FYW3 Do No Evil

Is it possible to live in a “no evil” zone? Can we regulate the systems and people and spirits in our bubble such that we live free from evil? I believe we can.

2 Corinthians 13:7 (NKJV) Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified.

            Under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul prayed to God that an entire church community “do no evil”. The Bible states that every verse, every word, was written by men “moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet 1:21-see also Luke 1:70 and 2 Tim 3:16). That means it was (and therefore still is) the will of God that they do no evil. Paul contacted His Father in prayer. The words Paul spoke were exactly what the Lord wanted him to pray. If they were not God’s words, I believe they would not have been recorded and placed in our Bible.

The “No Evil” Mandate

            We know by the epistles to the Corinthians that there was much sin in the church at Corinth. We know from secular and religious history that every age has had much evil and sin evident. We know from the news today and state of the world around us that sin and evil is still active, even increasing. Yet, Paul prayed that a certain group do no evil. There are many examples of a move of God that so impacted the people that the state of “no evil” was experienced by many. The Welsh revival and the church described in Acts 2 transformed the people from rank sinners into holy sanctified saints who honoured and feared the Lord. We must not be moved by what we see. We must be moved by what we believe.

            What was the basis for Paul’s prayer? What was he believing for as he prayed? Paul was “framing his world” by praying for people within his sphere of influence. He was using his faith to affect things in the spirit realm. We must be doing the same things today. And as Paul prayed in faith, we must pray in faith. Faith is rooted in God’s Word. You cannot act in faith unless you have a Word from God. Paul had a revelation of God’s holiness, His purity, and His zeal for truth. We cannot pray effectively just by reading a verse. We must understand the why behind the statement, and the heart of God about the situation we are praying for.

            Jesus made some piercing comments about prayer. In Matthew 6 He gave us our “no evil mandate”. He gave us the authority to pray that no evil be done on earth. Of course we as individuals may not be able to pray in faith for the whole world, but we certainly can invoke His will in our own life. That is one of the reasons He said what He said in Matthew 6.

Matthew 6:10 (NKJV)  Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

            There is no evil in heaven. There is no evil in the Kingdom of God. There is no evil in any space place or heart where the Lord Jesus Christ is truly acknowledged and honoured as Lord and Master and King. He has commanded His children to pray in such a way that the environment and conditions of heaven be replicated on earth. He has commanded us to believe we can experience a state of no evil in our world. And He has given us the tools we need to frame our world in such a way that there is no evil in our personal sphere of influence. 

            You may be struggling with this concept. I know it was hard for me to accept it. I pushed aside the evidence of evil all around me, and set my heart to believe God. No matter what. You must do the same to live “evil free”. Here are some scriptures to demonstrate this is a biblical truth.

1 Kings 5:4 (NKJV) But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.

1 Kings 4:24 (NKJV) For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him.

1 Chronicles 22:9 (NKJV) Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.

Psalm 72:7 (NKJV) In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.

Isaiah 9:7 (NKJV) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

John 17:15 (NKJV) I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

            God lives in a “no evil” state. He desires His children to enjoy the same standard of living. Let’s look at how this can be applied right now no matter what you are facing. 

Application- The How To Apply To Yourself

            Prayer can only produce God’s intended results from a heart of faith and love. In other words, you must be “doing no evil” yourself to the best of your understanding and intent, before you can minister that profitably to others. Here is a simple confession you can make that invokes this powerful principle over yourself.

            Father God in the name of Jesus I ask You to forgive me for any evil I have committed, known and unknown. I ask You to cleanse me from all unrighteousness by the Blood of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I receive forgiveness and cleansing by faith, and I now stand boldly before you in righteousness and holiness. I desire to honour  You and please you in all areas of my Life. I choose to walk by faith in love. Please empower me by Your Holy Spirit with your grace to walk worthy of You, doing no evil, saying no evil, thinking no evil, and believing no evil. Please grant me wisdom and knowledge and understanding that I may discern evil, and choose life in every situation. Thank You Lord!

            This prayer is rooted in Scripture, based on Scripture, but is not Scripture. It is a great place to start for those who are unfamiliar or unskilled in applying truth this way. As you practice, you will use a written-out prayer less, and begin to pray directly from Bible verses. A confession like this is a template, a guide, but is not meant to imply this is the only way to pray this concept. As you grow and develop in your relationship with the Word and the Holy Spirit, you become more comfortable praying according to the Spirit. You need the initial launch platform less, and trust God to direct you in prayer.

Apply To Others

            After using your faith to align yourself with God, you are in position to release your faith outward. Everyone has a sphere of influence, a circle of impact, a network of connections. Framing your world to become a “no evil zone” begins with you and radiates out from you. The extent of your freedom from evil corresponds to the relationship you maintain with Jesus Christ. More Jesus means less evil evident in your life. Your faith depends on your relationship with Jesus. The love you walk in can only come from a living relationship with the Living God. Much more can be said about this, but that is not our topic today.

            I want you to notice that Paul did not define the evil he was praying against. You must be careful not to judge or criticize or feel superior to your prayer target because you are learning to be “evil free” and they are still enmeshed in evil things. When you speak to God about someone else, try to see that person or group or government department the way God sees them. He knows exactly whatever evil your prayer target is involved in. Yet He chooses to see them as forgiven, pure, and holy. He sees us all through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Therefore if you approach God in prayer reminding Him about all the bad stuff you know about your prayer target, you are in disagreement with God. He will not respond to your requests even though they may be accurate and Biblical, because your heart does not agree with His heart about them.

            Paul prayed that the Corinthian church do no evil, and that they would do that which is honorable. He does not define either term. The definition of evil and the definition of honorable is God’s responsibility. You can find God’s thoughts about what is evil or honorable in His Word, the Bible. Your responsibility is to frame your world with love by faith in agreement with His will. He will reveal His will generally, and then more specifically, as you continue to pursue Him.

            You pray for others the same you pray for yourself. You insert their name(s) for yours and pray for them just like you prayed for yourself. Here is the same prayer you prayed over yourself, modified to use for others.

            Father God in the name of Jesus I ask You to forgive (whoever) for any evil he/she/they have committed, known and unknown. I ask You to cleanse him/her/them from all unrighteousness by the Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I declare they receive forgiveness and cleansing by faith, and they now qualify to stand boldly before you in righteousness and holiness. I pray they would desire to honor  You and please you in all areas of their Life. I pray they would choose to walk by faith in love. Please empower them by Your Holy Spirit with your grace to walk worthy of You, doing no evil, saying no evil, thinking no evil, and believing no evil. Please grant them wisdom and knowledge and understanding that they may discern evil, and choose life in every situation. Thank You! 

            Our amazing Creator has granted to all of us the tools and resources to help us move from darkness to light, from bondage to liberty, from ignorance to wisdom. Learning how to frame your world according to His heavenly pattern is just one of the treasures He has given us

            We cannot “do no evil” until we know the truth. God’s truth, His Word, is the sole definition of good and evil. Man cannot see as clearly as God because all men have been affected by sin. Sin corrupts and perverts and degrades everything it touches.

2 Corinthians 13:8 (NKJV) 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

            This is the counterweight for “do no evil”. Rather than attempt to define evil, seek truth. Truth shines pure light bringing clarity and simplicity. Another way to say “do no evil” is “do nothing against the truth”. Evil is always against the truth. Knowing evil does not teach you truth, but knowing truth will show you what is evil.

            When we frame our world with these verses (2 Cor 13:7-8) we can pray that we do no evil or we can pray we would do nothing against the truth. Both versions are accurate. It is the will of God that we do no evil, and it is the will of God we do nothing against the truth. Set your heart to do nothing against the truth yourself before you pray for others to walk that way. You have no credibility or authority before the Lord asking Him to do something for someone else that you will not do or obey. God honours and obeys His own Word. This gives Him the right to expect me to honour and obey His Word. Prayers are effective when the praying person abides by the prayers they pray for others.

Prayer for Repentance and Salvation.

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Saviour, I invite you to ask Him into your heart. If you knew the Lord but have not been hungering for Him I invite you to consider your ways and repent. He is faithful and righteous to wipe your slate clean when you confess your sin to Him! (1 John 1:9)

1 John 1:9 (NASB95) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

He gave His life for you, and you honour Him when you give your life for Him. It is the right thing to do!

1 Corinthians 6:20 (AV) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

You must give yourself to God for Him to come into your life and help you change. He will not force you! Ever. But oh! The joy and peace and hope He gives you!

Romans 12:1–2 (NKJV) 1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 10:9 (NKJV) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

You must acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord, and you must believe He was resurrected from the dead by the Father.

Say this prayer out loud.

Heavenly Father I turn to you and acknowledge You as the Almighty God, eternal and sovereign over all. I have been rebellious, selfish, and deceived trying to live without you. I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to redeem me from death and sin, and that He rose from the dead, alive forever with You. I ask you to forgive me of all my sin, known and unknown. Please come into my life as my Lord and my Saviour. Thank you for forgiving me, and redeeming me from sin. I choose to trust You and put You first in every area of my life. I will love You and serve You with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my resources, for the rest of my life, beginning right now. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!

If you prayed this to the Lord, please let me know! I have some resources to share with you, and will help you on your journey with the Lord.