Spiritual Mapping combines data collection, historical research and spiritual revelation that pertain to a particular geographical region, family, or profession. The combination of knowledge enables one to identify the strategies and methods of the spiritual forces of darkness that are in the current state of manifestation in that region, family or profession. In my case, I wanted to know why the American educational system was in such a state of disarray and why it seemly couldn’t change. The ultimate goal in my mapping exercise was the development of a prayer strategy that would address the spiritual root causes that allowed darkness and destruction to continually reign over our schools and our children.
Because I’d spent most of my working life as a junior high and high school mathematics teacher, I knew that the Mountain of Education would be my focus. Another factor that made me interested in education was that seven years prior to my exposure to the Seven Mountain Strategy, C. Peter Wagner (a Christian author, missionary, and teacher) had conducted a retreat in Colorado Springs, Colorado for professionals from different occupations to spiritually map their respective professions.
Spiritual mapping is usually done on geographical regions, so this was a new concept and, to my knowledge, was the first time that spiritual mapping had been done on professions. Wagner had worked closely with George Otis Jr., director of The Sentinel Group, an organization that spiritually mapped geographic regions. Wagner wanted to take spiritual mapping to a new level, asking doctors, teachers, financial planners and other people to look at the history of their respective professions with spiritual eyes.
Otis defines spiritual mapping as a tool that allows believers to investigate the spiritual dynamics of their communities. It is the process of data acquisition for pastors, intercessors, worshipers and evangelists to analyze, strategize and process their evangelistic efforts.
My dear friends Drs. Mark and Betsy Neuenschwander headed up the meetings which took place in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Approximately thirty people from different professions came together to determine how our profession had arrived at its present state, good or bad. Then we were to devise a comprehensive prayer plan that would enable a novice to pick up our outline and pray effectively for any one of the professions. We were in a war room directing a war in the realm of the Spirit by putting together a spiritual warfare plan that any prayer warrior could use.
As an educator, I knew the educational system in the United States had changed, and not for the better. I’d watched it fail before my eyes. When I was in school, the problems in a classroom were simple—gum chewing, tardiness and occasionally truancy. In the classroom twenty years later, I now dealt with drugs, alcohol, low test scores, disrespect and outright rebellion. I delved back into history to find where the United States educational system had taken turns that led us down the path to a totally different school environment than our parents and grandparents had experienced. It soon became clear what had happened.
The goal of the Colorado Springs group of professionals was to merge the Mountain of Influence teaching with spiritual mapping, then identify the ancient thrones of iniquity and major spiritual influences in our educational system. At that point, we could deal with them in prayer. It’s a simple strategy, yet profound.t were as though a mastermind had led us to the point of destruction. The mastermind is Baal, the false god of the Old Testament. The Greeks had perpetuated worship to Baal, as had the Romans. Later, the salons of France gave new life to humanism, which is a form of Baal worship. Many of our country’s founding fathers, influenced by new ideas circulating in Europe, brought those ideas to America.
Perhaps because the educational system is huge, it looks overwhelming to take on as a prayer effort. For the most part, prayer efforts for education have been to pray for some aspect of the system that influences us directly—for instance, a mother might pray for the school and teachers where her children attend classes. But intercession for the whole of education is seldom done and most likely is a result of intercessors not being summoned and given the tools to know how to pray for the educational system as a whole.
The system is in dire need of revision, revival, and reformation, but how to pray for those changes often eludes us as intercessors. The result has been that the system has run rampant with limited moral checks and balances. As a consequence, our nation has reaped the negative benefits of godless education administered by those who wish to educate a person’s mind and not his spirit.
Education must be reclaimed as a part of reformation in America. How do we accomplished this? Many of us who are over the age of fifty have seen the American educational system make a steady downturn. Can we take it back? Can we cause a reformation? Can our educational system be turned around? I believe it can. If we will listen to the leadership God has placed in authority over this mountain, things will change. God is unfolding His strategy on how to pray and change education, which will ultimately result in a change in our country.
Jesus said, “How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house” (Matthew 12:29). In America’s beginnings we had a godly educational system based on godly principles. Over time, godless decisions made allowed that allowed evil to enter, slowly at first, but once it gained a foothold the floodgates opened. And our educational system became corrupt. Many doubt if redemption is possible. As intercessors, we must leave the results of our prayers to God. We don’t know what His answer will be, but we do know God will hear and answer our prayers – if we pray!
Reclaiming our educational system won’t be molding a school system in the image of all Christian schools. Nor will it be to bring about a system like we enjoyed 60 years ago. It is about advancing the Kingdom of God. How do we go about advancing the Kingdom of God in education? Sounds like a lofty spiritual goal, but God does give specific instructions as to how we are to establish His Kingdom on this earth. With over 100,000 (as per the US Department of Education web site) public schools in this country, this is a huge task. However, if we have a plan, we can change the system.
Our assignment is to take back education in America. Spiritual Mapping allows us to devise a plan as to how and what to pray, then set our course and believe God for transformation.
