Are demons real, do they really exist?  Of course they do, the bible tells us that Jesus had dealings with them.  People came to Jesus asking him to cast demons out of them or out of people they knew as in Matthew 8:16 (cev); that evening many people with demons in them were brought to Jesus.   And with only a word he forced out the evil spirits and healed everyone who was sick.  This scripture also proves that not only do demons exist, but they also possess & oppress people. 

There are many kinds of demons that do many kinds of things to influence & control us & the things we do.  Have you ever heard of the saying “the devil made me do it”?  People used this as a joke but many times it may be true to some degree.  This subject is too big for us to cover here so I only want to start you to thinking about the demons affecting your life!  Do you know who they are & what influence they have over you?

Let me make this a little easier to get the answers you need.  Everyone has goals that they want to achieve right?  What are the things in your life that you want to do but for some reason you just can’t seem to get it done?  Who’s holding you back?  I suggest that some demon is probably at the root of your problem.

Don’t get all spooked on me.  Let’s look at it like this.  If I were to ask the people close to you about the things that you need to change & the things that are holding you back, what would they say those things are?  If I were to ask your ex’s the same question, what would they say?

The reason why this information is important is because God only gave us good things according to Galatians 5:22-23 (cev); God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.  If that is true, then where did things like pride, lust, stubbornness, insecurity, fear, rejection, abandonment & loneliness come from? Not only are demons real, their leader Satan is real too!

The bible tells us that Satan is a thief in John 10:10 (amp); the thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it[a]overflows); & he is trying to take your life!  So if Satan is trying to kill you, don’t you need to know just how he’s planning to do that?  Do you know?  What’s your plan to defeat him?  Do you even have a plan of action against him?

I know I’m asking a lot of questions but they all lead to the same place.  You need to have a plan to win the battle being waged against you because whether you like it or not, it’s already happening.  Now the next part, how can you have a plan when you don’t even know who you’re fighting?  That’s why you need the answers to the questions I’ve asked you above.  Are you a procrastinator, an addict, a hater, jealous, etc?  As you can see, there are many ways that a demon can influence who you are & how you act.  Then gain access to you via your own sin or from the sins of those in your family via generational curses.  No matter how they got in, you have the power thru the blood of Jesus to put them out.  Sounds like a lot right but here’s why it’s going to be easier than you think; Philippians 4:13 (amp); I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who [a]infuses inner strength into me; I am [b]self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

So, now what?  The 1st thing you need to do is to sit down with God to make an honest list of the demonic influences in your life.  The 2nd thing you need to do is to ask God to help you create & develop a plan of action against them.  The 3rd thing you need to do is work the plan – you & God can tweak the plan as you need to but you have to do what the plan instructs at all cost.  Your life is on the line so you have to kill the demons trying to kill you.

Here’s where your relationship with the Holy Spirit will be vital.  This is not a battle you can win alone.  Don’t you want the best help possible?  Of course you do & the Holy Spirit is the best in the business!  So ask God for the help you need just like Mark 11:24 (lb) tells us; Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you have it; it’s yours!

Here’s a tip to ensure your victory against every demon coming against you.  You have to be living & working Romans 12:2 (amp); Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].  You have to allow God to transform you into the original creation He made you to be.  On this path will be the power & resources you need to win every battle!

 Are demons real?  Yes they are, but you now have what you need to free yourself & take the demons in your life captive now!

Are your prayers being answered? Have the things that you’ve asked God for appeared before your very eyes? I know as Christians, we are told we have to pray.  We’re told we have to have a good, strong prayer life.  But how do you know if you doing it right?  Have all your prayers been answered already?

I remember many years ago sitting in church listening to a guest speaker.  He asked us if all of our prayers have been answered.  He then went on to say that God wants to give us all the things we ask Him for.  That was a surprise to me because when I thought about it, all of my prayers had not be answered.  Up until that point I just thought that if you got what you prayed for then God was saying “yes” but if you didn’t then God was saying “no”. I realized that I needed to do some more research about prayer.  So I asked God about it first & then I asked other Christians.  Most Christians described prayer and a ritualistic monologue where you sit & ask God for what you want then get up and walk away.  Then you just wait to see what happens. I had been doing that & all of my prayers had not been answered so it had to be more to it than that.  That was too vague for me.

As I asked myself what I really knew about prayer, I realized that with all the “new members” classes I had taken when I joined my previous church, instruction on how to pray was not included.  However, the church did offer a supplemental class called “Steps To Answered Prayer”,  so I took the class.  I wanted all my prayers to be answered and I didn’t want to be the reason they weren’t.  I needed to make sure I got this prayer thing right.  The class taught about the different types of prayer and gave simple explanations of each.  It was a great first step.  Over the years, I’ve done a lot of additional study about prayer and I’ve learned a lot about it, but I like to keep things simple so here are some of the basics.

Prayer is not a monologue, it is a conversation between you & God about things He has said in the Bible & how it relates to your daily earthly life.  It’s a direct line to God so you can get solutions to our problems & directions for our lives just like Jesus did in Luke 6:12-13 (cev); (About that time Jesus went off to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night there. 13 The next morning he called his disciples together and chose twelve of them to be his apostles) when he had to choose his disciples.  The Bible talks about Jesus praying all the time (He kept in constant communication with God) & if Jesus did it, then we should follow his lead.

Before you pray be clear what you want or need from God.  Then find out what God has already said about it.  The easiest way to do that is to simply “Google” it.  You can also download free “God’s Promises” type apps to your smartphone.  Either way, just ask God his opinion on the subject.  All of these are great ways to get to know God, build your faith and keep out doubt – James 1:6, 7(cev)  But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.

Now I know that in life there will be some times that you need God to help in a hurry, so don’t let not having a scripture promise stop you from running to God.  Just be honest and tell God you don’t know what He has said about the subject & you need His help anyway.  Your crisis will not be a surprise to God, He’ll be waiting for you to ask for His help!

Keep in mind that every good conversation is a dialog, not a monologue.  Soooo don’t do all the talking.  Insert time in your prayers to listen to what God has to say back to you.  Write down what He says because you will not remember even though you think you will.

So, here’s what you need to remember:

1.      Pray only to God in Jesus’ name – John 14:6, 13-14 (cev); “I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father; Ask me, and I will do whatever you ask. This way the Son will bring honor to the Father;  I will do whatever you ask me to do.
2.      Start all prayer with praise to God because no matter what you’re praying about, you are still blessed & God has been good to you. Psalm 100:4 (cev); Be thankful and praise the Lord as you enter his temple.
3.      Tell God your problem or concern and remind Him of what He said in His Word.  Let God know that you really need His help & nobody can make this right like He can.  This is a form of worship. Matthew 7:7-8 (cev); Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.
4.      Extend your faith by believing that God not only heard your prayer but has sent the solution.  Mark 11:24 (cev); Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.

Sound simple?  That’s because it is.  Yes there are things that can be added, but this simple way to pray will be powerful, get results and get your prayer life off to a good start.  Keep in mind that God is not a magician and the manifestation of your prayers depends on God’s timing and how you’re living.  You can’t be acting a fool and still expect God to answer you.  We’ll talk about that part later.

Prayer is a powerful tool & weapon because it connects you directly to God & His power so practice praying daily.  Let Him teach you about it & remember practice, practice, practice makes perfect.

Are all your prayers being answered?  Now they will be!