Mark 9:28 (NET) Then, after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
“This kind can come out only by prayer.” The word kind here indicates not all unclean spirits are the same.
Ephesians 6 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Here, four kinds of spirits are identified: rulers, powers, world rulers and spiritual forces. No significant information beyond a simple list is given. It is enough for us to see that a different strategy is needed for warfare against different kinds of spirits.
Prayer is an offensive weapon
The particular kind in our Mark passage requires prayer to defeat them.
In Matthew, when he taught his followers to pray, Jesus gave this model:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matt 6:9-13 NET)
An effective prayer begins with honoring the name of God.
This is followed by asking for his kingdom to come. We are people of the kingdom. Our job is to ask for it to come and then place ourselves where God can use us and the talents he gives us to spread the influence of his kingdom. Your gifts, talents, opportunities and location are all a part of God’s plan for building his kingdom. If you are not satisfied with your gifts, talents, opportunities or location, view them part of God’s assignment.
May your will be done is the next part of the model prayer. We are to seek to know his will and work to bring it about. In earth and in heaven. To know his will, you must spend time listening. To receive instructions, you must spent time listening.
Listen like a soldier preparing for battle. He will listen carefully, not wanting to miss any detail of his assignment. He knows his life and the lives of his fellow soldiers depends on how well he listens to and carries out each detail of his assignment.
We are to ask for daily provisions to carry out the battle plans we have received.
Lay aside all anger, resentment and the bitterness. Those emotions drain you of the energy you need to carry out your assignment. Then, ask God to forgive you.
Be aware of what tempts you. Ask God to lead you around or away from those things. Temptations are a distraction. They will cause you to lose focus and weaken in the battle.
Finally, ask God to deliver you from the evil one. The enemy wants to distract you. He wants to weaken you. He wants to discourage you. He wants to destroy you.
Listen! Then, do!
Dana Roseman's Thoughts on Scripture 