The War Room Part 1 It Begins in the Courts of Heaven Luke 18:1-8 2

1. The Conflict - It’s War But Jesus won and He expects us to walk in His victory! Always pray and don’t give up! 1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)

2. Contending for the Book of Your Destiny Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16 (NIV) “Accusations are what the devil uses to keep us from what is written in the books of heaven about us. This is why so many people are frustrated today. They have an intuitive awareness that they were created for something more than they have become. They sense that something is resisting them from stepping into all they were made for.” “Operating in the Courts of Heaven” by Robert Henderson page 30

3.The Courtroom - the First Place of Battle Jesus said that when the widow wanted justice she went to the judge, not her adversary. Sometimes when we’re in a spiritual battle we are inclined to go directly to the battlefield and begin addressing the enemy, only to experience defeat. But in this parable Jesus taught a different strategy - and that was to go directly to God the judge - knowing that He will see that you get justice!

4. The Cross - A Legal Transaction When someone is saved, it is because the transaction that Jesus fulfilled on the cross is legally put into place in their lives. Just because Jesus fulfilled every legal issue separating us from God doesn’t mean we are automatically saved. We must legally apprehend for ourselves in prayer, not only our salvation, but everything that Jesus provided for us.

5. Closing Doors Opened Through Sin Isaiah 43:25-26 (NKJV) “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted. Jesus is our Advocate and we contend together with the Lord against the accuser. 1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

6. The Cross - A Place of Triumph Col 2:13 When you were dead in your sins … God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Christ destroyed the work of the devil on the cross, but the devil is an outlaw and will get away with anything he possibly can. When we repent, we are removing the his legal right of operation. That’s how we experience the triumph of Christ and enter into our destiny!

7. Confession & Repentance - Powerful Keys in the War Room Humility and repentance carry great weight in the courts of heaven. You don’t justify yourself. You allow the blood of Jesus to justify you. Your words grant the Lord the legal right to fulfill His passion towards you, which is always mercy and goodness. Once the accuser has been silenced and the battle in the courts is settled, you are now set to rebuke any and all demonic forces. And after that it’s time to declare what is written in your book of destiny!

1. What is one battle you need to win in the courts of Heaven? 2. Is there anything in your life that you need to repent of in order to remove the legal right the enemy has gained against you? 3. Are you ready to surrender that area to the Lord today? Lord, I come before Your court and present myself before Your throne of grace. I repent for the sin I’ve allowed in my life. (be as specific as you can) I ask you to forgive me and I forgive others who have hurt me. I desire a pure heart before You and I ask You to cleanse me as I turn away from my sin. I pray the power of the Blood of Jesus to remove every legal right the enemy has been using to cause me harm. I now command the power of the enemy broken off of me, in Jesus’ name! I declare that all that You’ve written in the book of my destiny will come forth according to Your Word. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen and Amen! The War Room