Effective Prayer

James 5:16  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

In late August of 2008 hurricane “Gustav” crashed into Cuba, recording the highest wind gust ever recorded there - 211 mph. All of the computer models were forecasting a disastrous impact on the central Gulf Coast somewhere between Houston, Texas and Mobile, Alabama. The models showed that the storm would intensify to a “Category 5” storm, bringing devastation to the very cities and towns which had not completely recovered from Katrina - three years earlier. This was the third anniversary of Katrina’s landfall. On August 30, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued a mandatory evacuation of the entire city and nearly two million people evacuated from southern Louisiana in advance of the storm.

That evening, inside the walls of the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, the KAIROS prison ministry meeting was closing a service of confession and forgiveness. Each participant  had just forgiven those who had hurt them deeply in the past. As I stood to offer the closing prayer, a rush of faith came over me to pray against the storm heading our way. Forgiving others clears us to be forgiven resulting in our prayers heard by God. Prayers in too many churches are ineffective, because of the lack of forgiveness. How can you rebuke a storm outside when there is a storm raging inside of you? 

We prayed for the storm in the Gulf to dissipate and be reduced in power. It would have been inappropriate to ask it to swerve away and hit another coast. We prayed for the Lord to rebuke the storm. 

There was a bit of spiritual pride later when Gustav, instead of intensifying over the warm gulf waters, dropped to a “Category 2” before making landfall on September 1st, west of New Orleans, in an evacuated area. But then on Monday evening,  my brother called from California to ask how we were doing as we were touched by the edge of the storm. He had been at a large Christian gathering in Anaheim, CA where they prayed that the storm would dissipate. He commented, “Prayer really does works!” 

That day, I opened an email prayer bulletin from another ministry. Their letter read,

“We believe that the Lord has given us authority to pray the death & destruction out of the hurricane and to command the winds to be diminished, and that is what we are doing.  We are asking all of you to join with us in our intercession for the Gulf Coast and the East Coast.”

During the “Cold War,” I watched - at close hand - the construction of the Berlin wall. Stationed in Germany at the time, in a small way participated  in the Allied response - a show of force the day after the wall went up. 

In the mid nineteen eighties, an organization of Christians, Intercessors for Germany, headed by Berthold Buecker, were led to bring German people  together to repent, East and West. They believed that this could destroy the strongholds of division that kept the Berlin wall in place. Later, though no one orchestrated it, East Germans began to come together in Leipzig, interceding fervently for the country.  They were at great risk because the "Stasi" were watching and recording.  Thousands gathered in the church and throughout the city. It was too late to stop the pendulum of history. 

In November of 1989, dismantling of the Berlin Wall began. In 1992, the demolition was completed making way for the reunification of Germany. Over the next several years we heard from literally hundreds of people  who had been in Germany and prayed that the wall would come down. Each one took some satisfaction in their part in praying down the wall. 

We can always be self-satisfied when our prayers are answered; whether we pray for a hurricane to dissipate, a wall to come down, or for some tyrant to be defeated. But we also have to realize that it is not about us. 

Though our prayers are effective, it is all about being a part of the Body of Christ and responding to the Holy Spirit as He calls us to pray. The Holy Spirit speaks to many at the same time and causes us all to pray the same way. 

Our prayers go up to God as a divine orchestra rather than a solo aria. The effectiveness of our prayers is based upon our submission to the maestro as He conducts the concert.

Nine Steps to Maintain Your Spiritual Health

Aslan Ministries' present home is in Mississippi, a state which has become famous for a number of health issues. Admittedly, I probably have contributed to one major issue. Mississippi is currently the most obese state in the union. Politicians from the White House to the Statehouse are wringing their hands to come up with solutions. It seems when our physical health is threatened the government calls out the EPA, NIH, CDC, and sometimes even the Military to protect its citizens- even if they do not want to be protected. In addition in a recent study Mississippi beat out Louisiana to be the most corrupt state.

It seems the government, while focusing on physical health, ignores the spiritual health of the people. Our spiritual health is not only important to our well being but also may be a contributor to physical health problems.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the visionary Jesuit priest, wrote in the 20th century: "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience".

As human beings we are designed by our Creator to live with the ability to touch two coexisting environments; spiritual and physical.

Spiritual hygiene is important to our welfare and must be part of a regular regimen. We have provided nine spiritual actions which will aid in maintaining our spiritual health.

1.     Take Spiritual Showers

After a shift at work - hospital, office, factory, or church dealing with infective situations we will often become unclean. The first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah identify many things that make a person unclean and prescribe remedies such as ritual washing. When we have been slimed and are unclean it is time to take a spiritual shower. We may want to combine this with a physical shower.

First pray, "Lord, wash me clean, you are the Living Water.  Wash away all of the junk that has come into me from the world today. Wash me clean from all the gory details we have encountered at work or on TV." 

We are washing away things that have stuck to our human spirit. We are not supposed to hold on to the burdens of others. God asks to minister to others in His power and authority and to pass all the pain and hurt up the line to Him. We often may become defiled as we hold on to what we should be passing through.

We need to also pray, “Lord, take this burden from me. Your burden is not oppressive but I have made it so.”

2.     Acknowledge the Lord’s presence

Before we enter into a difficult meeting, hospital room, an unpleasant task, or a ministry situation it is

important to acknowledge that the Lord is with us. We can celebrate that presence in prayer. Pray that He will place Himself between you and your task and be a holy filter to protect you. His presence is a reality, not something we just conger up in our mind, but we have to choose to be aware of His presence as we meet each situation.

Pray "Lord, don't let me think, do, say, feel, etc. anything that would dishonor You.  Let me be in tune with You."

3.     Cleanse the atmosphere

The spiritual pollution is all around us. Before we begin to work we need to spiritually cleanse the area in which we are going to use.  This brings up the question, “Do we have spiritual authority to safely cleanse a place?” When we have ownership, we have the authority. If we are working in an area where we have no authority, someone else’s home, a hospital room, or a public place, it is more effective to pray and ask the Lord to cleanse the space. 

Spiritual warfare is not chasing demons around, but taking the light of Christ into dark places. The intensity of our light is a function of our relationship with Christ. When we are closer to Him, our light shines brighter.

“Lord, we ask that you bring the light of your spirit into this place to replace the darkness.

4.     Take regular breaks from work or ministry

For many years I looked down at monks who spent so much time alone in prayer and devotions, locked in a monastery away from people. In my immaturity, I felt they could better serve God ministering to God’s people out in the streets. Then I read somewhere that you cannot really understand the needs of the world until you get away from it for a time. While we are in a spiritual environment with which we are familiar, we become desensitized to the needs of that environment. If we get away to a place of prayer and meditation, we will be able to hear God clearer and when we return to our place of ministry we are more sensitive to both good and evil.

We need to physically exercise regularly to release stress and heaviness.

5.      Maintain our Sabbath.

            Make sure that we set aside a day each week to rest.  God made us with the need for a Sabbath day. Otherwise we become vulnerable for defilement.  We become vulnerable in a very negative way when we take on more than God has called us to take. And we lose our sense of balance and our discernment.  We are not protected because we are not rested. And we are not in tune with God's plan for us.

6.       Do not take on more than God assigns us.

            There are many good things that need to be done that do not have our name on them. Allow others to have the blessing of serving.

7.       Do not let your devotional life die.

           Remember to have your prayer time, if possible, each day.

 8.     Keep your relationships in good order. 

9.     Do funny things. Have humour in your family.

The above is partially excerpted from my book "Physician, Heal Thyself; the Oxygen Mask Principle."

Get more information on this book

Bill Johnson

Aslan Ministries

Deliver Us From Evil

The call came in around noon on Wednesday while I was studying for next week’s sermon. I was alone in the office and it was a good time to work, study and enjoy some quiet time. An unfamiliar voice on the other end sounded hesitant and confused as if he did not know what to say or how to say it. I waited patiently to hear what he was calling about.

“Reverend Johnson,” he began, “My name is Phil Short and I am a Presbyterian pastor and currently the chaplain at Magnolia Hospice here in town. We are facing a strange situation and thought you might be able to help.”

“How can we help?” I asked expecting to talk about funeral arrangements or ministry to the family.

He hemmed and hawed for what seemed like minutes but it was probably much less. Then blurted out the question that he was not sure about how to approach. “Are you familiar with spiritual decontamination?”

Chuckling to myself over the choice of words I responded in a tone similar to his solemnity, “That term is unfamiliar to me but I think I understand what you are asking and we can probably help.”

“If you have the time I would like to come over and talk.”

“Come ahead.” This sounded more interesting than what I was about and could still finish later.

Arriving within ten minutes Chaplain Short appeared to be a gentle compassionate man with a heart for people in the last throes of their earthly life. He seemed to fit the role comforting and encouraging the patient and family through the death process.

He began to share about one particular case which had him very bewildered.

“Ms Jones is a frail, eighty year old lady, who is dying of a brain tumor. She is less than five foot tall and weighs about ninety pounds. She was so weak she hardly ever got out of bed.”

“Yesterday she said she had been attacked by demons,” he explained. “Of course I immediately went to her apartment and found it in ruins. She was always neat and tidy and her apartment had always been spotless.”

Then he asked, “Would you go with me to her place and see what you think about this situation.”

As we walked up the concrete stairs to her second floor apartment Chaplain Short whispered, “Don’t be amazed. The apartment looks like a war zone.”

The slight woman was exactly as the chaplain had described. One thing he failed to mention was the tennis ball sized tumor projecting from her forehead. The mess around her seemed to embarrass her but she politely invited us in.

The two room apartment was as described, as if a vicious battle had been fought in this small space. The large, brown, imitation leather sofa was turned completely on its side, two large fichus trees in two foot pots appeared to have been had been thrown in anger high up against the wall, the wooden dinette table with its chairs were broken into pieces and strewn around the floor.

“What happened here, Ms. Jones?” I asked.

“A demon did this yesterday. He has been attacking me for weeks but this is the first time he became violent and destroyed my home.”

Ms. Jones and the chaplain looked at me for help, but this was way beyond my personal experience.

We rearranged the sofa and each found a place to sit. We wanted to get acquainted and learn more about Ms. Jones and why this occurred. We learned that she was a devout Christian woman and had served in the church all of her life. She had recently changed churches and loved her new church. I made a mental note to talk to her new pastor as he was a friend, and a strong man of God.

It was then that the Lord prompted me to ask Ms. Jones two questions. Her response amazed me with her wisdom and forthrightness.

The mood in the room was transformed so we spent time praying and continued to visit until we had to leave because of another commitment.

I never saw Ms. Jones again, but Chaplain Short told me that her tumor had disappeared and she had been released from hospice care. She had moved to Arkansas where she lived happily for several more years with her daughter.

What were the two questions we asked Ms. Jones which changed everything?

John Dawson in his book “Healing America’s Wounds” uses an illustration of an explorer in Africa, chopping his way through a dense jungle. Suddenly his machete slips and puts a deep gash on his arm. The blood running down his arm attracts a number of flies. At this point he has a choice to make. He can stop and chase the flies away, or he can bandage up the wound to deprive the flies of a target. In spiritual warfare we can chase demons around or we can eliminate the reason they are there.

The first question was, “Ms. Jones, you are a devout Christian woman, can you explain to me why the demon was allowed to attack you?”

Most of the time spiritual attacks will come in areas of our lives that the Lord is not in control. These are areas of sinfulness, unforgiveness, and our own stubbornness where we want to be in control to do things our own way without consulting God.

Ms. Jones knew exactly what I was asking and she knew exactly where the trouble lay.

She explained, “I have been a member of my church for over thirty years. When the pastor’s wife became ill they asked me to move in and take care of her. I took care of her for twenty years until she passed a several months ago. Then the pastor told me I could no longer live there with him. I became very upset and angry and have been trying to get revenge for him treating me this way. In spite, I left the church and joined the church down the street. I guess my anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness gave the demons the excuse to attack me.”

The second question was, “Can you forgive your former pastor for the way you were treated?”

She forgave and repented for her actions. We then spent the next half hour praying with her and over her apartment.

My friend, the pastor of the church that Ms. Jones joined before we met her contacted me. He explained that they had tried to help her but were not able to. He asked if we could teach his people about spiritual warfare. 

We have been teaching a workshop on Spiritual Warfare for several years. Our workshop, "A Balanced Approach to Spiritual Warfare," is available for churches or small groups from:
http://www.aslanministries.org/spiritual-warfare.html


Bill Johnson

aslanministries.org

Why do bad things happen to good people?

A few weeks ago I stepped off the curb at a convenience store in Collins, MS only to see a previously parked white Escalade roaring down on me. In reverse. There was no time to run, and there was no way I could escape being hit and hurt badly. The next thing I knew, I was laying flat on my back on the tarmac, feeling around for injuries. and drawing a crowd people wanting to help. I was alive, and miraculously the only severe pain was at the seat of my pants.

I remember thinking, “God must not be through with me yet.” When the driver saw what she had caused she began to panic. By this time I sat up and thanked God for my safety.

One week later while in Oklahoma, my wife Rita was bitten by a Brown Recluse spider and spent over a week in the hospital and is looking forward to months of pain and a possible skin graft, as the wound heals.

While these events are important to us personally, what about the earthquakes in Nepal, the tornadoes in the Midwest, the train wreck in Philadelphia or wars in the Middle East?

When difficulties arise we ask, “Why me? Is God punishing me?” “If God is almighty, why did he not stop these disasters? This leads some to the conclusion that Atheists and Deists are right. Others may not want follow a God Who would allow these things to happen.

Theologians over the years have attempted to develop sound meaningful explanations that seldom satisfies. With a loving and caring God, why is there still evil in the world?

Jesus told us:

John 16:33 (MSG) 33  In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world."

Other Biblical writers contributed:

James 1:2-4 (MSG) Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Hebrews 12:7-9 (MSG) God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children.

One of the best explanations I have heard is an analogy with WWII in Europe. In the Old Testament there are very few examples of bad things happening to good people. Most notably is the story of Job who was a righteous man and God allowed Satan to test his loyalty. For most of the Old Testament we see the Jewish nation suffering because of their disobedience to God. Their physical state is often a barometer of their spiritual state. Their disobedience then leads to  enemy attacks, oppression, and capture.

In the Christian New Testament, the story has changed. Now bad things are regularly happening to good people, while the incidents of punishment by God for disobedience is rare. What caused the change?

This is how the WWII analogy helps to explain. Until June 6^th 1944, the Axis forces in Europe pretty

much had things there own way. On D-Day, the Allied forces invaded the enemy's territory beginning one of the most deadly times in history. Patton’s Seventh Army made great progress, but the enemy took advantage of other allied weakness and attacked and began the famous “Battle of the Bulge.”

When Jesus came into a world completely controlled by Satan and his forces, it was the spiritual D-Day. Up until then, Satan had his own way, but with Jesus cosmic invasion, the war began in earnest.

In the European Theater more lives were lost between D-Day and VE-Day than at any prior time in the war. In our spiritual war, there have been and will continue to be many casualties between Jesus’ invasion of Satan’s realm and when Jesus returns in victory.

This analogy has helped me over the years, but I would like to get your comments on this important subject.

Bill Johnson

www.

aslanministries.org