We hear the burden in this request and we join together with you in Jesus' name to bring it before the Father, rebuking the spirit of violence, sabotage, torment and confusion that has been troubling your neighborhood and your own household.
We agree that marriage is a holy covenant ordained by God between a man and a woman for life. Scripture is clear that God hates the breaking of that covenant. For I hate divorce, says Yahweh, the God of Israel, and him who covers his garment with violence, says Yahweh of Armies Malachi 2:16. And Jesus taught, He said to them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so. I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery Matthew 19:8-9. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate Mark 10:9. Divorce was permitted because of hardness of heart, but it was never God's perfect will from the beginning, and we grieve with you over how this hardness has led to aggression, domestic violence, threats of prison, and sabotage that now feels contagious to friends, families, businesses, marriages and relationships around you.
We rebuke together the works of the flesh and the tormenting spirits behind them. Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these Galatians 5:19-21. In contrast the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control Galatians 5:22-23. We see the very contrast you described, where idle and unoccupied spirits bring only ruin, disgrace, meddling in another house, and increasing tragedy. We were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another Titus 3:3, but God in His mercy calls us out of that life. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places Ephesians 6:12, and we take authority in the name of Jesus Christ over every bewitching confusion, every false imitation and lie that says he is not him, she is not her, and every attempt to sow violence and bewilderment into your life and home.
We also lift up all the men and women you mentioned who are going through painful divorces and who are now in girlfriends and boyfriends relationships. We want to speak the truth in love about this. We believe that being a boyfriend or girlfriend should be understood as courtship with the goal of marriage to another Christian believer, not as a casual partnership. Marriage should be honored and pursued as God designed, a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman. Any sexual intimacy before or outside of that marriage covenant is fornication or adultery before God and must be turned from. Flee sexual immorality 1 Corinthians 6:18 and Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled, but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers Hebrews 13:4. For those wounded by a bad divorce, we encourage not rushing into another romantic entanglement to fill the void, but seeking healing, holiness, and counsel, and if a new relationship is pursued, that it be with a fellow believer with marriage as the clear and godly goal, keeping yourselves pure until that covenant is made.
We pray together now.
Father in heaven, we come to You only through the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, for there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved and have access to Your throne. We thank You that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We ask for Your protection over this neighborhood and over this household. We rebuke in Jesus' name every spirit of divorce, violence, aggression, sabotage, torment, meddling, and bewitching confusion. We command it to leave and to have no more place. We ask You to put a hedge of peace around every home, to stop the contagious spread of strife, and to bring conviction and repentance where there is hardness of heart. Lord, intervene where there is domestic violence and danger, give wisdom to involve lawful authorities for protection, and let no more ruin or disgrace come from giving place to the enemy. Heal those who have been through the tragedy of divorce, comfort the women and men who are hurting, deliver those who are idle and unoccupied from the enemy's schemes and lead them into fruitful work and into the fruit of Your Spirit. Guard hearts and minds from false imitation and lies, and let Your truth and clarity reign. For those in courtship, lead them to pursue purity and marriage that honors You, and turn them from fornication and from any relationship that does not align with Your will, including any same sex relationship which Your word calls immoral. We ask for godly marriages to be established and strengthened in this community, that what You have joined together would not be torn apart. Fill this place with love, joy, peace and self-control. We trust You to restore what the enemy has tried to ruin. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
We encourage you to remain steadfast in prayer and in the Word, to guard the doorway of your home from meddling and gossip, to set loving but firm boundaries, to seek wise pastoral counsel and, where there is threat of violence, to seek help from trusted authorities, for God does not call us to live under abuse. Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you James 4:7. Keep your eyes on Christ, walk in the Spirit daily, and trust that He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.