Praying for Deliverance?
Are you praying for deliverance? Well, according to Scripture, the deliverance you are seeking may require fasting and prayer.
In the Gospel of Mark, we find the parable of a father who traveled with his son to meet Jesus because an impure spirit had possessed the boy. Upon meeting Jesus, the father explained:
‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not,’ (Mark 9:17-18, New International Bible, 1978/2011).
Prayer and Fasting
Earlier that day, the disciples had tried to rid the boy of the impure spirit. They were unsuccessful. It was Jesus who ultimately freed the boy. Later that night, the disciples asked Jesus why they had been unable to deliver the lad from the evil spirit. Jesus replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer” (Mark 9:29, NIV). Some Biblical translations say “prayer and fasting.”
The aforementioned verses suggest that there are some spirits and principalities that we cannot simply rebuke. The text reminds us that the “weapons of our warfare are not weapons of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4, English Standard Bible, 2001). This principle is also supported by Daniel 10:12–13. In the passage, an angel said to Daniel:
‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia,’ (NIV).
The Spiritual Realm is Real
The fact that the angels of God and Persia were enthralled in conflict indicates that the spiritual realm is real. Furthermore, the Bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities (Ephesians 6:12). In the book of Daniel, we read that the Prince of Persia had resisted the angel of God for 21 days. The warfare was so intense that the archangel Michael had to relieve the angel of God so he could deliver Daniel’s message. Note that during that battle, it took two angelic beings to fight back the forces of darkness. This observation highlights our need for divine intervention during spiritual warfare.
In the story of the father and son, the boy’s impure spirit was obvious. However, many of us are battling attacks from demonic forces that are not so readily discernible. It is within the realm of possibility that some of the mental, spiritual, financial, and emotional infirmities that we face are not natural occurrences but are spiritual attacks. Many of us have rebuked these spirits, but yet they still persist. Perhaps these “kind[s] can come out only by prayer [and fasting].” In other words, our deliverance may require fasting and prayer.
Reflection
What spirits are you facing? Perhaps it’s time to stop simply rebuking and start praying [and fasting]. Father, we do believe, but help us with our unbelief.
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Biblical Reference
- New International Bible. (2011). The NIV Bible. https://www.thenivbible.com (Original work published 1978)
- English Standard Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/
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