BINDING AND LOSING

READ: PSALM 149:1-9

Not long ago, we considered the basics of intercession. Let us recapitulate a bit. Intercession is a ministry. Therefore, we must learn the rules if we want to become effective intercessors. You cannot become a master unless you practise daily until you quit the amateur ranks to the level of maturity. Binding and loosening is an integral aspect of the ministry of intercession. Your relatives and friends need your prayer, intercede from them! Unless you learn to intercede for your relatives and friends, and break down the stronghold, they will not be released from the shackles of the enemy. We have enough power to bind the demon, to loosen the beloved one and to pull down the stronghold of the enemy for our loved ones to escape. How do you enter into the stronghold of the enemy, deal the enemy damaging blows, loosen your beloved one and pull down the stronghold of the enemy without hurting yourself in the process? Psalm 149:5-9 gives an answer: “Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the written judgment-This honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD! ” As you carry out the ministry of intercession, you must use the weapon of praise. Praise is your shield of protection. Continue to praise God and you will experience safety and victory all the way.

MEMORIZE: 2 CORINTHIANS 10:4 –For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

THE GOAL

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 9:16-27

Perhaps, the mot important thing in life is a goal. To go through life without a goal is to allow the boat of your life to drift aimlessly on the sea of life. What are your goals in life? We come across an instructive statement in Genesis 17:1; “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” When somebody makes a move, the first thing that comes to mind is the purpose as well as the direction he or she follows. The movement must lead to a target. For example, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:26; “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.” In other words, Paul had a goal. To walk, you must have a goal. Also, a fellow headed towards a goal must have seen the goal, either with the physical eye or the spiritual eye. For example, if I want to go to the toilet, with the eye of my mind, I shall see my sitting position when I get there. Or, if I want to travel, even before take off, I must be seeing my destination with the eye of the mind. One verse leaps at me from the text; “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Abraham, Isaac and Jacob... all saw afar off where God was leading them. You too can see afar off where you are going. Spiritually, the one who walks towards a goal must be determined to reach the goal. Do you really have goals? How prepared are you to reach the goals? Are you ready to pay the price of achieving your goals in life?

MEMORIZE: PSALM 46:1 –GOD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

THE TRUTH

READ: JOHN 2:1-9

For quite some time now, we have been examining how Satan deceives man and woman. Specifically, we have examined the kinds of lies or propaganda used by him. The understanding of the strategy used by the devil is very important. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, we see how Satan has used one method or the other to lead men, omen, communities and nations astray. Satan has not stopped doing this. Two major areas in which Satan leads his victims astray are through the lures of anger and alcohol. Satan often tells people to get angry, arguing that even Jesus got angry. Is it true? What kind of anger was it? The first time Jesus Christ was angry was when people said He was using the spirit of Satan. He told them that whoever offends the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven. The second time was when He was angry with people buying and selling in the house of God. He said the house of God should not be turned into a den of thieves. When Jesus was being beaten, He did no get angry. He is meekness personified. Who is a meek person? The meek is the one who makes use of his strength to defend the weak. It is the proud who gets angry when personally offended. If you are not proud you will know that you are nothing. Satan is a liar. He is also a deceiver. He might tell you to take a little alcohol. He would ask that if Jesus Christ does not want us to drink wine, why He changed water to wine. Satan knows that we do not all understand the Greek language. The word translated as wine here is grape juice. This does not intoxicate. Satan would tell the ignorant that wine is wine. Alcoholic wine was not served at the wedding that Jesus attended. Even if we do not understand Greek, the pots that Jesus said they should fill with water could contain twenty gallons of water each. We therefore have 120 gallons of water in six pots. Can we find 120 gallons of alcoholic wine at any marriage ceremony or a wedding carnival? Don’t be deceived; anger and the lure of alcohol are strong enough to sweep you off your feet, spiritually speaking. Remember, the devil is a deceiver. Don’t let him deceive you.

MEMORIZE: JOHN 2:15 –When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.