Scripture: Matthew 18 v 19 - 20: "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on Earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father which is in Heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them."Over the years of this ministry, the joy of answered prayer comes second only to the powerful presence of Jesus in our midst when we pray. It gives understanding to the words 'pray without ceasing' from Paul in His letters to the Thessalonians. His presence in our midst is so wonderful that we keep praying to have that continuous blessing.
When Jesus is in the midst of you, especially when it's only two or three, the unity is almost overwhelming. The gifts of the Holy Spirit burst forth in a continuous flow like rivers of living water. Tongues, interpretation of tongues, words of knowledge, visions, revelations, discerning of spirits abound bringing joyful times of refreshing and healing.
When we ask anything in His name under that anointing we see the answers sometimes within hours, some even immediately, others a work in progress. Our Father honours His Word and Jesus helps us pray according to His will.
Prayer is the lifeblood of our relationship with the Godhead. Jesus says if we love and worship God, they will make their abode within our hearts. When He is in our midst, nothing is impossible. I share these insights to encourage you all to seek God's face in prayer, alone or in groups, to truly experience the beauty of holiness.
One day my prayer partner in another town, with whom many hours a day were spent praying over the telephone landline, brought her friend Matilda to my home as she needed deliverance from evil spirits. Earlier that morning I had received a verse from the Lord about when He drove seven demons out of Mary Magdalene.
Matilda was a very short and slim lady, who had had a very bitter relationship with her mother. So I put her on the "hotseat" a small table in my lounge, and we started confidently to pray about bitterness and hate. The next moment my prayer partner and I were sailing through the air and we landed in a heap on the floor!
Matilda landed on her back and Joy and I landed over each of her arms, pinning her down. Her strength was unbelievable. And she was screaming at the top of her voice like one being murdered. So I could not communicate with Joy but we were binding demons furiously. I wanted to put my right hand on Matilda's stomach to push the demons out but if I moved even one arm from holding her the demons in her tried to strangle either her or me.
I had a word in my mind, Send the demons into the pigs! So I did that, while the screaming and battle to hold her down continued. It seemed like hours but eventually she lay still and spoke for the first time saying they are all gone. Glory to Jesus, He was in our midst for sure.
After we were sitting having tea, Matilda said that two interesting things had occurred. Firstly, Jesus was standing on her stomach pressing the demons out with His feet. Wow, He knew I could not free my hand! Secondly, she saw a herd of pigs run through the lounge and all the demons fled into them. Amazing testimony, and she was completely free of seven demons. She was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. A wonderful, instant transformation that showed how Jesus uses people to set the captives free.
Remember that the Lord dwells in the praises of His people. King David the Psalmist knew that powerful means of communication with God. With the high praises of God in your mouth and a two-edged sword in your hand, The Bible, you can defeat any foe. Satan flees from praising Christians who know the Word of God.
This happened in a house where deaths and miscarriages had occurred and our prayer team went to pray for the house to be free of evil spirits. We started out singing praises to God and He kept us praising him for an hour and a half. All the while, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a huge spiritual battle being played out in the entrance hall.
When it ended we stopped singing and there was nothing further to do. The lady of the house called me on the phone two days later. Who are you, she asked in a shocked voice. I replied, why are you asking. She said she had found out that her ex-husband had hired two Satanists to curse her with death and while we were praising God the one had shot the other and then committed suicide. Only God can make a judgment call like that besides sending a strong message to her ex.
We are living in an age of increasingly heavy demonic encounters and every Christian needs to know that we have power over them. I share these testimonies to encourage people to equip themselves for battle in these last days.
Seek and you will find Him ready to listen and help. Neglect Him and when trouble comes knocking then you need to still seek Him and He will be there as He said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
If you are not praying and reading your Bible regularly you will find your spiritual life is running on empty. This will reflect on your physical and mental state, of being tired, under pressure, and frustrated. So don't neglect your connection to your Father in Heaven, from whom all blessings flow. The door to His Throne Room is always open and we can enter in with confidence of His mighty love.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we give all praise and thanks to You for the joy of Your presence in our midst. The reality of Your relationship with us is beyond our understanding, but it is life-changing, and nothing else compares with it. I pray that every reader will have an enhanced prayer life to refresh their souls and experience fulfilling the work You have for each of us to do. In Jesus' name. Amen.