The Book Of John Mulinde
How Satan Stops Our Prayers
The
Book Of John Mulinde, Obsteig
(Austria) Nov. 2000
Introduction
I would like to share with you part of a
testimony of a saved person who once served the Devil. When I heard him
give his testimony, it so challenged me that I did not want to believe
it. I had to fast before the Lord for ten days, asking Him, "Lord,
is this true?" It was at that time the Lord began to teach me the
things that take place in the spiritual realm when we pray.
Dedicated To Satan
This man was born after his parents had
dedicated themselves to Lucifer. When he was still in the womb, they
performed many rituals to dedicate him to the service of Lucifer. When he
was four years old, he began to exercise his spiritual power, and his parents
began to fear him. When he was six years old, his father brought him to
some witches for them to train him. And by the time he was ten years old,
he was doing tremendous exploits for the kingdom of the Devil. He was
feared by the common witches.
He was
still a young boy, but he was so terrible in the things he did. He grew
to be a young man in his twenties with a lot of blood on his hands. He
killed at will. He had the ability to leave his body through
transcendental meditation. And he could levitate; at times his body would
rise off the ground and hang in midair. Sometimes, he would go into a
trance and leave his body; his body would remain behind, while he went out into
the world, by a practice called “astro-travelling” (astral-travelling). He was
used by Satan to destroy or divide many churches, and to ruin many
pastors.
Wicked Assignment
One
day, he was assigned to destroy a
church that was full of prayer. There had been much division in this church, and
much confusion. He began to work against it, but at that time, the pastor
called a fast for the whole church. As the church began to fast, there
was much repentance and a lot of reconciliation. The people came together
and began to pray for the Lord to work in their midst. They continued
interceding and crying out to God to have mercy on them and to intervene in
their lives. As the days went by, the man came again and again against
the church with demon spirits. But, a word of prophecy came forth telling
the Christians to rise up and wage warfare against the powers of darkness that
were attacking the church.
Arrested By The Angels
So, one day, the man left his body in his
room to go on astral-travelling. He led a powerful force of demonic spirits
against the church. Now, this is his testimony: His spirit moved
through the air over the church and tried to attack it, but there was a
covering of light over the church. Suddenly, an army of angels attacked them
and fought against them in the air. All the demons fled, but he was arrested by
the angels.
Yes,
arrested by the angels! He found himself being held by about six angels. They
brought him through the roof right before the church altar. He just
appeared there as the people were praying. They were deep in prayer,
engaged in spiritual warfare, binding and breaking and casting out. The
pastor was on the platform leading the prayers and the warfare. The
Spirit of the Lord spoke to the pastor, "The
yoke has been broken, and the victim is there before you. Help him
through deliverance." As the pastor opened his eyes, he saw the
young man lying there. His body was with him; he was in his body.
The young man said that he doesn't know how his body joined him; he had left it
back in his house. But, there he was in his body. He didn't know how he
had entered it; all he knew was that the angel had carried him through the
roof.
Now these things are difficult to believe.
The pastor silenced the church and told them what the Lord had spoken to him,
and then asked the young man, "Who are you?" The young man was
trembling as the demons began coming out of him. So they prayed for his
deliverance; and afterwards, he began to share his story. The young man
has now come to the Lord, and is an evangelist preaching the gospel. He
is being used by the Lord mightily in setting other people free through
deliverance.
One night, I (John Mulinde) went to a dinner. The only reason I went was that someone had told me about this young man and I was very curious to see him and to find out if his story was true. So I attended the dinner, and in the evening, he was given the chance to give his testimony. He spoke about so many things. At times he cried because of the things he had done. As he finished, he made an appeal.
Teach
People How To Pray
There were many pastors in the room. He
said, "I appeal to you, pastors. Please teach the people how to
pray." The people who don't pray can be taken in anything, in anything
by the Devil, and there are ways that the enemy can exploit their lives and
their prayers. The enemy knows even how to exploit the prayers of those
who don't know how to pray. "Teach the people how to use the
spiritual armour that God provides."
Then, he shared how he led expeditions
through the air. He would go with other satanic agents and many demon
spirits. It was as if they were working a shift, in the same way that
you've got to go and work your shift. He had a regular time, during which
he was required to go and wage war in the heavenlies. He said that in the
heavenlies, in the spiritual realm, if the land is covered by a blanket of
darkness, the blanket is so dense it is like solid rock. And it covers
the whole area. The spirits are able to go on top of and below the blanket,
and from there influence the events on earth.
Evil Sacrifices
When the evil spirits and human satanic
agents finish their shifts, they go down to earth at the points of covenant, on
water or on land, to refresh their spirits. How do they refresh their
spirits? By the sacrifices that people give at these altars. They could
be sacrifices in open witchcraft, sacrifices in bloodshed of all types,
including abortion, warfare, and human and animal sacrifices. They could
be sacrifices of sexual immorality, in which people practice sexual perversions
and all kinds of promiscuity. Such acts strengthen these powers.
There are many different types of sacrifices.
Three Forms Of Prayer
He said that when satanic agents are up in
the heavenly realm, and Christians begin to pray on earth, the Christians’
prayers appear to them in three forms. All 
prayers
appear like smoke that is rising toward heaven.
1.
Some prayers
appear like smoke that drifts along and vanishes in the air. These
prayers come from people who have sin in their lives that they are not willing
to deal with. Their prayers are very weak; they are blown away and disappear in
the air.
2.
Another
type of prayer is also like smoke. It rises upward, until it reaches the rock;
it cannot break through the rock. These prayers usually come from people
who try to purify themselves, but who lack faith as they pray. They usually
ignore the other important aspects that are needed when someone prays.
3.
The third type of
prayer is like smoke that is filled with fire. As it rises upward, it is so hot
that when it reaches the rock, the rock begins to melt like wax. It pierces the
rock and goes through.
Many
times, as people begin to pray, their prayers look like the first type. But, as
they continue praying, their prayers change and become like the second type of
prayer. And as they continue praying, suddenly their prayers ignite into
flames. Their prayers become so powerful that they pierce through the
rock.
The Causes Of Distractions
Many times, evil agents would notice that prayers were changing and coming very close to becoming fire. These agents would then communicate with other spirits on earth and tell them, "Distract that person from prayer. Stop them from praying. Pull them out."
Many times Christians yield to these distractions. They are pressing through, repenting and allowing the Word to check their spirit. Their faith is growing. Their prayers are becoming more focused. Then, the Devil notices that their prayers are gaining strength, and the distractions begin. Telephones ring. Sometimes, in the middle of very, very intense prayer, the telephone rings and you think you can go answer it and then come back and continue praying. However, when you return, you go back to the beginning. And that's what the Devil wants.
Other
kinds of distractions come your way. They may touch your body, bringing pain
somewhere. They may make you hungry, causing you to want to go to the
kitchen to prepare something to eat. As long as they can get you out of
that place, they have defeated you. He said to the pastors, "Teach
the people to set aside some time, not just for some casual praying, they can
do that the rest of the day. Once a day, they should have a time when
they are focusing wholeheartedly on God, without any distractions.
Pillar Of Fire
If the people persist in this kind of prayer
and allow themselves to be inspired in the spirit and to keep going, something
happens in the spirit. The fire touches that rock, and it melts. The
man said that when the melting begins, it is so hot that no demon spirit can
stand it. No human spirit can stand it. They all flee. They
all run away.
There
comes an opening in the spiritual realm. As soon as it appears, all this
trouble in prayer stops. The person who is praying on the ground feels
like their prayer has suddenly become so smooth, so enjoyable, so powerful and
intense. I've discovered that at that moment, we normally lose all
awareness of time and other things. Not that we become disorderly; God
takes care of our time. But, it is as if you lay down everything, and
hook up with God. The man said that when the prayers break through, from
that moment on, there is no resistance at all, and the person praying can continue
as long as he wants. There is no resistance to stop him.
Then, he said that after the person finishes
praying, the hole remains open. He said that when people rise from their place
of prayer, and move on, the open hole moves along with them. They are no longer
operating under the blanket. They are operating under an open
heaven. He said that in that state, the Devil cannot do what he wants
against them. The presence of the Lord is like a pillar from heaven
resting on their lives. They are protected, and there is so much power
inside the pillar that as they move around, the presence touches other people
as well. It discerns what the enemy has done in other people. And
as they talk to people who are standing with them, they too come inside the pillar.
As long as they stay inside the pillar, all the bondages placed on them by the
enemy weaken.
Follow Up
Is Necessary
So, when people, who have experienced this
spiritual breakthrough, share Jesus Christ with sinners, the sinners’
resistance is low. It is very easy to bring them through to
salvation. When they pray for the sick or pray about other things, the
presence that is with them makes all the difference. The man said that
the Devil hates such people. He said that in places where prayer regularly
breaks through in this way, the presence comes upon that place and does not
leave. When people who don't know God enter such a place, all their
bondages even suddenly weaken.
Monitoring Spirits
If someone is willing to minister to them
with patience and love, they could easily be pulled through to salvation, not
by power nor by might but by the Spirit of God, Who is present. But, he
said that if no one bothers to reach out to them, they merely come into His
presence, feel convicted, and begin to debate whether or not to yield. If they
are not pulled through to salvation, when they walk away from that place, their
bondages become stronger. And the Devil tries his best to prevent them
from entering such an environment again.
As you can imagine, we all sat staring at the
man as he told us the things he used to do and see. Then, he told us what
they would do to those who broke through in prayer. He said that they
marked such people and studied them. They would dig up everything they
could find about them, so they knew their weaknesses. When someone overcame
them in prayer and broke through, they would communicate with other spirits
saying, "Target him with this and this and this. They are his
weaknesses." So, when the person walks out of his prayer closet, the
spirit of prayer is upon him, the presence is with him, his spirit is high, and
the joy of the Lord is his strength. However, as he goes the enemy tries
to bring things that can distract him from focusing on the Lord.
If
his weakness is in the area of his temper, the enemy will cause people to do
things to make him angry. If he is not sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and
he allows himself to lose his temper, he takes his eyes off the Lord. He
gets angry; he feels furious. Then, after a few minutes, he wants to put it
behind him and move forward in the joy of the Lord. However, he doesn't feel
joyful anymore. He tries to feel good again, but can’t. Why? While
he was yielding to the temptation, they were working hard to close the opening above
him. Once they have restored the rock, the presence is cut off. The
person does not cease being a child of God. But, the extra anointing on
his life, the presence that worked apart from his own effort, is cut off.
They (the demons) seek to know his areas of weakness.
If his weakness is temptation to commit
sexual immorality, the enemy will prepare people or events, something to
suddenly arouse his passion to move towards the temptation. And if the
man yields to the temptation and opens his mind to receive and entertain its
thoughts, when he is through and wants to again move in the anointing, he
discovers it is no longer there. You might say, "That's not fair!"
Just remember what the Bible says, "Put on the helmet of
salvation. Put on the breastplate of righteousness." We normally
do not understand the part these weapons play in warfare. But remember
what Jesus told us to pray towards the end of the Lord's Prayer, "Lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Often Request For God’s Guidnace
And Protection
Every time after you have a breakthrough in
prayer, remember you are still a weak human being. Remember you have not yet
been made perfect. Say to the Lord, "Lord, I've enjoyed this time
of prayer, but as I walk out into the world, do not allow me to fall into
temptation. Don't allow me to walk into Devil's trap. I know the enemy is
setting a trap out there. I don't know what form it is going to take, and
I know I am still weak in certain areas. Given the right circumstances, I
may yield to temptation. Protect me, Lord. When you see me turning
the corner where the trap has been set, cause me to turn the other way.
Intervene, O Lord. Don't let me move in only my own strength and
ability. Deliver me from the evil one. And let your Angels guide and
protect me."
God is able to do it. He is able. That is why things happen sometimes. All you need to say is, "Thank you, Jesus." That is why the Apostle Paul wrote in the book of First Thessalonians, "Thank God in everything, for that is the will of God in Christ for you." (1 Thes 5:18) Some things are not good. They are painful, and we wonder why God allows them. But, if we only knew that He is saving us from, we would thank Him. When we have learned to trust the Lord, we thank Him in everything.
Why Answers To Prayer Are Delayed
Beloved, I don't know if I should go deeper, because I do not want to start something I cannot finish. But, let me just try to go one step further. The man said that when prayer breaks through like that, the answer will always come. He said he did not know of a single case in which prayer broke through and the answer did not come. He said that the answer always came, but that in most cases, it never reached the person who asked for it. Why? The battle in the heavenlies. He said that after they succeeded in cutting off the open heaven and restoring the rock, they would watch the person and wait because they knew the answer would definitely come.
Then, the man said something that really shook my faith. It was because of what he shared next that I fasted for ten days asking, “Lord, is this true? Can You prove it to me?” The man said that every Christian has an angel who serves them. Now, we know the Bible says that angels are ministering spirits who minister to us. He said that when people pray, the answer comes in the hands of their angels. The angel brings the answer, just like we read in the book of Daniel. Then, he said something that was difficult to receive: If the one who prays knows of the spiritual armour and is clothed with it, the answer comes by an angel who is also clothed in full armour.
However, if the one who prays doesn't care about being clothed in spiritual armour, their angel comes to them without spiritual armour. When Christians are careless about the kinds of thoughts that enter their minds and do not fight the battle for their minds, their angels come to them without helmets. Whatever spiritual weapon you ignore on earth, your angel does not have it when he serves you. In other words, our spiritual armour is not protecting our physical bodies; it is protecting our spiritual exploits.
The man
said that as the angel was coming, they would watch him to find the areas that
were uncovered, and then attack those areas. If he didn’t have a helmet,
they would shoot at his head. If he didn’t have a breastplate, they would
shoot at his chest. If he didn’t have shoes, they would make a fire,
causing him to have to walk through fire. Now, I am just repeating what
the man said. Actually, we asked him, "Can angels feel fire?"
You know what his reply was? Remember this is the spiritual realm. They
are spirits dealing with spirits. The battle is intense. When they
overpower an angel of God, the first thing they go after is the answer he is
carrying, and they get it from him. They, then, give it to people who are
involved in cults or witchcraft, so people might say, "I got this because
of witchcraft."
Remember what the Bible says in the book of James? All good things come from God. So where does the Devil get the things he gives to his people? Some people who cannot have children go to witch doctors and satanists and become pregnant! Who gave them the babies? Is Satan a creator? No! He steals from those who don't pray through to the end. Jesus said, "Pray without ceasing."(1 Thess 5:17) And then, He said, "But, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith?" (Luke 18:8) Will He find you still waiting? Or, will you have given up, and the enemy stolen what you prayed for?
Then, the man said that they were not
satisfied with just stealing the answer. They were also interested in
detaining the angel. They would start fighting against him. And he
said that, sometimes, they would succeed in holding and binding the
angel. He said that when that happens, the Christian on earth becomes a
victim as well. They can do anything to that Christian because he is left
totally without ministry in the spiritual realm.
The Source Of False
Prophecies And Fake Visions
I asked him, "Do you mean that an
angel can be held captive by demonic forces?" The man did not know the
Scriptures at the time he was saying all this. He did not know very many
verses. He was just sharing his experience. He said that they could
not hold the angel very long, because as other Christians prayed elsewhere, reinforcements
would come and the angels would go free. However, if the Christian
responsible did not pray through, he remained a captive. Then, the enemy
would send his own angel to them as an angel of light. That is how deception
comes—false visions and false prophecies, false leading or guidance in the
spirit, and the making of all kinds wrong decisions. And many times this
person is open to all kinds of attacks and bondages.
And I asked the Lord. I left that
dinner extremely troubled. I said, "Lord, I don't want to even
try to believe this." It takes away all of my confidence, my
security. During the ten days that I sought the Lord, the Lord did two
things: He not only confirmed the things I had heard, He also opened my
mind to understand a lot more of what happens in the spiritual realm that the
man could not tell us. And two, He led me to see what we are supposed to
do as the things are happening so that we are not defeated, but can
overcome.
The Need For Spiritual Science
We need to know and really come to terms with
three things.
1.
First: How to use
the weapons of our warfare. The Bible calls them the armour of God.
It is not our armour; it is God's armour. When we use it, we allow God to
fight on our behalf.
2.
Second:
Understand the relationship between ministering spirits – angels - and our
spiritual lives, and be sensitive to what is happening in our hearts as a
leading regarding what needs to be done in the spiritual realm on our
behalf.
3.
That brings us to
the third thing: The Holy Spirit.
We should not regard the Holy Spirit as our
servant, who is serving us and bringing us things. He does not run back
and forth between us and the Father to tell Him what we need. That is the
angels’ job. He stands by our side. Doing what? Guiding us,
teaching us, leading us, helping us to pray in the right way. And when
these things are happening in the spiritual realm, He lets us know. Sometimes
He wakes you up in the middle of the night and says, "Pray."
But you say, "No! My time has not yet come." And He says,
"Pray now!" Why? He sees what is happening in the spiritual
realm. Sometimes He says, "Fast tomorrow!" But you say,
"Oh, no; I'll start on Second Day!"
But, He understands what is happening in the
spiritual realm. We should learn to be sensitive to the Holy
Spirit. He guides us in paths of righteousness. Beloved, we've got
to stop here. Maybe tomorrow morning we will talk about how we can pray through
- knowing the battles in the spiritual realm and how we can break
through. And how we can maintain our breakthrough once we have achieved
it. Once we learn this, it becomes enjoyable. Then, we will learn one
thing: The battle is not ours; the battle is the Lord’s! Hallelujah!
Let's
stand up. Look someone in the eye, and think about how many times that
person may have missed what God had for him. Join your hands, if you can,
with two or three people, and tell each other that there's no need for any more
defeat! We can overcome! There is enough power to overcome! Jesus has already
finished the work." Pray for each other that the Lord will help us to
overcome. We should not lose hope. There is enough grace, enough
power, for victory.
Thank you, Jesus.