In the story of Jacob wrestling with God we see the belief in Word magic in play. Jacob wants to discover and then use the name of his assailant as there was a belief that uttering a name could enforce a deity to do your will. He had already stepped into occult practice before this incident. Actually he had also already prevailed with the God of all compassion before asking Him to reveal His Name, simply  by being a weak, sinful, unable-to-change-himself human being, like you and me. Our weakness attracts divine compassion much more than our strengths.

In the bible what Jacob sought to do  is part of misusing the Name of the Lord and breaking the 3rd commandment;  attaching His name to an utterance or action that is our own. This indeed is one of the ways the Lord’s Name is used in Satanism.

Can’t help but think I have often encountered this occult misuse of the Name of Jesus in the Church. “In Jesus Name” is not a formula to force Jesus to do what we want. I guess that is why often He does not honour proclamations, “name it and claim it” type approach. Many things have been declared over me that were supposed to happen “right now in the Name of Jesus” that never did happen. I admire the good intention of those doing the proclaiming. They wanted to help me, but Jesus is not subject to Word Magic on the lips of believers which mistakenly thinks of itself as  as faith and  authority. He does not have to fulfil a faulty proclamation of what He will do, He does not have to step in and save someone who is ministering from embarrassment and make them look good,  no matter the good intention behind their proclamation and declaration.

Are you praying occult prayers or making occult proclamations in the Name of  Jesus? Are you suffering through manipulative prophecy or prayer from others, perhaps now, perhaps from sometime in  the past? I have known times when I have had to ask God to set me free from the oppressive effect of the manipulative prayers of sincere believers who are praying somewhere or other for me “in the Name of Jesus.” Right now I am experiencing in my health the effects of those praying the will of Jesus for me  “in the Name of  Jesus.” It is so powerful! That phrase is not a magic formula to get our own way in our own lives or in the life of another person, or in the life of the church or congregation I may be part of.

Inadvertently (I hope), someone who prayed over you or prophesied over you using the name of Jesus at the end of their own best intentions or will for you might well have strayed into darker realms than they realise. Oh they probably didn’t mean to. Don’t make a fuss over it. Just forgive them. You don’t even need to tell them their error unless God allows you to do so in love so they can hopefully learn in humility.  They can probably see already their proclamation over you was not backed up by the Holy Spirit and know that everybody else saw that too and may hopefully be learning why that was the case and rethinking their way to a better, less fanciful understanding of God’s Word. Pray to be covered by the blood, the Name and the Spirit of Jesus and ask  that  only His  will and  His Word will release power into your life.

God Bless

Kenny