Written by: Damien powell
Shalom to all my fellow brothers and sisters in YESHUA! This is a very important topic as we all pray and of course would like our prayers answered! We have to remember that we are in a spiritual fight dealing with spiritual warfare.
Interestingly the whole world has been taught that Satan dwells below the earth with a pitchfork and fire all around him while he and his demons torment souls. But when we read Ephesians 6:12 Paul says something completely different:
“Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in the shamayim (heavens).” Some translate it as high places.
If you notice heavens is plural because ELOHIM created more than one heaven! Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning Elohim created the shamayim (heavens) and the earth.”
Job 1:7
“And YHWH said to ha’Satan, “From where do you come? And ha’Satan answered YHWH and said, “From diligently searching in the earth, and from WALKING UP AND DOWN IN IT.”
So based off of Satan’s description we can visualize something like spiritual stairs we can’t see that Satan uses to walk up and down through the earth. So could he be walking up to his place in the second heaven? This is possible when we read 2 Corinthians 12:2-4
“I know a man in Messiah who fourteen years ago-whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, Elohim knows- such a one was caught up to the THIRD HEAVEN.” And I know such a man whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, Elohim knows-that he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not right for a man to speak.’
So Paul says this man was caught up in the third heaven (shamech) which was in Paradise and heard things that man should not speak. The Third Heaven named Paradise by Paul sounds like the dwelling place of YHWH and if there is a third heaven; then there has to be two underneath it which is why Ephesians 6:12 says “spiritual wickedness in the heavens or heavenlies.” It would appear that his place is the second one, because when YESHUA talks about the birds of the heavens (first heaven), those are birds we can physically see with our eyes. Mathew 6:26
“Look at the birds of the shamayim (heavens) for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into storehouses, yet your Father of the shamayim feeds them. Are you not worth more than they?”
Luke 12:54-56
“And He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it is. “And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There shall be hot weather, ‘and it is. “Hypocrites! You know to discern the face of the shamayim (heavens and of the earth), but how is it you do not discern this time?” YESHUA said the storm that we can see coming with our natural eye is the “face of the heavens” like the first layer, just as He said with the birds we can see.
This would also make sense with what YESHUA describes in Luke 16:22-26
“And it came to be that the beggar died, and was carried by the messengers to the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man also died and was buried. And while suffering tortures in the grave, having lifted up his eyes, he saw Abraham far away, and El’azar in his bosom. “And crying out he said, father Abraham, have compassion on me, and send El’azar to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your life you received your good, and likewise El’azar the evil, but now he is comforted and you are suffering. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been put, so that those who want to pass from here to you are unable, nor do those from there pass to us.’
So it would make sense that if Abraham is in heaven and can look down and see those being tortured; that it must be visible for them, the same way we can look into the sky and see the stars. So this would make sense that the second heaven could be what was being described in this passage.
Is Satan blocking or stealing your prayers?
Psalms 141:2
“Let my prayer be prepared before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.”
Revelation 5:8
“And when He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
I find it interesting that David likened his prayers reaching up to the heavens before ELOHIM as incense and the incense in the golden bowls were the prayers of the saints, which is a fragrant smoke that rises up to the heavens when burned. So it’s possible that your prayers are like smoke that needs to penetrate through Satan in the first heaven, which means that it has to be powerful enough to go through that first or second barrier of wickedness in the heavens. There are stories about ex witches and warlocks who said they can see the prayers rising up and it looks like smoke and if the prayers are weak or lacking faith then the smoke or incense would dissipate and not be able to penetrate.
Which is why Elohim always talks about the prayers of the righteous. We know David was a righteous king, a man after ELOHIM’s own heart, whose throne was established forever and YESHUA came through the line of David from Judah. And the saints are righteous because they kept the commandments of ELOHIM and notice how their prayers reached to the heavens just as David’s? Revelation 14:12
“Here is the endurance of the saints, here are those guarding the Commands of YHWH and the belief of YESHUA.”
What does Scripture say?
Our ELOHIM can intervene whenever He wants and as He told Moses in Exodus 33:19
“And He said, “I shall cause all My goodness to pass before you, and I shall proclaim the Name of YHWH before you. And I shall favour him whom I favour, and shall have compassion on him whom I have compassion.”
This is evidenced by reading 2 Chronicles 33 about Manasseh, who was wicked but turned righteous, ELOHIM heard his cries when he was in distress and humbled himself before YHWH and YHWH heard him. YHWH can hear your prayers in distress in hopes that once He delivers you; that you will in turn know the deliverance was from Him and learn to walk in His Ways. But most, will forget after the blessing and continue walking in darkness and lawlessness until the next trial arises.
How do we strengthen our prayers?
Humbling yourself and obedience is the key, we must keep the Commandments AND believe in YESHUA!
Then Proverbs 28:9 says
“He who turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.”
The Torah which is the Guidelines and Instructions (the world knows it as law) that YHWH gave us, which is YESHUA made flesh is what Christianity has rejected. And in this Scripture disobedience of the Torah makes the prayer an abomination.
Ezra 7:10
“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Torah of YHWH, and to do it, and to teach Laws and Right-Rulings in Yisra’el.” So Ezra wanted to do what was right and walk in the Ways of YHWH and that included him seeking the Torah and to do it. So being that he was a man of ELOHIM his prayer was heard when he called on YHWH. He was a doer of the Word, not just a hearer!
Ezra 8:21-23 says
“I then proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahawa, to humble ourselves before our ELOHIM, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions, for I was ashamed to ask of the king a group of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our ELOHIM is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and prayed to our ELOHIM for this, and He answered our prayer.”
Proverbs 15:8
“The slaughtering of the wicked is an abomination to YHWH, but the prayer of the straight is His delight.”
Proverbs 15:29
“YHWH is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Proverbs 80:3-5
“Cause us to turn back, O ELOHIM, and cause Your face to shine, that we might be saved! O YHWH Elohim of Hosts, how long shall You be wroth against the prayer of Your people? You have caused them to eat the bread of tears, and have caused them to drink with tears, a third time.
Jeremiah 11:14
“And you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, for I do not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their evil.”
Jeremiah 7:16-18
“And you, do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me, for I do not hear you. Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children are gathering wood, the dads are lighting the fire, and the women are kneading their dough, to make cakes for the queen of the heavens, and to pour out drink offerings to other mighty ones, to provoke Me.”
This passage YHWH is talking about not hearing the prayers of those who serve pagan deities such as all the abominable holidays being celebrated today; such as Christmas, Easter, Halloween and all others not commanded from YHWH in Leviticus 23. The queen of heaven in this scripture from Jeremiah is the one being worshipped that mocks Passover which is Easter and combined with Ba’al and Tammuz.
Psalms 66:16-20
“Come, hear, all you who REVERE ELOHIM, and I relate what He has done for my being. I called to Him with my mouth, and praise with my tongue. If I have seen wickedness in my heart, YHWH would not hear. Truly, ELOHIM has heard me; he has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Baruk (Blessed) be ELOHIM, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His kindness from me.”
Job 42:7-8
“And it came to be, after YHWH had spoken these words to Job, that YHWH said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath has burned against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as did My servant Job. And now, take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And let my servant Job PRAY for you-for I accept him-lest I punish you; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as did My servant Job.”
YHWH told Eliphaz and his two friends to go to Job so that he can pray for them because He accepted him. We can see the common theme of YHWH accepting the prayers of those who revere and obey Him.
Solomon who had more wisdom, riches, and royal splendor then any king before him or after him walked with YHWH before he sinned. But in his righteousness he rebuilt the House of YHWH and prayed. 2 Chronicles 7:1
“And when Solomon had ended praying, fire came down from the shamayim (heavens) and consumed the burnt offering and the slaughtering’s. And the esteem of YHWH filled the House. Verse 12
“And YHWH appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a House of slaughtering. If I shut up the heavens and there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people upon whom My Name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray and see My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I shall hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin and heal their land. Now, My eyes are open and My ears attentive to the prayer of this place. Verse 17
“And you, if you walk before Me as your dad David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you guard My Laws and My Right-Rulings, then I shall establish the throne of your reign, as I covenanted with David your dad, saying, ‘There is not to cease a man of yours as ruler in Yisra’el.’
So again we can see that in order for YHWH to hear the prayer of the people was to turn from their wicked ways, humble themselves, and seek Him. Turning from His Torah and His Laws will cause Him not to hear you just as YHWH told Solomon that if he walked in His ways as his dad David did.
The conclusion of the matter
1 Samuel 15:22
“Then Samuel said, “Does YHWH delight in burnt offerings and slaughtering’s, as in obeying the voice of YHWH? Look, to obey is better than an offering, and to heed than the fat of rams.”
Obeying, love, and humbling yourself before ELOHIM is what He requires and as we can see it is better than sacrifices. So now we can see what Solomon meant in Proverbs 28:9 “He who turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.” Why? Because you have turned away from the Guidelines and instructions that He gave us to live by and what He gave for us to obey Him. YESHUA said “If you love Me you will keep My commandments.”
John 9:31
“And we know that Elohim does not hear sinners. But if anyone reveres ELOHIM and does His desire, He hears him.”
So you have to do the desire of YHWH and not sin, so He can hear you. His desire is that you obey His Torah, Laws, Commands and follow and believe His Son YESHUA and preach the good news. Our desires don’t matter, whether you agree with this or not. You have to submit yourself to His will so He can hear you. Mathew 26:39
“And going forward a little, He fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. YET NOT AS I DESIRE, BUT AS YOU.”
James 5:16
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, so that you are healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous one accomplishes much.”
Let us return to our Father YHWH and follow YESHUA and do His will and obey His voice, that way we can pray to Him according to His will and answer us. HalleluYAH!