Other teachers - John Dawson, Leanne Payne, John Paul
Jackson, John and Paula Sandford, and Judson Cornwall - see great
danger in 'binding principalities.' Sometimes painful and embarassing
experiences have lead them to this understanding.
Leanne Payne was subject to high levels of
spiritual attack when Christians prayed for her conference 'binding'
the principalities in the area. She now teaches against this practice.
Judson Cornwall was rebuked by the Lord for
'worshipping demons.' He often publically bound the demons that
interefered with the worship service he was leading. He was told that
the demons enjoy the attention - 'worship' - they get from such prayers.
John Dawson participated in a powerful outdoor
conference and worship service that included native Maori chiefs from
the area. In this time of great outflow of the Spirit of God a
native chief took authority over a spirit believed to be over a local
mountain. This chief became deathly ill immediately that he did
this and much prayer was required to restore him. John Dawson
believes in "Taking Our Cities for God" by healng wounds
between groups. Authority over Territorial Spirits
John Paul Jackson in "Needless Casualties
of War" describes a congregation that began 'binding'
the 'spirit of abortion' over their
city. The unexpected result was that pregnant women in the
congregation had trouble carrying children to term. This
problem corrected itself when the congregation confessed the pride
and repented of this form of 'Spiritual
Warfare.'
It seems that Spiritual
Warfare involving
binding of Principalites fails in the
intended purpose and brings about a successful counterattack by evil
spiritual forces.
Other respected teachers teach
forms of 'spiritual warfare' that lead to defeat
Peter Wagner is one highly regarded Christians
who continues to teach and believe that "binding"
Satan or high level principalities or powers
is the way to do Spiritual
Warfare. some form of this
view is shared by almost all Christian leaders within the charismatic
and renewal movement. This one confusion, this one misguided
teaching, this one misunderstanding can ruin God's work and allow
darkness unnatural access to an individual's life, in a marriage, in
a family, in a town, in a city, in a nation and in the Charismatic /
renewal / 'river' streams of Christianity.
The reason these methods exist and will continue to
survive is as an expression of the human spirit's rebellion against
the religious spirit and the performance orientation in our families
and church. In frustration the human becomes angry with
God. We cannot admit to our anger at God. We supress and
deny our anger at God. We express our anger at God in this and
other practices that attribute too much power to Satan and give his
forces too much attantion - which they love and they take as
worship. (See Judson Cornwall above.)
Unhealthy 'Spiritual Warfare'
invites access by the enemy
Unhealthy access means that God's supplies do not get
through. Imagine being on the front lines of a large army and
being told that the enemy across from you was also behind you.
Special forces, irregular units were targetting supply lines of
ammunition and food, your leaders were being targetted by these
forces as well and your positions were being mapped out. As the
fight continues you are going to be discouraged by lack of supplies,
confused by lack of leadership and frightened by the accuracy of
enemy fire. That is what it feels like when towns, churches,
couples or individuals undertake to 'bind' Satan, to 'bind'
principalities over territories, to 'bind' higher powers - thinking
they are doing 'spiritual warfare.' Really they are doing
'shoot your self in the foot' warfare. They have invited attack
by invoking the enamy forces.
What Healthy Spiritual Warfare
look like
In my view there are healthy forms of Spiritual
Warfare. Healthy
spiritual warfare will have less focus on evil, Satan, and dark
powers. This will be seen in words counts. The word count
of names of God will greatly exceed names of Satan, or evil
principalities or powers. This will indicate a focus of
attention (and worship) toward God.
Names invoke spiritual forces. What you name is
what you call forth. God inhabits the praises of His
people. So gratitude, thankfulness and praise expressed for who
God is and what God has done invokes the presence of God. The
nature of that presence relects the language you use. Praise
for God's healing invokes a 'healing annointing.'
Our language is important. Life and death are in
the tongue. Name (invoke, call forth) love, life and God and
you will experience love, life and God. Name (invoke,call
forth, pray against, bind, take authority over) that which is evil,
dark and of death and you will experience evil, dark and death.
Deliverance Ministry in Counselling
I am not against person to person deliverance ministry. This
warning against 'binding' Satan and 'binding' principalites and
powers in high places does not apply to ground level person to person
ministry. Jesus did it. Jesus authorized us to 'cast out
demons' in His name. This personal ministry is not the same as
doing 'warfare' against higher levels powers of darkness.
Person to person is okay. Person against high level powers is
definately, always and under all circumstances an arrogant act, an
unhealthy practice and will result in undetected counter-attack.
(Exception is a power trying to move into your house, church or owned
property when you have not invoked them and are trusting God to
protect you. In this instance, they have crossed the boundary lines.)
The Bible promises delerance from evil for those who call upon the
name of the Lord. Deliverance ministry within the Charismatic
and Pentacostal movements has involved taking authority in the name
of Jesus over evil spirits (named) and commanding them to leave.
The fruitfulness of this approach has been mixed - some good and
some bad fruit based on people's self-report.
Neil Anderson calls this a 'power encounter' and has introduced into
the Body of Christ the 'truth encounter.' It is important to
know that there is not only one way to do deliverance.
Dr. Ed Smith has opened up a third front in a listening prayer
protocol for inner healing and deliverance. That provides a
third approach to deliverance.
My (George Hartwell) 'gentle deliverance' methods provide even a
forth method of doing personal deliverance work. I have never
observed the 'mixed fruit' with gentle deliverance that I have seen
with the charismatic 'power encounter' methods. The accuracy,
depth and speed of my Life Trasnformation Therapy approach is
testified to by experienced practitioners of the power encounter
method. See Feedback
on an intensive therapeutic retreat.
Within a counselling session there is sometimes a presence of
evil. At times my client may not be aware of this. Rather
than naming the spirit and commanding it to leave, I ask and allow
Jesus to do the work of deliverance. I use protocols such as: gentle
deliverance, cleanse
the temple, Jesus in Between, and Jesus the Life.
These methods invoke Jesus, depend on His intervention not our
authority. The fruit? There is nothing but positive fruit
from these different methods. As one pastor observing this
method said: "This has been quite amazing. It has seemed to
short-circuit stuff quite immensely. It has been very powerful,
useful and exciting to see it go. We spent a lot of time (200
hours plus) kicking out a lot of demons. You have revisited the
places and achieved what we did not achieve." See Feedback
on an intensive therapeutic retreat.
Because there is Biblical grounds for taking authority over evil
spirits (in one who has submitted to yourself for deliverance
ministry), the power encounter is not wrong. There are
different ways to bring about deliverance and they are effective and
more consistently bring positive results, with less naming of evil
spirits, less confusion of clients and less exhaustion of those in ministry.
Note: Neil Anderson is another one who has found and taught an
alternative to Pentacostal deliverance ministry. He focusses on
the truth and one's identity rather than on naming and commanding demons.
In summary traditional deliverance ministry is on sound Biblical
grounds and has had some success but it has been a mixed
success. Alternatives to this approach can be more effective
and Christ-centered in bringing about deliverance. In the end
these new methods give God more glory and darkness gets less attention.
Prayer Guidelines
1. DON'T
USE PRAYER TO CONTROL GOD
You can see it from the way people pray. Some plead. One can hear the
whine in their voice. Some mobilize numbers. Their logic is the more
making a request the more likely it is to be heard. People speak and
act as if prayer is changing God's mind.
People who believe that prayer is putting pressure on God try to
build up numbers of people praying. They look for the big name pastor
to pray.
Whenever our model sets up God as our adversary - the one opposed to
our request - we our thinking wrong. We try to control, manipulate
and bargain with God. The more committed we become to this model of
prayer the more prayer begins to take on the characteristics of witchcraft.
A magical view of God
We are thinking like children. We are using magical thinking.
We feel like children. We feel weak. We feel that God has all the
power. A scripture like "With God all things are possible,"
looked at without understanding and wisdom, supports this magical thinking.
Repent!
God wants mature sons, not perpetual children. Repent of thinking of
prayer as pleading with God to do something that you want. A more
grown up perspective is to think of yourself as a partner - in
cooperation with God.
As a partner with God your job is to see that His will is done on
earth. As God's ambassador you will pray in concert with His will.
As His active agent you listen for His guidance and wait for His inspiration.
REVOLUTION IN PRAYER
This one guideline could be a revolution in your practice of prayer.
Think how your prayer life would change if you only prayer what you
know is God's will.
You would stop being a loose canon in prayer and be aligned on
targets that the commander in chief authorizes.
You would not pray just because someone requests it. You first check
it with your commander: "Does this prayer represent your will, Father?"
2.
DON'T USE PRAYER TO CONTROL PEOPLE
Do not use prayer to control other people. If out thinking is that
prayer controls God then it is easy to start believing that prayer
controls people. We start praying that people conform to our plan and
image for them.
We might be praying that our wife our husband change. Changing people
is God's responsibility. We need to keep hands off.
We might be praying that we, ourselves, change. We want to conform to
our own image of what we should be like. We may want to better live
up to other's expectations of us. Changing people is God's
responsibility and we need to leave ourselves in God's hands.
No to witchcraft prayer.
Scripture says that rebellion is as witchcraft. Witchcraft is using
magical techniques. The techniques of magic supposedly give men power
over supernatural powers and use them for human ends.
The delusion behind magical practices is that supernatural powers are
not manipulated. The powers of darkness gain control of the human who
attempts to use demonic techniques and powers.
Neither is God open to manipulation. God is spirit. God is who he is.
God will be who He will be. There is no technique to control God.
Repent!
God respects our freedom. We need to do so as well. Respect other's freedom.
We need to repent of all witchcraft forms of prayer. Ask forgiveness
for the pride and arrogance behind this way of thinking. Stop using
prayer to control oneself or others.
The humble approach to praying for others is to admit that we can't
change them. You are not God. God is God. So bless what God is doing
in their life and leave them in God's hands.
Look in scripture for how Paul prays for people. Use his apostolic
prayers as a model for how to pray for others. Begin to focus on what
God is doing rather that demanding specific changes in a person's
character. God's agenda, not yours.
Get healed
The need to control runs deep in our lives. When we fear we control.
Out of a desire to be loved, we control. To avoid weakness or
vulnerability, we control.
There is a purification, sanctification process needed to change our
long held patterns of control. These are rooted deep in our heart. We
can't change our heart.
Some Christian counsellors will facilitate this process. In Listening
Prayer Therapy, my own approach, we discover root issues of the
heart. We bring them to God in Prayer Encounters. The God brings
truth, freedom and healing to our inner lives.
3. DON'T USE PRAYER TO CONTROL SITUATIONS
Do not pray for specific outcomes in situations like a job interview,
a school test, a crucial game. Don't pray that the person will get
the job, ace the test or win the game. To demand specific outcomes is
to take the place of God.
It is interesting to me the John Voaden, the exemplary basketball
coach, never focused his team on the game outcome. He asked them to
focus on their specific assigned role in the game. He wanted them to
be proud of themselves is they did well the role assigned to them -
even if the score went against the team.
Instead of specific outcomes, I pray for the state of mind or
attitude of the person in these situations. Then leave the outcome to
God. (See "Job Interview Prayer.")
Living with Freedom
Because God loves us we live with freedom. He honours our freedom to
choose. Because he wants our love, He gives us choice.
Our prayers need to honour God's freedom. We submit to His authority
by leaving room for Him to act in any situation that we pray about.
One way to do this is not to demand a specific outcome.
When we demand a specific outcome we are taking control. We are
playing God. We are not leaving room for freedom of God and others in
the situation.
Repent!
Stop using prayer to control outcomes. Leave the outcome with God.
Let go of the control of outcomes.
Jesus gave us the Beatitudes. He said that certain attitudes are
blessed. Instead of demanding outcomes, pray for Godly attitudes.
God is concerned about the state of our heart. So make that the focus
of your prayer. Pray that in this situation or in dealing with the
outcome your attitude would please God.
New Identity
The Christian life is about being given a new identity. Our part in
the Christian life is to participate in the process of putting to
death the old nature and putting on the new nature.
The old nature partook of certain attitudes that were not based on
God's truth and God's Holy nature. There is zero tolerance in heaven
for these old sinful attitudes. God's holiness is a consuming fire
and this holiness would consume any attitude not welcome in heaven.
So if you have entered into the Kingdom of God by accepting Jesus
Christ, you need to get new clothes - new attitudes. You have been
given the right to become sons of God - meaning taking on His nature.
The attitude of prideful control does not get into heaven. Let it go!
4. DON'T
USE PRAYER TO DO HARM
Avoid is using prayer to harm or destroy people or property. Don't
call down fire on psychics and palm readers, for example. Remember
what Jesus said about the wrong spirit when the Sons of Thunder
wanted to call down fire on some Samaritan villages that rejected Jesus.
5. DON'T USE PRAYER TO CONTROL SATAN
I definitely recommend avoid as far as possible prayer that focuses
attention on Satan, evil or the demonic.
For example, do not use rail against, bind or attack Satan (Jude
9). Our authority is to deal with demons in ministry to
persons. We do not have authority to rail against, bind or
attack evil forces over territory or broad topics such as 'I bind the
Spirit of Abortion over my city.' We have been mistaught
regarding Jesus statement that "whatever you bind on earth is
bound in heaven." This gavc authority to the new community
established around Yeshua to establish rules for the community.
For a suggested prayer of protection see: Morning Prayer and
Listening Time.
Leanne Payne, Judson Cornwall and John Paul Jackson all have warned
against the prayer that focuses on Satan. Leanne Payne and John Paul
Jackson found that binding principalities and powers does not provide
protection - it attracts attack! Judson Cornwall learned that
interrupting a worship service to bind evil powers actually attracted
demons to the worship service - which loved the attention. I
recommend against prayers that use the concept of 'binding.'
I now consider every form of prayer that takes the initiative to
directly address, pray against or bind Satan - or principalities or
powers of evil - to be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS and to attract enemy
attack. The enemies right to attack would appear to be based on the
fact that we do not have the right to engage in commanding angels
that are not directly in our face.
Because of the horrific consequences of this unwise type of prayer I
would avoid group and people that do this.
Better ways to pray of protection in the article on PROTECTION.
Instead when one senses an evil spirit pray for the opposite spirit.
Focus on positive objectives. Live out of God's Holy Spirit. Focus on God.
12 Further Prayer Guidelines
1. Do not listen to or talk about problems (health, economic,
political) without prayer (or a statement of faith.) Listening to
someone's problems without faith or prayer - can be a denial of God's
power and can weaken your faith. Turn complaints into Prayers.
Philippians 4:8 &ldots; meditate on these things.
2. Avoid TV, Radio, and newspaper NEWS - usually bad news
creating fear and helplessness. People do get anxious and depressed
from the worlds version of NEWS. When watching or listening to news
you can silently bless the people in the news story. If you are not
going to pray about it don't focus attention on bad news.
3. Do not worry about things. Worry is using our gift of
faith to do the devil's work. Better to pray that to worry. See
Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God."
4. In times of prayer detailed description of problems
creates unbelief. The longest description of a problem to Jesus
(Matthew 17:15, Mark 9:17, 18, 21,22, Luke 9:39) results in a rebuke
of the unbelieving generation Luke 9:41, a confrontation of the man's
unbelief - Mark 9:23, and an explanation to the apostles that points
to their unbelief - Matt. 17:20. Don't create vivid pictures of
problems if you want people to have vivid faith in God's solution.
5. When you pray don't create a vivid picture of the problem - use
your creative faith imagination to create solutions not problems. God
does not need your description of the problem he understands it
better than you do! Pray in words and images that are positive and
faith building. Don't pray the problem!
6. Prayer works through faith. If you sense unbelief, if you lack
faith, it is better to confess this to God and ask for faith than to
move ahead with pretend faith. Pray if you can expect and visualize a
positive result.
7. There is power in agreement in prayer. Ask to see if
people are in agreement. If someone is not in agreement, pray later
with those who are in agreement. Prayer doesn't work with pretend or
forced agreement. Never force prayer on those who do not agree with you.
8. One way to build faith is to understanding the
scriptural basis for your prayer. It is worth making the effort to
link prayer requests to Biblical promises. Seek God, that is listen
to God, for the right prayer or promise. Even better use listening
prayer to confirm these promises. See Confirming a Biblical Promise.
9. Don't pray without wisdom and discernment. Don't
assume that you know God's will. Listen. If someone is dying I want
some discernment whether this is a sickness unto death or if God
wants to raise him or her up to health. Don't rush into prayer
without listening.
10. When a group prays God sometimes encourages the group by
granting a vision or a word to someone. Sharing this brings assurance
to the group.
11. Persistence in prayer means daily. Be ready to PERSIST.
12. Be prepared to stick up for your prayers in public.
You need to speak up to counteract words of doubt or unbelief. Rebuke
negative words. Make faith statements.
The Prayer Series
1. Spiritual
Warfare
2. Job
Interview Prayer
3. Safe
Prayers of Protection
4. Prayer
is a Life-style
5. Faith
of the Heart
6. How
to pray for difficult people
7. How
to pray in a personal crisis
8. How
to pray for physical Healing
9. How to
break Curses
Contact:
For Sessions with George, Retreats or Phone Counseling: counselling
(416)
234-1850 for local calls in Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville
or Brampton.
1
(877) 854-3990 for long distance.
www.HealMyLife.com
(counselling) and www.HealMyLife.net (retreats)
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