00:02 Emcee:
Welcome to the Strategic Intercession Podcast, where we share powerful prayer techniques, inspiring stories, and tools to help you lead with wisdom and confidence. Hosted by Melanie Boudreau, a seasoned leader in focused prayer. Whether you're leading in church, government, or business, shaping your industry, this podcast is for you. Now here's your host, Melanie Boudreau.

00:29 Melanie Boudreau:
Have you ever moved into a new home or office and just felt like something wasn't quite right?

00:34 Melanie Boudreau:
I'm not talking about plumbing issues or squeaky floorboards, but that spiritual heaviness that you can't really explain. You know what I mean? Maybe you felt unusually tired or anxious or your kids suddenly started having nightmares. And the crazy thing is, this all happened in a place that seemed like such a blessing. Your dream home or that ministry space you've been praying for?

00:58 Melanie Boudreau:
I've seen this so many times. A family moves into a beautiful home, and not long after they're dealing with chronic fatigue or this fog of depression that wasn't there before. And then later they discover the property had this painful history, maybe a death or occult practices or some kind of trauma. While we can't see it with our natural eyes, that spiritual residue can actually linger unless someone intentionally deals with it. Or maybe you've noticed that weird pattern where different businesses keep opening on the same piece of land and none of them succeed.

01:36 Melanie Boudreau:
Different owners, different industries, but always the same financial struggles, conflict, and confusion. It really makes you wonder, doesn't it? Could there be something deeper going on? Is that land carrying a history of injustice or broken covenants? Today we're tackling a topic that affects so many leaders, but honestly, it's rarely the spiritual cleansing of land.

02:04 Melanie Boudreau:
We're going to discover how to break those hidden strongholds and reclaim property for God's kingdom.

02:13 Melanie Boudreau:
You know, some properties just seem to carry this spirit of strife. I've seen couples or ministry partners who start experiencing sudden relational tension, fighting disunity, emotional withdrawal almost immediately after moving in. And then later they learn that the previous residents had experienced the exact same kind of division. Could it be that the enemy is exploiting something that was never spiritually closed off? These aren't just isolated observations.

02:46 Melanie Boudreau:
Many pastors, missionaries, and intercessors around the world have encountered these same patterns. And let me be clear, it doesn't mean that you personally are under a curse or have done something wrong, but it might mean the land itself needs to be cleansed. Scripture actually shows us that land can be defiled and that it matters to God. And if land can be defiled, it can also be healed. We're going to explore how the Bible describes this dynamic and what you can do if you're facing something similar.

03:20 Melanie Boudreau:
But first, just take a moment and ask, has any of this been true in your experience? Is it possible that what you're feeling isn't just emotional or circumstantial, but spiritual? That's exactly what we're diving into today, because sometimes we're praying for breakthrough in our lives, our families, or our ministries, and we feel like we're up against a brick wall. The issue may not be our faith or our prayers. The issue may be the ground beneath our feet in the spiritual realm.

03:58 Melanie Boudreau:
Satan is what I like to call a legalist. He's. He's constantly looking for open doors, legal grounds, ways he can stake a claim. And those claims are often linked to sin that hasn't been repented of. Sometimes our own, but often the sins of others who came before us.

04:16 Melanie Boudreau:
Here's the he can only operate where there's a legal right, a foothold. And while Jesus absolutely paid for our freedom, we can unknowingly give the enemy access through several open doors. Personal sin. Ephesians 4 reminds us not to give the devil a foothold. Generational sin.

04:38 Melanie Boudreau:
We see this in Exodus 20. Unhealed trauma or agreement with lies. Think about what Jesus said in John 8 about the Father of lies and the one we're focusing on today, land defilement, which we see in Leviticus 18 and Numbers 35. The enemy stakes his claim through these open doors, establishing strongholds that actively resist breakthrough. We see in Job one that Satan couldn't touch Job without permission.

05:11 Melanie Boudreau:
And Jesus told us that the enemy has no hold on him. But sometimes the enemy does have a hold in our lives or on our property because we haven't prayed strategically by revoking his access. Think of it like squatters rights. Just because you own a property doesn't mean someone isn't living there illegally and causing damage. Spiritually, it works the same way.

05:38 Melanie Boudreau:
The blood of Jesus has bought our redemption. But there are places where the enemy still occupies what he once controlled. And he's not leaving unless he's evicted. And one of the most overlooked areas where the enemy stakes a claim is in the land itself.

05:58 Melanie Boudreau:
Scripture is full of examples where land is blessed or cursed based on the spiritual activity that happens there. In Leviticus 18, God gives Israel this list of forbidden practices. Idolatry, sexual immorality, child sacrifice. And then he says something really shocking. The land was defiled, so I punished it for its sin and and the land vomited out its inhabitants.

06:27 Melanie Boudreau:
Think about that for a second. The land itself reacted to sin. This isn't just poetic language. God ties his covenant promises to actual geographic territory, from Eden to the promised land. He blesses people with land, and he also removes people from it when there's defilement.

06:47 Melanie Boudreau:
That's exactly what happened in Israel's exile. The land needed to rest from all the sin committed upon it. You might be thinking, but, Melanie, that was Old Testament. We live under grace now. Yes, and amen.

07:03 Melanie Boudreau:
But the spiritual principles haven't changed. Jesus still casts out demons. He still redeems what's broken. And the enemy still prowls around looking for legal ground. When we don't see fruit, when ministry efforts hit resistance, when we sense oppression we can't explain, we really need to consider, has this ground been claimed by the enemy in some way?

07:28 Melanie Boudreau:
Again, biblically, land is not neutral. It can be blessed or cursed, healed or defiled. When the land is defiled, it can cause barrenness, unrest, and spiritual resistance. And that's what we're going to unpack next, reasons land can be defiled. The Bible lists quite a few, so let me walk you through the them.

07:55 Melanie Boudreau:
Bloodshed is a big one, whether through murder, war, abortion or violence. Sexual immorality, such as adultery, prostitution and perversion, practiced regularly in an area moving God's earth boundaries, like unrighteous land deals, or duplicity, not asking God for wisdom, which is actually a form of rebellion, idolatry and occult practices such as worshiping false gods, divination, witchcraft, broken covenants and injustice, like stealing land, divorce, breaking treaties, or exploiting the poor and withholding the tithe, which is robbing God. When these things happen in relation to a property or even a region, it creates this spiritual pollution. The enemy then lays claim to that land and exerts influence over it. And unless someone intervenes in the name of Jesus, that influence just lingers.

09:02 Melanie Boudreau:
So what do we do about it? Well, we don't try to uncover every sin ever committed. That's just not possible. But we do look for what I call iniquitous patterns. Specific sins in scripture that defile land and give the enemy legal ground.

09:20 Melanie Boudreau:
So how do we identify these patterns? We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what's relevant to this moment, this place. This practice is often called spiritual mapping. It's a practice used by some Christians, especially in intercessory prayer, deliverance, and missions contexts, to identify and understand the spiritual forces affecting a specific geographic area. The goal is to pray more effectively for transformation by mapping the spiritual history of a region.

09:55 Melanie Boudreau:
Or in this case, we use spiritual mapping to uncover the past defilements of a specific piece of property. So how do you actually do this? You'll want to pray with discernment as you research a location, asking God to highlight anything in the land's history that needs to be addressed. So what might this look like? Practically, you might do some research, listen to stories from people in the area, talk with town historians, or simply walk the property and asking God, what happened here?

10:28 Melanie Boudreau:
What is resisting your presence here? I know this research can feel overwhelming when you're just getting started, so I've put together a list of helpful resources to guide your investigation into the historical and spiritual background of a property, especially in identifying past defilements for land cleansing. These resources are completely free and available when you subscribe for free to strategicintercession.com Listening Prayer is absolutely key here. God may bring something to mind connections between the warfare you're experiencing and specific ways this land was defiled. Trust those promptings of the Holy Spirit.

11:13 Melanie Boudreau:
We do this not to dig up dirt, but to bring cleansing and healing in Jesus name. This isn't about chasing every sin since Adam and Eve. Instead, we ask the Holy Spirit some specific questions, like what happened here that gave the enemy access? What needs to be repented of? Are there unhealed wounds, broken covenants, or spiritual assignments against this place?

11:39 Melanie Boudreau:
As we do this, we're guided by three key what history tells us, what current headlines reveal, and what Holy Spirit shows us through revelation.

11:53 Melanie Boudreau:
Once you sense what may be defiling the land, here's generally how we respond. First, we repent on behalf of whatever sin occurred, even if we weren't the ones who did it. Just like Daniel prayed on behalf of Israel, we can confess generational and territorial sin. We say, lord, we repent for what happened here. Forgive the sins committed on this ground.

12:19 Melanie Boudreau:
We remove any defiling objects and apply the cleansing blood of Jesus. Second, we renounce any agreements made with darkness. This might be a dedication to a false God. The presence of occult symbols or covenants made in secret we say aloud in Jesus name, we break every agreement made with the enemy over this land. We cancel every legal right of darkness to remain here.

12:47 Melanie Boudreau:
Third, we secure the gates of the property. The Bible teaches about prophetically locking down the gates north, south, east and west. There are actually 12 gates to every property, region, state and nation. When you cleanse and anoint the property, make sure you're considering the cardinal gates and points in between. Stake those gates Fourth, we take communion with the land to redeem it, which makes perfect sense since we were created from the earth.

13:18 Melanie Boudreau:
The biblical model is always to redeem with the blood before anointing. We see this in Leviticus 8 and Leviticus 14. Fifth, we declare God's ownership. Consider declaring out this land belongs to Jesus Christ. We claim it for the kingdom of God.

13:37 Melanie Boudreau:
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. We decree, the scepter of the wicked will not rest on the land allotted to the righteous. Sixth, we anoint the land and dedicate it to God, declaring the lordship of Jesus over the property. That means walking the property, praying scripture, playing worship music, and using oil to anoint property boundaries, points of egress, doorposts, or corners of a room. And finally, we commit to ongoing stewardship of the property, maintaining that new spiritual atmosphere.

14:16 Melanie Boudreau:
Now that you have the basic framework, let me walk you through how to make this even more effective in your specific situation. When you're actually researching, you'll want to gather details under each category of how the land was specifically defiled, including common things we see in today's world, like divorces or abortions. Take every detail that the Holy Spirit highlights as important and repent for each specific infraction. Whenever possible, bring in representatives to stand in for those responsible for the defilement. For example, if European fur trappers slaughtered Native Americans on your land, you might stage a forgiveness ceremony, including a friend from Europe and a believer from that tribe, to hear the repentance and extend forgiveness.

15:02 Melanie Boudreau:
Ask the Holy Spirit what's needed as you repent and renounce the sin that defiled the land. Don't pray general prayers. Instead, confess, repent, and renounce out loud the specific sins affecting the property. Applying the blood of Jesus for Cleansing Often, believers try to anoint a land for God's purposes without cleansing at first, and that's just not effective. Think of it this way.

15:30 Melanie Boudreau:
You wouldn't invite guests into a dirty house. You clean the space first, then welcome them in. The same principle applies to inviting God's presence onto defiled land.

15:44 Melanie Boudreau:
Let me share a specific practice that can really strengthen your land. Cleansing Staking the Property Staking is a prophetic act where you physically mark the boundaries of your property with wooden or metal stakes, typically anointed with oil and inscribed with Scripture. This helps close the spiritual gates. Gates in scripture are symbolic of access points, authority, and boundaries. Spiritually closing the gates means shutting down any portals, literal or symbolic, through which demonic influence has entered or might try to return.

16:21 Melanie Boudreau:
Now this is where we take our authority and speak directly to those spiritual access points. You'll want to pray aloud with confidence and authority. Something like. In the name of Jesus, we close every gate that has been opened to the enemy through sin, trauma, or agreement with darkness. We seal these gates by the blood of Jesus and declare they will no longer be used for evil or.

16:46 Melanie Boudreau:
Or unclean purposes. Now, here's what's happening spiritually when you do this. Each stake driven into the ground is a declaration of the cross of Jesus Christ. It's a way of saying this land is under the authority of the crucified and risen King. We're claiming it by aligning with God's word and the finished work of Jesus.

17:07 Melanie Boudreau:
As we do this, we're also raising what the Bible and Jewish tradition calls a hupppah, a covering in a wedding. The hupa represents covenant protection and the presence of God in land cleansing. It becomes this canopy of worship, a declaration that this space is meant to host the presence of the Lord, to be filled with his peace, his purposes, and his glory. Then at the gates, we sprinkle salt. Salt in Scripture symbolizes covenant purity and preservation.

17:44 Melanie Boudreau:
It's what Elisha used to cleanse the poison waters in 2 Kings, chapter 2. By sprinkling salt at the gates, we're reclaiming those thresholds for the kingdom of God. It's a prophetic act of purification and dedication, preparing the ground to be anointed and inhabited by the Holy Spirit altogether. This is a powerful biblical way to align physical territory with the rule and reign of Jesus, inviting his lordship over not just people, but over places. It's about restoring what belongs to God and welcoming his presence to dwell among us.

18:27 Melanie Boudreau:
Here are some additional practical steps to consider when performing land cleansing. Walk the full perimeter of your land. Most people doing land cleansing just stake the four corners of their property. But the most important gates are actually the four cardinal directions. North, south, east, and west.

18:48 Melanie Boudreau:
Regardless of where your property corners fall, according to scripture, every property has 12 spiritual gates that need to be secured. Now, you might be thinking, Melanie, where does this 12 gates thing come from? Well, it's right there in scripture. The New Jerusalem has 12 gates in Revelation 21, and this principle applies to every piece of property. Mark the boundaries by placing a stake at the point closest to each of these four cardinal directions.

19:18 Melanie Boudreau:
While these may not align exactly with the four corners of your property, each cardinal stake represents your spiritual claim over that direction. Now, since scripture shows us there are 12 gates total, you'll want to add eight additional stakes spaced between the four cardinal points, this gives you complete spiritual coverage around the entire perimeter. Pay special attention to any part of your property that's closest to adjacent strongholds, like a drinking establishment, a Freemasonry lodge, or a Buddhist temple next door. Let me be clear. This isn't just about following a formula.

19:59 Melanie Boudreau:
This is about understanding and exercising your spiritual authority over the land God has given you stewardship over. Even if you can only manage the four cardinal stakes, that provides significant protection. But the 12 stakes represent complete coverage. This approach works even when you don't have clear legal boundaries for the property. You're not just marking corners, you're securing all 12 spiritual access points around your land with the authority Jesus has given you.

20:31 Melanie Boudreau:
Use physical stakes and add scriptures to them. Psalm 91 works really well. Anoint the stakes with oil and pray over them as you consecrate the land, setting it apart for God's purposes. Now, here's something really important that I don't want you to miss. Before we anoint the land with oil, we first take communion as part of a prophetic act.

20:54 Melanie Boudreau:
During this step, as we're staking the land, we actually drop a portion of the communion elements, both the bread and the wine or juice, right onto the ground. This represents sealing a covenant over the land. Only after we've done this covenant sealing do we proceed with anointing the stakes and the land with oil. Think about it. We're literally applying the body and blood of Jesus to claim this ground for his kingdom.

21:21 Melanie Boudreau:
It's a powerful prophetic act that establishes his lordship over the property before we do anything else. Now that you understand the covenant foundation, let's walk through the actual staking process. Drive the stakes into the ground with prayer. Let me share a sample prayer you could use. As we stake this land, we proclaim the finished work of Jesus Christ crucified.

21:45 Melanie Boudreau:
Each stake driven into the ground is a declaration of the cross. His blood shed, his body pierced, his victory secured. We don't claim this land by human authority, but by the eternal covenant established through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Let's continue with this prayer. We raise a spiritual hupa, a canopy of worship over this land, declaring it a dwelling place for the presence of God.

22:14 Melanie Boudreau:
Just as a Jewish huppa represents covenant and covering, so we welcome the covering of the Lord Jesus over every inch of this property. May his name be exalted here, and may every plan that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ be brought low. Now here's what you'll do. At each you'll sprinkle salt, the biblical symbol of covenant preservation and purity. And here's the prayer for that.

22:43 Melanie Boudreau:
At each entryway we sprinkle salt, the biblical symbol of covenant preservation and purity. With this act we reclaim and consecrate the gates of this land. Let them be guarded by the presence of the Lord and dedicated for righteousness, peace and hospitality to the Spirit of God. Now, as the last step, anoint each gate marked with a stake with oil and pray as you Lord, we consecrate this threshold. May only what is holy and aligned with your kingdom come and go from here.

23:17 Melanie Boudreau:
We anoint this land not as a ritual, but as an act of alignment with the heart of God, welcoming the Holy Spirit to dwell for, rule and sanctify this place for his purposes. Let this ground now be holy ground. You might also want to proclaim scriptures God gives you over the property. For example, you might no weapon formed against this home or this land shall prosper. Or you might proclaim God's ownership by this land and every gate belongs to the Lord.

23:49 Melanie Boudreau:
The enemy has no legal right here any longer.

23:56 Melanie Boudreau:
One common mistake people make is cleansing the land but failing to maintain it. Once the cleansing is done, you need to keep the atmosphere clean. Here are some ways to do make worship a regular part of the environment. Speak blessing over the land and invite others to agree in prayer. And just be aware.

24:19 Melanie Boudreau:
Sometimes the enemy will try to push back, but your authority in Christ stands firm. When you do this, it's not just about driving out darkness, it's about inviting the presence of God. The Holy Spirit will dwell where he is welcomed, peace will begin to settle in, fruit will return, healing will flow and relationships will be restored. You'll know the shift not just in what you feel, but in what you see.

24:53 Melanie Boudreau:
Today, we've looked at how land can be spiritually defiled through activities like bloodshed, idolatry and broken covenants. The enemy can gain legal access to property through these defiling acts, creating resistance to God's purposes. Through repentance, renunciation, anointing and dedication, we can cleanse land and reclaim it for God's kingdom. To make this as practical as possible for you, I've created two resources to equip you for this work, both available for free@strategicintercession.com first, our property research Guide gives you specific tools and sources to investigate your property's spiritual history. And our comprehensive Land Cleansing Prayer Guide walks you through the entire process, from initial research to final dedication, so you can confidently reclaim your land for God's kingdom.

25:50 Melanie Boudreau:
As we close, here's something I want to leave you with. God is not only redeeming people, he's redeeming places. He told Abraham, go to the land. I will show you. And he wants to reclaim every place that the enemy has polluted or occupied.

26:09 Melanie Boudreau:
Maybe God has you living or ministering in a place that needs healing. Maybe your home, your church, your business property has spiritual history you didn't know about. It's not something to fear, it's something to redeem. And you have the authority to do that. Jesus gave you the keys to the kingdom.

26:31 Emcee:
Thank you for listening to the Strategic Intercession podcast. We hope you found today's episode inspiring and helpful. Don't forget to subscribe, share this podcast and visit strategicintercession.com for more resources. We're grateful to have you as part of our community. Until next time, blessings.