After we come to Christ as Saviour, we need to carefully check our former friends and associates. Where there have been wrong activities, a confession of actions, thoughts, desires and attitudes as sins is necessary, claiming forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9). Many, if not all, of these friendships and alliances will have to be renounced.

Inordinate affections include close friendships outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, involving affections, heterosexual or homosexual contacts and fellowship in other sinful practices.

All former friendships and ties were after the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:16) and the fleshly or carnal mind is enmity with God; not subject to, nor can it ever be, subject to God (Romans 8:7). Remember if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, and all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

To break ungodly connections with the past, this prayer will be helpful:

“Satan, in the name of Jesus I come against the demon authorities who controlled and motivated my relationship with {name friends} and break your power and authority over my life and affection, especially as related to him/her, by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, I remove myself from any authority you ever exercised over me. I renounce all such ties of affection and ask that the Lord Jesus help me to love him/her only with His agape love, in the bowels (affections) of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:8). I give my affections (desires) completely to the Lord Jesus Christ for His use. Amen”. 

Note here that the true agape love for a former friend may at this point include staying away from him/her long enough for you to stabilize spiritually. Unsaved former friends will not understand your desire to follow the Lord and may even resent it and attempt to pull away, enticing you to follow them into former habits of sin.

Remember who your first love is. His command is plain: “Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing…” (2 Corinthians 6:17). When in doubt consult with your pastor, parents or others in spiritual authority about the advisability of continuing a former relationship.

If you invite a former friend to come to a church meeting or to fellowship with you where other Christians gather and he/she refuses, then part company with them. Be friendly, but firm, for your Christian growth may well be at stake. If you do not become strong you will never be able to help them. Continue to pray for them as the Lord reminds you of their need of Christ.

You can claim that God will bring him/her back across your path when you are stronger spiritually and when he/she is more interested in seriously seeking the Lord. Know that in the meantime, they will be watching your life to see if your life equals your profession. This is the most important testimony you will be able to give, for if your life does not bear witness, then your words will have little effect in turning them to Christ. You must renounce all pacts, covenants, promises and other binding allegiances to former friends in the world and break all curses which may have been incurred by such relationships or agreements. Try this prayer:

Having confessed my former relationship with {name} as sin because sinful practices were involved, I now break any curses which have come to me as a result of this association. Jesus became a curse for me on the cross (Galatians 3:13) and blotted out the handwriting of ordinances which were against us (Colossians 2:14).

In the name of Jesus, I take authority over every demon who has inhabited my mind, will, emotions, body or spirit because of any friendship outside of Jesus Christ. I have confessed these relationships (with their activities, thoughts, desires and attitudes) as sin.
I have given my affections (desires) and body to the Lord Jesus Christ and all curses are broken. By the authority of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:19, Mark 16:17) and by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), I command you all to leave now, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bathe your emotions and mind in scripture, praise, spiritual songs and pure and wholesome thoughts (Ephesians 5:19,26; Ps 34:1; Philippians 4:8). Think about and walk in fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (I Thessalonians 5:17). Pray with the understanding and in the Spirit (Jude 20, 1 Corinthians 14:4), especially when desires for former relationships press.

Resist the evil spirits by using scripture as often as they suggest wrong desires or attitudes for former or new friends (James 4:7; see how Jesus handled this in Matthew 4). Memorizing and meditating on scripture can be an invaluable aid (1 John 2:14).

Fill your days with good hard work (1 Thessalonians 4:11), serve in the church and seek out Christian companions. Find those who have matured in the Lord and cultivate them to learn how to develop a Christ-like character. Renounce and destroy all rock, melancholy and sensual music. Especially shun music which brings remembrance of former sinful pastimes and friends. We are highly susceptible to music and its associations are powerful means of recall. Fill your life with music which promotes and deepens your growth and fellowship with the Lord.

The following is an excerpt from “Warfare Prayers, Booklet #4? by Pastor Win Worley. Copyright © 1983 by Win Worley, Revised © 1991, WRW Publications 2004. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including storage and retrieval system, without securing permission in writing from the publisher, WRW Publications, PO Box 852626, Mesquite, TX 75185.

If you’d like to obtain your own copy of not only this, but other materials authored by Win Worley, please contact WRW Publications at www.wrwpublications.com

In the Name of my Lord, Savior, and Deliverer, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, we come against and bind the Strongman, Prince, Prince-Ruling Spirit, and all Spirit Guides associated with (specific name or coven). We right now bind all psychic heredity that was enheritted through the blood line of these (this) witch(es) and ask you, Lord Jesus, to seal the third eye through which they see into the occult realm. We also ask, Father, that you would restrain them from astral projection and that their cursing come back upon their own heads as your Word declares. We also ask that you send your angels to make sure that their curses are returned to them, and that these returning curses are not blocked by their magic or sorcery. We come through the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Name of Jesus Christ as we bind, blind, gag, deafen, paralyze and silence you, demons, and forbid you from influencing or strengthening any witch, warlock, spiritualist, satanist, (or specific name) right now in the Name of Jesus Christ.

We bind the spirits of Hate, Bitterness, Murder, Wizardry, Sorcery, Witchcraft, Magic, Occult, Control, Lust for Power, Lust for Position, Rejection and Pride (etc.) in order to destroy the demonic work, power, influence, plans, or appointments of these demons in the Name of Jesus Christ. We place you on notice, demons, that you will not be able to use these (this) soul(s) any longer against any church, group, family, individual, or themselves, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We take authority over and come against the spirits of Blindness, Spiritual Blindness, Darkness, Occult Darkness, Wicked Heart of Unbelief, Pride, and Deception; binding the spirits of Bondage, Heaviness, Fear, and Hate in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We ask You, Heavenly Father, in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to send Warrior Angels to blind, gag, deafen, and paralyze these spirits, forbidding them from influencing or interfering with these souls so that they can have control over their own free wills and be able to make up their own minds should they choose to repent. We pray that they would be able to do this without any demonic or satanic interference.

Lord Jesus, we pray that you would release Warrior Angels to wage war against these demons and their activities. We also pray that you would send ministering angels of Salvation, Adoption as Children of God, Conviction, Repentance, Humility, Contrite, Brokenness, Knowledge, Revelation, Understanding, Grace, Mercy, Truth, Forgiveness, and any others necessary to minister to their souls.

Lord, open their eyes so that they can see the Glory of Jesus. Open their hearts so that they can hear Your voice. Break the yokes in their lives and give them liberty in their souls so that they may be free to repent. Show them every evil work and deed that they’re guilty of, and Lord Jesus, convict their hearts unto repentance. Bring these souls out of darkness, save these souls so that You may have the Glory.

Heavenly Father, we humbly ask all these things in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen, Amen, and Amen!

www.hbcdelivers.org

As with every prayer at Hegewisch Baptist Church, these are sample prayers. Please adapt them to your specific situation.

Beginning Deliverance…
Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, we ask that You send Warrior Angels to do battle with us. Thank You for Jesus’ precious Blood, His resurrection, and our authority in His Name. We pray that Your Holy Spirit give us discernment and gifts to set ________ free. In Jesus’ Name we block any and all transference of evil spirits assigned to hinder or interfere with this deliverance session. In Jesus’ Name we cut off all evil power directed toward us from witches or other such persons, and bind each Strongman present, all demonic doorkeepers, gatekeepers and demonic reinforcements. May all communication between satanic & demonic forces be disrupted and confusion be loosed upon them (Psalm 118:6-7; Psalm 35:4)

As the Holy Spirit Leads…
In Jesus’ Name, we bind all demonic kingdoms of Passivity, Leviathan/Pride, Doubt, Unbelief, Confusion, Deception, Lying, Mind Control, Occult Mind Control (add any others as the Holy Spirit leads) according to Matthew 12:29.

In Jesus’ Name, we bind all demons hurting, tormenting and harassing ________. We ask You, Heavenly Father, to send angels to uncoil, untangle, dig out, break, cut, sever off and remove all demons and demonic roots, fetters, bands, ties, bonds, coils, tangles, serpents, cords, metals, wires, hairs and webs (Heb 1:14).

We bind every demon, from the Strongman on down to the lowest demon in rank, power & form within ________ to our authority in the third Heaven (Eph. 2:6). We are in Christ, Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father which places us far above all principalities and powers, including you, demons. When you are called by name or by function, you are to manifest and leave _________. If you do not, we will loose more angels on to you, and use our authority in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and every means at our disposal in His authority to forcibly remove you.

We ask You, Jesus, to send every demon cast out to where ever You want them to go and that You would strengthen the will of _________ so that they can never return. Holy Spirit, please fill any and all vacancies left by the ejected demons with the Spirits of God as found in Isaiah 11:2. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Begin casting out each evil spirit by calling it by its demonic name or function. (Command demons to manifest and leave in Jesus’ name.) Contrary to popular belief, demons do not have hearing impairments. The power that dislodges demons is only found in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ (Mark 16:17), not in the volume of our voices.
 
Ending Deliverance…
We take authority over every remaining demon from the Strongman on down to the lowest ranking demon, power & form and bind you all in Jesus’ Name. By binding, we mean that you are not to torment, hurt of harass ________. We loose sufficient numbers of Warrior Angels to put each of you in boxes, cages or caves 500,000 times too small and seal each box, cage, or cave with the Blood of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ (Joshua 10:17).

Angels, gag each remaining demon so that no communication can go on between them or any others. Angels, in Jesus’ Name, we assign you to read Scriptures to these demons on the Blood of Jesus, the Cross, their torment in the Lake of Fire to come, and any other passages that they hate to hear (Psalm 59:10; Heb 1:14). We pray, Lord Jesus, that your glorious light shine through each box, cage, or cave so the demons will have no rest. It is written, “There shall be no rest for the wicked!”

We loose ministering angels of Life, Health, Healing and Restoration into areas of ________’s body or soul where the ejected demons have done damage. We cover each of our families, properties & possessions with the Blood of Jesus Christ, and loose Warrior and Ministering Angels to protect us from any and all satanic & demonic backlash. In Jesus’ Precious and Almighty name we pray. Amen.

Pastor Win Worley’s books and booklets can be found at www.wrwpublications.com
 

 Friday Church News Notes, August 18, 2006, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143

The last time I saw Armin Gesswein was in a hotel lobby in Tampa,
Florida. As a 90-year-old man, he was on his way to be the honored
guest at a gathering of Campus Crusade leaders, nearly a thousand
strong. He was not going as “senior decor.” He was going to speak.
Saturday, March 10, his earthly remains were laid to rest.
On the phone, he always pressed me to get to the prayer summits and
the College of Prayer. And he would always tell me to “shake the love
around.” His calls were always a delight to receive. And a treasure
to remember.

Armin’s last letter was “something else,” as we say. And I quote: “I
spent a lot of time with Tozer. Whenever possible, we got together. I
also drove him around a lot. What times we had together–both in his
South Chicago home, and in prayer together under some tree in a C&MA
Camp Meeting!”

“As I recall it, Tozer spent five hours in prayer, `entering in’ to
the Holy Spirit’s fullness, and settled it all. [Then there was] one
bold follow- through time of prayer. I believe it was his mother-in-
law who sparked his inner plug on this. . . . To my knowledge none of
this appears in any of the biographies of his life.”

Those stories may not get written. Tozer is gone and now Armin, the
man whose doctrine was prayer, has left us. But his advice certainly
remains, and emphatically would be, “The Holy Spirit hasn’t gone
anywhere.” Amen and glory to God!

=====================================================
2) THE EDITOR ON “EFFECTIVE INTERCESSORY WARFARE”

The last issue focused on intercession generally; this issue focuses
on intercession as spiritual warfare. Before we can do intercessory
warfare, we must be prepared by close communion with God.
Intercession must flow out of fellowship. If we try to enter into
warfare without having spent time with the Commander-in-Chief we will
find ourselves unequipped to do battle, unaware of the Commander’s
battle instructions and undiscerning of the Enemy’s deceptive
strategies. We will come under spiritual attack, oppression,
deception and defeat.

Effective intercessory prayer is often expressed in terms of
struggle. “We struggle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities and powers . . .” (Ephesians 6:12). In order for
intercessory warfare to be effective, we must wrestle, agonize and be
fervent. Paul said that Epaphras was “always laboring earnestly”
(Greek, “agonizo”–agonizing) in prayer. Jesus in the Garden of
Gethsemene (Luke 22:44) and the Church (Acts 12:5) are said to
be “fervent” (Greek, “ektenos”–extended, stretched out) in prayer.
It is the effective (Greek, “energia”–energetic) prayer of a
righteous man that avails much (James 5:16). We can learn from these
classic intercessors how to be effective in our prayers against the
Enemy.

=====================================================
3) A.W. TOZER (1897-1963) ON “BATTLES ARE WON OR LOST BEFORE THEY ARE
FOUGHT”
The whole Bible and all past history unite to teach that battles are
always won before the armies take the field. The critical moment for
any army is not the day it engages the foe in actual combat; it is
the day before or the month before or the year before. . . . The
pugilist must win his fight weeks before he steps into the ring or he
will lose it. . . . The rule is, prepare or fail. It is an old saying
that the wars of England were won on the playing fields of
Eton. . . . Again that rule holds for all of us everywhere, even up
on the high levels of spiritual warfare. . . .

Christ could endure the anguish of the cross because He had suffered
the pains of Gethsemane the night before; there was a direct
relationship between the two experiences. One served as a preparation
for the other.
The converse of this is true also. Battles are never lost the day
they are fought. They are lost the day or the year before; the
results merely become manifest when the armies meet. . . .
Preparation is vital. Let this be noted by everyone. We can seek God
today and get prepared to meet temptation tomorrow; but if we meet
the enemy without first having met God, the outcome is not
conjectural; the issue is already decided. We can only lose.

A.W. Tozer, THE NEXT CHAPTER AFTER THE LAST (Camp Hill, PA: Christian
Publications, 1987), 78.

=====================================================
4) CHARLES SPURGEON (1834-1892) ON “SHAKING SOCIETY THROUGH
INTERCESSION”

When the censer of God’s church is well filled with prayer
[Revelation 8:6] and presented to the Lord, He will begin to work.
And the censer that has been a weapon before God to prevail with Him
shall then become against men a weapon to prevail with them. . . .
Then will come voices–preachers here and there rise, voices
denouncing oppression, voices crying against false religion, voices
preaching truth, voices declaring Christ. Then will come thunderings,
for with the Gospel will go the voice of God, which thunders louder
than the voice of man. Then will flash forth lightnings, for the
light of God’s power and truth will come forth with majesty, and
men’s hearts shall be smitten with it and be made obedient to it. And
then shall earthquakes shake society, till the thrones of despots
reel, till ancient customs are dashed in pieces, till the land that
could not be plowed with the Gospel shall be broken up with secret
heavings from the Eternal God.

We have only to pray. . . . You have the key in the door of heaven–
keep it there and turn it till the gate shall open. Pray, for prayer
holds the chain that binds the old dragon. Prayer can hold fast and
restrain even Satan himself.

Charles Spurgeon, THE POWER OF PRAYER IN A BELIEVER’S LIFE (Lynnwood, WA: Emerald Books, 1993), 192.

=====================================================
5) E.M. BOUNDS (1835-1913) ON “PRAYER OF COMMANDING FAITH”

Prayer issues from a character which is made up of the elements of a
vigorous and commanding faith. . . . Prayer brings God into the
situation with commanding force. “Ask Me of things to come concerning
My sons,” says God, “and concerning the work of My hand command ye
Me” (Isaiah 45:11, KJV). (1)

The church seems almost wholly unaware of the power God puts into her
hand; this spiritual carte blanche on the infinite resources of God’s
wisdom and power is rarely, if ever, used. . . . Prayer is our most
formidable weapon, but the one in which we are the least
skilled. . . . The angel takes the fire kindled by prayer and casts
it earthward, “and there were voices, and thundering, and lightning,
and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:6, KJV). Prayer is the force that
creates all these alarms, stirs, and throes. (2)

(1) E.M. Bounds, WINNING THE INVISIBLE WAR (Springdale, PA: Whitaker
House, 1984), 151.
(2) E.M. Bounds, PURPOSE IN PRAYER (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, n.d.),
38, 82.

=====================================================
6) RECOMMENDED READING

http://www.christianpublications.com/classicspecial1.htm

Click here to go to our webpage to see more about the new book The
Hand on My Scalpel, by Dr. David Thompson containing humorous and
heartbreaking stories from a jungle operating room.

Order The Hand on My Scalpel (30% off the regular price of $9.99) and
get Armin Gesswein’s book How Can I Be Filled with the Holy
Spirit
FREE!
=====================================================
7) A.B. SIMPSON (1843-1919) ON “VICTORIES WITHIN THE SILENT WALLS OF
YOUR ROOM”

The best way to keep the devil off our territory is to keep him busy
on his own, defending his kingdom from our bold attacks. . . . Many
of our battles are fought in view of heaven alone. Have you not felt,
in some quiet hour of fellowship with God, that you were going
through a decisive battle that no mortal saw? Within the silent walls
of your room, an issue was being decided that would affect all
eternity. . . . Do you know that Christ’s greatest victories were
accomplished alone with God and the devil? No human eye saw that
victory in the wilderness, but God saw it and was glorified. . . .
God wants men and women today on whom He can depend to stand as
bulwarks and battlements against the shocks of hell’s artillery. He
wants men and women of whom He can say, “On this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).
Will we then not only be conquerors but trusted soldiers whom God can
use as His weapons of war? Will we be His mighty battleships to carry
the fight to the vessels of the enemy, not fearing their hardest
blows but hurling against them the thunderbolts of His victorious
power?

A.B. Simpson, A LARGER CHRISTIAN LIFE, (Camp Hill, PA: Christian
Publications, 1988), 94.

=====================================================
JESSIE PENN-LEWIS (1861-1927) ON “BINDING THE STRONG MAN”

Once in northern England on a great market square, crowds of people
were listening to the communists and atheists speaking. Some of their
best speakers were trying to stir up the people, and attacking the
Christian workers of the town and their work. A minister who knew
something of this prayer warfare called his Christian people
together, and showed them from the Scriptures how Satan was at the
back of this attack, and that the thing to do was to “bind” the
adversary. The Spirit of God made it so clear that about one hundred
Christians took Christ at His word, and with united hearts and voices
they declared aloud, “In the name of Jesus Christ we bind the strong
man from stirring up these people and from attacking God’s work.”
They sang a hymn of victory and committed themselves in faith to a
position of absolute reliance upon God to fulfill His Word. The next
day a division arose among the atheists; their leader disappeared
from the town, and a week later he was arraigned before the court and
sentenced for other matters in his life. Then the authorities
intervened, and stopped the whole campaign on the market square, and
the devil’s attack was defeated.

Jessie Penn-Lewis, “How to Pray for Missionaries,” THE ALLIANCE
WEEKLY, June 12, 1937, 373-374.

=====================================================
9) JOHN A. MACMILLAN (1873-1956) ON “PRAYING GEOGRAPHICALLY”

There is among the saints of the Most High a chosen group–perhaps
larger than we think–whose divinely appointed ministry is that of
the prayer closet. There, on their knees with a world map before
them, its members individually and methodically pray out the problems
of the advance of the kingdom. They precede missionaries into areas
where Christ has not been named; they observe them as they attack
firmly-placed barriers, breaking down by the high explosive of
authoritative prayer the satanic opposition that continues to impede
the forward progress of the gospel. Because the working of the Spirit
of God is everywhere, working through some mysterious law, dependent
on intercession, these unseen workers are the real pioneers of Christian missions. Unknown to themselves their word in the
heavenlies is mighty through God to the overthrowing of
principalities and powers. National boundaries are melting down
before the faith and fervor of their supplications. . . . True
geographic prayer ministry needs close abiding in God. . . . They are
trained in spiritual observation and can discern constant shifting of
the lines of combat, which is not obvious to others.

John A. MacMillan, “Praying Geographically,” THE ALLIANCE WEEKLY,
September 14, 1946, 579.

=====================================================
10) WATCHMAN NEE (1903-1972) ON “BINDING AND LOOSING”

This prayer [Matthew 18:18-19] is action, not petition. It is a
binding, not an asking God to bind. This commanding prayer has two
aspects:

(1) Bind–bind all the inordinate activities of the brothers and
sisters in the meeting; bind all the disturbances to the work that
come from people of the world; bind all the evil spirits and demons;
and bind Satan and all his activities. We may rule as king over all
things. Whenever a thing happens in the world or among the brethren,
that is the moment for us to rule as kings.
(2) Loose–we may also loose people. Loose all the timid brethren;
loose all who ought to come out and work for the Lord; loose money in
the grip of people that it might be given for God’s use; and loose
the truths of God.

We are ambassadors of God, and therefore we enjoy extraterritoriality
on earth. We may call in heaven to rule over the earth.

Watchman Nee, GOD’S PLAN AND THE OVERCOMERS (New York, NY: Christian
Fellowship Publishers, 1977), 76-77.

=====================================================
11) NORMAN GRUBB ON “THE IMPACT OF REES HOWELLS’ INTERCESSION ON
WORLD WAR II”

In the battle for Italy, the danger spot was Salerno, where our
troops landed in September 1943, to capture strategic heights and
open the way for the invading forces from the south. . . . The day of
the landing at Salerno and its sequel will always be outstanding in
my memory. . . . We had the first evening prayer meeting, . . . and
gathered again at 9:45 p.m.
. . . It had a solemn tone at the outset, Rees Howells’ voice
trembling with his message: “The Lord has burdened me . . . with the
invasion at Salerno. I believe our men are in great difficulties, and
the Lord has told me that unless we can pray through, they are in
danger of losing their hold.” The awe of God settled down upon
us, . . . We went on our knees, crying to God to intervene. The
Spirit of God took hold of us, and suddenly broke through, and we found ourselves praising and rejoicing, believing that God had heard
and answered. . . . It was on the stroke of 11 p.m. . . .

The next morning, the daily newspaper displayed a front-page headline
in large print, “THE MIRACLE OF SALERNO.” It was reported: “The enemy
artillery was advancing rapidly with ceaseless firing. The noise was
terrible and it was obvious that unless a miracle happened, our
troops could never hold up. . . . Suddenly, for no accountable
reason, the firing ceased and the Nazi artillery stopped its
advance. . . . I looked at my watch–it was 11 p.m.”

Norman Grubb, REES HOWELLS INTERCESSOR (Fort Washington, PA:
Christian Literature Crusade, 1952), 270-272.

Published by Christian Publications, Inc., 3825 Hartzdale Drive,
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17011
1-800-233-4443; fax 717-761-7273; exec@cpi-horizon.com
K. Neill Foster, Publisher retsofnk@cs.com
Paul L. King, Editor plking@juno.com
A.W. Tozer, 1897-1963, Editorial Voice
Technical Consultant: Chris Plocinski cpimail@cpi-horizon.com
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE:
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the
International Bible Society. Scripture labeled KJV is from the King James Version.