In nature, Pythons are nonvenomous. They kill their prey by constricting it until it can no longer breathe, literally suffocating the life out of it. In the spirit realm Satan often works in the same way, slowly working his way into our lives, stealing the Anointing of the Holy Spirit – attempting to choke the very breath out of us. God wants to break the coils of the serpent off of your life. He wants you to … breathe again!

CONNECTION QUESTIONS

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “spiritual warfare?”
In Luke 4 Jesus meets a man possessed with a demon. The demon cries out, “Leave us alone!” Why is it dangerous to leave the Enemy alone?
The Spirit of Python comes from an encounter Paul and Silas had with a possessed woman in Acts 16. She had the “spirit of divination.” The Greek word for “divination” is translated, “python.” How can you recognize this spirit today?

In the message, Jentezen said, “The Spirit of Python hates prayer.” Discuss ways to maintain a strong prayer life even during strong opposition
.
“The greatest tragedy of prayerlessness is the unemployment of angels,” according to the message. Do you agree? Why? Or Why not?
Discuss the ways Spirit of Python can constrict other areas of your life once it has you disconnected from prayer.

CONCLUSION

Learn to breathe again! The python spirit can squeeze the joy out of your worship and prayers. It can pressure you to keep quiet when God wants you to speak up. And it can steal the peace of knowing that you belong to God. But there is a way to recognize the signs and defeat him. You don’t have to become his prey.

http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/connection-questions/spirit-python-studio/

God bless you

The OP is exactly what happens when people take words out of context and read into the context to say what they want to say.

Bidam, be careful of internet article!

Goshen360: The OP is exactly what happens when people take words out of context and read into the context to say what they want to say.

Bidam, be careful of internet article!

hmmm bro...pls can you explain better

Goshen360: The OP is exactly what happens when people take words out of context and read into the context to say what they want to say.

Bidam, be careful of internet article!

Pls could you explain the out of context further.I would really love to know your views on this issue.

Bidam: Pls could you explain the out of context further.I would really love to know your views on this issue.

i agrre with you sir

Goshen360: The OP is exactly what happens when people take words out of context and read into the context to say what they want to say.

Bidam, be careful of internet article!

xactly.in that context divination was only associated with the python spirit because of its relationship with the oracle of delphi.not that the greek word for divinition is python.

Under christian dome,the spirit of the python is generally regarded as a lieing spirit, this is were u can draw anoda close association btw the python spirit and the divinition.know this lieing is not just about not telling the truth ,its also about telling the truth for the wrong reason or miss using the truth.
-look at this context.
Acts 16:16 in the Amplified Bible says, as we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination [claiming to foretell future events and to discover hidden knowledge], and she brought her owners much gain by her fortunetelling. She kept following Paul and [the rest of] us, shouting loudly, These men are the servants of the Most High God! They announce to you the way of salvation! And she did this for many days. Then Paul, being sorely annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit within her, I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out that very moment. The King James Bible says it came out the same hour.
<paul did not rebuke her because she told a lie,but he rebuked her because of the spirit she was using in telling the truth>.

Defining the python spirit on a spiritual warfare level is anoda different thing.

goshap: Under christian dome,the spirit of the python is generally regarded as a lieing spirit, .

And where is it written in the bible that lying spirit is actually a python spirit.Is it because of the account that satan(the father of lies) is potrayed as a serpent?

Bidam: And where is it written in the bible that lying spirit is actually a python spirit.Is it because of the account that satan(the father of lies) is potrayed as a serpent?

thats just 1,have you been to a deliverance ground befor or are equipped in deliverance spiritual warfare?.

goshap: thats just 1,have you been to a deliverance ground befor or are equipped in deliverance spiritual warfare?.

Yes,what's your point? The Op actually has a valid point which you are yet to provide a rebuttal for.

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Acts 16:17-18: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

　The translation of the “spirit of divination” according to the Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible, is from the Greek word Apollo Pythius, meaning “python” The spirit of python!

And we know what pythons do.They don't bite but squeeze.

Bidam: Yes,what's your point? The Op actually has a valid point which you are yet to provide a rebuttal for.

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Acts 16:17-18: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

　The translation of the “spirit of divination” according to the Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible, is from the Greek word Apollo Pythius, meaning “python” The spirit of python!

And we know what pythons do.They don't bite but squeeze.

av u been following and actually reading previous post at all.

Again, @ Bidam, beware and be careful of Dake's annotated. I will explain your out of context in the OP from pastor Frank. You know I live here, I heard him the very first day he preached that message on T.V and I was just shaking my head.

Again, I love Frank and most of his messages but somethings he adds traditions of men and human philosophy into the word and read into the meanings of the text and that's what he did here.

You might dislike what I will say but it doesn't matter, we reasoning the scriptures and learning one from another. I do not love any man of God to a point I cannot check or refute whatever he teaches. You have to do same, not just agree because you love him, or because he's a mentor or etc.

I will follow up later with explanation

goshap: Defining the python spirit on a spiritual warfare level is anoda different thing.

This reminds me of my best book on Spiritual Warfare by Dr. Ed. Murphy... The Handbook on Spiritual Warfare...

If you have the chance, you all should get one.



I think you should be able to download the ebook from here http://www.breadoflifebiblestudy.com/Lessons/18Deliverance/Articles/HandbookForSpiritualWarfare.pdf

@Bidam,
Thanks a lot for this topic. Actually when I saw this topic I was wondering what this was all about again but I allowed the Holy Spirit minister to me on what you were trying to say. Yes I understand the logic of the snake (i.e. the devil as described in the garden of eden) and how it slowly tries to work its way into the life of a Christian until it snuffs our fellowship with God.

But what caught me the most was this statement:

Bidam: “The greatest tragedy of prayerlessness is the unemployment of angels,” according to the message. Do you agree? Why? Or Why not? Discuss the ways Spirit of Python can constrict other areas of your life once it has you disconnected from prayer.

Immediately I caught something here. Especially on the ministry of angels in prayers. I had a great challenge at work to solve a highly technical work and deliver a master finish. Do you know because of what I remember i read here, I immediately asked for help from above to assist in this secular issue I was facing and what was so hard for me to do (infact others have issues with this too), suddenly became so easy so much that I enjoyed it immensely and I completed it very well and got a resounding feed-back. I just had to share the testimony to you and let others know that in every message there may be something for you...just allow God speak to you and you will be amazed at the treasure you will gain. I am not even so much happy at the success of what I did but much more at what I learnt and the message. No wonder the bible says a man ought ALWAYS to pray....in everything even the ones we think we can do. We should still ask for divine help to ensure we give a more than excellent finish. Thanks again.

another connection? Python is the name of the programming language used to create Nairaland, and it was created by an atheist. So this is the devil in action, so get the f4k outta here.

Bidam: In nature, Pythons are nonvenomous. They kill their prey by constricting it until it can no longer breathe, literally suffocating the life out of it. In the spirit realm Satan often works in the same way, slowly working his way into our lives, stealing the Anointing of the Holy Spirit – attempting to choke the very breath out of us. God wants to break the coils of the serpent off of your life. He wants you to … breathe again!

First, the life that Christ gives, is a life beyond the power of satan. It's a life exchanged and infused into believers, not a life that is by breathing to exist. This life is ZOE!

King James Bible
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

New Living Translation
But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true--it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

1 John 2:27

The devil and powers of darkness cannot steal the anointing we Christians have received because the anointing is the Holy Spirit himself and he 'lives' in us. How can devil steal the Holy Spirit 'living' in us? If that is possible for satan to steal the 'anointing', the Holy Spirit, then I can break it down to you that the whole bible is white wash and empty.

Bidam:

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “spiritual warfare?”
In Luke 4 Jesus meets a man possessed with a demon. The demon cries out, “Leave us alone!” Why is it dangerous to leave the Enemy alone?
The Spirit of Python comes from an encounter Paul and Silas had with a possessed woman in Acts 16. She had the “spirit of divination.” The Greek word for “divination” is translated, “python.” How can you recognize this spirit today?

The Greek translated into English as Python doesn't say it 'squeeze' believers or prayer life out of them BUT it follows the 'divination', that is, claiming to foretell future events and to discover hidden knowledge. In other words, she (the possessed girl) gets her 'inspiration and ability to tell the future' from the Python spirit. Hence, she was said to have the 'spirit of divination'.  Python being the 'serpent god, Pythian serpent or dragon' that guarded the Delphic oracle; dwelling in Pytho region. It doesn't stop prayer life or believers or squeeze life out of them BUT it was a demonic spirit used in telling future. Telling future and making money out of people is clearly different from squeezing prayer life out of people, especially believers because greater is he (the anointhing, the Holy Spirit) that is or lives within us than he (satan and\or demons) that are in the world.

Bidam:

In the message, Jentezen said, “The Spirit of Python hates prayer.” Discuss ways to maintain a strong prayer life even during strong opposition

Pastor Jentezen is reading into the text. There's no scriptural ground for the ^ above statement even though I'm for prayer. If someone is going to teach prayer awakening, it's okay but don't read into Holy text. It is the Spirit of God that helps our prayer life, we don't know how and what to pray.

Bidam:

“The greatest tragedy of prayerlessness is the unemployment of angels,” according to the message. Do you agree? Why? Or Why not?

I agree partial to unemployment of angel. It is the Holy Spirit that helps our weakness in prayers and our weakness in prayer is not a result of any python spirit because, it speaks of telling future nothing to do with praying or not. And our weakness comes as a result of our flesh weakness. Therefore, the Spirit or our spirit is always willing but the flesh is weak.

Discuss the ways Spirit of Python can constrict other areas of your life once it has you disconnected from prayer.

Well, personally, I cannot discuss this because I don't visit a fortune teller, that's what 'spirit of divination' means, not related to praying or disconnection from prayer. There's no other areas of my life or Christian life that Python (spirit of divination) is operating.

Bidam:

CONCLUSION

Learn to breathe again! The python spirit can squeeze the joy out of your worship and prayers. It can pressure you to keep quiet when God wants you to speak up. And it can steal the peace of knowing that you belong to God. But there is a way to recognize the signs and defeat him. You don’t have to become his prey.

http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/connection-questions/spirit-python-studio/

The Zoe life is greater in the Spirit of God and no devil can tamper that life, that's the life believers have in Christ. Pastor Frank is making it look as if satan can steal this life within us. We're not prey to the devil anymore because we have being delivered from his mouth.

Finally, we must teach a Christian their rights, privileges and the finished works and let them understand their 'better' covenant rather than trying to exalt the works of the devil. We must also teach Christians their 'rich and blessed' inheritance in Christ. That's what all the finished works is all about. The devil is already defeated on our behalf. When we go into spiritual warfare, we must fight as and from the stand point of a victor (in Christ), not as one trying to win the battle. We must fight as one already with victory.

King James Bible
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

<O boy u na still da read bible cover to cover>
lemma share some stuff here
~the python spirit is/can be said to be the devils version of the holy spirit.
~it does not hate pray to an extent especialy pray not direct at it.
~a christain can have this spirit ,truth is most christians do and think its the holy spirit,when a christian has this spirit it does not stop a from performing as a christian since it is not threathen by the prsence of God,infact most occassion u r what everyone would call a perfect christain,every quality of a true christain this spirit can manifect it except on which hearing from,its this u hear from not God.~chore members are usualy da most susceptive to this spirit ,are actually the hightest carrier in any church body<this would surprise u>,charismatic christians are anoda number(this spirit gives then dazzling information),agents are anoda group(this is their version of the holy spirit).

-if ur familar with deliverance this python spirit is usually the first to manifect (and all most demons or spirit pretend to be this spirit,so as to throw u off direction)
and its important to know this spirit is extremely knowledgable and can actual stand its ground,even as far as quoteing the scriptures during deliverance thats why ur not suppose to engage in talk shows with this spirit when deliverance is going on.but some you just have too if not there be no deliverance ,just make sure the holy spirit directs what u say,cause this spirit is lyk the devils advocate,so u'l need ur own advocate.

-this python spirit can be passed on ,that why u dont let anyone put hand on ur head to pray without first locking up ur spirit and demand that only that which is of God should come in.(had a personal event with this,their hands just bounced off me,they just kept going and coming back to pray at the end they said to me,ur nt a new comer to God(b4 em co).
-it is this spirit that operate in most campus fellowship and churches.
NOTE~ THIS SPIRIT AVOIDS DIRECT CONTACT WITH GOD
THAT WHY CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE IT ARE MORE FOCUS ON THE SYSTEMATIC CHRISTIANITY OR METHODLOGY CHRISTIANITY.

Nt all bread is given to you,some are kept on the table for u to reach and chop, christianity of today is not christianity of paul n silas,the devil also under went evolution mak i tell u ,u cn nt be operatin a 21st century christianity and expect the devil to attack with a 200Ad stretegy.its called not playing fair.

Alwaystrue: @Bidam,
Thanks a lot for this topic. Actually when I saw this topic I was wondering what this was all about again but I allowed the Holy Spirit minister to me on what you were trying to say. Yes I understand the logic of the snake (i.e. the devil as described in the garden of eden) and how it slowly tries to work its way into the life of a Christian until it snuffs our fellowship with God.

But what caught me the most was this statement:



Immediately I caught something here. Especially on the ministry of angels in prayers. I had a great challenge at work to solve a highly technical work and deliver a master finish. Do you know because of what I remember i read here, I immediately asked for help from above to assist in this secular issue I was facing and what was so hard for me to do (infact others have issues with this too), suddenly became so easy so much that I enjoyed it immensely and I completed it very well and got a resounding feed-back. I just had to share the testimony to you and let others know that in every message there may be something for you...just allow God speak to you and you will be amazed at the treasure you will gain. I am not even so much happy at the success of what I did but much more at what I learnt and the message. No wonder the bible says a man ought ALWAYS to pray....in everything even the ones we think we can do. We should still ask for divine help to ensure we give a more than excellent finish. Thanks again.

God bless you for this wonderful testimony sister.God will not stop working in us and through us till we look just like Him.And that is why we have to pray all manner of prayers in the Spirit because there are many adversaries.

[quote author=Goshen360]

First, the life that Christ gives, is a life beyond the power of satan. It's a life exchanged and infused into believers, not a life that is by breathing to exist. This life is ZOE!

King James Bible
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

New Living Translation
But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true--it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

Yes i agree with you here,but the Holy Spirit can be grieved and the bible already stated that to him that knows what to do and does it not to him it is sin.The bible has already given a command for us to pray without ceasing,even Jesus had to emphasize the posture of watching and praying so that temptations do not catch us unawares.I always feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit on me after praying for hours, but there was a time when i backslidded and did not pray as often as i should and i noticed that the Holy Spirit remained silent.It is as if i had seared my conscience and i literally sinned like the gentiles as if it was a normal thing without having any conviction or reproof from my heart.I believe that is what the OP is referring to as stealing of the anointing. The anointing can actually become dormant and inactive due to prayer lessness and a life of sin.You have to stir it up by fellowshiping with God.If you break the hedge the serpent will automatically bite you.

The Greek translated into English as Python doesn't say it 'squeeze' believers or prayer life out of them BUT it follows the 'divination', that is, claiming to foretell future events and to discover hidden knowledge. [i]In other words, she (the possessed girl) gets her 'inspiration and ability to tell the future' from the Python spirit. Hence, she was said to have the 'spirit of divination'.  Python being the 'serpent god, Pythian serpent or dragon' that guarded the Delphic oracle; dwelling in Pytho region. It doesn't stop prayer life or believers or squeeze life out of them BUT it was a demonic spirit used in telling future. Telling future and making money out of people is clearly different from squeezing prayer life out of people, especially believers because greater is he (the anointhing, the Holy Spirit) that is or lives within us than he (satan and\or demons) that are in the world.

It is still the same satanic spirit that is at operation.The bible does not give us details about how satan operates but from the little we are able to glean we know he can come in the form of serpents,pythons,snakes,scorpions, angel of light etc. All these extra-biblical evidences you brought is no where found in scriptures. The psychic spirit was actually attempting to pollute the purity of paul and silas invasion by trying to deceive them into accepting demonic help for their cause.The demon may speak the truth but the motive is defiled.You can even see that after paul cast out the devil,they ended up in prison,That goes to tell you that the satanic stronghold was not yet demolished until paul and silas offered a strong dimension of prayers and praise in prison at midnight.
so the op is right in saying that paul and silas would have been squeezed by the same python spirit if they relented when thrown into jail.

Pastor Jentezen is reading into the text. There's no scriptural ground for the ^ above statement even though I'm for prayer. If someone is going to teach prayer awakening, it's okay but don't read into Holy text. It is the Spirit of God that helps our prayer life, we don't know how and what to pray.

The spirit of pythom here represents satan,everyone one knows that satan hates it when Christians pray and bible is full of examples of what prayers can do to demolish satan's organized domain. If you read Acts 12:1-9 you will see how satan uses herod to harrass the church,Prayers were made to break the satanic strategy because herod intention was to kill peter after he killed james.

I agree partial to unemployment of angel. It is the Holy Spirit that helps our weakness in prayers and our weakness in prayer is not a result of any python spirit because, it speaks of telling future nothing to do with praying or not. And our weakness comes as a result of our flesh weakness. Therefore, the Spirit or our spirit is always willing but the flesh is weak.

You have to agree totally with the unemployment of angels.Our angels are not weak little pacifist spirits singing sweetly on harp.They are incredibly dangerous and powerful spiritual entities who excel in strength.Their warfare is explosive and strong. don't forget it is an angel that will chain satan in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.And these angels are always at our beck and call when we say/pray the mind/will of God.You have to always allow you spirit to dominate the dictates of the flesh and that is why Paul says we should walk in the spirit always.Like i said before satan can come in whatever guise and the spirit of python here can squeeze the juice out of a christian life.

Discuss the ways Spirit of Python can constrict other areas of your life once it has you disconnected from prayer.

Well, personally, I cannot discuss this because I don't visit a fortune teller, that's what 'spirit of divination' means, not related to praying or disconnection from prayer. There's no other areas of my life or Christian life that Python (spirit of divination) is operating.

You need to know that satan attacks the christian payer life and the spirit of python is a type of satan.

The Zoe life is greater in the Spirit of God and no devil can tamper that life, that's the life believers have in Christ. Pastor Frank is making it look as if satan can steal this life within us. We're not prey to the devil anymore because we have being delivered from his mouth.

You are trying hard into inferring what pastor frank never said.Actually what he is fight against in the lives of believers is prayerlessness.A prayerless christian is actually a powerless christian because when trials and temptations come, he will easily fall to the traps,scheming and devices of the enemy.

Finally, we must teach a Christian their rights, privileges and the finished works and let them understand their 'better' covenant rather than trying to exalt the works of the devil. We must also teach Christians their 'rich and blessed' inheritance in Christ. That's what all the finished works is all about. The devil is already defeated on our behalf. When we go into spiritual warfare, we must fight as and from the stand point of a victor (in Christ), not as one trying to win the battle. We must fight as one already with victory.

No one is disputing this bro..but in a battle you need to know your enemy strengths and weaknesses so you can defeat him easily.It is a standard rule when you are about to engage in warfare even in the natural.We have lost so many Christians who were foolish in this area.Only spiritual fools disrespect the devil's strength.Wise men crush him in the power of the Lord,putting aside their own power and their own wisdom,clothing themselves in the armour and equipment that is of the Lord.

King James Bible
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

It is not by quoting scriptures bro,even a demon said Jesus i know and paul i know.It is by faith in the word of God and demons recognizing your authority in Christ and that actually comes in the place of PRAYER(deep spiritual intimacy withe the father) Cheers.