Whenever I lead a prayer workshop, I begin by telling the story of how we battled Satan for my son. I’ve blogged about it before, but to recap:
Seven years ago, our family relocated to a new city. Shortly after settling our children into their new rooms, we were pregnant again. With excitement, we moved our son, Jonah, out of the nursery and into a spare bedroom. Not long after, he began to wake in the middle of the night crying. Assuming it was a toddler phase, we re-implemented our sleep-training strategies. Nothing worked, and instead, his night anxiety only grew worse. I sensed something was not right because of his unique and terrifying cry. After much prayer, I believed there was something evil in my son’s room. I kept telling my husband, “I can’t describe it, but there is something sinister going on in there.”
Over the next several weeks Jonah’s situation worsened. Without knowing any details, some men at our church began asking Jason some questions and spoke truth into his life. They told him that Satan wanted our son and encouraged us to anoint his room.
Finally accepting something spiritual was happening, my husband poured some olive oil into a bowl and anointed Jonah’s room. We prayed specific scriptures and told Satan he had to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. We proclaimed His blood over each entrance of the room. Instantly, we felt something exit! And, praise the Lord, Jonah’s sleep troubles have stayed at bay ever sense. 1 Peter 5:8 became real when we saw, first hand, our enemy prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
A few months later we received an occult/witchcraft magazine in the mail addressed to a previous owner. To us, that confirmed our suspicions that we were engaging in spiritual warfare. We had no idea the events that might have taken place in our house long before our move. What demons might have the previous owners escorted in?
Have you ever considered anointing your home?
Since the experience with our son, Jason and I have never hesitated to encourage others to anoint their homes. Satan has no new tricks, and so while the details of others’ stories might be different, the battle is the same. Each time we have taken this journey with friends, we experience the victory that comes when we proclaim the blood of Jesus over ourselves and our property.
God always wins!
In Luke 10:19, Jesus gives us the authority to overcome all the powers of the enemy. He is careful, however, to clarify in verse 20 that we are never to believe this power comes from us. It comes only from the One who saves us.
Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, powers of this dark work, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Pause for a minute and think about that list. It identifies a lot of evil that we need to be actively engaging in battle. Before this, the Devil felt elusive and distance, even though I considered him the source of evil. The sobering reality is that spiritual warfare is all around us and we must remain on active duty.
If you aren’t waging war against the Enemy, he is winning in your life.
So, nine months ago, when God called our family to move across state lines and help launch a satellite campus for our church, we knew we wanted to anoint our new home immediately. Many people move into a new place, get everything settled, and then invite their friends over for a house-warming party. We chose a different approach. Three days after moving in, we asked our friends to come over. However, we weren’t hosting a house-warming party, or even an unpacking party, we were gathering believers in Christ to help us battle the Evil One.
The previous owners were going through a divorce, and we were unaware of what else might have taken place on our property under their care. Anointing every room in the house was a priority over unpacking. The Bible says that Satan has an army (Revelation 20:9), but he isn’t the only one! The church makes up an army of believers to join with the armies of heaven to do God’s will. As Satan sends out his soldiers to kill, steal, and destroy, we send out our prayer warriors to help us overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony (John 10:10 & Revelation 12:11).
So amidst all the boxes and misplaced furniture, we shared our story of spiritual warfare with our friends. Then we released each family to walk around our house, praying as they felt led. We equipped them with cups of oil and some printed Bible verses. After about forty-five minutes, we congregated at the front door to anoint it together.
Our homes are important, and they need protection. They are where we live, love, and grow in our relationship with the Lord and our family. Most of us lock our doors, and many utilize security systems, but we aren’t always as diligent about spiritually protecting our homes. The need to do so is just, if not more, important. For ourselves, those we love, and for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
If you haven’t yet anointed your house, I encourage you to do so. If you need help, below this post you can print off instructions and Bible verses. 1 John 5:19 says that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one, but James 4:7 gives us hope by assuring us that when we resist the Devil, he will flee from us. Never forget that the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world (1 John 4:4).
What are your thoughts on anointing your home?
darby dugger
For Scripture cards you can print off and pray, click here.
For instructions on home anointing, click here.
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