage?
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).