Effective Prayer

If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

— 2 Chronicles 7:14

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of prayer to a believer. In these days in America, we are seeing more evil becoming more commonplace in every area of the country. We are seeing shootings in the schools. The evil is more frequent and on a larger scale than we could have ever believed. We are hearing of policemen being shot and killed in our streets while sitting in their cars. When I was a young girl, if I heard of someone getting killed, it was very unusual. Now it seems to have become commonplace. Shootings are happening in movie theaters, in shopping malls, at gas stations, and on the streets while people are taking walks at night.

We see people openly professing to be into witchcraft, Satanism, and New Age. We see psychics proclaiming to us on television and on the Internet to call their hot lines, and they will tell us our future. I went to a restaurant one night with my husband and my nephew. We went to a restaurant that we used to go to all the time, but this night something felt very different. I felt uncomfortable and didn't know why, but I didn't say anything. I sat down and opened the menu to order my food, and my husband said to me, "Honey, look around you. I asked him why, and he replied, "Just trust me. Look behind you!"

I did, but I didn't notice anything. I didn't want to be rude by staring at people, so I said, "Honey, I don't know what you are talking about." He said over and over to look at the people who were around us. I looked again, noticed a person reading a Bible, and said, "Oh, how nice."

My husband quickly said, "No, that is not the Christian Bible — that is a Satanic Bible." I looked around and noticed something very strange. Everyone was wearing black — black clothing, black jackets, and black makeup on the ladies. The next thing I noticed was a man with a picture of Satan on the back of his jacket. Then I noticed long, black fingernails on the women. My husband overheard some of the people talking about their course they were taking in college in witchcraft, which was required by the college.

At that time, my husband turned to me and said, "We are sitting right in the middle of a witchcraft club!"

After my husband said this to me, our waitress came to take our order. I will never forget the stress on her face when she asked us if we were ready to order. She shared that she was so confused she could hardly write down our order. She explained that since these kids had started coming to the restaurant, she couldn't think clearly and was having severe headaches. She was upset and said, "I can't even think."

I began to pray. "Lord, what do you want me to do? How do you want me to deal with this?"

The Lord clearly told me to anoint this place. He told me where to anoint. He told me to get up go to the bathroom and start there. Then he said to come back and anoint under our table. He told me that he wanted it anointed with oil in places that would not be easily washed off, and so I did. He told me to start breaking the curses and spells of witchcraft.

When I finished and looked up, everyone was gone. They left so fast that I couldn't believe my eyes. But my job was not over. I knew that God wanted to penetrate this cult group, and so every day I prayed for these kids and all of the kids in my city, praying for God to be revealed to them. I prayed for their curses to be broken, and I prayed for God to saturate them with his truths and break the deceptions in of their lives. I felt a strong feeling to pray for that waitress. I broke the curses of confusion on her, and I broke the curses of witchcraft.

A month later, this restaurant was shut down, and it never ever reopened. That was years ago, but I never forgot what happened. I became fully aware of how much witchcraft had entered our culture. It was growing and becoming a part of our everyday lives. But that first time, I looked and didn't notice anything wrong. I realize now that it was because I would never have suspected it to this degree. Therefore I was not looking for witchcraft in the public arena to this degree, just out in the open. They weren't hiding it at all! It wasn't until I looked again and again at what was going on that I noticed it. All through this situation, I continued to pray to God for direction. I asked him to show me what to do and how to deal with it. We can never underestimate the power of prayer. If I didn't seek the Lord in this matter, I wouldn't have known how to handle it in an effective way.

Months later, one of the girls from this group came to us and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. This girl continued to get ministered to, and she was set free from the occult. She has been with our ministry now for years and is a very strong person in our church. What she used for the devil, she now uses her gifting for the kingdom of God, bringing souls to Jesus Christ.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)

Effectual implies to me that there can be an effective or ineffective prayer. The effective prayer is the prayer that we do after we seek God's wisdom and guidance.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men: For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. (1 Timothy 2:1–2)

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)

This implies that God wants us to have precise knowledge and correct knowledge. When we pray about deliverance, we need to have precise knowledge and correct knowledge. Prayer is not just a vehicle that we use to pray out what we think or what we see. It is the vehicle to pray out what God thinks and knows that is hidden or unseen to the naked eye. He sees all things. We may see something that is evil, but God knows what is at the root cause of that evil. What spirit is driving that evil? What door did this person leave open in his life, through sin or through tragedy that left an open gateway?

We can call on the Holy Spirit, who searches the deep things of God for our lives. We can ask for the Holy Spirit's revelation into a situation to clearly show us how to pray to push away and destroy the darkness in a life, in a city, in a state, or in our country.

Since taking prayer out of schools, the attack on the Ten Commandments being displayed in our courts, and our crosses being ordered taken down, we can clearly see more and more evil in America.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. (2 Timothy 3:1–4)

We are seeing this in our society on a daily basis now, and I do think that we are living in the last days. We see school shootings. We see our policemen being shot and killed. We see more and more drugs on the streets, with people being shot over drugs. We hear of wars and threats of war. We hear it on the news on a more frequent basis every year. The Bible warns us that in the last days, perilous times will come. We need to be about the Father's business, praying in an effective way to push back the darkness and to cause all men to come to the knowledge of truth! Without effective and fervent prayer, we will not see deliverance from evil spirits and deliverance for the areas in which we live.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Just like there are different ranks in our military, there are different ranks of demons in the spiritual realm controlling different people, places, and situations! The spiritual realm is very real! There is the kingdom of God and of the light, but there is also a very real realm of Satan and of the darkness. We have been given the power through prayer to overcome the devil's kingdom. As Jesus cast out spirits, the blind were able to see, and the deaf could hear. What will we be able to do through the power of Jesus Christ our Lord? The precious blood of Jesus Christ that he shed on the cross gave us access to cast out spirits, break curses and spells, and heal those who are oppressed by spirits, demons, principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness.

We cannot ignore the spiritual realm in the hopes that it will go away on its own. Spirits of darkness do not go away simply because we ignore them. Jesus is our example in all things that we face in life. When Jesus was led up into the mountain to be tempted by the devil, he used the Word, the light of the truth of God, to counteract the lies of the devil and expel him.

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, if you be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up unto an exceedingly high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them: And saith unto him, all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and in him only shalt thou serve. (Matthew 4:1–10)

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. (Luke 4:13 KJV)

And when the devil had finished every temptation, he left him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13 NKJV)

When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. (Luke 4:13 NLT)

This scripture first tells me that there is a war, and that even the demons were warring against Jesus Christ himself. The demons tried to trick him, and when they were defeated, they looked for a more opportune time to strike him. We know by this scripture that the devil never really takes a vacation. He is looking for a better opportunity to hit the believers. Satan hit Jesus when Jesus was weakness. He had been without food and water and was in a weakened state. But Jesus defeated him. The Bible states that Satan departed for a season. Satan is looking for the times of weakness in our lives, or a time when we are not expecting the attack. We need the Lord at all times. We need to be prepared before the attack comes.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

We need to be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves, because the demon spirit realm is real. I am not giving glory to the devil, but Jesus himself said that the serpents are wise. They are wise only in trickery and deceit.

Gone are the days that we can ignore the darkness around us, and we think those who are doing witchcraft, sorcery, spiritism, divination, and voodoo will never affect our lives. However, they are all around us, and have permeated our society in every area. The Church needs to arise and do the works that Jesus did. The Church has to become strong in these last days against spiritual darkness. In my heart, I feel that more and more, we will see people crying out to be delivered, and they need the help of those who know how to deliver them from the demonic realm.

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Prayer is a powerful tool that needs to be used as much as possible! We Christians cannot afford to take a vacation from the warfare God has called us to do.

I know from my former life in witchcraft, and what my husband was involved in, that the devil's people are praying continually! They take it seriously. However, they do not have the power though that we have. God's people need to know that they have the ultimate power through God, which supersedes the devil's power. Christian believers do not have to be in fear when they pray, knowing that all of heaven is backing them in their prayers.

Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:19, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven." We have also been given the keys to the kingdom, and one of them is prayer. We are commanded to be instant in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). This tells me that as believers, we need to be prepared at all times and know what to do in an instant through prayer and seeking God.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7–8)

To be prepared for effective deliverance and spiritual warfare, we need to be in the attitude of prayer, always asking, seeking, and knocking on the door of God's heart for his insight and wisdom. I ask the Lord to give me wisdom and knowledge for anything that is coming my way, and I pray for God to direct my footsteps.

One day we went shopping, and as we were returning home, we went by a field that was in front of a forest of trees. As we drove by, I noticed limousines that were driving into that forest, and I remember thinking that was very odd because it was a rainy day. I noticed the people getting out of the limousines, and at first I thought, Oh, how nice. Someone has been married, and they are out taking pictures.

But then I noticed a huge pot, and all the people were in black, including the bride. I felt very strongly to tell my husband that we needed to stop the car and back up. I explained to my husband what I saw, and he was concerned as well. We backed up the car and watched. I then prayed to God to ask him, "Why are we at this particular place and time to see this and what do you want us to do?" I knew that this was more than a coincidence. It seemed that many times we were at the right place and the right time to see something that God wants us to pray about. My husband and I knew that this was a satanic ceremony, and most likely there could be a blood sacrifice. We stayed and prayed, and we broke the curses over this ceremony. We also prayed for the plans of Satan to be frustrated, and that the angels of God would be sent forth to stop this ceremony and stop these people from harming anything or anyone. We waited and prayed until the ceremony stopped. We felt that our prayers were answered, and we both had a good feeling inside of us that everything was okay at that point, so we left. All glory to God!

This is just one instance of a situation stopped because of people praying while directed by God, believing and standing in faith to pray against something that was evil and to change the outcome. I believe that all Christians have that power through prayer to change the atmosphere and stop the demonic activity through the name of Jesus and through the blood of Jesus Christ, if they believe that all things are possible through God.

For example, if we see in our city a specific sin that is being done, like porn shops or strip clubs, the curse placed on that area could be lust, sexual perversion, worldliness, manipulation, and control. We have the power to bind up these curses and break them in the name of Jesus. Then we can break the spirit of whatever curse that God has revealed to us. If it was a curse of perversion, then we could also break the spirits of perversion over that area. If it is a curse of murder in that area, we can break the curse that is allowing the spirits to come into that area, and then we bind up the spirits of murder in that area.