None of us wish to leave work, return from college, or visit
our family and walk into a lion’s den of anger, a fiery furnace of strife, or
an atmosphere of tension. I suggest there are four methods that can help you
make your home a dwelling place of peace and joy.
1. Setting the boundaries in your house.
Boundaries are a set of limits that indicate what is
permitted and what is not permitted. Some are set from a practical perspective
and others for health reasons. My wife and I have two children; one is a son
who is 20, and the other, a daughter almost 10. When a child becomes a
teenager, he or she will test these boundaries and often challenge the
authority they have lived under. This is when tough love is necessary to hold
your line and not compromise. You must agree upon and set boundaries to prevent
entrance of unwanted junk into your dwelling place.
2. Building an altar in your house.
By definition, an altar was a meeting place between God and
man. The most important altar is the place we set aside to meet with God and
encounter His presence. Today I have several places in my ministry offices and
at home where I spend alone time with the Lord. Identify a peaceful place—on
your porch, in your office or in a bedroom—where you can close the door and
enter into prayer.
3. Anointing your house.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit is an inward presence, a
divine energy that dwells in the spirit (holy of holies) of a Spirit-filled
believer. There is, however, an act of anointing that is performed by anointing
with oil those who are sick and desiring healing (James 5:14-15). Anointed prayers
are the most effective types of prayer to pray.
Anointing your house involves taking a small portion of
olive oil, which represents the Holy Spirit’s anointing and applying it with
your finger to the posts of your door, both outside and inside your home. While
the oil itself does not have any intrinsic value, in Scripture the act of
anointing was seen as a consecration of a person or thing to God.
4. Marking your house.
The Lord instructed the early Israelites to mark the gates
of their homes with the Word of God. This would be difficult today and would
certainly draw attention if we began painting scripture on the outside of our
homes. In Bible times a sacred object called a mezuzah (meaning doorpost) was designed. It is a small case
that has a rolled up parchment within it, on which are written Scriptures, and
was attached on the right side of the doorposts.
It’s a reminder to those living in the home that the house
has been dedicated to God and that those living therein should commit to walk
in accordance with God’s Word. I have one in my home and every time I enter and
exit my home, I pass by the mezuzah. It is a physical reminder that my home and
family are dedicated to God.
The Word of God is not activated and operative in your life
simply because you hold a Bible in your hand or have a Bible placed in every
room of your house. The Word of God is inspired, and when it is taught there is
a divine energy released as the words are received into the human spirit. When
you act upon your faith, God’s creative power can be released into your
situation.
Your spiritual foundation must be in the knowledge of what
is written in the Scriptures. Many have never heard messages that gave them
covenant promises for healing, prosperity and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps this is why it is written, “My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).
Not only must your knowledge be on what God can and will do
for you, but you must also discover the methods the enemy uses to bring defeat
into your life. At times this lack of knowledge—or spiritual ignorance—prevents
you from properly purging your house and stopping the spiritual plagues that
are building strongholds in your life. We must discover how to stop the plagues
that are infesting your house!
Your battles are not always about you; often they are about
the future of your seed or of someone you may influence for the kingdom. The
good seed of God’s Word that dwells in you and that you are continually
planting into the hearts and minds of your own family will outlive you, long
after your physical house (your body) has ceased from the earth and has
returned to the dust. You can leave a godly legacy in spite of Satan’s
opposition.
Adapted from Purging Your House, Pruning Your Family Tree by Perry Stone, copyright 2011, published by
Charisma House. With his unique blend of Bible knowledge and spiritual insight,
the author brings to light methods and strategies the devil uses to attack you
and your family, and offers biblical and practical solutions to guarantee
spiritual success. To order a copy click on this link.
PRAYER POWER FOR THE WEEK OF 8-22-2011
This week ask God to help you reset the boundaries in your
house, anoint and consecrate your house for His purpose, and select or redo a
special place to meet with Him. Begin your prayer time with worship and use
anointed music to usher in His presence. Enter with praise and thanksgiving and
take time to sit and enjoy His presence before bringing Him your requests. Declare
scriptural promises over yourself and your family. Thank God for His continued
mercy on our nation and pray that we would unite and seek His face for revival
and the restoration of righteousness in our land. Lift up Israel and our
allies. 2 Chron. 7:14; 1 Tim. 2:1-4; Hosea 4:6
To enrich your prayer
life and learn how to strategically pray with power by using appropriate
scriptures, we recommend the following sources by Apostle John Eckhardt: Prayers that Rout Demons, Prayers that Bring Healing, Prayers that Release Heaven on Earth and Prayers that Break
Curses. To order any or all of these click here.
James Lasher 
Abby Trivett 
