Powerful forces are at work all over the world, battling over territory city by city. Spirits with geographic authority are at war to claim territory either for the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness.

The reality of this war manifests in conditions of our cities. Christians, who never progress past spiritual warfare over their families and churches, never enter into one of the greatest battlefields in the spiritual realm, the battle over our cities. Those who do not believe this war is raging are deceived by the enemy.

Christians, who progress in spiritual maturity to the place where they can participate in this level of spiritual warfare, become key soldiers in the army of God. Their influence in the spiritual realm goes far beyond the place where most so-called spiritual warriors quit. Their value in the Kingdom of God increases exponentially because their impact goes beyond people they actually know and come in contact with. They have begun to influence an entire city.

This form of influence increases even further when a Christian begins to intercede for his or her entire nation. However, we will cover that part of spiritual warfare prayer in next week’s lesson.

DISCERNMENT IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Any Christian who desires to influence a region must have the gift of discerning of spirits. It is utterly impossible to battle with territorial spirits that have set up strongholds in a city unless you can identify these spirits.

Spirits generally set up strongholds that affect specific natural and spiritual areas such as the morality of a city, the economy of a city, the political system of a city and in the general spiritual climate.

It is not an easy intellectual task to find out what spirits are bringing a city into bondage and how they are working hand in hand with other spirits to accomplish their goals. Christians who are serious about spiritual warfare on a citywide scale simply must have the gift of discerning of spirits in operation.

Where can we receive the discerning of spirits? It is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

I Corinthians 12:7-11

Unless you have an experience with God and become intimate with the Holy Spirit, you will never be able to receive the gifts that the Holy Spirit wants to offer you as weapons in your prayer offensive against the enemy.

If you haven’t had an experience with God, you can’t pray strategically for your city and combat the forces of evil!

Don’t even try it!

The job of a warrior is not for a novice. God wants us to draw near to him so we can become seasoned veterans of war who operate in strategic prayer as the Spirit of God leads us into battle.

It’s our destiny! It’s our purpose!

WARFARE OVER THE MORALITY OF YOUR CITY

 Today’s cities are caught up in a war between morality and the politically correct anti-morality indoctrination of our society. The moral level of our cities is under constant attack by political forces, the media and the social agenda of the spirit of Antichrist.

Laws restricting the parental relationship toward children, especially concerning discipline, are becoming commonplace. The enemy wants to so restrict parents that discipline and teaching of godly values to our own children is outlawed because it restricts their freedom to choose for themselves.

What is the result of this fleshly social agenda?

Young men and women are being arrested for first-degree murder before their fifteenth birthdays. Children are beating and even killing newborn infants as well as each other. Gangs run rampant in many of our cities worldwide.

Why?

Because our society rejects the teaching of Christian values and morals to our young people. Our society has bowed to the evil agenda sweeping the globe and refuses to teach children how to pray.

On television, the promotion of sexual sin is a virtual explosion as it brings in higher ratings, more advertising money and more notoriety. Its effect on our society can clearly be seen in the spread of venereal diseases like AIDS, which kills millions unless they receive the healing power of Jesus.

Television also promotes violence without batting an eye. Is it any wonder young men are killing one another to solve problems after they have viewed 80,000 murders on television by their eighteenth birthdays?

The church of Satan, witches and occultic practitioners have moved into many cities and are influencing the young and old alike to become involved in black magic and spiritism.

The morality of our cities all over the world is in a literal spiritual war zone.

THE MORAL LEVEL OF YOUR CITY DEPENDS ON YOUR PRAYERS

What will happen in your city? Will you fight to destroy the enemy, or will you allow the devil to slowly creep in and take over before the Church even finds out what is happening?

We will deal with strategies for prayer about the media and political system in week four of this teaching, but here, we will deal with turning around the morality our cities.

STRATEGIES FOR WAR OVER YOUR CITY’S MORALITY

Our first strategy to destroy the enemy’s war against the morality of our cities is to pray for the churches of our cities to rise up in power and intercession. We must pray for pastors all across our land to leave their fear behind and preach the truth about sin. We must have preaching in every city which convicts the hearts of church members and brings them to an old-fashioned altar to cry out to God in repentance for their sin.

It won’t happen until we pray, travail and intercede until our churches get a burden for holiness once again.

I’m not talking about religion!

I’m not talking about keeping your hair up in a Pentecostal bun and playing the part!

I’m talking about true repentance that causes the light inside us to shine so brightly that our city becomes brighter with the glow in the spirit of every child of God walking, working and living in each city!

You are the key to your city!

God has given you the source of light for your city!

WAR AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF THE ENEMY

Another strategy to defeat the forces of evil degrading the morality of your city is to bind all spirits of occult practice in your city. Take time when you are praying in this area and cover every practice the enemy has introduced into your city.

Bind the spirits of witchcraft, tarot card and palm reading, false religion, satanism, black magic, New Age, self-realization and even cultic religion.

One of the most important strategies you need to use in praying for your city’s moral status is to pray that sin would not be accepted. One major reason for moral decline in our cities is that people accept abominable sin even when they, themselves, do not practice it.

The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Genesis 19:23-26

Why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Was it because the inhabitants were all homosexuals?

Not really. Abraham interceded for the two cities, and God agreed if there were ten righteous people in Sodom, it would be spared. Not everyone in the city was homosexual, or Lot would not have had sons-in-law.

What was the problem?

The entire city accepted sin. They did not think it was wrong to live in a promiscuous lifestyle. When it came to the destruction of the city, God could not find ten righteous people. Lot, his wife and daughters were allowed to leave the city before it was destroyed. However, Lot’s wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.

Why was she destroyed just for looking back?

The Hebrew word used for looking back in this passage is nabat (naw-bat’). This word means to look at something with a special, positive, pleasurable emotion.

Lot’s wife loved Sodom. She accepted the sin of the city and longed to return. She mourned its destruction, not for the loss of lives or souls, but for the glory of the city. This is why she was destroyed.

The spirit of Sodom and Gomorrah has less to do with sexual sin than it does with the acceptance of sin as a lifestyle. When this acceptance invades our cities, the morality of our cities will decline to the depths of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Our strategy to defeat the spirit of Sodom from overcoming our cities is to pray that the righteous would stand up and begin to manifest righteousness. Our cities can be saved if we make a spiritual stand.

God was willing to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if He found only ten righteous people.

Why?

…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:16

 The prayers of only ten righteous people are enough to turn an entire city around! Don’t be shocked if everyone in the Church has other things to do than to join your prayer meeting. Don’t be surprised!

Don’t be discouraged either. Even if there are a few righteous people, there is hope for your city!

WARFARE OVER YOUR CITY’S ECONOMY

The economic condition of your city does not necessarily have to match the economy of your nation. In the United States, economies can vary from state to state and even from city to city.

Satan likes to destroy the economies of our cities so he can increase certain sins like greed, manipulation and exploitation. He also likes to put pressure on church members so they won’t tithe. Added pressure from a depressed city economy can help him reach his goals.

Ministries and churches all across the nation rely on the offerings of Christians to help them spread the Gospel around the world. If it were not for the faithfulness and generosity of the children of God, our ability to reach the lost would be threatened.

We must keep a guard on our personal income so we can continue to support the ministries God has placed in our lives.

I’m so thankful for God’s Victorious Army members like you who support this ministry. God has brought in hundreds and thousands of testimonies of people just like you whose finances have been blessed miraculously because of their faithfulness to support the ministry with their offerings, even when it is a sacrifice. I could not even begin to tell you the powerful financial miracles God has worked in the lives of GVA members.

With so much of the Gospel depending on your support, you must have a prayer offensive in force on a regular basis to protect the economy of the city in which you work and live.

How do we do that?

FINANCIAL WARFARE STRATEGIES FOR YOUR CITY

 The first strategy I am going to give you to war against the attack of the enemy on your city’s finances is to build a hedge of spiritual protection around your city’s economy by banding together with others in your city for corporate prayer. In this time of corporate prayer, you need to intercede for seven powerful areas that were revealed to me. These areas can mean the difference in prosperity or poverty for many people in your city and community. Pray:

1. For prosperous companies to come into your city.
2. For politicians in your city to be favorable to these companies with tax benefits and other means of favor.
3. For crime to
4. For education to increase in
5. For the wealthy people in your city to invest their money in local businesses.
6. For political corruption to
7. For people bound by poverty to be delivered from the spirit of poverty and blessed with prosperous jobs.

These powerful prayer strategies can improve your city’s economy and prosper the people in it so greatly that they can support God’s work as never before.

The next strategy is to pray that church members would receive a strong, undeniable burden to tithe and give offerings. This will project the Gospel forth from your community, bringing blessings upon the entire world as well as your city. It will also cause the spiritual principles of sowing and reaping to manifest in the lives of Christians, bringing them even greater success and prosperity.

WAR OVER YOUR CITY’S POLITICAL SYSTEM

 Many of our cities are suffering from corrupt politicians and bad political practices. Those who live in cities with this problem should pay special attention to this part of the Victory Miracle Living lesson. We are about to go deep into the root cause of political corruption and expose the devil’s schemes for your city. Then we will learn in which areas we need to lay the axe to the root of the problems.

Corruption in political offices stems from Satan’s desire to be in control of mankind. His plan is to get likeable, but weak men with weak morals in public office so he can manipulate and control them to do his bidding.

City politicians can do much to influence a city’s morality and spiritual climate.

They can either welcome pornography or set tough community obscenity standards.

They can either look the other way or raise taxes on alcohol and tobacco products to cut down on addictions, health problems and alcohol- related domestic abuse.

They can either grant or deny licenses to adult clubs.

They can either ignore or enforce laws against prostitution.

They can choose whether or not to support quality in education.

Let’s face it. There is much power in local city governments. Our children are affected by the decisions made at city hall. It’s time for us to become responsible and begin to pray for our local political systems.

What methods are we going to use to affect our city government?

Should we rise up and form a committee to carry signs and form demonstrations against evil? Should we protest abortion? Should we picket stores that sell pornography?

Help yourself if you want to. Picket all you want.

Protest all you want.

But I’ve got to do more than protest. I’ve got to do more than carry a sign. I’ve got to go deep into the spiritual world and attack the root of the problem!

I’ve got to go beyond the protest into the war!

Our strategies for prayer for our city governments must begin at the root of the political process. We must first pray that qualified, godly people will run for public office. God must raise up Christians with a burden for our cities if we are ever going to change the political climate.

We must also pray that leaders who are now in public office in our cities will have an experience with God that causes them to make decisions according to God’s word. If ungodly politicians won’t change

their stands on godliness, they must be removed from office in the next election for their position.

Can we pray according to these strategies? Absolutely!

We not only can pray this way, we have a responsibility to pray this way! The political process alone cannot promote godliness. Only when combined with the prayers of saints who are concerned about their cities can the political process function clearly.

IT’S TIME TO ACT NOW

 Many evil political decisions have already been made. We must pray now if we are to change the course of our city’s political future. With strategic prayer, we can not only prevent evil decisions from being made in the future, we can reverse the evil decisions of the past.

Strategic prayer for our cities also involves praying issue by issue over the things that affect them. To pray strategically in this area, we must be informed about what is happening in our cities and what issues are being voted on by our elected officials and the general public.

If we don’t know what is happening, we cannot pray effectively. Aside from skill in prayer, information is the key to successful intercession at the city level. Pray strategically over your city’s political system and watch the power of God work miracles!

WAR OVER YOUR CITY’S SPIRITUAL CLIMATE

 The spiritual climate of any city is directly related to the prayers and intercession of the intercessors and prayer warriors of that city. Any time the Church of any particular city sits down on the job of interceding for that city, the enemy begins to gain control and causes the spiritual climate of that city to deteriorate.

I want to explain here that when I talk about the Church of a particular city, I am talking about all of God’s born-again people in that city. It is the responsibility of all of God’s soldiers in any city to dictate the spiritual climate of that city. Consider the following scriptures which record the words of Jesus to John in the book of Revelation:

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks…

Revelation 2:1

 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive…

Revelation 2:8

 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges…

Revelation 2:12

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Revelation 2:18

 In all of these scriptures, Jesus refers to the Church city by city, as if the Church in each city is a particular unit of the entire Body of Christ. He speaks to them separately, and has very different things to say to each city, some positive, some negative. When we speak about spiritual warfare with today’s Church, we must follow this New Testament pattern.

Each Christian must realize he or she is only a part of the entire Church of a certain city. Each pastor and leader in each local church must realize they are only a part of the Church in that city. Once we realize this, we must bind together, church by church, until in each city, we become the Church that wars against the Kingdom of Darkness together!

STRATEGIES OF THE ENEMY TO DEFEAT THE CHURCH’S WAR OVER YOUR CITY’S SPIRITUAL CLIMATE

 The Church in each city has to begin to function as one spiritual unit to destroy the work of the enemy in that city. Solidarity and unity among church leaders are essential for successful corporate spiritual warfare over a city.

Satan’s number one goal in citywide warfare is to destroy the unity among the churches in that city. He will try to divide the leadership with jealousy, competition and gossip. Then, he will try to divide church members of different churches one against another.

When the Church is in disarray because of disunity, Satan moves his forces into the city promoting sin, corruption and a general oppression over the city and the churches of the city to keep the church from mounting a counterattack.

DEFEATING THE DEVIL’S WAR FOR YOUR CITY’S SPIRITUAL CLIMATE

 God has given me a systematic strategy for the Church to defeat the devil’s influence over your city. Our mandate is not to cooperate with the enemy, but to destroy his works. Speaking of the Kingdom of God, Jesus said:

Occupy till I come.

Luke 19:13

 The word occupy is a military term. When a city is militarily occupied, it is totally taken over and possessed by military forces. The influence of the enemy’s army is totally annihilated.

God is calling us to occupy our cities. He wants us to stop playing games with spiritual warfare as if we’re playing some kind of spiritual warfare video game that doesn’t count in reality. Jesus Christ was serious when He commanded us to occupy the earth. If we do not begin to occupy it one city at a time, we will never fulfill the commandment that Jesus has given us.

We are not on some Sunday School picnic! We are not playing games with the enemy!

We are in a spiritual war against the kingdom of darkness!

Get into the battle and let the devil know he can’t take your city!

Get into the battle and let the devil know you are going to drive him out of your city!

Get into the battle and let the devil know that you know that you know that you know that the devil knows that you are going to be victorious!

Your first strategy for the spiritual climate of your city is to pray for the unity of the Church in your city. Without spiritual unity, you will never be 100 percent effective in your battle against the enemy. Even if you are in your prayer closet all by yourself, you are part of a city-wide effort to defeat the enemy and make a stand for righteousness in your city.

Your second strategy for the spiritual climate of your city is to pray for the leaders of the Church of your city. You must pray for ALL of God’s spiritual leaders in your city, not just those in your own local church. You must also pray for evangelists, prophets and apostles who come into your city to bring spiritual breakthrough. If none are coming to help the church in your area, go before the throne of God and pray that God would send strong, anointed ministers to bring powerful spiritual breakthroughs to your city.

Pray for your city’s spiritual leaders in the following areas:

1. Their own spiritual and family life, protection and prosperity.
2. That revelation would flow into their
3. That the anointing would remain and even increase upon them.
4. That they would stay in stream with what the Spirit of God is saying to the Church in your
5. That they would release others into
6. That there be no successful attack on their health or life.
7. That they would lead the city to

Your third strategy for the spiritual climate of your city is to tear down the strongholds of sin and demonic oppression. God has given us the power to tear down strongholds with the spiritual weapons He has given us!

…For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds…

II Corinthians 10:4

 Even if the Church of your city is not in unity, you can gather with a small group of believers and impact your entire region for Jesus. God

does not necessarily need a huge group of people to impact your region, but the power of intercession grows exponentially with the number of people in a committed covenant to pray.

And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

Leviticus 26:7-8

The is an exponential increase when you join together with others to fight spiritual battles! Even if you have only a few people praying together, you have the power to destroy hundreds of the enemy’s works and clean up the spiritual climate of your city. A trained few can become the special forces of God’s army when they are focused on the assignments God has given them.

In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled…And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

Daniel 10:2-3,7

 

Here Daniel and a few friends fasted and prayed for three weeks to hear a word from God that would affect the course of Israel’s destiny. Furthermore, their prayer affected a great spiritual battle in the heavenlies between some of the most powerful angels and demons ever created!

All this happened as a result of the prayers of a few faithful people who would not give up until the answer came.

There have been many people who wanted a move of God in their city to change the spiritual climate. They have prayed in seasons that God would do something. They have even called men of God and asked for help.

Why has there been no revival in some of these cities?

Because the people have not been as determined as Daniel and his faithful handful of men. We must be determined to pray until the answer comes…not until we get tired or find something else to do. Interceding for your city is different from dealing with a little problem in your own life. You are dealing with principalities who will not give up without a fight!

Give them that fight!

Don’t shrink back from the battle!

Go forth in warfare and don’t stop until God changes your city! Continue in your determination to win until the victory is yours.

Dear GVA Members, use these strategies to defeat the enemy. Share them with your friends

and fellow church members as you gather together for prayer. God wants to make a change in our cities and will do it as we use the spiritual warfare strategies He has given us.

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