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Penetrating the Darkness
Copyright © 2011
Jack W. Hayford
Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified The Message are from The Message . Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Published by Chosen Books
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Bloomington, MN 55438
www.chosenbooks.com
Chosen Books is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
E-book edition created 2011
ISBN 978-1-4412-1479-9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Dedication and Acknowledgment
To great prayer warriors in the spiritual battle against evil’s darkness. The God-given victories of these listed impacted multitudes for Christ and altered the course of local and regional history where they ministered; they shaped my own prayer life and role as a pastor—both in public and in private. Each held a unique place in my life experience and in dedicating this book to them—most of whom have gone on to their heavenly reward—I bow in praise to God for their lives and their faithfulness to “prayer and to the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:4). First, to my mother, Dolores Hayford—who taught me to obey God’s Word, walk with Jesus every day and listen to the Holy Spirit always. To pastors—Earl Sexauer, of my pre-college years; Kenneth Erickson, during my first years as a church planter; then Dr. Roy Hicks Sr. and Dr. Herman Mitzner—who, with those pastors, each had large input to my life through their own unique teaching, model, manner. To missionaries—most notably to Dr. Jean Darnall, Drs. Jean and John Firth and Dr. Evelyn Thompson, who all being warm and gracious people, but also strong contenders “for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3): They each changed nations through prayer! To members of the wonderful pastoral team and elders at The Church On The Way, as well as devoted members such as Jim and Carol Owens, whom God used to spread what the Holy Spirit was teaching that congregation throughout the 1970s. God welded a pursuit of intercessory prayer (with amazing, confirming results) that was established then and continues faithfully and effectively to this day. Primarily, to my dear “Lady Anna”: my near-lifelong prayer partner. She has been at my side in prayer for 56 years, faithfully and patiently bearing the prayer needs that daily appear on the agenda of any pastor—needs that are all the more numerous when that pastorate becomes numbered in the thousands. Finally—it is a profound joy to see all of our four children and eleven grandchildren walking with Christ and raising their children in His way. They are “good kids” whom Jesus has kept, and who reveal the joyous outcome of daily prayer and pivotal times of parental intercession unto spiritual breakthrough.
It is also fitting that our “firstborn,” and thereby first to begin learning and living the truths and principles herein, has contributed so greatly to the writing of this book—my daughter Rebecca Hayford Bauer. Her editorial aid was infinitely more than technical, but introduced insightful content because she has “lived out” these concepts herself, practically, parentally and in pastoral work. Without her help, neither the scope nor the timeliness of this work would be complete.
I thank the Father for each of these. Their lives touched mine and have added a touch that will hopefully enrich you as they each did me.
Jack W. Hayford, at Thanksgiving, 2010
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication and Acknowledgment
Contents
1: Rules of Engagement
2: The Gift of a Kingdom
3: Back to Basics
4: Intercession 101
5: Intercession Practicum
6: It’s Only by the Blood
7: A Binding Contract
8: Breaking Loose
9: Engaging in Battle
10: Invasion of Life
11: We Shall Do Valiantly
Appendix A
Appendix B
About the Authors
Notes
Back Cover
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, hich is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
Ephesians 6:17–18
Nothing has more greatly shaped the experiences and events of my life than prayer: personal prayer, public prayer gatherings, pointed and focused prayer, passionate prayer and power-filled , Spirit-energized prayer!
This kind of praying rises from more than simple devotion; it is born of a growing discipleship—availability to God’s Word where understanding is gained through learning, joined to an acquired and expanding experience in applying its truth to real-life pursuit and practice of prayer. That is the kind Jesus taught. It is prayer that lifts praying well beyond the habits of multitudes who, when they do pray, are exercising more of something akin to rubbing a rabbit’s foot. Then, others express a hope heavenward that “something good will happen” or that “this awful thing will go away”—a hope-against-hope, desperate call to a God irregularly consulted but now desperately needed.
Further, though we build the important basics of the believer’s devotional prayer life, these pages extend the Savior’s call to His people—to receive and employ “the keys of the Kingdom”; to enter an extended dimension of faith-grounded prayer. This introductory chapter is not only to invite you to a broadened perspective and an increased constancy in faith and the Word of God, but to set a framework of thought—or “the rules of engagement”—that I think may help. Rules of engagement is a military term that defines for commanders and troops when, where and how force will be used. I have chosen this term to title this chapter, not only because we are setting a framework into place, but also to send a clarion call that when we pray, we are, indeed, engaged in spiritual warfare.
Simply Put: It’s a War
This order of prayer involves a biblical understanding of the continuing spiritual “struggle between kingdoms” and the spiritual discernment the Holy Spirit enables. In short, it is that kind of prayer the apostle Paul described as “praying with the understanding and with the Spirit.” This will be helpful for engaging the invisible warfare between God’s will for mankind and the evil design of the dark world of Satan’s ploys.
The clash of good and evil, of God and Satan, or the Kingdom of God and powers of darkness is there —there in the Word of God. It is a battle over which some believers have puzzled themselves, saying, “Didn’t Jesus ‘win it all’ at the cross? He said, ‘It is finished.’ ” Bewildered by that, some have suggested that any mention of spiritual warfare trivializes the cross of Christ, but in fact, that is not the case. The epistles laud the cross and the blood of Christ as having completed salvation’s provision, but they also teach that a spiritual conflict is being engaged in “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). The blood of the cross is not only honored, but its power is testified to as the source of authority that equips believers to prevail in this present age-long battle against “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). All prayer—petition, intercession, supplication and praiseful thanksgiving—is noted as “the weapons of our warfare,” as believers gird for the battle in spiritual armor and take up spiritual weaponry (see 2 Corinthians 10:3–5; Ephesians 6:10–18).
Enlisting “Kingdom Warriors”
Central to understanding the resources and tactical weapons the Word of God describes as essential in this conflict is the dual reminder within Jesus’ words when on trial before Pilate. Being asked “Are you a king?” He affirmed He is, but He qualified His kingship as being over a spiritual Kingdom—the Kingdom of God. We will take time to study the reality of this invisible Kingdom, the history of the warfare being waged and the strategies employed by each side.
The Lord of the Church is the King of a kingdom—the Kingdom of God. The message and ministry of that Kingdom was at the heart of everything Jesus did—His preaching, teaching, healing, casting out of demons, forgiving, freeing and initiating the founding of His Church. He was explicit that what He began in the ministry and penetration of His Kingdom of love, life, truth and grace was to continue beyond His death, resurrection and ascension through His people. That “people” includes you and me, along with all the redeemed, discipled, Spirit-empowered and commissioned Body—the “troops” within His Church. He said:
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
John 14:12–14
These basic texts join to Jesus’ announcement of His plan to “build My Church” (see Matthew 16:13–18). It is in that context that our Lord also relates His basic strategy for the Church’s advance unto spiritual victory as the powers of hell are rendered unable to prevail.
As we traverse the Scriptures together, we will draw alongside Jesus’ own disciples as He taught them about the Kingdom, and will discover how essential it is that we p