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SETTING CAPTIVES FREE praying for the unsaved

JENNIFER KENNEDY DEAN

setting captives free praying for the unsaved

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By Jennifer Kennedy Dean In this series of four lessons, we are exploring what the Scripture teaches us about praying for the unsaved. Lesson Lesson 1 How does the Scripture describe the condition of an unsaved person? Lesson 2 Why is prayer spiritual warfare? Lesson 3 How does an intercessor approach spiritual warfare? Lesson 4 How might an intercessor develop a prayer strategy? How does an intercessor discover his or her intercession assignments from God? By the end of this study learners will have identified those in their world for whom God has assigned them to intercede and will have developed a strategy for spiritual warfare targeting the release of specific unsaved persons from Satan’s captivity. © 2004 The Praying Life Foundation. All rights reserved. PO Box 1113 Blue Springs, MO 64013 [email protected]

Find more books and Bible studies by Jennifer Kennedy Dean www.prayinglife.org 816.229.1199

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Lesson One What is the condition of a lost person? How does the Scripture define lostness?

Blind And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor. 4:3-4). First we see that, to an unsaved person ON HIS OWN—apart from the direct moving of the Spirit—the gospel is “veiled.” Scripture is its own commentary; Scripture interprets Scripture. Let’s look into the Word of God to see what God means by the term “veiled.” The word “veil” means covering. The first mention of “veil” with spiritual significance is in reference to the building of the tabernacle. “You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies” (Ex. 26:33, italics added). The veil in the tabernacle and later the Temple separated humans from the direct presence of God. It hid God from mankind’s view. Another reference to a veil is found in Exodus 34, we are told that Moses began to wear a veil over his face after he had been with the Lord. Read Exodus 34: 29-34: It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. Afterward all the sons of Israel came near and he commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him (italics added). Jennifer Kennedy Dean © 2005

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Moses, after being with the Lord, reflected the Lord’s glory. The Israelites were instinctively fearful of the Presence of God, so Moses covered the glory of God with a veil. The book of 2 Corinthians interprets this phenomenon for us. I am going to paraphrase 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 and synthesize its meaning here, but read it for yourself in its context. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? (v. 7-8)

If the Old Covenant, which was really a death sentence, came in such glory that the skin on Moses’ face shone—in fact his skin was so radiant that the Israelites couldn’t look directly at it—then how much more will the New Covenant, the Life-Giving Covenant, come with glory If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! (v. 9-11)

The glory of the Old Covenant that was reflected in Moses’ face was already fading away by the time the Israelites saw Moses, so Moses wore a veil over his face to hide that which was fading. But we have nothing to hide! The New Covenant is accompanied by so much more glory that the Old Covenant seems in comparison to have no glory at all! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. ... Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (v. 12-13; 17-18)

We are an open book. We reflect the Lord’s glory, but don’t then cover it with a veil. And the glory we reflect doesn’t fade away, but instead grows brighter and brighter. In the above paraphrase, I left out verses 14-16. Here’s what they say: “But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” Not only is this referring to Jews, but to all unbelievers, as made clear in ensuing passages (e.g., 2 Cor. 4:3-4). The glory is Jennifer Kennedy Dean © 2005

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there for all to see, but not all can see it. To some it is veiled. The veil is no longer covering the glory of God, but now the veil is covering the mind and understanding of an unbeliever. Examine one last reference to the word “veil,” and then we’ll put the pieces together. The book of Hebrews tells us that the flesh (humanity) that Jesus took on was the spiritual reality that the tabernacles’ veil shadowed. What hid Jesus’ true glory from sight? His flesh. He Himself allowed the veil of His flesh to be torn, while at the very same moment, the Temple’s veil was torn, and made it possible to see beyond the veil. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matt. 27:50-51). “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh” (Heb. 10:19-20).

What is the consistent use of the “veil” in Scripture? What is its purpose?

In an unsaved person, what is veiled or covered over?

What is another phrase that Paul used in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 to mean “a veiled understanding”? He said their minds were “blinded.” What does that tell you about a lost person’s ability to “see” and comprehend the truth?

Jesus, the New Testament reveals, is the mystery of God, a mystery that once He kept hidden (veiled), but that now He has revealed (uncovered). (Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:7-8; Eph. 6:19; Col. 2:2) The word “mystery” refers to something which is clear for all to see, but not all can understand. All can see the form, but not all can perceive the meaning. A mystery must be revealed. Some are blinded to it.


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One thing that Scripture tells us about an unsaved person is that he or she is blind—cannot see. He is being blinded by “the god of this world.” There is an active and intentional strategy in play that blinds the mind of the unbeliever to the gospel.

Deaf ‘Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word’ (John 8:43). In the same debate, Jesus says, “You can’t hear Me! Even though you are standing right here and you can hear My voice, you can’t hear My words!” ‘He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God’ (John 8:47). ON HIS OWN, a lost person cannot hear the gospel. He or she can hear the words, but cannot hear it at heart-level that produces faith. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). The expression translated “word” in this sentence is the Greek word rhema. It means a voiced word. For faith to be produced, one must be able to hear Christ voicing His Word; one must be able to hear with the heart. The Hebrew word for “wisdom” means a hearing heart. A lost person is void of wisdom. A lost person is deaf to the spiritual realm.

What does this tell you about a lost person’s ability to respond to the gospel?

Spiritually Dead And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:1-2). When you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him(Col.2:13). What does it mean to be dead? It means to be unresponsive to your environment. If my body were dead, although there would still be light, my body would be Jennifer Kennedy Dean © 2005

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unresponsive to it. My dead body CANNOT interact with the physical world. My body cannot feel or respond to anything in the physical world. If my body were dead, it would not feel hunger or thirst. It would not feel too hot or too cold. It would not feel need of any kind. An unsaved person is spiritually dead. This person cannot respond to anything in the spiritual realm. ON HIS OWN—apart from the work of the Spirit—this person cannot feel spiritual need. He cannot comprehend spiritual truth. “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor. 2:14). To further complicate matters, the prince of the power of the air is “now working” in the unbeliever to keep him in his state of death. The word translated “working” in this verse is the Greek word energeo. It means to work fervently, with energy, and to be effective and powerful. It is the same word used of God’s work in the believer. The enemy’s forces are actively and efficiently operating in the unbeliever to keep him or her from the truth.

Which faculty of an unbeliever is dead? • • • • •

Intellectual Emotional Physical Spiritual Volitional (will)

What does this tell you about the lost person’s ability to respond to the pull of the spiritual realm?

While the spiritual faculty is dead, every other faculty is alive. He is alive toward sin, but dead toward God. Therefore, sin rules unchallenged. Everything about this person that was created to be an “instrument of righteousness” is instead an “instrument of unrighteousness.” Sin is master over him. (Rom. 6:13-14) Satan’s forces are actively, aggressively, and effectively enslaving him, but at the same time are creating in him the illusion that he is free.


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Slaves Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin’ (John 8:34). In this passage (John 8:31-47), Jesus makes clear that unbelievers are slaves. He does not bother to say so diplomatically. He says it clearly and without equivocation. The unbelievers who were debating Him at that moment give us meaningful insight into the mind of an unbeliever. They are outraged and offended that Jesus said they were not free. They insist that they are free. Jesus insists that they are not free. He says that, unwittingly, they are doing the will of the devil. Believing themselves to be free, they are carrying out Satan’s agenda. Stop and read this passage. I want you to see how open this is. There is no couched language, no subtext. According to Jesus, freedom can come only one way: “If the Son makes you free, then you will be free indeed” (v. 36). Unbelievers are captives, but are deluded as to their condition. “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).

What does that tell you about an unbeliever’s ability to respond to the gospel?

Praying for the Unsaved We’re examining a topic that is critical for all believers: praying for the unsaved. In reaching a clear understanding of this, we have to recognize the condition from which an unsaved person is being rescued. This will help us see why prayer is necessary and what it accomplishes. Choosing to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ is a free will choice. A lost person’s will is not operating freely.1 Free: not subject to the control or domination of another; not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being.


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Does this sound to you like the description Scripture gives of a lost person’s condition? A freely made choice is one in which the chooser has a full and clear view of all his options and freely chooses one over another. Since a person not in relationship with Christ is spiritually blind, spiritually deaf, spiritually dead, and spiritually enslaved, how can that person make a free will choice? Now you can begin to see where prayer comes in. We don’t pray for the lost because we need to convince God to save them. Prayer is the conduit through which God’s power flows. Prayer is not bringing a need to God’s attention, convincing God to meet a need, or influencing God to move. Prayer is what God has set in place to be the bridge between the power available in the spiritual realm and the need on earth. Prayer accesses the power of God for the purposes of God. As we pray for lost people, God’s power begins to flow into their lives and circumstances. Through prayer and the power it releases in a life, a lost person’s will can be set free. Let me quote from S.D. Gordon’s book, Quiet Talks on Prayer: The purpose of our praying is not to force or coerce his will; never that. It is to free his will of the warping influences that now twist it awry. It is to get the dust out of his eyes so his sight shall be clear. And once he is free, able to see aright, to balance things without prejudice, the whole probability is in favor of his using his will to choose the only right I want to suggest to you the ideal prayer for such a one. It is an adaptation of Jesus’ own words. It may be pleaded with much variety of detail. It is this: deliver him from the evil one; work in him Thy will for him, by Thy power to Thy glory in Jesus, the Victor’s name.... The word ‘deliver’ in this prayer, as used by Jesus, the word under our English, has a picturesque meaning. It means rescue. Here is a man taken captive, and in chains. But he has become infatuated with his captor, and is befooled regarding his condition. Our prayer is, ‘rescue him from the evil one,’ and because Jesus is Victor over the captor, the rescue will take place...The prayer in Jesus’ name drives the enemy off the battle-field of the man’s will and leaves him free to choose aright. 1

Does this mean that a lost person is excused from personal responsibility for his lost condition? Of course not. Paul says that “…they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20). A lost person has chosen to reject as much of God as he understands and by that choice has made himself Satan’s captive.


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Lesson 2 Review: Lost people are “under the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Their will is not operating freely. They have become Satan’s captives. Prayer releases the power of God into their lives to set their wills free, thereby giving them the freedom to choose Christ. It follows that prayer is spiritual warfare. By the amazing power released through prayer we will free those who are being held captive by the enemy. He will not let them go without a battle. Count on it! Spiritual warfare in prayer need not be intimidating. Let’s first understand the enemy’s scheme in regards to taking and holding prisoners, then identify how we can defeat him.

Satan’s Satan’s Purpose Satan’s purpose is to hold the ground he is occupying. The lost person is occupied territory. Satan’s forces1 are entrenched; they have hunkered down and are carefully patrolling their territory. The following passage is taken from Live a Praying Life: Open Your Life to God’s Power and Provision: Every prayer that gains ground for God’s kingdom loses ground for the enemy. To pray is to be locked in combat with spiritual forces. Spiritual warfare is not a single type of praying; prayer is warfare. There is no reason for this to be an intimidating thought. The two opposing sides in this warfare are not equal. Satan’s army is pitifully weak and small compared to God’s. The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:16-17). Satan is a defeated foe. Why, then, does warfare continue if Satan has been overcome? Let me use an illustration from recent history to show how this warfare works. In 1991 the nation of Iraq invaded and occupied its neighbor to the south, the nation of Kuwait. Iraq occupied territory that did not belong to it. In spiritual Jennifer Kennedy Dean © 2005

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warfare, the same is true. Satan and his forces are occupying territory that belongs to Jesus. After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the world community determined that this aggression would not stand and began to prepare to invade and liberate the occupied territory. The weeks and months prior to the invasion, during the troop buildup, much propaganda came out of Iraq which was meant to intimidate and dishearten the troops. We heard that Iraqi soldiers were well trained, highly disciplined, loyal, and highly motivated. We were led to expect fierce resistance from Iraqi troops. It would be, said the propaganda, “the mother of all battles.” When the liberating troops actually invaded, they found quite a different thing. They found Iraqi soldiers waiting for the forces to arrive so they could surrender. They were already defeated. This is a picture of spiritual warfare. Satan’s forces are already defeated. They were defeated at the cross. “Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col. 2:15). Satan’s only weapon against the intercessor is propaganda. He wages an ingenious propaganda campaign tailor-made for each individual intercessor in order to keep us from invading and driving him out of territory he is occupying. Whatever propaganda he uses against you, it is meant to keep you from invading and persevering until the battle is finished. If you enter the battle, you will find Satan and his forces defenseless against you. There may be skirmishes and pockets of resistance, but the outcome is not in question. You are protected by full body armor and His name is Jesus. “Your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ” (Gal. 3:27). He is your spiritual armor. No weapons formed against you can prosper.2

Satan’s Method Don’t think that the enemy is disorganized. On the contrary, the Word of God paints a picture of a well-thought-out, ingeniously conceived, masterful plan. To the Corinthians Paul wrote that he does not allow Satan to take advantage of him because he is “not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11). The word translated “schemes” is noema. It means the thoughts, the intellect, the way of thinking. It also means purposeful, deliberate thinking. We are to know how our enemy’s mind works. We are to be informed of his schemes, projects, and tricks.


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Remember that Satan’s weapon is the lie. He is a liar and is the father (source) of all lies. Lying is his nature and there is NO truth in him (John 8:44). His scheme for holding an unsaved person captive is by making skillful use of the lie. Romans 1:25 reveals his technique: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie.” Actually, the literal language says “the lie.” Satan has one great lie and he has perfected several variations of it. In the life of a lost person, Satan has been able to put the lie in place of the truth. truth The lie stands where the truth should be. Therefore, to the captive, the lie sounds like the truth and the truth sounds like a lie. The lie seems reasonable and solid; the truth seems fantastic. It is foolishness to him. (1 Cor. 1:18; 2:14) Next, the enemy’s challenge is to protect that lie. If the lie is ever exposed to the truth—darkness coming into contact with light—the lie will not be able to stand. When the light comes into the lost person’s world, darkness will not overcome it (John 1:5). So how does he go about protecting the lie? He builds a fortress (stronghold) around it. What is the fortress built out of? What material does he use to construct this fortress? For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:3-5). The fortress protecting the lie is made up of “speculations” and “every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.” The Greek words translated “speculations” and “lofty things” mean elevated or raised up or built up. Satan is building up and elevating a fortress made out of lies. He has made the lies sound true. Refer to the illustration on the following page.


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This (2 Cor. 10:3-5) is a paragraph rich in imagery. It will be worth your time to take it apart and look closely at it. Paul sets the scene of an invading force violently coming against an entrenched army that is holding captives. He states clearly that this battle is not “according to the flesh,” nor are the weapons used “of the flesh.” (See also Ephesians 6:12.) We’ll discuss the weapons later. For now, follow Paul’s analogy of an offensive assault on a fortress. Taking the fight to the enemy. Our Spirit-powered weapons have the ability to destroy or tear down fortresses. The Greek word means “to demolish, to smash, to make extinct.” It is a war word. It implies violence and force. The weapons of our warfare smash to pieces, pulverize, grind up the enemy’s building materials. Then, having crushed the fortress, we take every thought captive. According to Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament, one could correctly translate this phrase (“taking every thought captive”) as “leading away captive every thought into obedience to Christ.” In other words, the captives in the fortress were thoughts (minds) and the conquering army will lead them away into another fortress—obedience to Christ. Now they become “captives” of the truth. Now Jesus Christ Himself becomes to them “…my loving-kindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge” (Ps. 144:2).


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Imagine the lost ones for whom you are praying trapped in the fortress Satan has built. Do you see it? Consider that his or her thoughts are being held captive. See the prayer-bombs falling on the fortress. Believe it. Write out your thoughts.

The Ultimate Weapon Possibly you are quite familiar with Ephesians 6:10-20, the passage of Scripture in which Paul describes the armor of God. Sometimes when we are dealing with a Scripture with which we are well acquainted, the tendency is not to read it, thinking that we know everything in it. I challenge you not to fall into that trap. The Word of God is living and active and new every time you read it. I want you to read that passage now. Reading it from a different translation so that the wording is not familiar sometimes helps give new perspective. Or reading it aloud and listening intently to every word is a good way to bring a fresh eye to a familiar passage. Expect the Spirit of God to make this passage of Scripture new to you. Read it now. In verse 10 we read, “Be strong in the Lord.” Literally, the Greek says, “Be strengthened.” The Greek word is a combination of en, which means from or in a position of rest, and dunammousthe, which means enabled. From a position of rest, receive His enabling. Your strength or ability for this battle will be given to you from His very own vigor, dominion, and forcefulness as you rest in Him. In verse 11 we are again warned of the devil’s “schemes.” Here the word is

methodeias and it means to lie in wait; clever, tricky, deceitful. We are enabled to stand against him. The word translated “against” is pros and it means facing or face to face. It is a strengthened form of the word pro, which means in front of and superior to. We face our enemy head-on from a position of superiority. Verse 12 reminds us that our enemies are in the spiritual realm. Our enemies are “spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.” The word wickedness in the Greek is active evil. Again, our enemy is aggressive, active, plotting, clever, alert for every opportunity—lying in wait. But we have been empowered to “wrestle” him and his forces. Paul uses a word here that is common in classical Greek and it refers to a contest between two opponents in which one hurls the other down and holds him down.


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Verse 13 admonishes us that, since this is the case, we must pick up and put on the full armor that God has provided in order to “withstand” (a word meaning to stand face to face against) the evil one. Once having wrestled him to the ground, we are to “stand”—keep him down by standing on him as the victor of the wrestling match. You will note that every single piece of the armor is Jesus.

Look up the following Scriptures and write them out: Truth

John 14:6

Righteousness

1 Corinthians 1:30

Gospel of peace

Ephesians 2:14; Romans 5:1

Faith

Hebrews 12:2

Salvation

Hebrews 2:10; 5:9

Word of God

John 1:1


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In his description of the armor, Paul gives us one offensive weapon—the Word of God. Everything else is in place to protect against attack and to make us able to plunge into enemy territory covered. Keep in mind for a moment that you strike with the Word of God. Hold that thought. We’ll deal with it in the next lesson. Then, having described all the armor, in verse 18 Paul tells us how to activate it. Pray! You would expect the next word to be, “Now attack!” But instead, the command is, “Now pray!” Prayer is how you attack the enemy’s fortress. Prayer is how you come face to face with him and stand against him. Pray at all times with all kinds of prayers. The following passage is taken from Live a Praying Life: Open Your Life to God’s Power and Provision: Another thing we learned about for the first time during the Gulf War, the war with Iraq, was “smart bombs.” These are computer-driven bombs that hit a precise target. These bombs don’t land in the general area of the target, they actually go through a window or down an elevator shaft. They are exact. As Satan has occupied territory, he has built strongholds, or fortresses. He has built these fortresses out of arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. Think of your Spirit-directed prayers as “smart bombs” landing on enemy strongholds. Your persevering prayers are precisely and systematically destroying Satan’s hold.3 1

Scripture teaches that Satan, unlike God, is neither omniscient (all-knowing) nor omnipresent (present everywhere at all times). He operates through a hierarchy of spiritual forces. See, for example, Ephesians 3:10 and 6:12. 2

Live a Praying Life: Open Your Life to God’s Power and Provision, Jennifer Kennedy Dean

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Ibid


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Lesson 3 Review: Praying for the unsaved is an act of spiritual warfare. Through aggressive prayer, we are engaging the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. We have been armed for the battle with an impenetrable armor—Jesus Christ Himself. The offensive weapon in our arsenal is the Word of God and the muscle power that wields it is prayer.

The Unbeatable Combination And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit (Eph. 6:17-18). Spirit-generated prayer and the living, active Word (rhema—voiced word) of God come together to produce a weapon that can’t miss its target, can’t fail in its mission. The power generated when the Word of God and prayer come together is explosive. Call it spiritual fusion. Atomic fusion produces incredible nuclear power. Here’s how it is accomplished: the nuclei of two atoms fuse and the process releases atomic energy—the most explosive power known to man. In order to make the neuclei (the center of each atom) fuse, the two nuclei must be brought together with tremendous force. Similarly, when “the incomparably great power” of God—the very power that raised Jesus from the dead (Eph. 1:19-20)— fuses prayer and the Word of God, making them into one force, the resulting power and energy can accomplish anything. Nothing can overpower it. It is called faith. Truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you ( Matt. 17:20).

The Faith Force For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith (1 John 5:4). In this context, “world” refers to the world order operating under Satan’s control. It includes his strategy for holding captives, keeping people from the gospel. Our faith, which is born of God, is the force that triumphs over, subdues, and overpowers Satan’s realm. What is faith? It is simply the ability to believe God. Faith is given by God. Without His gift of faith, you and I could not believe Him. Every time we take hold of the Word of God and believe it, it is because the Spirit of God Himself is giving


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us the ability to believe it. The more the Word of God gets inside us and dwells in us in all its richness (Col. 3:16), the more it gives substance to our faith. It becomes the mold in which our prayers are shaped. ‘If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you’ (John 15:7). The Word of God feeds faith and faith is released as a force against Satan’s troops by prayer. Oswald Chambers says, “Prayer does not prepare you for a greater work. Prayer is the greater work.” Prayer is the most aggressive, invasive, pro-active action you can take in any given circumstance. It is THE weapon. You need no other. Other acts of obedience will likely grow out of prayer, but prayer is the ground from which all else grows. When, in the course of praying for a specific lost person, you find yourself in a position to share the gospel or live the gospel in the life of that person, it is because God’s power, released through prayer, has created the opportunity at the ripe moment. God’s power has ploughed up the heart on which the Word will fall. God’s power working in you has sensitized you to recognize the moment and has given you the very words to say. The battle has been won in prayer. Everything else is just the mop-up operation. ________________________________________________________________ Pray the Word For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it (Isa. 55:1055:10-11). What do you see in this passage that will form the faith to release through prayer? 1. God’s Word, like the rain and the snow, causes the lives into which He sends it to bear fruit. 2. God sends out His Word deliberately and purposefully. 3. When He sends out His Word, He has given it an assignment. 4. God’s Word ALWAYS completes its assignment. Father, would You send Your Word into the life of __________________. Cause him/her to come into contact with Your Word over and over. I know that Your word will have success.


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He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord God has opened my ear (Isa. 50:450:4-5). Your ears will hear hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left (Isa. (Isa. 30:21). What do you see in this passage that will form the faith to release through prayer? 1. God is the one who awakens and opens spiritual ears. 2. God will speak His powerful Word to cause a person to change his course. Father, give ___________________ ears to hear. Awaken and unstop his/her spiritual ears. Let ______________________ hear your voice directing him in the path of life. I pray that that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe (Eph. 1:181:18-19). What do you see in this passage that will form the faith to release through prayer? 1. God is able to enlighten the eyes of the heart. 2. When the heart’s eyes are enlightened, the person can know the hope, the riches, and the power.

Father, enlighten the eyes of ________________________’s heart. Cause ________________ to see and understand Your call, Your glory and Your power. I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return return to Me with their whole heart (Jer. 24:7). What do you see in this passage that will form the faith to release through prayer? 1. A heart that knows God comes from God. 2. His irresistible grace will draw people to Him with their whole heart. Father, give _________________ a heart to know You. Draw his/her whole heart to You.


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As you spend time in God’s Word, be open to the Spirit, allowing Him to awaken prayer in you. The Word of God becomes so strongly entrenched in your life that it creates an outgoing current called prayer. You don’t have to be quoting specific Bible verses to be praying the Word. You will find that all of your prayers are formed in the Word. Reveal to ____________________ the emptiness of everything he has set his affections on. Beset ______________________behind and before and lay your hand upon her. Lead _______________________ in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Draw _______________________ to Jesus. Create the circumstances in ________________________’s life that will cause him to cast himself on You. Reveal to ______________________ that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Bring _______________________ to the realization that only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.


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Lesson 4 Review: In our battle to free captives, we have been given a Spirit-powered weapon that can’t miss. The fusion of the Word of God and prayer creates an unbeatable release of divine power that blasts to pieces the enemy’s strongholds. You do not have to “qualify” to be an intercessor. If you have been born again into the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, then you are called to and equipped for intercession. However, if you desire to be the most powerful intercessor possible, the Father tells us how to line up our lives so that we are available to be the conduits of His power.

The Flow of Christ’s Life ‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing’ (John 15:4-5). Anything of Christ that is produced in us comes from the life of Christ flowing through us. Our lives are not producing the fruit; His life is producing the fruit and our lives are only displaying it. He is the Beginning and the End of everything. Everything is summed up in Christ. Jesus tells us in John 15 that His life is in us and is actively flowing through us. The evidence, He says, is the fruit that results. What fruit is He talking about? Remember, the Scripture interprets itself. ‘If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples’ (John 15:7-8). Follow His logic: 1. IF you have a continual interaction with Me, letting My words shape and form your desires 2. THEN you will desire what I desire 3. and when you ask for what you desire, your prayers will be answered with a ‘yes.’ 4. This—the abundance of answers to prayer—glorifies My Father because it proves His faithfulness. 5. The fruit (“the effect or consequence of an action or operation”) of abiding in Christ is answered prayer.


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Letting Christ’s life freely flow is the key to answered prayer; it is the key to abundant living; it is the key to peace and confidence; it is the key to faith and power. It is everything. What hinders the free flow of His life through you?

Hindrances to the Flow of Christ’s Life 1. Deliberate sin. Anything in your life that directly goes against the Word of God and which you engage in or tolerate passively cuts off the flow of His life. 2. Disobedience. When you know that the Spirit of God, the indwelling Christ, is prompting you to do something—take some action—and you do not respond, it cuts off the flow of His life. 3. Broken relationships. If your actions and attitudes are creating or sustaining a breach in a relationship or if you have not taken every step to restore a broken relationship, the flow of His life is diminished. 4. Unforgiveness and bitterness. Paul warns that not forgiving gives Satan the advantage. (2 Cor. 2:10-11) Refusing to forgive a wrong, blocks the flow of His life. 5. Lying and deceitfulness. “He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me” (Ps. 101:7). 6. Lack of compassion for those in need. “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered (Prov. 21:13). Do you truly want to be effective in warfare? Do you long to see people come to faith in Christ? Will you submit yourself to a heart-exam by the Spirit? Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way (Ps. 139:23-24). What can you intentionally put into your life that will keep you open to the flow of His life through you?

Opening Your Life to His Power 1. Marinate your mind, your thoughts, your heart, your life in His Word. Study it, read it, listen to it, meditate on it day and night. 2. Spend extended time in prayer. Listen to God. 3. Fast “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?” (Isa. 58:6). 4. Tithe and give beyond your tithe. “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure -- pressed down, shaken together,


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and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return” (Luke 6:38). 5. Be involved in fellowship with other believers.

Jesus’ Heart in You As His life flows through you, He will begin to reproduce His heart in you. His passion will be your passion. The current trend in leadership development emphasizes the importance of a mission statement. A mission statement condenses and clarifies one’s purpose into a sentence or two and becomes the grid through which all activities and plans are evaluated. Jesus has a mission statement: ‘For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’ (Luke 19:10). ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly’(John10:10). His intention is to carry out His mission, acting through you. For that reason, He has strategically positioned you so that there are lost people in your world for whom you are to pray. Have you identified your intercession assignments? Survey your world. Look around and notice where God has placed you. Where has He allowed your life to intersect with the life of a lost person? What events or interests or occupations have brought you into contact with those whom the Son of Man is seeking to in order to save? Every moment of your life is a sacred moment. If you are alert to what the Spirit is doing, you will find prayer assignments everywhere. Some will be long-term, others just for an instant. As God brings people across your path or into you life for prayer, you can be assured that other intercessors are also being called. You are part of a team. I am convinced that there are no coincidences. Since daily I surrender myself, everything I own, and every minute of my time as a living offering, I have learned that God will take me seriously. He will take everything I give Him. If your spiritual antennae are always out, you will get little hints about what God is doing and why He has engaged you. It will help you not get so easily irritated wit people or with inconveniences that come along. When I am finished with a trip during which I have spent many hours teaching the Bible, listening and responding to challenging questions, spending one-on-one time with hurting and seeking individuals, and being part of the Spirit’s powerful moving, I am more tired than I can describe. I am drained in every way. I find it difficult to carry on intelligible conversations. I was in just such a state when I boarded the plane for the last leg of a long, tiring trip home from Santiago, Chile. Jennifer Kennedy Dean © 2005

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“Lord,” I thought, “don’t seat me next to a chatty person. Give me an introvert.” My assignment that day, though, was to sit next to a gregarious, well-rested gentleman who was chatting before he got his seatbelt buckled. Not only that, but the Lord took the conversation in a direction that within a few minutes had given my neighbor the opening to proclaim to me that he was an atheist. I don’t feel responsible for talking atheists out of being atheists, but I know for sure that if God places a person next to me and reveals to me that he is an atheist, God is working on that person and He has brought me in to pray and do whatever falls into my lap to do. God doesn’t plough ground He doesn’t intend to plant. In spite of my brain-fog, I find myself able to carry on a pleasant and challenging conversation with the man. I’m interested in what could possibly convince a person that there is no God and he’s interested in what could possibly convince a person that there is. We agree to disagree. Then it occurs to me to ask him about his wife. “What about your wife? Is she also an atheist?” “Heavens, no,” he answers. “She’s a Christian. She wastes all her time praying for me.” Aha! I’m part of a team. If I know praying wives, she’s not the only one praying for him. She’s enlisted all her praying friends. I laughed and told my new friend, “You’re doomed!” I know the end of the story. I don’t have to wait until it happens. Another time recently my computer rebelled and refused to anything I ordered it to do. Irritably, I called the support line for my computer’s manufacturer and got a technician on the line. In the process of trying to diagnose the problem I had to turn my computer off and on again numerous times. As we waited time after time for Windows to reboot, we began to visit. She asked what I did and I told her I wrote books. “Oh, would I have seen any of your books?” she asked. “I don’t know,” I said. “Do you ever shop in Christian bookstores?” Long, long silence. “No, I haven’t done that for a long time. But my mother does.” Hint—she has some knowledge of Christ. At some point in her life she shopped in Christian bookstores. She has a mother who is a Christian. I’m part of a team. God has assigned you to teams. He has appointed intercession He wants you engaged in. When you are always on the alert, the Father will show you what He is doing. You will find yourself walking a path that has been marked out for you from the beginning. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10).


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Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him (Ps 25:12). Don’t forget. Prayer is the work. Out of prayer may flow other actions, but prayer is the work.

As you have studied these lessons on praying for the unsaved, what has changed in the way you think about the unsaved around you?

Are you more motivated to pray for the unsaved? Why or why not?

What has the Holy Spirit convicted you about that would give you more effective power in praying for the unsaved?

Write out your own honest commitment before God as it applies to praying for the unsaved.

Find more books and Bible studies by Jennifer Kennedy Dean Visit online at www.prayinglife.org or call (816) 229-1199 Jennifer Kennedy Dean © 2005

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