This prayer sermon (I coined that phrase 16 years ago) visits this bad character defect that can harm you and your personality physically and spiritually. Let’s deal with it.
Luke 22: 1-6
New International Version
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
Betrayal. One of the most difficult things to handle and accept as a human being and more importantly a child of God is betrayal. What is betrayal?
Betrayal is one someone you have put in a position of trust in your life, decides to usurp the position and use it to do things that will have a very negative outcome for you. A spouse who goes to have an affair outside their marital home has betrayed the other spuse and the marriage. A former worker who goes to use information about their former place of work to attempt to destroy the former employer has betrayed that trust. Someone who betrays others is commonly called a traitor or betrayer.
Why is betrayal so painful?
Betrayal by people you care about hurts because it destroys your self-esteem. If you're to get over this pain, it may be a require readjusting your values
Betrayal is such a hurtful thing that it has medical connotations
Betrayal trauma occurs when the people or institutions on which a person depends for survival significantly violate that person' s trust or well-being
Why do people betray?
The first is excessive ambition, greed, jealousy, lust or passion. Betrayal is a lapse or failure in character of the person perpetrating the act. When a person cannot control or is overcome with these vices, he/she is liable to betray. ... A person may feel that to save another person's life/soul it's ok to betray him. The third reason could be because people like to prove how smart they are. Or they just want to hit back or hurt the other person.
Betrayal starts with an evil thought. This is from an unclean spirit: jealousy, envy, hatred, lust, greed. Its origin is never good. The example of Jesus at the beginning of this sermon bears this out. “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.”
The basis is Satan. It is never from a good origin. So, it is a spiritual issue that must be dealt with in a spiritual way. Unfortunately, it brings forth evil in the physical realm and the consequences can be devastating.
There are so many examples of betrayal in the Bible;
Jacob Deceived by Laban Genesis 29: 25-26
24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn
Jacob betrays Esau to take their father’s (Isaac’s) blessing Genesis 27:34-36
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” 35 And he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.” 36 Then he said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?
Delilah betrayed Samson the prophet Judges 16:18
“When Delilah saw that he had told her all that was in his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all that is in his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands.”
Joab betrayed Abner’s trust and killed him 2 Samuel 3;26-27
26 When Joab came out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it. 27 So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother
David betrayed Uriah the Hittite and used his position as king to send him to the warfront where he was killed. 2 Samuel 14-15 14 In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.”
David was betrayed so many times that he wrote in Psalm 41:9
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me and,
Psalm 55:12-14
For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal,
My companion and my familiar friend; We who had sweet fellowship together
Walked in the house of God in the throng.
Usually the one who betrays is someone close to you. You have given up your utmost secrets to such an individual. You closest relationships are in their hands. Your financial secrets are with them. Your health secrets are with them. Your conjugal secrets are with them. Your spiritual secrets are to their knowledge. Then suddenly, it is all out there. Or they may have used that information in a way that compromises you completely. That is when it hurts. It is usually the betrayal of trust that hurts. “How could he, how could she do that to me? I trusted him, I trusted her. I trusted them. How could they?” Sometimes, you leave some important business, legal, family, financial or other important function of your life to them, thinking it I safe for them to carry out such responsibilities. They, knowing you have no other cover for what you have trusted them to do, take advantage of the gap and use it to gain an unfair advantage.
Think about this. If your enemy knows where you are most vulnerable, you are done. If your enemy knows your soft underbelly you are finished. They know where to pierce through and harm you. They know the chink in your armor. They know the weakest link in your chain. That is why betrayal is one of the most wicked acts in human behavior.
The only way Satan thought he could finish off Jesus was by getting one of his closest confidants to identify Him to Jesus’ enemies. So, he swallowed up Judas and used him.
One thing about those who betrayed in the Bible is that their end was never good. Some ended up with their lives cut short if it makes you feel any better.
Examples?
Saul betrayed David 1 Samuel 18:17
Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
Sapphiras and Ananias. Acts 5:1-11
They thought they could cheat the Holy Spirit by lying about the income they made from the sale of a land. They ended up dead.
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and ended up hanging himself in a field that became cursed. Matthew 26:25
And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself.”
The Devil tried to deceive the Holy Trinity Revelation 20:10, KJV: "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
Let it be known that the greatest problem one who has been betrayed had is that they put their trust in someone other than Jesus. Jesus is the only true friend. He is the only one that will not betray or deceive you.
TRITHEL! Proverbs 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Your spouse, children, pastor, employees, siblings, neighbors, church members, lovers, FLESH will betray you. Only Jesus will NOT.
Here are prayers to deal with betrayal
Prayers
----- Let the works of all who betray me, backfire to them seven-fold in Jesus name.
----Psalm 59:5 Lord God of Hosts, You are the God of Israel, rise up to punish all the nations; do not show grace to any wicked traitors afflicting me.
Proverbs 22:12
The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.
----O Lord overthrow every word of the treacherous personalities afflicting my life in Jesus name.
Psalm 119:158
I behold the treacherous and loathe them,
Because they do not keep Your word.
----Traitors against me have no basis with you O Lord, judge them yourself in Jesus name.
----Let every unclean spirit behind betrayal in my life be arrested in the name of Jesus.
David betrayed Uriah the Hittite and used his position as king to send him to the warfront where he was killed. 2 Samuel 14-15 14 In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.”
----May my strong Enemy fail at using my own hand to destroy me in Jesus name. Amen!
----O Lord expose and disgrace all those who are going about backstabbing me, spreading lies and deceit against me in the name of Jesus.
___ Isaiah 50:7 Psalm 25:2 Unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my face and voice, Lord, let me not be disgraced, let not my enemy triumph over me.
---- O Lord recover for me all that I have lost to betrayals by my unseen enemies.
