Lesson 04 — Second Encounter: The Mountain of Sin

The Killer and the King…
Two Supernatural Forces at Work Along the Journey of Power

Timeless Insights
“If we could take account of our losses in spiritual things as we can in our financial, we would be startled at what losses we are suffering—traceable to a lack of prayer.” — Henrietta Mears

Force One:
The _____________ of prayer,

_________________ the killer

Force Two:
The _______________ of prayer,

___________________ the King

Continuing Forces on the Journey of Power…

Satan the Killer – ___________________

Scripture:
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” — Revelation 12:10 (NIV)

Christ the King – ________________________

Scripture:
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. — Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)

Force One
The _____________ of Prayer

Satan: The Killer-Accuser
Confronting ____________ and conquering ______.

Scripture:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” — John 10:10a (NKJV)

Satan and Prayer: Three Realities

Timeless Insights
“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” — Samuel Chadwick

A. Satan’s __________

Scripture:
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. — Ephesians 6:11-12 (NLT)

B. Satan’s _________________

Scripture:
Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. — Daniel 10:12-13 (NLT)

C. Satan’s ______________________

Scripture:
Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely”… She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” — Judges 16:4-6, 16-17 (NLT)

Timeless Insights
“To confess your sins to God is not to tell Him anything He doesn’t know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the bridge.” — Frederick Buechner

Force Two
The ___________________ of Prayer

Christ: The King-Intercessor
________________ Christ and ________________ Satan

Scripture:
…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. — John 10:10b (NKJV)

Timeless Insights
“Since Jesus ever lives to intercede, any time you pray—day or night—Jesus is already interceding. Every time you go to prayer you can be Jesus’ prayer partner.” — Wesley Duewel

Definitions: “Enable/Enabler”
Enable: “To ________________ with the means or opportunity to achieve a goal; to make _______________, practical or easy.”

Enabler: “One who enables another to achieve or _____________________ a task.”

Definition: “Constrain”
“To _______________ the motion of; to use force to hold __________ the efforts of someone or something; to restrain movement or activity.”

Jesus the Enabler…

Scripture:
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. — John 14:12-14 (NIV)

Timeless Insights
“Jesus didn’t pray about things, He brought things about, by prayer.” — Armin Gesswein

Jesus and Prayer: Three Realities

A. Jesus _____________ prayer.

Scripture:
…Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. — Luke 5:16 (NIV)

B. Jesus __________________ prayer.

Scripture:
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he
finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” — Luke 11:1 (NIV)

C. Jesus ________________ prayer.

Scripture:
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.—  Romans 8:34 (NIV)

Timeless Insights
“Jesus is the supreme model of a person devoted to prayer. He was constantly in an attitude of prayer, and never more urgently than in the face of suffering.” — Billy Graham

Ponder Points:
Discuss (or ponder) why sin is so deadly to the effectiveness of the prayer life of the believer. Why should the believer who does commit a sin realize that he or she still has a right to come before the Lord in prayer?  

Prayer Points:
Ask the Lord to give you more authority in prayer to constrain the activity of Satan, both in your life and in the lives of others you know. Include your pastor and others in authority as you pray.