Praying for the Oppressed

Recently I’ve been praying a lot for the oppressed… For the oppressed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Oppression “the state of being subject to unjust control, prolonged cruel treatment and/or mental pressure or distress.”

In my own life I’m currently praying for our children in the D.R. Congo who are oppressed by the Congolese government that won’t allow adopted children to leave the country. They are legally Barnett’s and we have all parental rights to them in Congo, but even with US travel visas they literally aren’t allowed to come home.

I’ve also be praying for a dear friend who has been oppressed by an autoimmune disease that was controlling her every day life. It was leaving her helpless physically, which in turn, was oppressing her mentally and spiritually.

I’ve been burdened to pray daily for those with mental & psychological oppression. I know we all have friends that are dealing with different levels of depression and/or anxiety.

I constantly see and pray for friends and families who are facing reoccurring physical illness, which is undoubtably oppression.

So the question is – how do we pray for the oppressed? There’s only so much we can do for them physically; therefore, prayer is our most powerful weapon!

Through my time in God’s Word, in prayer, and watching some amazing mentors do freedom ministry, the Lord has revealed some incredible examples I’ve learned….

1. Lay the oppression at the cross

We must lay OUR oppression or the oppression of OTHERS at the foot of the cross. All healing and miracles are found through the blood of the lamb! We must recognize that no amount of control, money, or medicine will heal anyone unless we give it to God and His will is to heal them.

2. Ask God to move

Because we know the Lord loves us and longs to fight for us, we must ask Him to step in and battle for us. Sometimes we assume God is going to work on our behalf, which of course He does… but if we don’t ask, we can’t assume to receive.

3. Use the power with in you

We must recognize the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us. We have great authority living in our lives that we can’t forget to use on a daily basis!! We can’t just ask God to do a miracle we have to command out the evil in this world by the name of Jesus.

4. Ask what you can do

Prayer is also a form of asking God, “What do you want from me, Lord?” If your friend is hurting, your family sick, or a child is starving….what can I do to help? Our actions can help, heal and support the oppressed so we must not be afraid or rely on the ‘next person’ to actually be God’s way out of the pit.

5. Believe in deliverance

I hear people say all the time…I’m believing for you! I say it all the time too. Believing is part of the healing process, the patience process, the deliverance process! We MUST believe the Lord can and will deliver us from evil because He has all power and authority to do so. When we get in the pit of negativity or doubt how can we expect a miracle?

Here are some scriptures that tie together with these examples and show our great God’s love and care for the oppressed!

1. Lay the oppression at the cross
“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

2. Ask God to move
“May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!” Psalm 72:4
“He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.” Psalm 72:14

3. Use the power with in you
“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” Isaiah 1:17
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10

4. Ask what you can do
“Who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;” Psalm 146:7

5. Believe in deliverance
“From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. “Selah” Psalm 3:8

“And for those who are oppressed the Word of God says this:

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:6-8

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

“For I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” Philippians 1:19