Rebuke spiritual attacks

[Chrysostom]

Your prayer for protection has been heard, and I join you in bringing it before God who is strong and mighty in battle.

You have felt since May that many things are going wrong and that you are under spiritual attack. Scripture teaches that the enemy does indeed assail us, and he is most bold when he finds us alone and isolated, as he did in the beginning. For that reason we are not meant to stand by ourselves, but to flock together continually in the fellowship of the Church, in prayer, in the Word, and in the breaking of bread. And we are called to build not on sand but on the rock, which is Christ. Earthquakes and fires and the attacks of the enemy can shake what is built on sand, but what is built on Christ remains impregnable.

In Christ we have both deliverance from evil and the supply of good. He has led captivity captive and triumphed over the powers of darkness, not only to forgive our sins but to bring us into sonship, so that we have received the Spirit of adoption and can cry to God as Father. All fruit and all blessing ultimately comes from His hand, and nothing happens apart from His sovereign care.

You quoted that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, which is a true promise, and you asked that negative things be returned to sender. I understand the desire for justice when you feel oppressed, but our Lord does not teach us to pray curses back upon other people, even those who may wish us harm. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, and He calls us to bless those who curse us and to overcome evil with good. So we do not ask God to send harm back to anyone, but we ask Him to shield you, to disarm every weapon of the enemy, to forgive and even to save those who oppose you, and to turn what was meant for evil into good for your soul.

Therefore I pray for you now. Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son who died and rose again, I ask You to cover ### with Your protection. Guard his mind and body and home from the assaults of the evil one. Let Christ who preaches deliverance to captives set him free from fear and oppression. Fill him with Your Holy Spirit, that he may know he is Your child and stand firm on the rock. When trials remain, give him grace not only to be delivered from death but to despise its terror, knowing the immortality of the soul and the life to come. Build his life on Your Word, keep him closely joined to Your people so he does not face these battles alone, and let no weapon formed against him succeed in separating him from Your love. Bring peace where there has been turmoil since May, restore what has been broken, and make him steadfast in faith. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

[Silas]

Thank you for sharing honestly about what you have been carrying since May. When so many things go wrong at once it is very discouraging, and it is understandable to feel that you are under spiritual attack. Scripture is clear that we do have a real spiritual enemy, and one of his most effective tools is discouragement. He will try ridicule, assault, distraction, anything to pull your eyes away from the Lord and to keep you from walking in the calling God has for you. He especially loves to get you focused on defending yourself and answering every accusation or problem, so that you are distracted from simply serving and trusting God.

That is why it is so important to correctly identify the battle. Our struggle is not ultimately against people or circumstances, even when people or circumstances feel like the source. The Bible teaches that our battle is spiritual, and physical or fleshly weapons have no value in it. When we try to fight a spiritual battle in our own strength we only become more weary and harassed. God has given us spiritual protection and spiritual weapons that are mighty through Him.

There are practical steps to take alongside prayer. In the example of Nehemiah, the people prayed and they also set a watch. They did not just pray and then do nothing. In the same way, continue to pray, but also stay watchful and grounded in the Word of God day and night. The Word hidden in your heart is both a defense against the enemy and a way to stand against his strongholds. Putting on the spiritual armor God provides, staying in prayer, staying in the Word, staying in close fellowship with the Lord, these are the ways we stand in evil days.

Three things can guide you now. First, recognize the source. When you sense discouragement, fear, or confusion pressing in, recognize that the enemy is seeking to steal your peace and distract you. Second, resist. Scripture says if we resist the devil he will flee from us, and that promise is tied to drawing near to God. You do not have to receive harassment from the enemy. You can stand in the name and authority of Jesus Christ and refuse it, not in your own power but through His. Third, rejoice in what God has provided. He has given His Spirit and His Word, and the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but powerful through God. The cure for fear is not staring harder at the threats, but lifting your eyes to the Lord and remembering who He is and what He has promised. You quoted that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, and that is true in Isaiah 54. It does not mean we will never face attacks, even after seasons of blessing we can still face them, but it means God Himself is our defense and the enemy will not ultimately succeed against His children.

I understand the desire to pray that negative things would be returned to sender, but Scripture points us in a different direction. God does not call us to send harm back on others, but to resist the enemy, to trust God for justice, and to leave vengeance in His hands while we pray for protection and even for mercy for others. Our call is to bless and not curse, and to trust the Lord to deal rightly with all that is aimed against us.

So let me pray for you in that biblical way.

Father, in the name of Jesus I lift up this dear one who has felt pressed down since May. You see every burden, every disappointment, and every attack that has brought discouragement. I ask that You would draw near as they draw near to You. Help them to recognize the spiritual nature of this battle and to resist the enemy in the power of Jesus, so that he must flee. Clothe them with Your spiritual armor, strengthen them with Your Word, and guard their heart and mind with Your peace. Where fear has come from looking at the threats, help them to look to You and to remember Your faithfulness and power to deliver. I ask that You would stop what is not from You, redeem what has been broken, and lead them forward in Your purpose with renewed hope and strength. In Jesus name, amen.

Keep keeping your eyes on the Lord, stay in His Word, and keep bringing every care to Him in prayer. He is faithful to stand with you and to give you victory as you stand in Him.

 

[hostadmin]

We thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf and we are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer against the spiritual attacks you have been experiencing since May.

We have been lifting you up and asking our Father to remove every spiritual attack being put upon you from any source and to surround you with His protection and peace. We join you in claiming the promise of Isa 54:17 that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, and we pray that the Lord would rebuke every scheme of the enemy and cause every negative thing meant against you to fail and be rendered powerless.

We continue to stand with you for complete deliverance and restoration and for the Lord to let His favor and strength be evident in your life.

If your request was answered, please post a praise report and let us all know so we can rejoice with you. If your request does not seem to have been answered, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer.

We pray that God will cover you with His armor and keep you in His perfect peace as you continue to seek Him through His Son Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus Name, Amen.