Exposing How Christians Can Pervert Prayer

Have you ever felt like the disciples did after being rejected by someone? Did you even suggest to God they should be punished for what they did to you? These are normal feelings, and we’ve all experienced them. We struggle to balance our feelings with the redemptive heart of Christ when we are mad, disgusted, appalled or experience injustice.

Regardless, we are exhorted to pray and intercede “for all people” (1 Tim. 2:1). Praying “for all people” is not praying just for the people you like. It’s praying for the people you don’t like, believing they will turn from darkness to light and live victoriously for Jesus Christ.

Become Agents of Redemption

I sat in a conference one day next to a middle-aged woman who began to share her story with me. She had been a children’s pastor at a church and felt she had discerned her pastor’s wife as operating in a Jezebel spirit. It’s a very involved teaching, but in short, a Jezebel spirit can be characterized by manipulation, control, sexual sin and a counterfeit prophetic gifting. It’s a very serious accusation.

This children’s pastor began to pray and ask others to pray with her about the Jezebel spirit controlling her pastor’s wife. She believed that she had also found proof that her pastor’s wife had this evil spirit and gave her evidence to the church board and a denominational oversight committee. Sadly, the board and the denominational committee agreed and removed the pastor and the pastor’s wife from their pulpit.

My mouth fell open as she described this, because it was obvious what had really happened. She had become offended at her pastor and his wife. She chose to use prayer, accusation and even “prophetic” words to remove them from their pulpit. How did she succeed? In anger and ignorance, she commanded the wrong kingdom and actually succeeded in getting her will accomplished.

Hearts that are aligned with Jesus and His unfailing love will not pray to wound, sicken or destroy another person ever. Remember that there is no justifiable offense in the kingdom of God. This doesn’t mean we don’t exercise wisdom in our natural relationships and have good boundaries with evil people.

When it comes to prayer, however, we consider the spirit of the matter and become agents of redemption instead. We pray for resurrection life to flow into their dead places. We pray for the blood of Jesus to cleanse their hearts of every evil tendency. We bind demonic spirits from using them as hosts for evil. We ask Holy Spirit to hover over them and birth His kingdom into their hearts. We pray passionately, but we pray wisely. We bless and do not curse.

Reprinted from The Elijah List. Jennifer Eivaz is a vibrant minister and international conference speaker who carries the wisdom and fire of the Holy Spirit. She presently serves as an executive pastor with Harvest Christian Center in Turlock, California, and is focused on raising up a passionate and effective prayer community that is tempered with love and hears the voice of God accurately. Jennifer loves the presence of God and is a prophetic voice to her church and to others. Her teaching style is authentic and aimed at the heart, having been built on her personal testimony of God’s incredible goodness and miraculous display in her life and in the life of her church. Jennifer is a graduate of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is married to HCC’s Senior Pastor, Ron Eivaz, and they have two wonderful children. She has written a book called The Intercessor’s Handbook. Reach out to Jennifer via email at [email protected]. For more information about her ministry, visit her website or blog.