Soon after I had put up the blog about borders, boundaries and hedges one of our pastors, Jim preached about the walls of Jericho. Ok. So the “Walls did come down!” This really bugged me…. Not because the walls of Jericho fell down but because it didn’t fit my box. I knew that God was trying to tell me something but at the time I was too stubborn to hear it. It wasn’t until our senior pastor, Phil prayed for people in bondage that it started to click. It was time to start a study on bonds, chains and walls that should be torn down.

There is something significant about Jericho. Everything inside of Jericho was destroyed. Everything on the WRONG side of the wall was destroyed except for a small group of people protected by a red rope.

During my study I found several interesting facts.
1. God said that if we bind something – it’s bound and if we unbind something – it’s free. (Matthew 16:19)
2. Somethings are good and right to be bound in and some are not.
3. There are many things that bind us as God’s people and that we should pray to break the bondage so that those we pray for can be free indeed.
4. We need to pray that believers are bound as Christ’s bondservants and for the hope of salvation!

So I’ll list verses about binding that I’ve found so far. You can enhance your intercessory praying by working your way through these verses.

But let me get back to Jericho This story fits into this blog because of the parable that it tells. You see Jericho represents sin/iniquity. There are some walls that God wants to tear down. Sin is something that can bind us as believers and keep us from obedience and trust in our AWESOME Lord. Sin should not be messed around with. (Remember Achan). The bonds should be broken (yes – tear Down that WALL!) and everything associated with that sin should be destroyed……
that is with the exception of God’s grace.

Fortunately for us, God has provisioned us with His grace, the RED cord of the blood of Jesus saves us from sin or we should be totally destroyed with the sin.

So when we pray that bondage is broken - we HAVE to remember mercy. God has the power to be the bondage breaker! God has the power to strengthen the bonds that please Him. We are called to pray for each other that this power works in the lives of those around us. But in the process we need to remember His mercy is needed to heal where the damage has been done.

Bonds that need to be broken;
The enemy – Exodus 2:23,Exodus 6:6,Jeremiah 34:13
Iniquity - Hosea 13 :12.
Sin – Romans 7:14
Guilt -Hosea 10 :10.
Transgrassions Lamentations 1:14.
Darkness - Isaiah 49 :9.
Foolishness - Proverbs 22:15
Affliction/illness - Job 36:8
Delilah bound Samson/ sexual sin - Judges 16 :6.
Demons - Mark 5:4
Illness – Luke 13:16
Death – John 11:44
Unbelieving partners – 2 Corinthians 6:14
Rivers – Revelation 9:14
The devil – Revelation 20:2
bitterness and hardship – Lamentations 3:1-8,Acts 8:23
the flesh Romans 7:14
your job – Jeremiah 34:9-10
elemental things of the world Galatians 4:3
false brethren Galatians 2:9
Credit – Nehemiah 5:5
Despondency – Exodus 6:6
Walls that need to be torn down;
Isaiah 30:13 – sin will cause your wall to fall down and you will be defenseless
Jeremiah 49:27 – Damascus, false rulers
Jeremiah 51 – false gods, Babylon
Ezekiel 13 – pretences or false fronts
Ezekiel 38 – the earth at Christ’s return
Ezekiel 43 – those who defile His holy name
Amos 1 – the enemy


Good things that bind us;
Bound by obligation either by vows or family responsibilities - Numbers 30:4-5
Marriage 1 Corinthians 1:15
Bound in the Lord -- 1 Samuel 25:29
Bound by the Law – Romans 7:6
Bound for the gospel – Acts 28:20
The covenant with God – Ezekiel 20:37
Most high God – Acts 4:29, Acts16:17
Christ – Romans 1:1, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Galatians 1:10,Revelation 15:3, Revelation 19:2
Love and Unity – Colossians 3:14
your job – Jeremiah 34:9-10
A persons word – Numbers 20:2

Mercy in bondage
Ezra 9:8-9
1 Samuel 2:27
Joshua 24:17
Exodus 6:5-6
Exodus 2:23
Dueteronomy 32:36

Zechariah 2:5
`For I,' declares the LORD, `will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.' "