Pastor Chris Oyakhilome DSc DSc DD And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils…(Mark 16:17). There’re people who say they don’t believe in the existence of demons, saying that devils or demons only exist in the imagination of certain people. Such folks are ignorant because the Bible tells us that Satan and demons are real. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “…your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Jesus taught about demons and how they operate, and He cast out demons on several occasions. In fact, the very first sign He said would follow those who believe in Him is what we read in our opening scripture: the ability to cast out demons. Once, He was teaching in the synagogue and the Bible tells us that a certain woman who was bent double and couldn’t straighten up herself came into the synagogue. The Bible says, “And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity” (Luke 13:12). In the 11th and 16th verses, it’s clearly stated that the woman’s condition was caused by the devil, and Jesus proved it when He touched her and commanded her to straighten up, and she was restored instantly. There were also instances where He commanded deaf spirits to come out of people who were deaf and dumb, and they instantly began to hear and speak. Many of us have done the same thing over the years in His Name. We’ve cast out deaf and dumb spirits, and instantly, the people who were afflicted started to hear and to speak. We did exactly what Jesus said to do and what He did. Glory to God! He told us to cast out demons because they are real and are responsible for many of the troubles and infirmities that people suffer with and that we see around us. So, don’t be deceived by Satan’s incognito; if he can get you to believe he doesn’t exist, then he can mess up your life and mess up things around you. The Bible says we’re not ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). Ephesians 4:27 tells us to give him no place, no foothold. Satan and his demons may be real, but they’re powerless, defenceless and paralyzed before us. Whenever they show up, cast them out; truncate their activities, manoeuvres and manipulations. You have absolute dominion over them; exercise it. Moment of Worship: https://loveworldlyrics.com/timeless-by-sylvia-and-loveworld-singers-praise-night-20/ PRAYERDear Father, thank you for the authority I have in the Name of Jesus to cast out demons and to destroy their works and schemes. Thank you for the victory and dominion I have over all the power of the enemy. I walk in this authority today and always, in Jesus’ Name. Amen. FURTHER STUDY:|| Luke 10:17-19And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. || || Luke 13:10-13 NKJVNow He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise [herself] up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called [her] to [Him] and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid [His] hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. || || Mark 3:14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, || My sufficiency is of God! The ability of God is working in and through me; that’s the reason I am invincible, ever prosperous, fruitful and productive. Christ dwells in me, and I in Him. I’m inseparably one with Him, a member of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. I’m the vessel through which He manifests His glory and reveals His multifaceted wisdom without limits. My sufficiency is of Him and through Him, I can do all things. I walk in the consciousness of this divine reality today and always. I am the effulgence of God’s glory. The glory of God infuses my being, keeping me strong and well every day. The joy of the Lord is my strength. I have all the things that pertain to life and godliness. All I know and experience is divine health, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. I’m what God says I am, and my life is a testimony of God’s grace and infinite blessings; therefore, I affirm that I live in divine health, prosperity, abundant joy, and indescribable peace. The Lord is my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. In Him, I have divine life – an everlasting life filled with divine health, and soundness of mind and body. My life is filled with the goodness and mercy of God. I refuse to be brought down by sickness. The Name of Jesus has been named upon me, and daily, I enjoy the impact of God’s divine presence in my life! I declare that my physical body is vitalized by the power of God’s Spirit, and it is shielded and protected from all evil. I belong in God’s class of divine beings; therefore, I look beyond the natural realm of existence to my heavenly rights, blessings, and provisions in Christ Jesus! I have escaped the corruption that is in this world. I have received eternal life – that very life and very existential attribute of deity. This is all I require to live above any form of sickness and infirmity of the body or mind. I walk in wisdom and discernment, always
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome DSc DSc DD And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it (John 14:13-14). Notice carefully that the Lord Jesus didn’t say, “Whatsoever you shall ask me in my name, that will I do. Rather, He said, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name there’s a crucial difference here. You can’t ask Jesus something in the Name of Jesus. Often, people pray without thinking about their words. Many pray to the Lord Jesus and end the prayer with in the Name of Jesus. This is not correct. This is a prayer without understanding, and some pray this way without seeing results because they approach prayer with a religious mindset, not with the understanding of what Jesus taught. When Jesus said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name”, He meant that whenever you make a demand or declare something in His Name, He will make it happen. It’s about exercising the authority that His Name represents. In Acts 3, we see a practical demonstration of this by Peter and John when they encountered a beggar who had been lame from birth. In verse 6, Peter said to him, …Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. Peter didn’t pray to Jesus. He spoke to the man in the authority of the Name of Jesus. Peter then took the man by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately, the man’s feet and ankle bones received strength. He jumped up, stood, and began walking, leaping, and praising God. Hallelujah! Afterwards, Peter explained and said to the people: And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all (Acts 3:16). Peter and John were demonstrating exactly what Jesus taught in John 14:13-14. They used the authority of Jesus’ Name to perform miracles, signs, and wonders.When you speak in His Name, Heaven responds; miracles happen. His Name carries the same power and authority of His person. So, when you use it, you invoke His presence and direct His glory to the situation you’re dealing with. PRAYER Dear Father, I thank you for the power of attorney to use the Name of Jesus to effect changes. I exercise that authority to establish your will in the earth and in the lives of men. I pray today, that people everywhere will experience the goodness of God, for indeed the whole earth is filled with your goodness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen. FURTHER STUDY: Acts 3:12-16 And when Peter saw [it], he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? 13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let [him] go. 14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. 16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; 11 And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Mark 16:17-18 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. DAILY AFFIRMATION I’m more than a conqueror! I have been translated from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light. Diseases and infirmities are not a part of my life in the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. I recognize the efficacy of God’s Word that works in me today. I have and enjoy perfect health, victory, success, and prosperity now and always. My body and everything connected to me align with God’s provisions. Christ’s glory manifests in my body as I flourish in divine health daily. I believe God’s Word for me. I speak it because it is my life. The glory and blessings therein are evident in my life. I speak the same things God has said concerning me. I proclaim wellness, wholeness, and life to my body today. Everything connected to me is infused with eternal life and divine energy. Everything about me exudes the life of Christ; therefore, my health does not fail, rather, it is ever radiant and ever flourishing. There is no failure in my body systems; no heart failure, no kidney failure, no lung failure, no liver failure. All the organs and systems of my body, my heart, kidneys, lungs, brain, liver, skin, blood vessels and all others are functioning perfectly. There is perfect soundness in my body. I am an associate of the God-kind, recreated into the image and likeness of the Son of God! I function from the place of advantage, victory, dominion and power. I am guided and propelled by God’s divine wisdom to do
