243 - Prayers Satan Hates Group Study - 16

0:00 Well, hello and welcome back to Battle Plan and the Spirit of Warfare small group series we're doing right now from my book, My Search for Prayers Satan Heights. By the way, a free downloadable PDF transcript of this podcast will be available on our website at active-faith.org. Under the resources tab, you can click small group. Today, we're going to talk about ancient and modern demons. Let me start with 2 Kings 30 and 31 in LT. Those from Babylon worshipped idols of their God, Sukkothbinnath. Those from Kotha worshipped their God, Nurgle. Those from Hamath worshipped Ashima.

0:42 The Avites worshipped their gods, Nibhaz and Tartac. And the people from Saravam even burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods, Adremolec and Anemolec. There are at least 25 demons called by name in the Bible. I was teaching this in a Bible class one day when one man raised his hand and said, Steve, how do you know those are demons? You may have the same question. So I'll offer an old and a new Testament passage that confirms this. First Psalm 106 36 to 38. They worshiped their idols, which led to their downfall. They even sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons.

1:22 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, by sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan. The New Testament verse confirming this comes from 1 Corinthians 10 19 and 20. Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance? Are the idols are real gods? No, no, not at all. I'm saying these sacrifices are offered to demons. As hard as it may be to swallow these passages in the Bible point out that when humans sacrifice their children in front of idols, demons were present, though unseen, accepting these blood sacrifices. And this makes me wonder who has who's present in the many modern day medical facilities when abortions have been performed in the United States, all 60 million plus of them.

2:12 Lord forgive us for just seeing abortion as a removal of unwanted tissue. Help us see these events through your eyes and your heart, help us to have compassion and a loving response to all those affected while still standing up for the truth that it's murder in Jesus name. Now let me talk about Zazoo Jude verse six says, I remind you of all the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them, but left the place where they be longed. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness waiting for the great day of judgment.

2:52 I believe there's actually a Bible name for angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them. They are demons. Although these demons did something so heinous that they are locked up waiting for judgment, many demons are free to serve Satan's purposes in our daily lives, working to lead us away from the pathway to heaven. C.S. Lewis was one of the premier proponents of this idea and his study of this resulted in a bestselling book that caused him to land on the cover of Time magazine in 1947, the screw tape letters. If you believe demons were only a first century phenomenon designed to confirm Jesus and the early church, I invite you to reread Ephesians six.

3:37 They are still here. They are many. They are focused. They are powerful. They have strategies implying great intelligence. I began compiling and completing this list of demons named in Scripture and during that time I was working on making this list. I was sitting at a long red light one day on Highway 80 in Longview near Popeyes Fried Chicken. I glanced over at a place called Zazoo's. It was a long time establishment, probably been there over 20 years that offered palm reading and tarot card revelations for many years in the same location. I thought about the name.

4:18 I repeated it out loud several times. Zazoo's. Zazoo's. And without thinking, I said out loud, Lord, that name sounds like some of the strange demon names in the Bible. If a demon is part of that business, I pray you'd bankrupt it in Jesus' name. Though it had been right there in that ugly old faded brick building for over 25 years, when I passed by that spot a couple of weeks later, I was completely shocked. It was bankrupt. Out of business and for rent hung in the windows. What am I trying to say? Am I saying that my prayers are more powerful than most? Am I saying that if you really want something accomplished, you should ask me to pray for you? No.

4:58 I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought to pray about it. I just added my prayer to others who were also praying for that. Prayer is powerful. Prayer works. All Christians are children of the King. The King spoke the world into existence. His words have great power. Since Christians are His kids, we have power too. And our words have power too. Remember, what you bind on earth is bound in heaven. What you loose on earth is loosed in heaven or in the heavenly realms. God wants to do more in your life all around you. He's anxiously waiting for you to approach Him and ask for it in prayer. He's ready to drop whatever He's doing and listen to your requests. For those of you who have difficulty with that idea, let me offer a simple story to illustrate that relationship.

5:42 I was president of my company for 28 years. I was very busy and had important meetings and planning sessions all the time with different department heads and customers. But if one of my boys called, I was to be interrupted. Always. No matter how busy I was, I had time for my boys. They were more important than anything or anyone or any business deal. They were why I worked. They gave my life purpose and meaning and joy and they knew it. You need to realize the same thing about your heavenly Father. He's ready to drop everything He's doing just to hear from you, just for you to talk to Him often.

6:23 Lord thank you for adopting me into your family through Jesus. To remind me you want a closer and closer relationship with me that you think of me as your own natural born son, just like Jesus. In Jesus name. So in light of today's thoughts, let me suggest part of your personal battle plan might be to consider the following two discussion thoughts. Number one, in the Old Testament, idols were connected to demons. Name some things we idolize in the modern world like money, power, sex, positions, etc. And number two, discuss ways to pray that will help overcome these modern idols. And let me remind you to keep praying because prayer works.

7:05 God loves you and I love you. Have a great day.