Prayer Exercise, binding and loosing part 2

One of the most common questions I get when I tell people I intercede as a form of serving God is, “What is intercession?”  In last week’s blog post I began to describe intercession according to some New Testament terms Jesus used.  Those terms are binding and loosing.  (note- I didn’t send an email to my database of names last week, so if you haven’t read last week’s post, for context on priestly authority please do so before reading further.)

Regarding binding and loosing, people can be just as curious and even intimidated about adding those words into their prayer language as they are about "intercession".  Maybe you've heard the language of "binding and loosing" in terms of praying against satanic forces.  There is much more to see about binding and loosing beyond prayer language of, “Satan, in the name of Jesus, I loose you of your power over “so and so”.  

Binding and loosing is much more about God’s radical love, tender mercy, and powerful authority over death that He shares with you and me.  I find myself awakening anew as I study intercession more closely and see it as both prayer and action based.  It’s a prevailing and beautiful weapon of warfare.  Hopefully you will awaken anew also; and be stirred to wear your priestly authority, as you enter God’s throne room and also take his authority into relational situations. 

Here is an example of Christ wearing his priestly authority, entering the throne room of God, and taking his authority into a relational situation.  Note this is also an example of Christ “binding and loosing”. 

John 11:40-44New King James Version (NKJV)
40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

In the Lazarus circumstance you see Jesus does a few things:

1. He expresses thanks to the Father for hearing his prayers.
2. He reveals his deeply held belief that the Father always hears his prayers.
3. He cried with a LOUD voice for his friend Lazarus.
4. He commanded, “Lazarus, come forth!”
5. He commanded again, “Loose him, and let him go.”

These 5 things are what I suggest you practice to get used to the priestly authority you’ve been given in Christ to loosen and bind.  Agree and believe with another as well.

Our Holy Deliverer, our great high priest, our continual intercessor executed his priestly office in public as an example for us.  Like referenced in last week’s post, as high priest, names of people are carried on his heart continually into the presence of God.  Lazarus was a name Christ had bound to his heart in love for eternal life thereby loosing Lazarus from death as perfect High Priest, John 11:5. 

This is true of Christ’s nature then, it is true of Christ’s nature now.   
Hebrews 7:25- Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

But He does not intend to do the intercession alone.  He is calling you; He is calling his people to bind and loosen in His authority.  He is calling you to agree and believe in prayer.  (Note: last week’s post has further context of Matthew 18 in reference to the lost, the new believer, the unrepentant believer, the repeat offender, the one having trouble forgiving.)  Think of 1-2 names and with Christ, go through the steps Christ went through to loose your “Lazarus”:

1. Express thanks to God for Christ who made a way for you to talk to God without fear. 
2. Talk to God openly and honestly about how confident you are or are not about God always hearing your prayers.  If you are not confident here, you will wrestle with the other steps.
   1. Being honest is the best place, do not feel pressure to pray something you do not yet believe.  Take some time here if necessary and boldly approach his throne of mercy.
      1. Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
      2. You can simply say, “God have mercy on me, a sinner.”  Keep saying it and wait on His presence and love.
3. Cry out in a loud voice for your friend “Lazarus” (spouse, child, parent, friend, neighbor, co-worker, etc). 
   1. Ask God to give you his heart for this person, so that you continue to carry this person on your heart into Christ's merciful presence. 
4. Use the authority you’ve been given in Christ.  State the name of the one God has bound on your heart and speak boldly in prayer.  Use your own language, but believe in the authority of Christ who is agreeing with your prayer for salvation, healing, etc.  Example- “Angela, come forth!”
5. Finally, assert again- “Loose her and let her go!”
   1. If you want to get more specific, do so.  “Father, loose her of ties that bind, from her fears, from her unbelief, from strongholds, etc…”

Now you may read that and think, “No way, not me, not doing it.”  This will be a great loss.  Those who were vulnerable, those who were willing to face humiliation as they cried out in public for Jesus, those who persisted, those who persevered, those who were childlike, those who went to extremes to get to Jesus are the ones chronicled in the Gospels as receiving the greatest revelations and touches of Jesus Christ.  He hears the humble, not the proud, Psalm 138:6, James 4:6. 

In this time, in this season, for our families, communities, and nation, God is looking for intercessors, those willing to cry out for mercy for themselves and others, 2 Chronicles 7:14.  Many are willing to offer opinions in our political season, taking time to post and respond, argue and position.  If we Christians spent as much time and more energy and heart praying and interceding, binding and loosing, agreeing and believing, I wonder how differently it would turn out?   I know the answer because God promises He will hear and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14-15)!
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Luke 18: 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

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