Take Back Your Life, Part II: Battling the Waster Spirit

Scriptures:

"See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the waster to wreak havoc (Isaiah 54:16)

The LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines (Nahum 2:2).

And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time (Revelation 12:11-12).

Ever been in a situation that left you stunned? Dazed? Completely at a loss?

All you could do, when it was all said and done, was scratch your head, just sit back and wonder, “What in the world happened?”

Picture this: everything was perfect.  You’ve been working on that project at work for the last year.     

You’ve dotted every single “I” and crossed all of your “T”s.  You’ve stroked every single ego, of every single person, with letters behind their name (CEO, CFO, COO, etc.).  You’ve gotten so much positive feedback, you began to think of the project as your firstborn son.  Your peers envied your success.  Even the heads of other departments started using you, as an example, for others on their teams to follow.  Wow, things were going so well!  It’s a good thing, too, since one of the partners just announced their retirement.  Thank You, Jesus!  You’re just in time to slide right in, as the youngest employee to have made partner, in your marketing and public relations firm.  Jesus Himself personally gave you a vision of it in a dream once—you were going to run that firm one day and you would do it for Christ.   No longer would the marketing, public relations, and/or advertising industries sell raunchy filth to make a buck.  Oh, no!  Jesus was going to be at the Head of your new company!  Truth be told, after all that struggle, you’d had some trouble believing, after a while, that you did receive those promises from God, but finally, it was all beginning to manifest.   You were not bonkers, after all.  God gave you that dream, and you finally knew the truth.  It was a prophetic dream that was sent to confirm the promises and purposes of God for your life. 

In fact, you’ve just had lunch with Marketing Director a few days ago, and he was not only hinting that you were soon to join their little clique of successful people, but that everyone  was actually interested in what you had to say about the future of the company.  You knew the promotion was in the bag because in the last year alone, you personally brought in over ten million dollars of revenue, through elite clientele that you secured--from the Christian community, no less!  You were able to generate business and God used you to bring glory to His Name, while helping others in His Kingdom!  Yes, you were sure to get that promotion to partner.  The Lord’s favor was surely upon you! In fact, everyone was sure you would be promoted.  Months have passed by, and no one else seemed be a true contender.  Yeah, there is that guy Jack, whose last major account brought in only about one million dollars—but that was two years prior.  You figured they added Jack in the running to avoid gossip about you being a shoe-in.  After all, Jack was the only other man with your level of seniority.  Otherwise, he couldn’t possibly have been added as a consideration.  

Everyone knew the job was yours!

Only thing though….hmmm….what was happening?  You've been pretty much promised a promotion but...hmmmm...where was it?  All of a sudden, there seem to be whispers around you when you walk into the office.  No more word from the partners.  Have they even made a decision?  You thought you would have heard something by now, considering the other partner's last day was at the end of the week.

But then, you walked in to work one day, just to discover that the job, in fact, was not yours!  

Jack…jack?  Jack got the promotion!  What?  Jack?  No! Impossible!

Your eyes filled with tears.  You stormed into a meeting between the bigwigs and asked for your director.  He explained that the team gave it some careful consideration, but decided to go with Jack.

“But why?” you barked. 

And to this day, no one can guess “but why” Jack.

And people are still talking about it--especially since Jack is doing a half-behind job!

"But why Jack???"

Sound familiar?  Ever just had something snatched right out of your hand that you—and everyone else—knew was right for you? Or belonged to you? Or had been justly earned by you? 

People often say, “Well, if it did not happen, it was not meant to be.”  Or my personal favorite response, "You heard wrong in your spirit.  It must not have been God's will!"

Sadly, my friends, that is not always true.  I dare say that most times it was meant to be. God said that when we ask for bread, He will never give us a stone (Matthew 7:9). When you belong to God, the Holy Spirit is reshaping our desires daily anyway.  The Spirit leads us to pray for what we need, even makes intercession for us (Romans 8:26).  If He does not fulfill our desire--it is only because He will do exceedingly and abundantly above what we think to ask for" (Ephesians 3:20).  He will never, ever do less--either that thing we prayed for or better! Is is God's will to be glorified in answered prayers, because Jesus said, "Whatsoever you ask in My Name, that I will do, because it will bring glory to the Father's Name in the Son" (John 14:13).  Jesus said, "whatsoever" we ask, "that" will He do!"  So it was God's will!!!   Besides, you made sure to ask, if it is not His will to remove the desire in the first place.  If you still desired it, God wanted it for you too!  But there is a devil, who is a thief.  He walks around, like a roaring lion.  His mission?  To steal, kill, and destroy.  How do I know that?

Cause the Bible says so in John 10:10!

Not only does Satan, and his cohorts, steal, kill, and destroy.  Isaiah 54:16 says that he does something else—he wastes the blessings, provisions, and opportunities God prepares for us.  He does it so much so that he can even waste an entire destiny if we are not sober-minded and alert, remaining hip to his schemes!

What in the World is the Waster Spirit?

It wasn’t until I began to examine my own life and certain things God was leading me to pray against that I realized that something was off.  After a series of events in 2014, the Lord led me to begin praying on restoration on all that had been stolen, devoured, or wasted in my life.  He led me one day to Proverbs 6:31 and impressed upon me to speak this scripture against the enemy’s attacks on my “goods.”  The scripture says, “But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.” 

Wow.  First of all, if “who” is caught?  And who is going to pay back what he stole sevenfold? 

When I came to the Lord about it, that is when the Lord began to reveal some secret and hidden things (Jeremiah 33:3) about the spiritual battles I was engaged within over my life.  He began to teach me to fight against a demonic force called the Waster.

I won’t get too deep into how this force came to settle into my life.  Just know I am from the Caribbean.  My mother’s side is Haitian, my father is Indian and Guyanese.  Yes, they considered themselves Christians.  But God considered a lot of their cultural practices witchcraft.  Not only that, but I did my own share of rebelling against the Lord, which did not do anything to add to, or protect, my God-given resources, blessings, opportunities, or my destiny.  Once you, or your ancestors before you, open the demonic doors—especially with lifestyles of sin such as witchcraft, or fornication, or adultery, or even abortion (shedding of innocent blood), a waster demon has full access to your life!  It is not until you are covered by the Blood of Jesus, after confessing Him your Savior, after repenting for your sins, that the Lord can begin to manifest the promises of Proverbs 6:31 and rebuke the waster described in Isaiah 54:16.  That is when the Lord will begin to "rebuke the devourer for your sakes" (Malachi 3:11).

First let us learn about what this waster is.  That is the first step.

Ways “the waster “wastes:

It is written that God Himself created this “waster” as an instrument to destroy—to waste anything that was not pleasing to God, or under God’s protection—such as a life in rebellion to His Word.  Such demons were created to waste—lives, talents, gifts, relationships, destinies.  Even entire people have been wasted.  How many people have died due to their foolish choices and our first response is to shake our head and say, “Man, what a waste.”  Well, that is the phrase the “waster” lives for.

How does the waster do it?

1)   Desperation of man:  We all know what happens when man is backed into a corner.  He is liable to make desperate choices that lead to destruction.  Even the devil acts out of desperation as his time wreaking havoc on the earth draws to a close—Revelation 12:12. 

2)   If you allow yourself to engage in long-term sins: Fornication, theft, adultery, etc, you are allowing God’s perfect will to be wasted.  Of course, the waster will do it.

3)   Agents of darkness that live among us to destroy us:  False prophets, witches/warlocks, satanists, and preachers who don’t preach against spiritual warfare/deliverance are human agents of Satan designed to lead us astray and waste our Christian lives and Holy Spirit-power promised to us.

4)   Retaliation: When you are pursuing God’s will, and your destiny from God, the enemy will send retaliation against you to “waste” your blessings, potential, opportunities, resources, helpers, promotions, or anything that had been designed to be a stepping stool towards your destiny.  It is often through witchcraft, demonic oppression, and demonic distractions—see previous blog entry on the Spirits of Distraction: Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gesham.

Why is This “Waster” Issue Worse Than Most?

1)   Waste is easier than loss.  Loss means it is gone, often beyond your control.  It cannot return, but most times, it was not your fault.  Waste means it was "spent foolishly," implying that it was preventable.  "Waste" tends to continue tormenting you because you always have a sense that you are not living your own life—you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing the wrong things, with the wrong people.  You are in the wrong career, or even worst of all—married to the wrong person, bearing the “wrong” children who have turned against you.  On top of all of that, you have to live with the mistakes you made!  It can be unbearable--leading to other wastes, like suicide.

2)   The purpose of a “wasted life” is to torment you—to bring you, and your destiny, to desolate places.  It is the goal of Satan to turn you away from God, and faith in His Son, due to the torment that comes from a wasted life.

3)   To make something profitless –such as a hard-earned college degree that does not assist you in getting a good job.  Wasters work to make the profitable into something worthless; to make the wondrous thing/person useless.  Its goal is to render a blessing into something squandered, or damaged senselessly.  It wants to turn your best into refuse, it wants to consume God’s blessings to you thoughtlessly—again making a wonderful thing squandered and rendered useless—like that talent for dance that cannot be used now in your late forties--after the devil kept you too distracted to pursue dance for the last twenty-five years.

4)   “Good fools waste money, but the greatest fool wastes time.”  Wasting time is one of the best tools of Satan—procrastination, distraction, idleness, laziness, tardiness, and foolishness.  Best waster of life and potential is anything that causes you to forfeit useful time on uselessness. 

5)   Major purpose:  Satan knows that if you waste your life and destiny it would have been better if you had not been born.  God warns us against not fulfilling our destiny.  In Psalm 138: (ESV), it says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”  It also says, "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns" (Phillipians 1:6).  Even God will not abandon His own plans for you.  How much more does He expect His child to continue their work for Him--the Most High God!  Yes, all who are saved will get to Heaven, but Satan longs to prevent you from hearing “Well done, My good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23) from our Lord and Savior, who died just so we can fulfill our destiny!  It says in Phillipians 3:12, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me."  This indicates that God saves us each for a purpose and we must possess that which He died to give us.

Satan wants to rob us of our heavenly rewards there, just as badly as he wants to destroy our lives here on earth.

Five Major Wasters:

1)   You can waste your life: You pursue the things you know are bad for you—smoking, bad relationships, gluttony, and each causes you to waste yourself and your life by causing unnecessary health issues and premature death.

If someone has a powerful destiny, to be a blessing to the Kingdom of God, the enemy marks them—to derail their destiny.  He will work to get you into the wrong career, or to join the wrong relationships, or to have the wrong habits that lead to more wrong decisions, that lead to desperation…which causes desperate decisions to derail your life.

2)   The enemy can waste you: People will be on assignment to speak a curse upon you before you can even get started.  Your own parent, mate, or boss can speak a curse.  The enemy will cause your own tongue to speak curses upon your own life, destiny, or blessings.   Witches, Satanists, and Psychics seek after those to curse for power—they are on assignment from Satan.  Be careful what you say, what you let others say, and what you share with others.  Sometimes you need to keep your plans to yourself and ask the Lord who you can share your plans with before doing so.  

Also, be careful about asking God who to pray with about things--if the Spirit puts that in your heart.  We need to see that the person you've asked to pray for you will actually pray for you.  Sometimes you ask for someone to agree in prayer and they are not agreeing, either in their hearts or in their verbal prayer. Instead they will ask, on your behalf, for the very thing you don't need, then say the Spirit "led" them to pray that for you.  Unless that person is an appointed Prophet, who has received a Word from the Lord that you ought to go the other way, there is no reason for them to refuse to pray for your request--for marriage, a certain job.  If God's answer is no, fine.  But it is not for them to determine what you should pray to your God about.  That is also a waster at work--wasting an opportunity for two Christians to see the power of God manifest into a testimony when two have agreed on something in the prayer realm!  And be careful you are not doing the same to the breathen as well.  If someone asks for prayer for marriage--then pray for marriage!  Again, God will never give a "stone" or "less"  He is going to give us all either bread, or better bread then we can ask for.  He will either do "that" thing, or "add" to that thing--so you may find yourself praying for your friend to be married--and have beautiful, Godly children.  If it is less than the request, that is not of God.  If the prayer becomes a power struggle between the prayer partners--that is NOT of God!

3)   Your own friends/family can waste you: Any friend that doesn’t add to your life—just subtracts from your life—leave them.  Move on or love them from a distance.  Anyone who does not contribute to your relationship with them, leave them behind, or if impossible, love them from a distance.  Especially friends—since they are not your blood family, they are often used by the enemy because their loyalty is easier to sever without the blood bond being there.  Of course, the blood bond is getting weaker in these End Times, but theoretically, your blood sister should be less willing to kill you than your sorority sister in college.
 

4)   The devil himself can waste you:  1 Peter 5:8.  The devil must seek whom he can devour.  He knows he cannot devour everyone, but there are those who are already predisposed to be devoured—due to family occult history (like me), generational curses, lifelong sin lifestyles (ex: living with your lover for thirty years and never married), etc.  Repeated sin lifestyle or cycles— those in unbelief or rebellion; those not covered by the Blood of Jesus—those not saved.  For the saved, those people who have not yet been delivered from demonic oppression, even though they are saved, because they have not been taught, or refuse to believe, they need to engage in spiritual warfare and deliverance—which is another waste from the enemy!!!  Tons of stubborn Christians are saved, but remain in bondage, because they refuse to believe the Bible’s words and trust that deliverance and spiritual warfare and supernatural/revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit are not only still in operation today, but are necessary to survive, especially in these End Times! 

5)   God can waste you:  God is merciful but He is just.  If you have been anointed or called for a seasonal (temporary) task, or a life-long work of destiny, and choose to disobey—refusing to fulfill the requirements of your God-chosen calling—God will waste you. Sodom and Gomorrah, along with any civilization that became a liability to God’s Kingdom, has been wasted.  King Saul was wasted when he disobeyed God (1 Samuel 15).  We know that in the Book of Jonah, the Prophet Jonah was nearly wasted, but God was merciful with him.  If Jonah had not repented, and been forced to engage in a dry fast inside the fish, he could have been wasted by the Lord.

Warnings from God of Waster Spirits in Our Lives
(From Dr. D. K. Olukoya , from MFM Ministries)

1)   Eating in a dream.  If you are eating, or worse, eating poisonous food.  This is a sign of spiritual and/or physical weaknesses being created within you.  If the food is poisonous in the dream, that is far worse—usually meaning that what were once blessings are being turned to curses that you are forced to eat.

2)   Being filled with overwhelming lust:  I don’t mean you’ve been hanging in there, celibate for 10 years, and waiting on the Lord for a wife/husband and struggle with your libido.  I am talking rebellious sexual sin.  Many of us have done it and know the effects.  Sexual sin, primarily fornication and adultery, are direct sins against God’s temple…God considers that a sin against Himself, and His dwelling place, so He will see to our demise Himself.  Only complete repentance can save you.  At least when demons trouble your life, deliverance can be done through the casting out of that demonic force in the Name of Jesus.  When Jesus troubles you, however, with His judgment?  Humph! There is no escape.

3)   Any form of addiction: Even what people consider harmless like tobacco—because it is not mentioned in the Word of God as a sin—will first waste money and then health.  I know.  Nicotine addiction has been a life-long stronghold in my life, even after I came to Christ.  It's been quite the battle for me and for many.

4)   Unexplainable hatred from others/lack of favor/ rejection:  It comes from all sorts of people—even family, even parents.  It happens all the time, even when you haven’t done a thing to deserve it.  That is usually a waster forcing you to live an isolated, lonely life to destroy your trust in God.

5)   Your prayer life is unfulfilling and inconsistent:  Your prayer life is getting worse—you are beginning to pray less and less, and you get frustrated when others pray for longer periods of time than you have been praying (lately).  That is a waster spirit sent to waste your communication with God—or keep your from benefiting from others’ communication with God on your behalf in intercession.  You are so busy waiting for your friend’s prayer to end, that you get frustrated and distracted, and don’t agree in the prayer.  The prayer ends up losing its effectiveness, and you miss a breakthrough that could have come from two or more agreeing on something you needed in the first place.

6)   Suicidal thoughts: Especially as a Christian, that is the waster at work.

7)   Your body is out of order:  If you find that you, or your body, are conducting yourself in a way that does not make sense for your age—or manifesting symptoms of old age, for example, the waster spirit is wasting your youth.  Sometimes that can come from a curse.  For example, I used to enjoy telling people that I’m getting old.  One day, after a series of brutal pains in my neck, back, and legs, I heard a warning from the Spirit to stop joking about getting old.  Apparently I was cursing myself because the Bible tells us that God wants to renew our youth like the eagles (Isaiah 40:31 and Psalm 103:5).  It was against the Word of God to proclaim getting old!  I allowed wastage of my youth, and it kept manifesting until I repented and began to experience healing little by little, and had to reverse every curse I’ve spoken against my youth.  I am only 36 for crying out loud! How am I getting old? The devil is a liar!

8)   Supernatural Occurrences in the Physical Realm: You find movements within/on your body that are unexplainable—stomach fluttering at odd times, especially during prayer; feeling of bugs crawling on you, etc.  You are not schizophrenic (necessarily)…this could be a physical manifestation of the waster spirit troubling you and your atmosphere to torment and waste your peace of mind.

9)   Demonic attacks during sleep: Such manifestations such as being choked, or pressed, or suffocated.  Your only hope in the dream state is to call on Jesus and wake up out of that state.  It is possible a waster has been sent to kill you in the spirit realm, in order to cause your death to manifest here in the natural realm.  It used to happen to me when I served in prayer ministry at Times Square Church.  I would lead someone to Christ, and then dream someone choking me, until I was able to say the Name of Jesus and be literally yanked from that dream.  

10) Constant, Unexplainable Struggle: When you find yourself having to struggle and scale mountains, or fight and bleed, for every single accomplishment for yourself.  For some reason, it is so much more effortless for others.  That is not of God.  That is usually a waster throwing roadblocks in your direction to derail your faith and your efforts. It is designed to get you discouraged.  I am not speaking about random things, with random obstacles, that happen to all people on this earth.  I am talking drama at every single job, every time you enroll in school for your education and degree, every time you tried something nice for your marriage or family.  With every single good plan, that you've brought to Lord in prayer, and feel confident about, you find there is something that ruins it—the type of issue that doesn’t make sense because it is something that should be effortless for you.

Other Signs of Waster Spirits:

11) Swimming in a dream

12) Having sex in dreams with incubus and succubus demons—horrible wasters at work—spirit husbands/wives that delay or destroy marriages, wasting your destiny to have marriage and family as God ordained, or to experience a good marriage with the spouse you have.

13) Being pursued in a dream.

14) Seeing dead relatives in dreams, especially as a Christian.  This may also be a sign of family history of occult practices.

15) You get sick or feel unwell whenever there are big life experiences—not the random once-in-a-while-can’t-help-life issues,  but each time you have something important or valuable to do, you are incapacitated in some way.

16) Accidents always happening.  Big accidents over time, or day-by-day so-called “clumsiness” that is above-average are the signs of waster spirits in your atmosphere.

17) Always being accused wrongly—no matter where you go or what you do.

18) All of your hard work fails to get you to success.

19) You are always losing money—even when God does answer prayers.  You get a lump sum of money, but suddenly the car breaks down, then your boiler in the house, then your mom gets sick!  The money you prayed and fasted three months for is now gone, but that was the money to finally  get you into school!

20) **Being out of the perfect will and/or timing of God** This means that you are doing the wrong thing at the right time (for you to get into trouble) or the right thing at the wrong time (for you to get into trouble).  Obviously, God’s will is perfect and we need to be doing the right thing at the right time.

It is time to ask yourself serious questions to avoid continued wastage:

1)   Do I know my destiny?  If your life is an experiment, after a certain age, and you have been to school three times, and you’re still trying to find out what you were born to do at 45, then your life is a product of the waster.  

2)   If God has confirmed a vision and…nothing! Time and again, God has actually confirmed His best plan for your life, and you are not operating there, or at least on your way there—your life is wasting.

3)  You are losing or squandering available opportunities, privileges, resources, provisions, and help that you keep getting?  Self-explanatory.

4)   If you are blinded:  Frankly, you know what to do, but cannot get an edge on how to do it—you are kept from a plan of success for your life, ministry, business, calling, goals, etc—your destiny is being wasted.

5)   If you are dying before your time due to sickness, illness, injury, an accident, or some other type of issue such as crime, your life has been attacked by a waster: I am not talking when it is the time that God calls you home, but when it was before your time—usually contributed to by life choices, mistakes, missteps, failure to heed internal warnings/ instincts/ promptings from the Holy Spirit.  Example: you’ve lived outside of the will of God by engaging in immoral relationships which leads to chlamydia then cervical cancer, then death.  You are hanging out with people who drink, knowing you do not belong at that event.  Instead of leaving when God tells you too, and taking a cab home, you wait for your ride, and end up in an accident three hours later that has left you paralyzed.  Heed the warnings of the Lord!!!!

6)   If you fail to follow what God puts into your heart to do: “Large” or “small”  you just fail to do your assignment from God and allow your assignment to be transferred (see the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 15); your destiny has been wasted.  If you feel called to something, simply ask God to confirm if you are unsure.  Someone will speak to you about it, or you will hear a message, or find a Scripture.  God DOES speak.  And when He does--GO!  Don't wait, just GO! Ever have an idea or vision for five years, failing to use it, then one day you forget about it--that is until you see someone else doing it?  How did that feel? Horrible?  Yes.   I have personally learned that God will simply fulfill His will through someone else.   God is no respecter of persons.  He will wait for you for a while, it seems, as we saw Him wait on Moses a few years.  However, if Moses had not stepped up to the plate in the Book of Exodus, you think God would have continued to leave the Jews in bondage?  Nope.  Maybe Jethro would have been parting the Red Sea and being talked about for thousands of years by people all around the world.  How would Moses have felt for the remainder of his life?

7)   If you allow your bread to become stones: Time and again, your blessings are turning into curses because those blessings have been wasted.

8)   When you are pursuing the wrong profession or ministry calling:  You are in the wrong career (like I’ve been), even though you know it is not for you.  You keep going around in circles whenever you try to transition into what God has for you--that is the work of the waster spirit.

9)   If your mind is bombarded by evil thoughts:  You cannot stop being bitter in your thoughts about people, especially with unforgiveness.  Unfortunately, a waster spirit is at play.

10) Occult practices in your background or life:  If your ancestors, especially your parents, are involved in the occult—or have placed you in occult—unknowingly or knowingly; i.e. your parents doing “spiritual baths” for protection when you are a child—you become sucked into the free-for-all of a wasted life.   

11)  A Christian Not Bearing Fruit:  If you can look at your life and see that you have not done anything lasting for the Kingdom of God or the Glory of Jesus Christ, such as lead at least one person to their salvation, served in a ministry, or even prayed for someone else, then a waster is destroying God's plans to use you in His Kingdom.  Why does it matter, you are saved after all, right?  I will tell you why.  Satan knows that it is written, "So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:19).  

How to Get Delivered and Overcome the Waster Spirit:

1)   That is why Jesus came to die—for the salvation we need from our sins, but also so we would live more abundantly—to the fullness of the destiny the Lord has for us.  He came so we would not be wasted!

First, you must give your entire life to God through His Son, Jesus Christ.  You must confess that you are a sinner who needs a Savior.  Then confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior; confess that He died on the Cross for our sins and rose on the third day.  Pray the sinner’s prayer to get saved—you can try something like this or whatever comes to your heart along these lines:

   
“God, I confess that I am a sinner.  Please forgive me for the sins I have committed.  I repent of all my sins.  I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the Cross for my sins and rose on the third day.  I ask Jesus now to be my Lord and Savior.  Please come into my heart, Jesus, and take control of my life.  Please fill me and baptize me with Your Holy Spirit.  In Your Name, I pray, Amen."

You are now saved and a child of God in Jesus.  You are now covered by the Blood and have eternal life (John 3:16; John 14:6).  But we do not stop there.  He promises abundant life too (John 10:10). 

2)   Ask the Holy Spirit to examine and search your heart.  Then repent specifically for whatever sins come to your mind—whatever stands between you and God—that thing you did in third grade that got your parents in trouble?  That time you lied about your grandfather dying to get out of work, knowing he was alive and well down south?  Whatever God brings to your heart.  Repent and ask God to cleanse you of all unrighteousness—the sins you remember and the ones you can’t remember.  Repent for the sins you wanted to commit, even the ones you didn’t—like that time you lusted after your boss that you knew was married?  In God’s eyes, you already committed it.  Repent for the sins that cause curses—disobedience to parents, for example, is an open door for your life to be wasted.  Not doing so can cause life to be quite painful and shortened (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2).

3)   Wage war against the wasters!!  

Spiritual warfare—prayers to attack and defeat, to take authority from God over these demonic forces.  Start with these prayers, but ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in the battle.  First, put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and then let the Lord lead.  Afraid of spiritual warfare?  Well, the Lord says to pray “… in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people (Ephesians 6:18).   Don’t know how to engage in prayer battle?  Meditate on these verses: “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke 10:19); “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4);  “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18);  “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn” (Isaiah 54:17). 

Once you learn that you are ordered by the Lord to fight, ask Him to teach you how.  Boldly decree the following Scriptures to aid in the battle:

Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle (Psalm 144:1);

He makes my feet like hinds' feet, And sets me upon my high places. 34He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.… (Psalm 18:33-35).

Use the prayers below to help you in the battle for your life!

Spiritual warfare prayers against the waster spirits:

Scripture Reading - Exodus 12

Confession - Isaiah 54:16-17

From “Dismantling the Works of the Waster Spirits” by Apostle Paul A. Williams

(Apostolic Revival Church).

1.   Power to fight and win, fall upon my life right now, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

2.   I arrest every instrument of wasters fashioned against my life and command it to perish by fire, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

3.   Thunder fire of God, arise and scatter every power on assignment to waste my life and destiny, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

4.   Power of darkness operating to convert my destiny into rages, you are a liar, perish by fire!!! Die in the Name of Jesus Christ!

5.   Fire of God, pass through my spirit, soul, and body and burn to ashes every instrument of the wasters at work in my life, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

6.   I Command the household wasters – Enemies from my own house – by the power in the Blood of Jesus, I terminate all your contracts in my life, in Jesus’ Name! Beginning today, you shall bear your own waste, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

7.   Blood of Jesus arise and dismantle every curse, spell, declaration, and incantations of the wasters over my life, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

8.   Evil covenants made on my behalf, you are cancelled by the Blood of Jesus, in the Name of Jesus Christ! By the Divine Hammer I dismantle every satanic altar speaking over my life, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

9.   Foundational wasters and spirits operating in my life and family, what are you waiting for??? Fall and die, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

10.        By the Blood of Jesus, I erase every evil mark of the wasters made upon my life, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

11.        Fire of God, arise and burn to ashes every cover of darkness assigned to block my rain of blessings, in Jesus’s Name!!

12.        By the thunder fire of God, I dismantle every satanic assignment to waste my portions and virtues, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

13.        I command every door the wasters have been using to access my life to be slammed shut by the angels of God, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

14.        I command all the good of my life that was scattered by the wasters to begin to gather and be restored into my life, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

15.        I decree it: I recover every ground in my life that was lost to the wasters, seven-fold, in the Name of Jesus Christ!

16.        I decree it: from today, there will be no more waste manifested in my life, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!!

Prayers against wasters of prosperity, abundance, and success:

(From “Battling the Wasters,” Published by Dr. D.K. Olukoya, Mountain Fire Ministries)

1. I refuse to be wasted, in the Name of Jesus. 
2. Every waster of my prosperity, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.
3. Every aggression against my prosperity, be paralysed, in the name of Jesus.
4. My blessings shall not be stagnate, in the name of Jesus. 
5. I reject weak financial breakthrough. I claim big financial breakthrough, in Jesus’ name. 
6. Every hidden devourer, be bound, in the name of Jesus.
7. I release myself from every evil family pattern of poverty, in the name of Jesus.
8. All my prosperity on every evil altar, I withdraw you now, in the name of Jesus.
9. Every spirit of leaking pockets, come out with all your roots by fire, in Jesus’ name.
10. Every prosperity paralysis from household wickedness, come out with all your roots by fire, in Jesus’ name.
11. Every clever devourer, come out with all your roots, in Jesus’ name.
12. Every spirit of fragmented life, come out with all your roots, in Jesus’ name.
13. Every spirit of debt, come out with all your roots, in Jesus’ name.
14. Every handshake of poverty, come out with all your roots, in Jesus’ name.
15. Every financial paralysis by witchcraft, come out with all your roots, in Jesus’ name.
16. Begin to tell the Lord the type of prosperity that you want and He will give it to you, in Jesus' name.
17. Every satanic insect prepared against me, be dissolved by fire, in the name of Jesus.

From Pastor Mike’s Blog

"Warefare Prayers Against the Wasters"

http://pastormike-spirituallift.blogspot.com/2012/02/warfare-prayers-i-waste-every-waster-of.html

1. The law behind stubborn walls in my life, be broken, in the name of Jesus.

2. Every law ordinance that is tormenting me, I command you to fail, in the name of Jesus.

3. Every law contrary to the word of God, I command you to break, in the name of Jesus.

4. You tormentor, be dismantled from my life, in the name of Jesus.

5. Every Senacherib against me, fall by your sword, in the name of Jesus.

6. Let the fire of God answer the fire of the enemy and let the God that answers by fire be God, in the name of Jesus.

7. Let my enemies be electrocuted, in the name of Jesus.

8. O Lord, let Your hunters deal with witchcraft in my foundation, in the name of Jesus.

9. O Lord, let Your wasters waste my enemies, in the name of Jesus.

10. O Lord, let Your wasters fight my devourers, in the name of Jesus.

11. O Lord, release Your fire to go before me and burn the challenger of my soul, in the name of Jesus.

12. I will become God’s promotion, in the name of Jesus.

13. Let every principle of heaven for my life take root, in the name of Jesus.

14. O Lord, protect my portions, in the name of Jesus.

15. I will prevail in the days of testing, in the name of Jesus.

16. Any evil conjured against me, vanish, in the name of Jesus.

17. O Lord, let Your glory speak for me today, in the name of Jesus.

18. I oppress the wicked by fire, in the name of Jesus.

19. O Lord, let my divine destiny appear; let perverted destiny disappear, in the name of Jesus.

20. I reject every satanic rearrangement of my destiny, in the name of Jesus.

21. I refuse to live below my divine standard, in the name of Jesus.

22. Let the handwriting of household wickedness be rubbed off, in the name of Jesus.

23. Every evil power with awareness of my destiny, be impotent, in the name of Jesus.

24. I paralyze every destiny pollutant, in the name of Jesus.

25. O Lord, send divine plagues upon my Pharaoh, in the name of Jesus.

26. O Lord, let not my name disappear from Your book of remembrance, in the name of Jesus.

27. Every power trying to remove my name from the mind of my helpers, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.

28. I crush every satanic lion rising against my success, in the name of Jesus.

29. Any power planning to re-build my Jericho, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.

30. O Lord, let Your mighty voice thunder against my enemies and throw them into confusion, in the name of Jesus.

31. Let every satanic ambush be frustrated, in the name of Jesus.

I pray this helped you all.  Stay tuned for the third blog entry of the “Take Back Your Life” Series—“Receiving Your Seven-Fold Restoration.”

May God bless you and keep you all in Christ Jesus.  Please email me or IM on Facebook with any prayer requests or questions.  You can also post questions, comments, and prayer requests on the blog site.

TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE! Part 1 : Battling the Spirits of Distraction—Sanballat

Scripture:

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Wall

¹¹ So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later, ¹² I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding. ¹³ After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well,^[d] and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. ¹⁴ Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but my donkey couldn’t get through the rubble. ¹⁵ So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley^[e] instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.  ¹⁶ The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders—the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration. ¹⁷ But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” ¹⁸ Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king.  They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.  ¹⁹ But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked.

²⁰ I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:11-20 NLT).

Taking Back My Life

I know I’ve discussed this time and time again.  Maybe you’re sick of hearing about it, but this issue is at the center of some of what God has chosen to use in my life, so, please, bear with me…

As I was saying, I am a writer.

It is a talent that the Lord God exhibited early in life.  Not only did I love reading the works of others, but I loved words.  By the age of 8, I was writing award-winning essays and school plays.  By age 15, I wrote my first novel.  It being a horrendous bag of jumbled ideas, and feelings, is neither here nor there.  What mattered is that by the age of 15, I wrote something that had a beginning, middle, and end.  It had characters and a plot.  It had a purpose.  Whether or not it fulfilled that purpose is another issue altogether.  By 19, I published, professionally, my first two collections of poetry.  I was also a performance artist doing spoken word competitions and show cases.  I even fancied myself a songwriter and rapper at some point.  I planned to be Lauryn Hill—only without the singing voice of angels.    By then, I had been awarded prizes for my writings, and had also published in e-magazines and journals.  I also knew, for sure by age 21, that there was nothing else I would rather do in life besides write.  Not only did I sense a burning desire to write, but I felt like I needed to write the types of stories that would change lives.  It was more than ending up on Oprah’s Book Club—the lack of which my mother never forgave me for, mind you.  I was going to write those novels that were taught by snooty college professors—the kinds of novels and poetry that seniors in high school write research papers upon (like I did on Maya Angelou and Zora Neale Hurston).  Either that, or I was gonna write those novels that may not have been academic, but they academically impacted millions of people—like Terry McMillan did with Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

It was about producing works that people would really read! Not only would my novels become excellent movies—like A Time to Kill—My works were supposed to make such a profound impact, that the readers would be influenced to make different choices, after reading my works.  Come on!  Don’t act like I am the only one who made a significant change in life, after reading a good book—like how I started to love my dark skin after reading Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.  My works would be about sharing, somehow, all that I had personally seen, experienced, and overcome—as well as what I had gleaned from the experiences of others.  It was about…

Doing something…

But Momita told me that I need to have a plan to fall back on.  And Dad told me that I needed not to pursue creative fields as an academic pursuit or for employment.  There was no need to hone a God-given talent—which is a gift.  If it is meant to be, everything would fall into place.

*Sigh* Parents…poor things…I believed them too.  It was wrong advice, but I did believe them.  I pursued the art of doing something else…

The doing something else was not bad.  It was about finding a career, becoming educated for it, then, unfortunately, becoming enslaved to it.  It was about not putting forth prayer, effort, and resources towards that which God placed in my heart to do long before I could understand what writing was, and why God loves to use books to get ahold of people.  I mean if writing wasn’t important to God, why did He choose to write down His instructions.  Seems to me, the God Who created the sun, and sent His Son, could have communicated with us through a variety of ways…

So I knew the gift of writing was nothing to sneeze at, but one day, what I also knew what that I was doing something else…and the more I was doing something else….the more I became distant from that thing that I was actually born to do. 

One day I woke up and found out that it had been 10  years since I wrote one creative sentence, let alone a poem, story, novel, or play.  Let alone an article, or creative essay.  Let alone anything outside of academic works needed to obtain the undergraduate and graduate degrees that led me to the career that would ensure that I would be doing something else—mental health.  Not only was I doing something else, but I was doing something “else” that drove me right outside of the scope of the divine purposes and will of God for my life. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I was doing something else, but did God use it?  He always does in His wisdom and mercy.  Did God allow me to prosper with it, and in it?  He always does in His wisdom and mercy.  God honors our work and will allow us to make use of it.  However, there is a perfect will of God and is not just about work—as in what we do—but about the work that is rooted in who we are and who we are meant to be.

And that is the difference between a career and a calling.  And a calling cannot be fulfilled when you are doing something else. 

How does one end up doing something else?  How does one end up in something that takes them away from what God has for them to do or become?  How?  Well, one way for sure is through distractions. 

Distractions?  I mean, we all get distracted, right?  How can something as universal and silly as a distraction cause God’s people to end up completely doing something else—so much so that we end up being something else in the wrong careers, wrong locations, or even the wrong relationships?

Well, one way is through the spirit of distraction, who comes as a spirit named 

Sanballat. 

We first became aware of a man named Sanballat—and the spirit force driving him—in the Book of Nehemiah.  Sanballat did not travel alone either, oh no!  He walked with his compadres Tobiah and Gesham.  Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gesham—along with the spirits driving them—were on assignment. 

Their purpose was to distract Nehemiah from rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.  But what is this spirit of Sanballat—along with his homies Tobiah and Gesham?  How does this spirit of Distraction work against the people and the purposes of God?

According to the article that was featured in Charisma Magazine Online, by Jennifer LeClare, (2013), Sanballat is a spirit that is rooted in distraction.  And not just any distraction, mind you!  Oh, no!  This form of distraction is on an assignment to derail your whole destiny!  How does spirits of distraction, or the spirit of Sanballat work?

According to the article, “Sanballat is an enemy of revival and brings strong opposition to what God wants to build. Sanballat is a critical persecutor who brings false accusations against the work and the people putting their hand to the plow. And Sanballat will rally others to the opposition against you, like Tobiahs and Geshems, just like he did to Nehemiah.

The spirit of Sanballat’s goal is to discourage you—to get you to quit what God has called you to do. This spirit’s overarching mission is to thwart God’s work. It’s a judgmental, mocking, insidious spirit that, again, sometimes comes in sheep’s clothing. Someone flowing in this spirit may even offer to come alongside and help you, but its intentions are to tear down—not build up—the figurative wall God is calling you to build.”

So we have already learned that this spirit of distraction seeks to derail God’s plans.  We know that its goal is to cause God’s people to get off course, causing their destinies and callings to follow.  Yet, we need to be mindful of the specific ways in which Sanballat works in our lives.

Ways the spirits of distraction—Sanballat—works in our lives.

1

   Discouragement:  In the Book of Nehemiah (2:10-2:20), when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gesham heard about Nehemiah’s plans, what was the first thing they did?  They attempted to discourage him with laughter and mocking.  They heckled his plans, trying to make him feel foolish for pursuing his God-given vision.  When that did not work, they attempted to challenge Nehemiah’s loyalty to the king, essentially stating that there was rebellion within Nehemiah.  They accused him of being something that he was not.   Ever had someone call you crazy for pursuing that burning desire in your heart?  Ever had people go as far as accusing you of things like showing off or being “lofty” in your ideas?  Yes, those were people under the spirits of Sanballat (distraction) causing you to question yourself and the vision God put in your heart !  Keep in mind, I said, “your” heart, not necessarily anyone else’s.

Opposition:  So Sanballat tried to discourage Nehemiah with mocking and laughter.  When that did not work, what did he do?  He made his accusations against Nehemiahs’s own character and behavior.  What was the next level after that?  To oppose the work.  In Chapter 4, in the Book of Nehemiah Sanballat and his crew began to spread vicious gossip to turn people away from the idea (vs. 4:1-3).  Then, the dude took it further, and tried to actually find a way to bring the Wall of Jerusalem—Nehemiah’s vision—down.  They made plans to destroy his work (vs. 5-6).  Ever had someone in your life actually try to destroy, derail, or delay that which you felt led to start?  I have seen people, and their vision/work, become sabotaged by those closest to them!  I’ve seen everything from women destroying their own sister’s wedding, to wivess ruining their husband’s business, to parents gambling away monies that belonged to their child’s educational fund.  Sometimes the opposition does not come in such an overt way.  Sometimes, that spirit works in those we know in a subtle way, or in a passive-aggressive way.  Sometimes it will be that your best friend’s offers to help you out during your first catering job, and she shows up, only to be destructive and rude to everyone at the event.  Suddenly you’ve lost clients!  Here you were, so grateful for your friend’s help—after all, you’ve just started this life-long dream to be a caterer, you’ve just gotten your first gig, and you couldn’t afford all the staff you really needed to make it as smooth as you would have liked.  Your best friend steps up and says, “I can help!” And yet she destroys it all before you even got a chance to get up and running.  Yes, Sanballat can attack us through the help we thought was supposedly God-sent.  That is why we ask God about everything—even if we should accept an opportunity or a supposed gift or offer.  Sometimes it is a counterfeit gift, nothing more than a trap set up by Satan to distract and delay you. 

The Urgent Issue:  So, you’ve raised your kids.  All three have completed high school and the last two are in college, and one is in graduate school.  You’ve worked hard all of your life.  You saved your money—not the money that you shared with your husband to run your household, but your money—the funds you scrimped and saved and earned, on the side, for your dream.  Your husband knew your dream and had no problems with you putting aside that $10 per week, for the last thirty years, in order to pursue your dream one day.  Finally, your mortgage is paid off as well.  Your husband is still working—planning to retire in five more years, so guess what?  You’re financially okay.  Now, after sacrificing and waiting, you are finally, finally able to retire a bit early from nursing, and live off your savings, while you spend the next year writing the novel. You’ve been praying and praying for the way and God came through when it was time.  After confirming with God, you put in your notice at your nursing job—where you’ve been working twelve hour shifts for the last thirty years—and you are finally, finally able to take time off to follow your dream.  You are going to write books on being a Godly wife!

But guess what? Sanballat—and his host of demons of distraction—decide now is the time to get your husband laid off from his job, of thirty-five years, at the small insurance company that just went—oh no!—bankrupt.  Not only is your husband now only getting a tiny severance package, but all of those benefits he’d been assured of are gone.  The company cannot afford to pay out those benefits—the same ones your husband has been paying into all those years!  You’re freaking out, but your husband assures you he has every under control—he reassures you that he wants you not to give up your dream again.  He believes somehow you all will make it through.  He is still earning from his severance package, and will be getting unemployment.  He is quite sure by the time the package runs out, he’ll already have a new job.  So he kisses your forehead and asks you about your latest chapter, which you happily hand off to him to read and critique.

But then…

The twenty-four-week package runs out.  His unemployment now brings in an income of $405 per week, versus the $1600 per week your husband usually brings in.  Sure the mortgage is paid off, but you still have two car notes, insurance for four cars, as well as medical insurance through Cobra that now costs $450 per month.  You can’t give up your medical care because your oldest daughter has severe asthma issues and needs the best care, while getting her master’s degree full-time.  Her program is rigorous so she can’t really work full-time right now.  And did I mention the two other children in college?  Did I forget gas, light, and electricity?  You don’t need cable, but you do need water!  Food is also a good thing to have sometimes.

And, oh goodness, your second son attends college in a small Florida town, and his car just stopped working one day, out of the blue (*wink, wink*), so you have to get him another small car to get to classes and his part-time job.

And, oh goodness, your third daughter must go to Italy for an opportunity to study abroad and take on an internship—as part of her fashion textiles major. 

And, oh goodness, you suddenly find yourself calling your old boss and asking for another position with the hospital.  They are always short-staffed so she is happy to take you back in because you need medical insurance for your family, you need more income for your home, and you need to put that novel on hold.  Besides, it was stupid of you to think you should give up your job for a dream.  Maybe God is punishing you for your selfishness…

At least that is what Satan keeps whispering to you late at night while you’re asleep!

Those are just three ways in which Satan—through his minions of distraction—will attempt to take you away from your destiny and the calling or vision God put in your heart.  There are a variety of distractions—that Satan will use—sometimes large, sometimes small, sometimes directly in opposition, sometimes dressed as a support, but actually being a counterfeit on assignment to destroy you.  Sometimes the distraction will arrive as a person or a relationship to a person, sometimes it will be a crisis, and sometimes it will be someone else’s crisis that puts your mind on what God never told you to do, and keeps your mind off of what God did ordain you to do.

So how do we come against the spirit of distraction in our lives?  How do we send Sanballat back to the pits of Hell?

                

Never get off the wall:

One thing about Nehemiah is that no matter what Sanballat hurled at him—ridicule, mocking, opposition—even sending four requests for a meeting to “discuss the issues,” (vs. 6:6-7)—Nehemiah never got off the wall.  He never came down from the height of the wall, where he was called to erect the gates, in order to get caught up in those distractions that Sanballat tried to use against him.  Nehemiah stayed steadfast, having a tunnel vision in the Lord.  But how did Nehemiah actually do it?  How did he overcome the different potential distractions that Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gesham send his way?

1). Speaking the Word of God on the situation:   When Nehemiah first began his project, rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem, Sanballat’s ridicule  could have discouraged a man who did not have Nehemiah’s unwavering faith in the promises of God.  When Nehemiah was mocked (vs. 2:10-2:20), did he get upset? Throw in the towel? Did he get caught up in defending himself (like I have often done)?  No.  Instead, he not only focused and stood upon the promises in the Word of God, but he spoke the Word of God in response to the situation.    Before Sanballat could say something else, Nehemiah’s response was, in verse 2:20, “I replied, ‘The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.’"  Nehemiah did not even allow the mockers to speak curses into God’s work.  He reaffirmed the vision God had placed upon his heart, and then he let that man (and the spirits operating within him) but you have no legal right to this place…

Sometimes a vision from God comes only to you.  Remember what I said earlier about a vision in “your heart?”  That means others may not necessarily get it, much less be able to validate it.  So you must ask God to validate it.  Go into prayer (and fasting), until you can be confident that you have a call from the Lord.  After the Lord has confirmed through scriptures, through others, and through His own ways of doing so, then you speak the Word against any form of distraction that will attempt to discourage or mock you. 

2) Stay in your position—don’t come down off the wall:  As I mentioned earlier, in Chapter Six, you see Sanballat resorting to all sorts of efforts, ploys, and tactics to deter Nehemiah from completing his God-breathed assignment and vision.  When ridicule did not discourage him, he tried opposition, then tried destruction, and finally tried something that essentially appeared as though it could be helpful.  In versus 6:2-5, Nehemiah tells us, “then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, ‘Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.’  But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?’ They sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way.”

Clearly, not only did Nehemiah reaffirm the importance of his mission by restating, “I am doing a great work,” he also reaffirms his focus by stating, ”…so that I cannot come down.”  My man Nehemiah takes it further by stating, “Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”

Have you ever asked the devil that question?  Why should I stop now?  Jesus did, when Satan tried tempting Him out of the wilderness during his fast.  Jesus refused to budge, and He was dealing with a lot more than a few pesky rumors and messages.  Have you wondered what would happen if you do what it says in the Word, in James 4:7, and resist the enemy so he can flee?  Ever thought of not picking up that phone, for your sister, who always seems to need a babysitter when you are about to do that application for that Master’s degree program you’ve been talking about for five years?  Let’s take it back to that situation I used earlier—the nurse who was forced back into the job God gave her the means to leave to pursue her dreams.  What if she had told those mountains to move? (Mark 11:22).  What if she had said in response to Satan, “Naw! I am doing a great work, why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to where you want me to be?”

I am pretty sure after a while, Satan, or his spirits of distraction, would have had to keep it moving.

     Be aware, confront the enemy:  We all get tired of fighting.  We all get battle weary and frustrated with those annoying little things that pile up on us, making it impossible to focus on that which we feel called to focus upon.  Even Nehemiah had to become aware of Sanballat’s tactics.  In Nehemiah 6:6-9, one can sense Nehemiah becoming fed up.  He is fully away of these people’s constant opposition and attempts to distract him and he makes it known that he knows.  Nehemiah writes, after yet another accusation, “Then I sent a message to him saying, ‘Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.’  For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.’”  In that verse, one can sense that not only are Nehemiah’s eyes open wide with discernment about what is happening, but he confronts the enemy with it.  I’ve personally had to let people know when the Lord revealed their true motives and intentions.  People (and situations) will flee when you confront them with the righteous discernment of the Lord.  I’ve had to say, “I don’t know if you realize it, but you’re always sabotaging my work.  Don’t you want me to finish what I’ve started?”  And surprisingly that person will miraculously keep it moving.

     Ask God to Strengthen Your “Hands”:  After Nehemiah caught on to the fact that Sanballat was not going to stop sending messages, and coming up with ways to distract him from the work, he confronted him, as I mentioned in the previous section.  What Nehemiah also did was say, at the end of verse 6:9, “But now, Lord, strengthen my hands.”

God is always aware, ahead of time, of what oppositions you will face.  Ask God to strengthen you, in your calling, wherever you are weak—ask Him to strengthen your focus, work ethic, your spirit of excellence, or you’re your resources and finances.  Ask Him to give you the power to discern that which is being used as a distraction and then ask for the power to flee from it.  Ask God to anoint you with fresh anointing(s) for that purpose daily.  Ask God to strengthen your hands for the work—as Nehemiah did—but also to strengthen whatever it is that He has also given you for the work to be completed.  And most of all, ask for the Holy Spirit to lead you in every good work.  Ask for His grace to abound so that you will be equipped to complete it (2 Corinthians 9:8), and for God to act and will for you to complete your works (Philippians 2:13).  Whatever your “hands” are, that were gifted to you, to fulfill your destiny, go to the Father, in the Name of Jesus, and ask for Him to strengthen, multiply, and freshen them.

     Let the Lord fight the Battle:   Remember, God is always ready to fight on our behalf.  Although I believe in spiritual warfare and prayer warriors, who are anointed for that purpose by God, I know that the battle is always won by the Lord.  If you find yourself struggling to complete that which you are called by God to do—whether it is a short-term assignment like mentoring a new believer in Christ, or a long-term assignment—such as writing Christian fiction novels about tough issues people are leery about discussing in God’s church—sometimes you need to get back to that place of turning the battle over to the Lord of Lords.  Yes, God gives us, through the Blood of Christ, the permission and power to take authority over devils, heal the sick, and perform great works (Matthew 10:8).  Yes, we can call on God for the protection of all sorts of angels—warrior angels, ministering angels, messenger angels, deliverance angels, and destiny angels—even blessing angels (Psalm 91:11; Luke 4:10), there are times we just to go to our Father and ask Him to fight the battle.  After being steadfast in his battle against Sanballat’s efforts to derail him, Nehemiah was forced to deal with one last attempt to get him to flee from his work—a threat upon his very life sent through Shemaiah to cause Nehemiah to run(vs. 10).   At the end of his patience, Nehemiah cried out to God in verse 14 saying, “Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.”

Again, Nehemiah did not do what I might have done, which is to go into a confrontation with those fools, who had the temerity to threaten me—threaten ME!!!  He turned them over to God, asking God to remember their actions, and to deal with those fools for trying to run him off.

At the end of the day, the enemy is like a roaring lion, prowling about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).  He is not only devouring us, but our callings, our destinies, and our provisions.  Most of all, he is using distractions—some that even appear to be good things, such as getting involved in helping someone, or a friend’s help towards you—to derail your entire life, often in a very subtle manner.  We need to spiritually discern if a spirit of Distraction, such as Sanballat, is distracting you from that which God has planned for you!

No matter what way Satan attacks you, and the work of God being done through you, stand firm.  Whether it is a spirit of Sanballat (distraction), Jezebel (rebellion), or Python (constriction), stand firm on the Name of Jesus, and stand firm in the position, purpose, and plan of God for your life.

Prayer- Spiritual Warfare Against Spirits of Distraction (Sanballat):

Father God,

                  

I thank you that the Blood of Jesus, that covers me, allows me to bind any demonic force that is against me, and ultimately is against you, Lord.  No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and I stand on the promises of God.

In the name of Jesus, I bind and rebuke Satan, in the Name of Jesus.  I bind and rebuke every demonic power operating to distract or derail my purpose in the Name of Jesus.  I command you to flee.  You have no right to be in my home or in my atmosphere.  You have no right to be in my relationships or my work.  All that I have is under the covering of the Blood of Jesus!  My home is covered by the Blood of Jesus.  The atmosphere is filled with the Spirit and Presence of the Most High God.  This ground is a holy and sacred.  This is the ground that I have declared to be a house of the Lord. I command you to bow to Jesus and worship Him. The Bible says that every knee shall bow at His Name, and right now, in the spiritual realm, I command you to bow down.  I command all spirits of distraction, including the spirits of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gesham, to be bound and cast out into the abyss in the Name of Jesus!

I speak to the spirits of depression, procrastination, idleness, laziness, confusion, apathy, hopelessness and fear! I command you all to go in the Name of Jesus.  I bind and rebuke any devouring spirits, or waster spirit, dispatched to bring distractions against my destiny in various areas of my family, home, finances, and health!  By the Blood of Jesus, I cancel your every assignment against my family and me, in Jesus’ name!

You have tried to knock me down, but I will rise up, and every time that I do; I am confident that my God is protecting me and is taking me to a higher place.  I stand on Jeremiah 29:11, believing God that He has good plans to prosper me and not to harm me.  I stand on the promise that God will finish the work that He has started in me and my home. I trust that God will fulfill those promises.

I give all doubt to you, God. I release my worry, expectations, anguish, guilt, rage, anxieties and fears to you, Lord. I am going to completely rely on you like I should have done in the first place.  I cover my works, my destiny, my calling, my resources, and visions, my plans, and my relationships with the Blood of Jesus.  Please order my steps and direct my path, not allowing me to go right nor left.  I command all doors closed on any counterfeits, in any area of my life! I command a seven-fold restoration of any ground or goods or aspects of my destiny that were stolen by Satan in the Name of Jesus! I come against any demonic delays, distractions, and defeat, and form of  discouragement.   I command every force operating under any spoken curses or witchcraft, against my destiny, to be bound and cast into the abyss in the Name of Jesus!

My feet are steady and grounded on the rock of Jesus. I am hidden under the rock of my Savior and no demonic entity can find the source of these prayers as I speak confusion into the spiritual realm.  I command these prayers to get through in the Name of Jesus!

Jehovah Nissi, You are my banner and I lift Your Name up above my family, home and everything that I own. I lift Your Name over every bit of the work and ministry that I do.  I know you will carry us through this temporary battle and lead us into a final victory that my destiny will be fulfilled.

Lord, let the healing balm of Gilead cover every wound that has been inflicted by the enemy. Help me to make sound choices that follow your will and not my feelings.  Help me to say no to every stressful thing that is attempting to distract me, by sucking all my time and energy in the wrong direction.  I come against all signs, signals and distractions that are not coming from the God who cares about my well-being in the Name of Jesus.

My eyes are on Jesus and the will of God alone. Thank you, Holy Spirit for guiding me. In Jesus’ precious name, I thank You for this, Amen.”

(A portion of the prayer based on prayers by Julia Shalom Jordan).

Please look out for the next installment of the “Take Back Your Life series, Part 2: Overcoming the Waster Spirits”.

A Prophetic Word from the Lord

Scripture: 

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, theLord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire,but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12 NKJV).

Like Elijah, who was going through some chaos and confusion, I cried out to the Lord today.  I suppose--due to the circumstances--that there would be fire, and demon-slaying through spiritual warefare, and speaking in tongues of fire, and declaring and decreeing, and demanding while I was at it...

But that didn't happen.

Like Elijah, I didn't hear the Lord today in the wind, or in an earthquake, or a fire.  But in a gentle whisper.  

He put this word on my heart...not just for me, but for members of His church.  I don't know who exactly it is for--all I know is that this time, it doesn't seem to be just for me.  It's for me to share as well.  It is a prophetic word to share with all of you, that whomever receives it, may see it come to pass.  Mind you, I am not calling myself "a prophet."  I am, however, anointed as an intercessor who just happened to get a "prophetic word" which happens, from time to time, especially when the Spirit of God leads you to pray for "a revelation."

And I have learned, from the Lord, to request the promise found in Jeremiah 33:3 that says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

So He did.

After obtaining scriptural confirmation (you don't NOT want to say God said and He ain't!), I felt led to pass this on to you.  

It is a prayer that you can stand on, that you can receive by faith upon your own life.  Each scripture is a promise and I stand on each one with all of you!  

Hear the word of the Lord:

Let the anointing of the Lord rest upon you (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18).  I have heard your cry.  I will release the angels of protection concerning you , as I release you to go forward in your journey( Psalm 91:11; Luke 4:10).  I will go forth ahead of you, appointing to you, all the resources, provisions, merciful assistance that you need (Deuteronomy 31:8; Exodus 33:14).  No trouble shall come near your dwelling places (Psalm 91:10), as I cause you to rest on your journey along the way (Matthew 11:28).  I shall receive your prayers and turn them into blessings (Psalm 6:9; Isaiah 30:19).  I shall turn your tears and cries into shouts of joy (Psalm 126:5; John 16:20).  I shall remove the bands of bondage and wickedness (Isaiah 10:27).  You shall decree a thing and it shall manifest (Job 22:28).  I shall come upon you as a thief, like the bridegroom coming for His bride--suddenly--and it shall be a sudden blessing upon you (Matthew 25:1-46).  Stand prepared and ready to receive your sudden blessings.  Be prepared that there shall be no more delay (Psalm 21:6).  The Angel of the Lord shall go before you and prepare the way (Exodus 23:20), making straight the crooked places (Isaiah 45:2), while making desolate places habitable.  I decree there shall be no more waste! No more wasted places.  I will show you the way (Isaiah 58:11-12).  Follow my footsteps as I take you through your desert, through your wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2; Isaiah 40:3), and bring you into the promise land of your life (Exodus 3:8; Leviticus 20:24; Jeremiah 32:22).  I will take you through your valleys and bring you from the lowly places into the high places (2 Samuel 22:34), from which you will shout for the glory of My Name.  Come, let us gather together, and let us bear fruit (Matthew 12:30).  I will prune your branches and your fruit shall continually multiply (John 15:2).  God is with you.  I shall move every mountain that is in your path--be prepared (Job 9:5; Mark 1:3).  Receive the word of the Lord in faith on this day.  In the Name of Jesus. By the grace of God.  For the glory of my Namesake.

May God bless you and keep you with this Word as you stand on His promises in prayer.  Speak these words and decree them over you life and see the Lord manifest His chosen blessings in your life for His purpose and glory.

Thanks be to the Most High God!