The Intercessors Handbook

by Jennifer Eivaz

  Everything rises or falls on the prayers of the Church.

  We need to use wisdom and think about what we pray before we pray it. We are more powerful in prayer than we think.

  We are to pray redemptively for all people and all nations, not just the people we like. Judgment and offense in our hearts are hindrances to prayer.

  Thoughts for Reflection

  Prayer is the first priority of the Church. How do you prioritize prayer when life always seems so busy?

  What does a lifestyle of prayer look like? How do you cultivate that?

  Do you struggle to pray for people, leaders or nations that are evil? How do you overcome that in your heart?

  Have you ever prayed for social issues? What social issues drive you to your knees in prayer?

  Do you have a prayer language? What was your experience of receiving it?

  Appendix A

  The Key Differences Between Christians and Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)

  As I mentioned in the first chapter of this book, I grew up in the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) church. I was an active member, immersed in Mormon beliefs and a participant in some of their temple rituals.

  The temple rituals varied but usually involved religious acts on behalf of someone who had died. For example, I would be baptized in water on behalf of another person who had died, in order to fulfill their eternal requirement for baptism. None of the rituals were perverse or scary but were done to secure aspects of the afterlife for the ones who had passed on.

  As a Mormon, I learned about the importance of family, of tithing and of being physically healthy. I was taught good character and modesty as a woman. I was also taught a framework for the existence of modern-day prophets, heavenly revelations, angelic visitations, the Holy Ghost and the idea that the gifts of the Holy Ghost were to be embraced. (I prefer to say Holy Spirit, but an LDS member will take care to say Holy Ghost.)

  LDS followers use terminology that sounds similar to the terminology Christians use. Keep in mind that these things may sound the same but have different meanings underneath. For example, Mormons believe Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior and died for their sins so they can have eternity in heaven. This is the same statement of faith as Christians, except the Jesus embraced by the LDS church and the Jesus of the Christian faith are not the same Jesus.

  Mormons believe we preexisted in heaven. They also believe in eternal families, past and future. Eternal families are marital unions in heaven that produce children. In the LDS belief structure, God the Father had a beginning, and so did Jesus Christ. Jesus was titled the firstborn Son because He was born first. They believe the rest of us were born in like manner as Jesus.

  They also believe Lucifer was a rebellious brother in our spirit family, rather than a rebellious archangel. Instead of taking a third of the angels with him in his rebellion, LDS members believe Lucifer took one-third of God’s spirit children into his allegiance. These rebellious brothers and sisters who existed in heaven before mankind appeared on the earth now manifest as evil people on earth and are forever condemned.

  Christians do not believe we preexisted in heaven. Instead, they believe we were perfectly preknown and planned for in the heart of God, as He is all-knowing and knows our beginning from our end. King David wrote, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).

  We also do not accept that Lucifer, also known as Satan, is a spiritual brother. Rather, Satan is a fallen angel that ranked in authority alongside the archangels Michael and Gabriel. He had charge of one-third of the angelic host, who rebelled with him and are now manifest as demons on the earth.

  Christians also shun the idea of marriage, sexual union and childbearing in a heavenly context. For human beings, there is no eternal plan for marriage or childbearing in heaven, based on the words of Jesus in Mark 12:25: “When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.”

  The LDS church refers to four scriptural texts: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The founder of the LDS church, Joseph Smith, claims to have received the Book of Mormon after an angel named Moroni visited him and revealed to him the book’s location. Smith claims to have found a set of inscribed gold plates buried at the Hill Cumorah in New York. These inscriptions were then interpreted through supernatural means, and the result was the Book of Mormon. I read the Book of Mormon a handful of times while growing up. It is a proposed historical narrative between Jesus and early Native Americans.

  The Doctrine and Covenants is a book that contains their church standards and beliefs. It is comparable to the book of Proverbs. The Pearl of Great Price offers an additional narrative, similar to the Book of Mormon, and includes a Book of Moses.

  When it comes to an LDS prophet, his words and decrees can supersede anything written in their holy texts and carries the most weight. The leader of the LDS church is always given the title of prophet and is chosen out of their Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This explains how stances held by the LDS church over the years have shifted, as doctrine is not anchored in their written texts.

  Conversely, Christians hold to one scriptural text: the Bible. Many Christians believe in modern-day apostles and prophets, as described in Ephesians 4:11–12, but the word of the prophet must submit to the Bible, not the other way around. Prophets cannot create theology that is not already communicated in Scripture.

  In Christendom, prophets often predict the future with accuracy and operate in powerful signs and wonders. At the same time, they do not have absolute authority over the Church. They are part of a governing structure chosen by Jesus, which includes apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Together, these persons lead the Church on earth with the goal of equipping the saints for ministry and bringing them to maturity.

  An interesting paradox exists between LDS and Christian communities when it comes to beliefs about the supernatural. I have found the LDS framework to be more biblical than that held by many Christian denominations, especially the cessationist denominations, such as the Southern Baptist, Church of Christ, Evangelical Free and Reformed churches. For example, LDS members believe in apostles and prophets, the gifts of the Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8–10, the activity of angels, the active voice of God through the prophets and personally, and the receiving of spiritual revelations. Although their application is misplaced, a biblical framework somehow emerged through Joseph Smith.

  The last key difference between Christians and Mormons is the LDS belief in personal deification. They are actively striving to progress in this life so they can become a god in the next. I never understood this to be a competitive statement against the Creator, but rather a by-product of having become like Christ in the way they believe Him to be. Remember that Mormons believe Jesus had a beginning and progressed to His place of deity. They are attempting to do the same. This drives many Mormons to be successful and promotes a sense of excellence within their ranks.

  Christians, on the other hand, believe they are made in the image of God, are full of the Holy Spirit and carry a heavenly mandate on earth. Although we would hardly refer to ourselves as gods, we do embrace our spiritual titles—that of kings and priests on earth—having been given all authority in Jesus’ name. Love and compassion for mankind drives us into successful action more than a fearful striving for rank and title in heaven. In an eternal context, Christians are content to forever worship their God, dwell in heavenly mansions, enjoy fellowship with the Son and anticipate the new Jerusalem. It is an eternal rest we seek, not deification, since we will all be changed instantly at the last trumpet and be given glorious bodies at the resurrection of the dead (see 1 Corinthians 15:52).

  Appendix B

  How to Deliver a Person from Demons

  When I was a new Christian, I attended a large Pentecostal church for a short while, just before I met my husband, Ron. It was a great church, and I en
joyed being with people my age who were excited about God.

  One Sunday, I met a few older women who said they had a special prayer meeting happening in another part of the building. They invited me to come, so I went.

  Unfortunately, they had taken it upon themselves to start a deliverance session with me without my permission. When I say they started a deliverance session, what I mean is they tried to cast a variety of spirits out of me—except that I never manifested any such spirits and their methods felt really spooky.

  I liked the church and so I kept attending, but I avoided those women from that point on. Every so often, they would find me in the service and try to convince me to get more prayer from them. No, thank you! It is funny to me now, but I did learn from that experience and a few others like it what to do and what not to do when it comes to deliverance ministry.

  What is deliverance ministry? Jesus said that when we preach the Gospel, we can expect to encounter the following: “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons” (Mark 16:17). This means that when we are sharing the Gospel, we will encounter people controlled by demons, and these spirits will need to be cast out.

  How do we know when someone has a demon? And if they do, how do we cast them out? In this section, I will give you some basics to help you minister effectively when you encounter a person possessed by spirits. These are general guidelines. For more detailed instructions, I recommend Free in Christ by Pablo Bottari and I Give You Authority by Charles H. Kraft.

  1. Care for people, not their demons.

  Jesus sent the 72 disciples, two by two, into all the places He was intending to go and minister. They came back, reporting with joy, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name” (Luke 10:17). Jesus responded by acknowledging their God-given authority over such spirits but clarified what was most important: “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (verse 20). In other words, casting out demons is important, but the fate of each person is more important.

  When you encounter a situation that requires you to deliver someone from spirits, take care to preserve their dignity. Do not humiliate them or abuse them in the process, as this could drive a wedge between them and God and His Church. For example:

  Do not yell or scream at the demons inside people. Spirits respond to authority, not volume.

  Do not expose them in front of a crowd, if you can help it. Take them somewhere private.

  Take care to alleviate any fears they might have. (For instance, I do not tell people they are possessed. I explain they are exhibiting spiritual problems, and then I ask them if they want to be free.)

  Show them love and care through the process.

  2. Make sure they have manifested.

  Just as physical diseases reveal themselves through a series of symptoms, so do people afflicted with demonic spirits reveal symptoms. Some symptoms, also known as manifestations, are obvious, and others are not so obvious and require investigation.

  For example, we have had people respond in church services to the presence of the Holy Spirit with what sounds like a scream, followed by a collapse on the floor. Would you believe this is not necessarily a demonic manifestation? When this happens, I often ask the person, who is usually shaking on the floor, “What’s happening? Is this God or something else?” They can always tell me. Sometimes it is God, and others times it is demonic. Depending on their answer, we either leave them alone to enjoy His presence or we begin to address the spirit afflicting them.

  Other symptoms we have determined to be demonic manifestations include:

  Sudden onset of jerky, almost violent movements

  Catatonic state

  Growling or hissing

  Sudden outburst of expletives

  Sudden physical ailments (but investigate—sudden nausea or headaches could be demonic manifestations or an alert from the Holy Spirit that someone nearby needs healing)

  Distorted face or contorted body

  Hostile look

  This is a basic list, and it can get more complex, depending on the bondage and how rooted it is. Either way, when you see these behaviors come upon a person, it is time to take redemptive action.

  3. Make sure they want to be free.

  I recall a time more than a decade ago when a kind, middle-aged gentleman began coming to our weekly prayer services and attending our church on Sundays. During one of the prayer services, he was seated behind me, worshiping in song, and began to sing in his prayer language. The only thing is, his prayer language did not sound right.

  I have noticed over the years that when a person around me has a demonic spirit that is beginning to manifest, I become agitated and annoyed. My mind usually does not know what is happening, but the Holy Spirit in me is reacting to the demon nearby.

  As this man continued to sing with strange sounds, I turned around and said, without thinking, “Be quiet!”

  When I did that, he cussed me out and began running around the sanctuary, shouting repeatedly, “You can’t cast me out!”

  A few of us tried to get him to be still. We did not physically touch him, but we commanded the spirit to be bound and then asked him to let us help him. He would not allow us to help. Instead, he ran out of the building and into the parking lot. When he came back inside, we pleaded again for him to let us help. All we received in return was more glaring and cussing before he ran out the door for the last time. We never saw him again.

  We have experienced many persons exhibiting much stronger demonic manifestations than this man, but those other people received our help and, in turn, their deliverance. What made the difference? Almost always, the difference was in their will. Not everyone is ready to face what he or she needs to face in order to be delivered. Or they simply do not want to be free. One young man explained why he would not receive ministry, even though he had manifested in front of us. He said, “I like the power coming from that spirit, and I don’t want to give it up.”

  You see, not everyone wants to be free. When they do not want freedom, you cannot force it to happen. But when they are ready, they will not run away. They may present a strong demonic manifestation, but they will submit themselves to the process of deliverance, because inside they really want to be free.

  4. Put them in control of their deliverance.

  Our first goal when a person has manifested demonically is to bind the spirit and bring the person to consciousness so we can lead them to deliver themselves, if possible. The way we bind the demonic spirit is by using our words and making a command with authority (see Matthew 18:18; Mark 11:23). Here are a couple of suggestions:

  “I stop all demonic manifestations, in Jesus’ name.”

  “Submit yourself, in Jesus’ name.”

  Next, we tell the person to take control of their body and mind, which puts them back in control. Then we discuss with them what needs to happen next.

  If the person is not a Christian, we invite them to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, as they will not be able to maintain their deliverance without having done this. I have found that some people want the spirit to be gone but do not want to submit to Christ, and some do not want to stop the behavior that invited demonization in the first place. As much as it pains me, I cannot proceed with deliverance in these instances, because it opens them up to even worse demonization. Jesus described to us what happens when an unclean spirit leaves a man. He said it goes and finds seven more spirits worse than itself, and they enter and possess the person, making “the last state of that man . . . worse than the first” (Luke 11:26 NKJV). When a person receives Christ, they also receive an initial infilling of the Holy Spirit, which is all they need to prevent a disastrous repossession.

  Now, the person has manifested because the demonic spirit has been given access somehow. This is where you need to ask a few questions and listen to the Holy Spirit to find out why that demon is there. Typically, the point of access is in one of fo
ur main areas: fear, hatred, the occult or sexual sin. In a pastoral manner, we begin to ask the following questions:

  What or whom do you fear?

  Whom do you hate?

  Have you participated in any occult activities, or has your family?

  Do you have sexual sin in your present or past, or has anyone sinned against you sexually?

  I do not ask these questions all at once, but rather one at a time, and I listen to what they say while sensing what the Holy Spirit is saying.

  After each admission, we coach the person to ask Jesus to forgive them for the specific trespass, or we coach them to forgive those who trespassed against them. Then we have them renounce—out loud—any spirit that may have come in as a result. When the spirit leaves, some type of release will be felt or seen. This could be a cough, a sigh, a physical shake or something like it. Pay attention to those signals. This means the spirit has left them.

  5. Have them receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

  This is the best part! Jesus said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8 NKJV). Once the person has renounced demonic spirits, they need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit or receive fresh refilling (see Ephesians 5:18).

  Lay your hands on them and ask Jesus to baptize them or fill them again with the Holy Spirit. You will often feel or see His power come upon them, and they will physically manifest, but in a different way now. If they do not have a prayer language, encourage them to speak the Spirit’s language as they feel it bubble up from inside. Celebrate any manifestation of the Spirit they may encounter. This type of ending is encouraging to the participant, as it connects them to God and they receive His embrace in a meaningful way.

  6. Provide good follow-up care.

  Make sure to follow up with the person receiving deliverance in a way that is caring and supportive. They will need to process and talk through any spiritual happenings that show up after they are delivered. For example, they may experience nightmares or receive a demonic visitation, or someone from their past may reemerge. They will need encouragement and fellowship when this happens, as well as reminders of how to continue in their newfound freedom.