STRATEGIC AND ESSENTIAL FOR INTERCESSORS: DEALING WITH ANGER – Barbara Potts

A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 70 percent of Americans are angry because they think our  political system is not working for them.  I must confess that I find it difficult to hear or read some media reports without anger rising within me. We are in turbulent times. Anger and anger-induced violence are rampant across our nation. There were 32 mass killings by firearms in the United States in 2019. Indeed a spirit of anger has been released over America, creating a volatile atmosphere.  Biblically, God’s anger is against sin, but motivated by love. For His desire is to protect His seed. However, unredeemed human anger opens up a portal of agreement with the enemy. We must not allow anger to rise up in us, because, in anger we are giving place to the devil. (see Ephesians 4:26-27) As Believers in Christ, we have all authority over the enemy (Luke 10:19), but we can’t cast out what we are in agreement with. And so we find that the enemy uses our unredeemed anger against us by using our authority to advance his agenda. Consider this PICTURE70 percent of Americans are angry – that means that the devil has legal access to do his work through those open portals… and so violence has become a national crisis.

What is the answer?

As we carry the Spirit of Christ, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6), our presence subdues anger. We must not react from our emotions, but respond from compassion and love. Indeed, “a soft answer turns away wrath.” (Proverbs 15:1) As we walk in forgiveness and love, and we speak/release SHALOM wherever we go, LOVE will displace and dis-empower anger and all of its children, including fear, guilt, and rejection.  You remember when Jesus was in the boat with the disciples on the Sea of Galilee during the storm? He did not come in to agreement with their fear – so he could speak with authority to the storm.

Beloved, the enemy is using our anger against us – even our anger against evil…. we MUST get this…. and come in the opposite spirit.  Let’s agree that we will NOT give any place to the devil or come into agreement with him through our thoughts and emotional responses.  Let us instead have these PRAYERFUL responses:

  • Repent for any and all anger you have held against any situation or any person/people. Ask the Lord to help you to respond in LOVE and compassion that will dis-empower anger when you feel anger rise up in you.  DO NOT LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON YOUR ANGER. (Ephesians 4:26)
  • Ask the Lord to release His SHALOM over the nation, over hearts fraught with fear, anger, and retribution; and minds captivated by hatred, suspicion and wounds of the past.
  • Ask the Lord to release His SHALOM that subdues chaos, and brings a spirit of UNITY over houses of government where legislation is being mapped out amidst political dissension.  
  • Ask the Spirit of Christ (love and compassion) to rise up within you, and do not come into agreement with anger, fear or condemnation. Instead, rise up in faith and trust in God to fight the battles against evil. (Isaiah 59:17-18) He loves to execute righteousness and justice in the earth! (Psalm 103:6)

Shalom Over Chaos – Karen Austin

As I was reading Psalm 34 the other day, something in the commentary of The Passion Translation stood out to me. The scripture reference was Psalm 34:12-14 “Do you want to live a long, good life, enjoying the beauty that fills each day? Then never speak a lie or allow wicked words
to come from your mouth. Keep turning your back on every sin, and make “peace” your life motto. Practice being at peace with everyone.”
As you remember, I shared about peace last week. I keep being lead back to this topic and feel it is a vital concerning what this nation and others are facing with the coronavirus.

Here is what was stated in the notes: “Twice the Hebrew uses the word shalom. This word means much more than peace. It means wholeness, wellness, well-being, safe, happy, friendly, favor, completeness, to make peace, peace offering, secure, to prosper, to be victorious, to be content, tranquil, quiet, and restful. The pictographic symbols for the word shalom (shin, lamed, vav, mem) read “Destroy the authority that binds to chaos.” The noun shalom is derived from the verbal root shalam, which means “to restore,” in the sense of replacing or providing what is needed in order to make someone or something whole and complete. So shalom is used to describe those of us who have been provided all that is needed to be whole and complete and break off all authority that would attempt to bind us to chaos.”

Did you get that? “The pictographic symbols for the word shalom reads “Destroy the authority that binds to chaos”! Is chaos not what we are seeing take place? Chaos means complete disorder or confusion. A few synonyms for chaos are disorder, pandemonium, hell, confusion. Can you see what the plans of the enemy are in the situation we are currently experiencing? Some words that describe the opposite of chaos are order, tranquility, calm, clarity.

We have been given spiritual authority to break off the power of the enemy that is attempting to bind this nation to fear and afflict sickness and death upon the people. We must not come into agreement with fear and chaos! Remember it is stated in Genesis that Holy Spirit was hovering over the chaos [Genesis 1]. He is still hovering waiting for the Sons of God to arise and take their place and use their authority. There are angels ready to be dispatched on our behalf. But we must do our part.

First, we must be submitted to God. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. We must humble ourselves and repent of anything that doesn’t look like Him or act like Him. Get real with Him and allow Him to reveal any darkness in us. Then deal with any issues He may show you. Then we are to partner with Heaven, using the authority He has given us to bind and loose.

It’s time my friends to arise and shine. These are the days that we have been created for. I have heard other prophets say this is the beginning of “birth pains” that Jesus talked about [Matthew 24]. This is our call Bride of Christ. What will be our response? What will be your response?