Praying to possess our gates.
The gates are symbolic of the entrance and exit points of a city or kingdom. In the Bible, the gates represent access points to spiritual realms and territories. Possessing the gates means taking control of these access points and using them for God’s purposes. It is a call to occupy the spiritual territory that God has assigned to us and to take authority over the enemy’s territory.
We must pray with boldness and confidence, knowing that we are backed by Heaven’s decree. In the book of Matthew, we read that Jesus gave his disciples the keys to the kingdom of heaven. These keys represent the power and authority to overcome sin and death and to possess the gates of our lives.
PRAYER POINT 1 – THE POWER OF VISION
How can you know that you are being cheated if you are clueless about what your present or future looks like? How can you forcefully reject the push of the enemy if you do not have an idea of what God’s plan and mind for you looks like? Here comes the power of vision. Without vision, what happens
Proverbs 29: 18 Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he. AMPC.
Proverbs 29: 18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. NIV
This will not be your portion in Jesus’ name. We are blessed with revelation. We are blessed with vision. We have a vision of what God has planned for us, and we are ready to fight for this, amen.
We will examine two bible encounters to illustrate possessing spiritual gates.
JOSHUA
Read Joshua 6:1-20.
The city of Jericho was tightly shut because of the Israelites, and no one could go in or out. The Lord said to Joshua, “I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.”
God then gave Joshua specific instructions on how to possess the city.
For six days, the Israelites were to march around the city once with seven priests carrying trumpets made from rams’ horns in front of the ark of the covenant. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When they heard a long blast on the trumpets, all the people were to give a loud shout, and the wall of the city would collapse, and the people could go straight in.
Joshua and the Israelites did just as God had commanded. On the seventh day, after marching around the city seven times, the priests blew the trumpets, and the Israelites gave a loud shout. As promised, the wall collapsed, and the Israelites took the city.
Pray
What gate has been shut against you such that you have been denied access? Is it progress in your office or business? Is it an immigration gate, the gate of marriage? Today, God says, “I have delivered that gate into your hands along with its kings and fighting men”
Pray and ask God our Heavenly Father to reveal the strategy to overcome every gate that is standing against your progress and that of your family. Make reference to what God did at Jericho and ask for the strategy to possess this gate.
Thank God for the instructions and directions.
Now, call that gate by name: Declare the Lord has delivered this gate (name) to me, and today I possess it.
Eg The Lord has delivered Canada, the Lord has delivered the licence, The Lord has delivered the city or nation. The Lord has delivered the school or institution etc.
Pray with authority. as you declare: I take possession in the name of Jesus.
SAMSON
Judges 16:1-3 tells the story of how Samson escaped an ambush by the Philistines by carrying away the city’s gates.
The verses read as follows:
“One day, Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. The people of Gaza were told, ‘Samson is here!’ So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, ‘At dawn we’ll kill him.’ But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.”
Samson, who was given supernatural strength by God, literally carried away the gates of Gaza, a significant defensive structure of the city. The gates, which were supposed to keep him trapped, were no obstacle for him due to his divine strength.
Let’s examine the story in more detail as we pray.
Judges 16:1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.
Samson’s decision to visit the prostitute and spend the night with her can be seen as an example of misusing or disregarding the significance of a spiritual gate. Instead of using his time and energy for a higher purpose or pursuing a righteous path, he engaged in activities that may have hindered his spiritual progress. He opened a door to the enemy.
In the context of negative spiritual gates, we can draw an interpretation from the story of Samson and the prostitute in Gaza. Negative spiritual gates can be understood as entry points or openings that lead to harmful or detrimental influences on our spiritual well-being. These can include engaging in negative behaviours, succumbing to temptation, or entering into unhealthy relationships or situations.
Pray
Father, I am sorry for every door that I have opened to the enemy through negative behaviours, succumbing to temptation, or entering unhealthy relationships or situations. I ask for forgiveness in Jesus’ name.
Today I repent of every act that has opened the door to my enemies to afflict me. Thank You, Heavenly Father.
Father, help me to be more discerning of my spiritual gates. Help me to lay hold of my gates, with purity, and a sense of purpose, in Jesus’ name, amen. Help me, Father, to be mindful of the choices I make and the activities I engage in so that I do not open myself to attack by the enemy.
Joshua 16: 2 The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, “At dawn we’ll kill him.”
The people of Gaza, after hearing of Samson’s presence, set up a form of a spiritual gate at the city gate where they planned to kill him. They strategized and planned on using this gate to exert their negative influence (which was to kill Samson).
The response of the people of Gaza, who lay in wait for Samson at the city gate, can symbolize the opposition or negative forces that may arise when we neglect or misuse our spiritual gates.
Ecclesiastes 10:8b says, “whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.”
Pray
Father, I know You are the God of mercy, Have mercy on me and my family. Let the voice of the Blood of Jesus prevail over the voices of vengeance.
Let every door that has been opened to the enemy to afflict me or any member of my family be shut down today in the name of Jesus.
The people of Gaza surrounding the place and laying in wait for Samson symbolize the consequences and dangers associated with negative spiritual gates. In this case, the people were waiting to harm Samson at the city gate. This could be interpreted as the negative forces that can be attracted or summoned when we engage with negative spiritual gates. These forces may seek to harm, distract, or hinder our spiritual progress and well-being.
Pray
By the authority in the name of Jesus, I render inactive every demonic activity manifesting in my home, and my space.
Every power of darkness that made its way into my life and that of my family as a result of a negative spiritual door, I command you to leave now, in Jesus’ name, and you will not return.
I disallow your activity in my space. In Jesus’ name.
Judges 16: 3 But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
By tearing these gates loose and carrying them up a hill that faces Hebron, Samson demonstrated his dominance over these negative forces.
Samson exerted physical strength, but you and I have been given spiritual strength or faith that will help us overcome the snares laid at these negative spiritual gates.
We must be vigilant, strong, and wise in managing the spiritual influences in our life. Just like Samson, we will encounter various spiritual gates in our life journey – these could be experiences, relationships, or situations that could either lead to spiritual growth (positive spiritual gates) or spiritual harm (negative spiritual gates).
We need strength (not necessarily physical, but emotional, psychological, and especially spiritual), resilience, faith, and assertiveness in overcoming negative spiritual influences.
Pray
Declare the negative intentions of those plotting against you or any member of your family will fail as you pray through with the following scriptures.
Declare the Word in Isaiah 41:11 “Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish.
Declare Deuteronomy 28:7 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
Declare Hosea 9:4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord,
Nor shall their sacrifices be pleasing to Him.
It shall be like bread of mourners to them;
All who eat it shall be defiled.
For their bread shall be for their own life;
It shall not come into the house of the Lord.
Pray
Pray for renewed strength. Pray that you will prevail against all your enemies.
Declare you will possess the gates of your enemies in Jesus’ name.
The fact that Samson did not just dismantle the gates but also carried them away suggests the necessity of completely removing or distancing oneself from these negative influences, not just overcoming them temporarily.
Declare: I uproot every negative influence in my sphere in Jesus’ name.
The Bible says, “The axe is laid to the root” Therefore, whatsoever my Father has not planted in my life, marriage, home, ministry, career and business, I uproot today in Jesus’ name.
Let the fire of the Holy Spirit destroy every unwanted root in Jesus’ name, amen.
Furthermore, the act of carrying the city gate to the top of a hill can symbolize the lifting up of one’s victories or breakthroughs for others to see, which can serve as a testament of your faith.
Pray
Lift your hands up and proclaim the Lord has given you victory, and you have taken possession of your spiritual gates.
Give praise to God for this watch. Thank Him for the power to possess the gates of your enemies.
Today we declare we have the power to envision our lives and destinies as God designed for us
We declare that doors that were hitherto shut against us are opened
We declare our enemies who came through open doors have now been evicted.
We declare all demonic activities are rendered powerless.
We declare negative intentions of those plotting against The Watcher family will fail
We receive renewed strength to keep going and winning.
Father, we give You thanks.
