While praying for direction this week, once again we felt lead to go back to another timely message delivered by our Pastor. We are a blessed people to have a prophetic voice leading us.
It brings to mind the promise found in Isaiah 30:21, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.” By looking back, we see the many prophetic messages given to this Body to show us the way to walk and what to watch for along the way.
On September 30, of this year, Bro Shelley related to us the importance of President Bush’s speech addressing America’s response to the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. In this speech concerning our Nation’s plan to retaliate, the President said, “Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign unlike any other that we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success.”
If you remember, the Spirit of the Lord witnessed to Bro Shelley the phrase, “Covert operations, secret even in success.” The Lord told Bro Shelley, the reason that had stayed in his spirit was because that’s how prayer and intercession work. You can’t always see the results of a spiritual battle, but nonetheless ground has been gained and battles won.
We feel to encourage each one of you not to grow weary in this battle. Some of these areas we have targeted in prayer seem to be entrenching themselves, growing stronger, but that is a bluff. If you remember the news reports that the Taliban were giving each week, they claimed that the American strikes were of no avail. One moment they were boasting of their defiant stand, and the next running for their lives.
The spirits that we have targeted in prayer are no different. They are losing their hold in our lives. The spirit of rebellion and stubbornness is being rooted out of us, prayer-by-prayer, and sermon-by-sermon. We believe the dramatic strikes, visible on TV, are those deliverances we witness as a Body around the altar, as we pray one for another. The covert operations, secret even in success, are those times of intense warfare experienced by every Spirit filled believer, when you yield yourself to gifted prayer and intercession.
As the Spirit of the Lord directs us through prayer this night, may we be like those soldiers at Iwo Jima pictured above, rallying together to raise the standard. Take these prayer directives into the night, as you Watch in prayer. May they lead you on your covert mission, as you enter into intense warfare with your loins girded about with Truth, having on the Breastplate of Righteousness, your feet shod with the Gospel of Peace, taking the shield of faith, the Helmut of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
Bind the Spirits of Witchcraft & Stubbornness:
On Nov 11, Bro Shelley saw in vision people in our church with shackles on their feet. Their hands were bound. There were gags in their mouths and they could not speak. People were chained to their pews and could not move. Their eyes were blindfolded, and they could not see. People were carrying heavy boxes. They were cloaked in heavy garments and couldn’t break free. The Spirit of the Lord exposed the source of the bondage, a spirit of witchcraft.
Bro Shelley said that spirit had come to bind our feet, so that we couldn’t dance. It came to bind our hands so that we couldn’t reach out to others and lift them in praise. It came to silence our tongue so that we couldn’t speak our own deliverance. This is very serious. The Lord said that this spirit is holding back the answered prayer!
While Bro Shelley was delivering this message, he saw what looked like an explosion in the Spirit. It looked like meetings of the past with women losing their hairpins, and young men leaping for joy before the Lord. He then prayed for the Lord to send that Holy explosion to break every root out, every root of rebellion and stubbornness.
That root of rebellion has affected every one of our lives in one way or another. If we could see rebellion as a cancerous malignancy growing in our body, we would run to the front for prayer. The root of rebellion is more dangerous that any cancer. May God give us the grace to see how malignant that root of rebellion is, in each of one of our lives. Let us as a Body stand together in the Name of Jesus and continue to bind the spirits of witchcraft and stubbornness, until all are free. Let us loose the Spirit of obedience and submissiveness.
Bind a Defiant Spirit:
On Tuesday night, Bro Shelley called out another spirit that we need to stand together against. That is a defiant spirit. A defiant spirit is a result of spiritual leprosy. On Oct 7, the Lord said, “There is a plague in this house.” Bro Shelley likened it to the plague of leprosy. He said one of the forms of leprosy affects the hand, spiritually, causing it to make a fist, a sign of defiance. Leprosy rarely ever kills, but it reduces the immune system of the Body. It is a superficial disease affecting the surface and numbing the senses. We open the door to that leprous spirit by not showing proper respect to the House of God, the things of God, the people of God, and the man of God. Let us pray that God will expose in each one of our lives where we let that spirit in and may He grant each one of us the grace needed to isolate it and cut it off. That defiant spirit will keep this Body from touching lives and ministering love. We must pray for the plague to be stopped in this House and the Voice of God to be heeded as He speaks thru His servant.
Bind the Spirit of Fear:
This spirit is keeping us from sharing one with another. It keeps us from obeying the Lord and stops us as we pursue the calling of God in our lives. But we know now by the preaching of the Word, that primal fear entered into the soul of man when Adam took the lie of the serpent into his spirit. That fear caused Adam to focus on his flesh and hide from God. That same spirit of fear is still at work in our lives, causing us to focus on our flesh and question whether or not God is speaking to us. Perfect love casteth out fear. So bind the spirit of fear and loose the perfect love of Jesus Christ to abound in our midst. Pray that the fear of God will be upon this Body.
Our Church Body:
We must continue to ask the Lord for the three keys that this Body needs to go forth. We know that we have the right Word but we need to ask the Lord to make that Word real to each person. We need to be like the men of Issachar that had an understanding of the times. An understanding of the times will bring about the soberness that is needed in this hour. And we must ask the Lord daily for the right spirit, free from this world’s influence. A right spirit in us will protect the people in this ministry from being torn down.
Pray for Our Services:
We must continue to set our minds to praise. We must determine to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Earnestly pray for the services on Sunday and Tuesday for God to have His way. Pray that we will not allow our minds to wander, but that we will stay focused on Him. Pray that every person will come prepared bringing with them that sacrifice of praise as a love offering to Him.
- Pray For Jonathan as he leads us in praise in worship. Pray against a spirit of discouragement. It’s hard to stand in his position and not be affected by our lack of participation when he’s leading the service. Pray for the zeal of God to consume him to the point that it spills out all over us.
- Pray for Bro Greeley. Not only does he lead the services, but he is also a strength and support to our Pastor and this Body. Ask the Lord to bless Bro Greeley and his family.
- Pray for the musicians. We are blessed to have such talented individuals. Let us pray for them as they play that the Anointing of God will be upon them. - Pray that they will create the atmosphere that is needed for God to have His way.
- Pray for Bro Shelley as he faithfully brings to us the Word of God each week. Pray that he will preach the Word of God with power and demonstration and that he will not fear or regard man.
Brother Shelley & Family:
Think of yourselves as armor bearers as you pray for the man of God and his family. You have aspecial mission, to protect and defend that which God has placed in our midst. Lift up your shield of faith and pray a hedge of protection around The Shelley family.
- Pray that every weapon formed against them will not prosper. Pray for the peace of God to be in their home. Pray for the blessings of God to upon them.
- Pray for complete healing to come to Bro Shelley. Continue to bind the generational curse of arthritis. Bind the spirits of gout, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Loose the Hand of God to bring healing to His body that he may walk in divine health.
Pray for Our Young People:
The enemy of our souls is stalking our young people. The pulls and allurements of this world to deceive them are greater than ever. The Lord told us that this last generation would walk in the greatest Anointing that has ever been on planet earth. They are the Soul Reapers.
The enemy wants to keep them from their destiny. May an Army of seasoned intercessors rise up in The Name of Jesus Christ to defend them. Refuse to allow the enemy to come in our ranks and take another one out. Declare that Voice of Deliverance to begin to sound forth from each one of them.
Pray for a Release of Finances:
A demonic force is holding back that which God has promised us. We must pray for the breakthrough to come. We are on the brink of a miracle. Declare the breakthrough! Declare the releasing of the finances. Continue to pray for Bro Billy and his family for their faithfulness.
Pray for the Outreach Ministry:
- Pray for our website.
- Pray for the Anointed Word that is preached in this House to reach God’s Seed. God has blessed us with a beautiful website and the potential to minister the Gospel to the world. May the Lord multiply our efforts as we obey His Word to spread the Gospel.
- Pray a protection over the guest book.
- Pray for our local radio broadcast. Many listen every week and experience the blessings of the Lord. Pray for God to draw them to the House of Deliverance.
- Pray for the short-wave radio broadcast to be a strong signal. Pray for people that are listening to begin to make contact with the ministry. Pray that God will use our program to feed hungry souls.
- Pray for the telephone hook-up. Pray that the phone lines will be clear, especially for the Believers gathered in Europe. Pray that each group that gathers will experience that same Anointing that we enjoy.
Pray for America:
We must pray against a threat of terrorism. Sources have said that the Sept 11 attack was Phase I and that Phase II will begin at the end of the Muslim holy days of Ramadan. That is Sunday. This phase reportedly will bring bioterroism to our country. The Spirit of the Lord has spoken over the last few years and warned us of many of the very things they are threatening. We as the Bride of Christ must rise to our position and pray against these attacks. We must pray for the exposing of every plot before it is carried out.
- Pray for President Bush. Pray for the safety of he and his family. Pray that he will hear from Heaven during these difficult days. Pray that every plot to bring him down, whether in body or character will be thwarted and exposed.
- Pray for our troops in Afghanistan. They are locked in intense battle now with al-Qaeda forces holed up in Tora Bora. Pray protection for our men and women in harm’s way. It is possible that bin Laden is in the cave they have surrounded.
Pray for Israel:
Things have definitely escalated in Israel. We are amazed that the reports are still so negative from the media about Israel defending Herself. Pray for the Hand of God to lead Israel in Her counterattack against terrorism. The news reports of the terrorist attacks this week said they showed more skill and organization than earlier attacks. Pray for the protection of God’s chosen people. Pray for the relationship between America and Israel. Pray that America will stand behind Israel no matter what the world says. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for the Lord’s will to be done.
Pray for the New Year’s Meetings:
Our meetings are just thirteen days away. Continue to pray that God will make a way for all who desire true deliverance to be able to come.
Pray that God will prepare us for these meetings. We will have a Prayer Watch at the church next Friday night in preparation for the meetings. Pray that we as a Body will come together as one and seek the face of God for direction. Remember preparation proceeds blessing.