Following are some principles for spiritual warfare praying. This is the fourth of four blogs on this. If you have observations or principles you have learned please share them with me jerry@schmoyer.net
If God does not bring deliverance, even when the person you are praying for seeks it and follows God to the best of their ability, God will use the oppression to bring forth spiritual growth in the person to have Himself glorified. He will provide grace to endure the attacks, as with Paul (2 Corinthian 12:7-10).
Spiritual warfare praying is, like all prayer, talking to God – but with the added dimension of being aware demons are listening as well. Our prayer is always addressed to God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. But while praying to Him we can use our God-given authority to rebuke, take back access, silence or cast our demons. We don’t have to ask God to do that, He has given us the authority to do it, o within our prayer to Him can be commands to the demons as well.
Prayer can be out loud or silent, depending on the circumstances and how you feel God is leading you. Demons can out thoughts into our minds so they can probably also know our thoughts, at least to some extent. Sinful thoughts give them access so they are aware of those thoughts. Righteous thoughts, commitments to God, praise and commands against them are also things they are aware of. God seems to allow them direct access to these, and He personally conveys them to the demons in such a way as to make sure they obey. Angels are greatly involved in this process as well.
Always pray in faith, never fear (James 1:5-8; Mark 11:23-24; Proverbs 18:21; Ephesians 6:16; Revelation 12:11). Keep your thoughts always and only on Jesus, never the enemy. Praying out loud can be a good way to focus your thoughts and proclaim your faith to God, angels and demons listening in.
You can pray to put the sins of the one in bondage under the blood of Jesus so they are better able to their own need to confess these sins themselves. This is temporary, any only by God’s mercy when He chooses to do so for as long as He chooses to do so. It noes not remove their accountability for those sins in this life or the next, but wakens the demons’ control over them so they can better see the sin for what it is. Most issues you pray against will be from generational sin in the family line, and you an pray to have that broken. But when the individual participates in those sins by their own free will, then that also becomes another opening to be dealt with s well. Putting the sin under the blood of Jesus for them can temporarily weaken its hold so they can repent and turn from it. (Matthew 16:19; 12:29). Be sensitive to God’s leading in praying for this.
Make notes of how these principles can apply to your own prayer life. Integrate what God is showing you into your own daily prayer time.