“The Scriptures take blessing and cursing very seriously; they are considered real and actual forces, with real and lasting effects.”- John Eldredge
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”- Romans 12:14
John Eldredge turns to a form of prayer that often brings the most dramatic and immediate results- prayer that banishes the enemy- in Chapter 14 of Moving Mountains. Typically, it is a simple and effective form of prayer. While it is not always simple, it always is effective. It’s called Warfare Prayer.
Mr. Eldredge makes it clear that Satan always tries to keep you from praying against him. Once we learn to do what Jesus taught us, Satan knows the gig is up. Yet, the author notes, while we readily accept Jesus as a model for forgiving others or caring for the poor, we don’t accept Jesus’ model for dealing with Satan.
John reminds us that there is a way things work in the spiritual realm. Blessing and cursing work. Blessing and cursing have powerful effects for good and evil. Most of the world understands this type of warfare. John points out that it is only in our “enlightened” Western world that the power of this spiritual warfare either has been forgotten or dismissed.
The author distinguishes between cursing and judgment. Cursing is done with purposeful intent and with malice. While judgments are far more common, they are no less destructive. Judgments are low-grade curses that bring harm upon our lives, health, churches, and ministries.
Warfare Prayer is not Plan B when Plan A fails, nor is it a specialty prayer reserved for the uniquely called or gifted. All of us are called to preach the gospel and called to resist the enemy. Our daily lives are lived out in the context of war.
Today’s question: What spiritual warfare are you engaged in following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Heart and soul”
