β
Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.
β
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J. Sidlow Baxter
β
It was not apathy or passiveness. For him, prayer was a display of the strongest possible activity.
β
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Eric Metaxas (Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy)
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Because he that lacks knowledge about his enemy will find himself sitting in total defeat where bondage and misery reigns and rules.
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John Ramirez (Fire Prayers: Building Arsenals That Destroy Satanic Kingdoms)
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Fight your battles through prayer,
And win your battles through faith.
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Luffina Lourduraj
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Renunciation is the spiritual scissors or act that cuts things to the root out of your life, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Itβs time to shame the devil and make Jesus Christ proud.
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John Ramirez (Fire Prayers: Building Arsenals That Destroy Satanic Kingdoms)
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The ministry of violence is a spiritual conflict. Itβs a ministry that every child of God cannot afford to sweep under the rug. If they do, they will suffer spiritual loss, and will never be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.
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John Ramirez (Fire Prayers: Building Arsenals That Destroy Satanic Kingdoms)
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Pray when you feel like praying," somebody has said. "Pray when you don't feel like praying. Pray until you do feel like praying.
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Chip Ingram (The Invisible War: What Every Believer Needs to Know about Satan, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare)
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Simply defined, prayer is earthly permission for heavenly interference.
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Tony Evans (Victory in Spiritual Warfare: Outfitting Yourself for the Battle)
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If you are not praying the type of prayers that scare you, your prayers are certainly not frightening our enemy.
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Lisa Bevere (Girls with Swords: How to Carry Your Cross Like a Hero)
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These fire prayer points will bring havoc and destruction against the powers of darkness and give you a great victory upon every evil, demonic, satanic monitoring system for the kingdom of the devil himself and the demonic demons will be destroyed and pulverized out of your life once and for all.
β
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John Ramirez (Fire Prayers: Building Arsenals That Destroy Satanic Kingdoms)
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What passing bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifle's rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers, nor bells,
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,
The shrill demented choirs of wailing shells,
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes,
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall,
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each, slow dusk a drawing down of blinds.
β
β
Wilfred Owen (The War Poems)
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We are surrounded by adversity but we shall triumph because we have a greater spirit
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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You have to make an enemy a friend to conquer his or her evil intentions.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Life is hope.
Hope is faith.
Faith is believe.
Believe is possibilities.
Possibility is miraculous.
Miraculous is divine.
Divine is supernatural.
Supernatural is spiritual.
β
β
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
β
Throughout my life, until this very moment, whatever virtue I have accomplished, including any benefit that may come from this book, I dedicate to the welfare of all beings.
May the roots of suffering diminish. May warfare, violence, neglect, indifference, and addiction also decrease.
May the wisdom and compassion of all beings increase, now and in the future.
May we clearly see all the barriers we erect between ourselves and others to be as insubstantial as our dreams.
May we appreciate the great perfection of all phenomena.
May we continue to open our hearts and minds, in order to work ceaselessly for the benefit of all beings.
May we go to the places that scare us.
May we lead the life of a warrior.
β
β
Pema ChΓΆdrΓΆn (The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times)
β
Another part or piece,' said Diabolus, 'of mine excellent armour, is a dumb and prayerless spirit, a spirit that scorns to cry for mercy, let the danger be ever so great; therefore be you, my Mansoul, sure that you make use of this.
β
β
John Bunyan (The Holy War)
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The weapons of our warfare can only be exercised in the place of prayer.
β
β
Pedro Okoro (Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory In Christ)
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A prayer and positive affirmation are the keys for a divine intervention in any situation.
β
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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Fate is a tricky animal. Those who believe they harness it, often find a difficult beast to master.
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Daniel McHugh (The Mirror and the Maelstrom (The Seraphinium, #4))
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The Christian living is a spiritual welfare. As the year draws to an end, seek the face of the Lord for guidance in the coming year.
β
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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A divided mind cannot conquer a united soul.
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β
Matshona Dhliwayo
β
The Lord is my redeemer.
The Lord is my defender
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β
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
β
Salt a slug and shame a hero.
β
β
George R.R. Martin (A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4))
β
The battle belongs to the Lord, and we already know that He wins the war.
β
β
Jared Brock (A Year of Living Prayerfully)
β
Prayer is a great heart-easer; it breathes out those distempered passions which, being bound up in others, break out when God at any time crosseth them in their wills.
β
β
William Gurnall (The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare)
β
It is not an external enemy we dread. Our foe is shut up within ourselves. An internal warfare is daily waged by us.
β
β
John Cassian (Making Life a Prayer: Selected Writings)
β
St. Bernard of Clairvaux tells us: βHowever great may be the temptation, if we know how to use the weapon of prayer well, we shall come off as conquerors at last, for prayer is more powerful than all the demons.
β
β
Paul Thigpen (Manual for Spiritual Warfare)
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God hears and answers every prayer in His sacred time.
β
β
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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Our sins are our downfall. We must repent and return to the Lord. And He will receive and forgive us graciously.
β
β
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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As long as you call on God, He will answer you.
β
β
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
β
A man is his tallest when he is down on his knees in prayer.
β
β
Beth Moore (To Live Is Christ: Joining Paul's Journey of Faith)
β
Faith can move you over the mountain but
prayers can move the mountain away from you
β
β
Ikechukwu Joseph (Strategic Spiritual Warfare)
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The truly Christian imagination never lets Jesus Christ out of her sight.
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β
Richard J. Foster (Celebration of Discipline)
β
Prayer is picking a fight with the Enemy. It's spiritual warfare. Intercession transports us from the sidelines to the front lines without going anywhere. And that is where the battle is won or lost. Prayer is the difference between us fighting for God and God fighting for us. But we can't just hit our knees. We also have to take a step, take a stand. And when we do, we never know what God will do next.
β
β
Mark Batterson (All In: You Are One Decision Away From a Totally Different Life)
β
After defending the value of prepared prayers, the author cautions against over-reliance on them. Just as David could not fight in the armor of King Saul, we are called to fight in the way God has equipped us uniquely.
β
β
N.T. Wright (Simply Christian)
β
FEBRUARY 17 I WILL CAUSE YOU TO DWELL IN SAFETY I HAVE SENT My angels to surround you and to cause you to dwell in safety. They will deliver you from all danger and will surround you with My protection. I will hold you up, and you will be safe. My eyes are turned on My righteous servants, and My ears are attentive to your cry. I will deliver you from all your troubles. The name of My Son is a fortified tower for you, and you can run to it where you will be safe. Do not be afraid, for I will guide you safely wherever you go. You can lie down and sleep, for I have made you to dwell in safety. I am Your God, and I will keep you safe and will protect you forever from the wicked who freely strut around in wickedness. PSALMS 34:7β22; 78:52; 12:5 Prayer Declaration You will answer me, Lord, when I call to You, and will give me relief from my distress. You will have mercy on me and hear my prayer. You will grant peace in my family, in my land, and no one will cause me to be afraid. You will walk with me and will be My God, and I will be Your faithful servant.
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β
John Eckhardt (Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Principles to Defeat the Devil)
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Fill my mouth with the accuracy and potency of Your word and Spirit that I may make war through prayer with swift precision (Psalm 144:1).
β
β
Shawntel Jefferson (Prayers that Ignite Change for Kids (Prayers that Ignite Change, #2))
β
Marinate your prayers in faith in the Word of God, just as Daniel did. Pray the Word, not your worries. Pray the promise, not the problem.
In
β
β
Cindy Trimm (The Art of War for Spiritual Battle: Essential Tactics and Strategies for Spiritual Warfare)
β
Thus the way of prayer dictates that until there is a release in your spirit-an assurance that the matter is resolved or tangible evidence of deliverance-do not stop praying. This
β
β
Cindy Trimm (The Art of War for Spiritual Battle: Essential Tactics and Strategies for Spiritual Warfare)
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When you make use of prayer points that carry the mysteries of the evening tide, your enemies are in trouble.
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β
D.K. Olukoya (101 Weapons of Spiritual Warfare)
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Godβs power is the grace of prayer.
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β
Lailah Gifty Akita
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May my family, household and I be a devout God-fearing men and women.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Every soul craves to fill the void. Only God can satisfy and set us free.
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β
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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It is our responsibility to pray for a peaceful world.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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We hope for what we long to behold.
β
β
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
β
Pray for what you want.
Expect your answer in due time.
Be strong to wait for the arrival of answer.
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β
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
β
In spiritual warfare, faith is the currency that releases your prayer. It is the instrument (or weapon, if you like) that activates and sets loose the answers to your prayers.
β
β
Pedro Okoro (Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory In Christ)
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Every victory won was first won spiritually!
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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May the resurrection power of Christ, awake in us a greater spiritual force and strength, so that we can passionately pursue our God-given dreams.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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If Godβs mercies were to come to us unasked, they would not be half as useful as they now are, when they have to be sought for.
β
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Spurgeon on Prayer & Spiritual Warfare)
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You have enough to share with the world; the gift of love, kindness, goodness, smiles, hugs, prayer, inspiration, fellowship, volunteerism and many more.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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The fall of the nation, there is no;
Faithfulness,
Kindness and
Knowledge of God in your sacred land.
β
β
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
β
When you plead the name of Christ, you plead that which shakes the gates of hell and that which the hosts of heaven obey, and God Himself feels the sacred power of that divine plea.
β
β
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Spurgeon on Prayer & Spiritual Warfare)
β
Thomas Merton writes that if we have meditated on the events of the Passion but have not meditated on Dachau and Auschwitz, our perception of God at work in present times is incomplete.
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Richard J. Foster (Celebration of Discipline)
β
we have authority in the earth to decree God's judgments (Gen. 1:28; Ps. 115:15-16). Adam and Eve may have fallen into sin, but we have been restored to our high place in God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. What
β
β
Cindy Trimm (Rules Of Engagement: The Art of Strategic Prayer and Spiritual Warfare)
β
In spiritual warfare, as we detect enemy activity and deploy the various pieces of armor, our prayers need to be fervent and specific, strategic and personal, tied to the specific needs arising at that specific occasion.
β
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Priscilla Shirer (Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer)
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They say stars have greatest influences when they are in conjunction with the sun; then sure the graces of a saint should never work more powerfully than in prayer, for then he is in the nearest conjunction and communion with God. That
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β
William Gurnall (The Christian in Complete Armour: The Ultimate Book on Spiritual Warfare)
β
Prayer for Protection Against Curses, Harm and Accidents Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to protect my family from sickness, from all harm and from accidents. If any of us has been subjected to any curses, hexes or spells, I beg Thee to declare these curses, hexes or spells null and void. If any evil spirits have been sent against us, I ask Christ to decommission you and I ask that you be sent to the foot of His Cross to be dealt with as He will. Then, Lord, I ask Thee to send Thy holy Angels to guard and protect all of us.
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Chad A. Ripperger (Deliverance Prayers: For Use by the Laity)
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So we strap on weapons that workβweapons divinely authorized for our success in spiritual warfare: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace. Then we take up the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, as well as the swordβthe very Word of God. But
β
β
Priscilla Shirer (Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer)
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I WILL ENLARGE EACH PART OF YOUR LIFE I WILL BREAK off of your life any limitations and restrictions placed on your life by any evil spirit. I will enlarge each part of your life and will keep you from evil. My kingdom and government will increase in your life, and you will receive deliverance and enlargement for your life. I will let you increase exceedingly. You will increase in wisdom and stature and in strength. You will confound your adversaries as My grace and favor increase in your life. My Word will increase in your life, and the years of your life will be increased. You will flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They will take root in your house and will do well. They will be trees that stay healthy and fruitful to all your generations. ISAIAH 9:7; 60:4β5; ACTS 9:22; PSALM 92:12 Prayer Declaration Cast out my enemies, and enlarge my borders. Enlarge my heart so I can run the way of Your commandments. Enlarge my steps so I can receive Your wealth and prosperity. Let me increase in the knowledge of God, and let me increase and abound in love.
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John Eckhardt (Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Principles to Defeat the Devil)
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decree and declare that the eyes of my spirit function with 20/20 vision for correct understanding and interpretation of divine movements. My ears are in tune with the correct frequency of the Spirit, and I have clear transmission (2 Kings 6:17; Job 42:5; Ps. 119:18; Isa. 29:18; Jer. 1:11β16; 2 Cor. 4:4; 7:2; Eph. 4:18; Rev. 4:1). I
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Cindy Trimm (Rules Of Engagement: The Art of Strategic Prayer and Spiritual Warfare)
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The word is my weapon. FIRE!
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Ljupka Cvetanova (The New Land)
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Almighty Father, do not destroy mankind. Save us from every calamity.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Anyone who falls short of Godβs grace, out of rage, can harm many.
It our sacred duty to love, motivate and pray for one another, so we will all be under Godβs grace.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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May all men find grace.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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The people living darkness has seen a great light
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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The temptations that use the raw material of good for evil can continue unrecognized for a long time without awareness.
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Eugene H. Peterson (Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus in His Stories and Prayers (Spiritual Theology #4))
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May all people from every nation, find power of Godβs grace.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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The failure of the citizens to pray for the nation will lead to its collapse.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Worry less, pray more.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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May God grant you the anointing of the Holy Ghost.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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We are the chosen, called and blessed people
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Lord heal the broken hearted.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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The Almighty LORD is our strong deliver.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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We shall conquer every mountain in Jesus name Amen!
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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May all men experience the glorious presence of the Creator.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Godβs perfect plan and purpose shall be fulfilled in my life.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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May Lord Almighty fight your battles for you.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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Be sure of this: when you make time for the Holy Spirit, He will make time to visit you.
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Tiffany Domena
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Pray regularly for the members of your family.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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Those who never confront obstacles live with delays and postponements
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Ikechukwu Joseph (Unlocking Closed Doors)
β
warfare is not prayer! It is in addition to prayer. There is no point in petitioning God for something He has already given you. God has given us power and authority over the devil. We must not expect God to get the devil off our backs. He has already defeated Satan and given us the ability and responsibility to take care of ourselves. This truth is a revelation to many believers βit is good news! No wonder so many prayers have seemed unanswered. We need to stop storming heaven for what has already been provided, and start using what God has given us.
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Frank Hammond (Pigs in the Parlor: The Practical Guide to Deliverance)
β
Satan is always at church before the preacher is in the pulpit or a member is in the pew. He comes to hinder the sower, to impoverish the soil, or to corrupt the seed. He uses these tactics only when courage and faith are in the pulpit, and zeal and prayer are in the pew; but if dead ritualism or live liberalism are in the pulpit, he does not attend, because they are no danger to him.
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β
E.M. Bounds (Guide to Spiritual Warfare)
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This is a fact. But Satan does not attack just prayer; he also attacks the praise of Godβs children. The ultimate goal of Satan is to stop all praises to God. Prayer is a warfare, but praise is a victory. Prayer signifies spiritual warfare, but praise signifies spiritual victory. Whenever we praise, Satan flees. Therefore, Satan hates our praising the most. He will use all his strength to stop our praising.
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Watchman Nee (Devotions by Watchman Nee On Expecting The Lord's Blessings and Praise)
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Spiritual giants are only willing, available and thirsty spiritual babies who paid the price for the prize, who waged a war for the victims to become victors, just like the courageous Davids that kill the big Goliaths.
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β
Ikechukwu Joseph (Strategic Spiritual Warfare)
β
FEBRUARY 26 YOU WILL OVERCOME THE DEVIL BY THE BLOOD OF MY SON JUST AS THE blood of a lamb, sprinkled on the doorposts in Egypt by My chosen people, established a covenant of blood with Me and protected them from the destruction that I brought to those who had enslaved them, so too have I established a covenant of blood with you. Through the blood of My dear Son, Jesus, which covers you, I have redeemed you from the curse of sin and have adopted you as My own dear child. I have equipped you with everything good for doing My will, and I will work in you to cause you to do what is pleasing to Me. Through the blood of Christ you can have confidence to come into My presence. In His blood I have given you redemption, forgiveness of sins, and have redeemed you from the power of evil. EXODUS 12; HEBREWS 13:20β21; REVELATION 12:10β11 Prayer Declaration I have eternal redemption through the power of the blood of Christ. I have been raised to new life in Christ so that I may serve the living God. I overcome the devil through the blood of Jesus. Through Him I am made perfect and have the confidence to enter into the presence of God.
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John Eckhardt (Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Principles to Defeat the Devil)
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Eight weeks of practice in meditation, even with those with no previous experience, was enough reconfigure the brains of participants. The gray matter which fuels worry shrank, and the area associated with healthy thought awareness group.
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Andrew Zolli (Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back)
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Alas, a great many people play at praying; it is nothing better. I say they play at praying; they do not expect God to give them an answer, and thus they are mere triflers who mock the Lord. He who prays in a businesslike way, meaning what he says, honors the Lord.
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Spurgeon on Prayer & Spiritual Warfare)
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MAY 6 I HAVE BROKEN LEVIATHANβS POWER FROM YOUR LIFE MY CHILD, I have broken the demonic power of the sea serpent from your life. I have caused all his demonic little demon fish to stick to his scales as I brought him up out of the midst of the sea and cast him into the wilderness to lie on the open field as food for all the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens. The rivers and seas belong to Me, and I will make utterly waste and desolate the places where his evil power has dwelt. I am the one who commands the sea and its streams to run dry, and I have broken the power of the evils of the sea from bringing destruction to your life. EZEKIEL 29:3β5; ISAIAH 44:27 Prayer Declaration Father, in the name of Jesus I bind every sea monster that would attack my life or region. You have raised a watch against Leviathan, and You will not let the demonic powers of the sea oppress me. You have stripped him of his power and have taken away his armor. You have caused the places of his domain to become utterly waste and desolate and have thrown him and his demonic spirits into the wilderness to be food for the beasts and birds who dwell there.
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β
John Eckhardt (Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Principles to Defeat the Devil)
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The battle is always the most spiritually intense wherever the key issues of Godβs kingdom are focused. Wherever God is at work, you will find Satan at work, also. The enemyβs name essentially means βthe resistor.β How true! He resists Godβs purposes and His people. (See, for example, Zechariah 3:1 kjv.) He canβt help itβhe is a slave of his own nature. It is paramount that we carry out spiritual warfare so that Godβs purposes for His people will be fulfilled. Daniel is a marvelous example of someone who, by prayer and fasting, affected the history and destiny of his people.
β
β
Derek Prince (Pulling Down Strongholds (pocket size): Mighty Weapons for Spiritual Warfare)
β
MAY 9 YOU WILL REBUKE ALL THE POWERS OF JEZEBEL OUT OF YOUR LIFE MY CHILD, PLACE yourself securely within the control and power of My Holy Spirit so that you will not be surprised or intimidated by the overwhelming of the spirit of Jezebel in your world today. Allow My presence to permeate your spirit and sensitize you to all the gateways by which the devil and Jezebel may enter your life. Get rid of the gods of Jezebel who creep in unawares into your home. Do not let the diviners and evil prophets of this world deceive you, nor listen to the lies they would tell you about your thoughts and dreams. Watch out for the evil influence of this worldβs enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Allow the power of My Holy Spirit to fill your life with My power, which alone is mighty enough to destroy the spirits of Jezebel out of your life. 1 SAMUEL 28:9; JEREMIAH 29:8; DANIEL 5:11 Prayer Declaration Father, I loose tribulation against the kingdom of Jezebel. I rebuke and tear down her strongholds, and in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit I destroy her witchcraft. No longer will she be allowed to cast spells or influence me or my family to practice idolatry. Greater is the power of Your Holy Spirit within me than the evil power of Jezebel upon me.
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β
John Eckhardt (Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Principles to Defeat the Devil)
β
As Christians we face two tasks in our evangelism: saving the soul and saving the mind, that is to say, not only converting people spiritually, but converting them intellectually as well. And the Church is lagging dangerously behind with regard to this second task.
If the church loses the intellectual battle in one generation, then evangelism will become immeasurably more difficult in the next. The war is not yet lost, and it is one which we must not lose: souls of men and women hang in the balance.
For the sake of greater effectiveness in witnessing to Jesus Christ Himself, as well as for their own sakes, evangelicals cannot afford to keep on living on the periphery of responsible intellectual existence.
Thinking about your faith is indeed a virtue, for it helps you to better understand and defend your faith. But thinking about your faith is not equivalent to doubting your faith.
Doubt is never a purely intellectual problem. There is a spiritual dimension to the problem that must be recognized. Never lose sight of the fact that you are involved in spiritual warfare and there is an enemy of your soul who hates you intensely, whose goal is your destruction, and who will stop at nothing to destroy you.
Reason can be used to defend our faith by formulating arguments for the existence of God or by refuting objections. But though the arguments so developed serve to confirm the truth of our faith, they are not properly the basis of our faith, for that is supplied by the witness of the Holy Spirit Himself. Even if there were no arguments in defense of the faith, our faith would still have its firm foundation.
The more I learn, the more desperately ignorant I feel. Further study only serves to open up to one's consciousness all the endless vistas of knowledge, even in one's own field, about which one knows absolutely nothing.
Don't let your doubts just sit there: pursue them and keep after them until you drive them into the ground.
We should be cautious, indeed, about thinking that we have come upon the decisive disproof of our faith. It is pretty unlikely that we have found the irrefutable objection. The history of philosophy is littered with the wrecks of such objections. Given the confidence that the Holy Spirit inspires, we should esteem lightly the arguments and objections that generate our doubts.
These, then, are some of the obstacles to answered prayer: sin in our lives, wrong motives, lack of faith, lack of earnestness, lack of perseverance, lack of accordance with Godβs will. If any of those obstacles hinders our prayers, then we cannot claim with confidence Jesusβ promise, βWhatever you ask in my name, I will do itβ.
And so I was led to what was for me a radical new insight into the will of God, namely, that Godβs will for our lives can include failure. In other words, Godβs will may be that you fail, and He may lead you into failure! For there are things that God has to teach you through failure that He could never teach you through success.
So many in our day seem to have been distracted from what was, is and always will be the true priority for every human being β that is, learning to know God in Christ.
My greatest fear is that I should some day stand before the Lord and see all my works go up in smoke like so much βwood, hay, and stubbleβ.
The chief purpose of life is not happiness, but knowledge of God.
People tend naturally to assume that if God exists, then His purpose for human life is happiness in this life. Godβs role is to provide a comfortable environment for His human pets. But on the Christian view, this is false. We are not Godβs pets, and the goal of human life is not happiness per se, but the knowledge of Godβwhich in the end will bring true and everlasting human fulfilment. Many evils occur in life which may be utterly pointless with respect to the goal of producing human happiness; but they may not be pointless with respect to producing a deeper knowledge of God.
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William Lane Craig (Hard Questions, Real Answers)
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The second cause whence these rebellions sometimes proceed is the devil, who, in order to disquiet and disturb the soul, at times when it is at prayer or is striving to pray, contrives to stir up these motions of impurity in its nature; and if the soul gives heed to any of these, they cause it great harm. For through fear of these not only do persons become lax in prayerβwhich is the aim of the devil when he begins to strive with themβbut some give up prayer altogether, because they think that these things attack them more during that exercise than apart from it, which is true, since the devil attacks them then more than at other times, so that they may give up spiritual exercises.
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Juan de la Cruz (Dark Night of the Soul)
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Remarkably, Psalm 50:15 was originally written to those who had mocked God. They had presented their sacrifices without a true heart. Yet the Lord said to each of them, βCall upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee.β I gather from this that God excludes none from the promise. You atheist, you blasphemer, you immoral and impure one, if you call upon the Lord now, in the day of your trouble, He will deliver you! Come and try Him. Do you say, βIf there is a Godβ? I declare that there is a God. Come, put Him to the test and see. He says, βCall upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee.β Will you not test Him now and find Him true? Come here, you enslaved ones, and see if He does not free you! Come to Christ, all of you who labor and are burdened down, and He will give you rest (Matt. 11:28)! In both temporal and spiritual things, but especially in spiritual things, call upon Him in the day of trouble, and He will deliver you.
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Spurgeon on Prayer & Spiritual Warfare)
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MARCH 16 I WILL COVER YOU IN THE GARMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS YOU ARE MY beloved child. I have clothed you with garments of salvation and arrayed you in a robe of righteousness. My Holy Spirit has clothed you with power from on high, and you are clothed with My Son, Christ. I have given you My beauty for your ashes, the oil of My joy for your mourning, and My garment of praise for your spirit of heaviness. My righteousness is a breastplate of protection for you, and I have shod your feet with the gospel of My peace. I have made you My ambassador, so that you may speak boldly to explain the mysteries of My gospel. ISAIAH 61:10; EZEKIEL 16:8β13; GALATIANS 3:27; EPHESIANS 6:14 Prayer Declaration I am clothed with the garment of salvation. My God has placed the robe of His righteousness over me and given me the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. He has prepared me for battle by preparing me with armor of defense. His righteousness is my strong and impenetrable breastplate, and His justice protects me like armor.
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John Eckhardt (Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Principles to Defeat the Devil)
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Be prepared. Youβre up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when itβs all over but the shouting youβll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. Youβll need them throughout your life. Godβs Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each otherβs spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
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Eugene H. Peterson (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language--Numbered Edition)
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APRIL 19 MY TRUTH WILL REMOVE EVERY FALSE MINISTRY IN HIGH PLACES MY CHILD, BE aware that in these days there are false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who saved them, and will cause many to reject My teachings and My way of truth. Their judgment has been idle for a long time, and because they have grown cold to the truth, they will bring on themselvesβand othersβMy swift destruction. Do not listen to their lies, and reject their teachings. They must be removed from their lofty seats of comfort, and the results of their disobedience will become an example to any who might be swayed to follow their ways. Rise up like my servant Josiah, and stand for Me in truth, leading all who know you to turn from evil and to do what is right in My eyes, not turning aside to the right or to the left. 2 PETER 2:1β3; 2 KINGS 22:1β2 Prayer Declaration Lord, remove every false ministry and strange god from the high places. Let righteous men with Your wisdom sit in the high governmental places of my city and nation. Let the spiritual foundations that were built in my city, community, and nation be restored. Use me to walk in the spirit of Josiah and lead the people into righteousness.
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John Eckhardt (Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Principles to Defeat the Devil)
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Furthermore, if you are still in the cave of doubt and sin, plead with God to set you free. You cannot present a better prayer than the prayer of David in the cave: βBring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy nameβ (Ps. 142:7). If you are in prison, you cannot get out by yourself. You may grab the bars and try to shake them, but they are unmovable. You cannot break them with your hands. You may meditate, think, invent, and devise, but you cannot get through those bars. However, there is a hand that can cut bars of iron. Oh, prisoner in the iron cage, there is a hand that can open your cage and set you free! You do not have to be a prisoner. You do not have to be confined. You may walk in freedom through Jesus Christ, the Savior. Only trust Him, and believingly pray Davidβs prayer right now: βBring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy nameβ (v. 7). He will set you free!
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Spurgeon on Prayer & Spiritual Warfare)
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MARCH 30 I WILL GUIDE YOU CONTINUALLY I WILL BE your hiding place, and I will protect you from trouble. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you. I will always guide you and provide good things to eat when you are in the desert. I will make you healthy. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water or like a stream that never runs dry. I will clear a path in your desert and will make a straight road for you to follow. I am able to fill in every valley you face and to flatten every hill and mountain that seem to hinder your way. I will level the rough and rugged ground so that all may see that My glory surrounds your path. PSALM 32:7β8; ISAIAH 58:11; ISAIAH 40:1β4 Prayer Declaration Father, guide me continually with Your eye. Guide me by the skillfulness of Your hands. Lead me in a plain path because of my enemies. Make the crooked places straight and the rough places smooth before me. Send out Your light and truth, and let them lead me. Teach me to do Your will, and lead me into the land of uprightness.
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John Eckhardt (Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Principles to Defeat the Devil)
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APRIL 1 PREPARE TO CONFRONT THE ENEMYβS TACTICS MY CHILD, DO not be ignorant of the devilβs tactics. The devil is a schemer, and he sets traps or snares for My children. But I will give you the power to overcome all of his schemes. Fix your eyes upon Me, for I am your Sovereign Lord. Do not be deceived by Satanβs lies. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Be aware that in these times there are some who will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Follow closely after My Word, for everything I created is good, and you should receive it with thanksgiving. EPHESIANS 6:10β12; PSALM 140:8β10; 1 TIMOTHY 4:1β4 Prayer Declaration Lord, arise in me and scatter your enemies. Cause my evil foes to flee before You. As wax melts before the fire, may Satanβs evil schemes perish before You. You have given me Your shield of victory, and Your right hand sustains me. I pursued my enemies and overtook them. I did not turn back till they were destroyed. You are the God who avenges me and saves me from my enemies.
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John Eckhardt (Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Principles to Defeat the Devil)