“without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22)
It’s almost common today to plead the blood of Jesus when praying for something or over someone, so it is biblical to plead the blood of Jesus?
The Blood of Jesus
It’s almost common today to plead the blood of Jesus when praying for something or over someone, so it is biblical to plead the blood of Jesus? Clearly the Bible teaches that we are cleansed from all our sins by the blood of Jesus or as some say, the blood of the Lamb of God, but there’s more to it than just His shed blood. We are saved by Jesus’ sinless life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead. In explaining the Gospel, the Apostle Paul sums it all up by saying, “the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand” (1 Cor 15:1) is of “first importance” (1 Cor 15:3a). So what is the gospel and what is so important that Paul calls if of “first importance?” It is very important to remember “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). That’s the gospel; Jesus’ sinless life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection on the third day. It’s not just Jesus’ sinless life or only His shed blood that is the gospel. It is His life, death and resurrection.
Remission of Sins
The Bible teaches in the Old and New Testaments that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. In the Old Testament and New, we are told that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22). It doesn’t say we need to plead the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. The reason that shed blood is required is because “the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (Lev 17:11). It is also the reason why God commanded Israel (and us, I believe) to “not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood” (Gen 9:4). And this came way before the Mosaic Law and sacrificial system with it. God had to kill animals for their skins and clothe Adam and Eve after their sin in the garden because fig leaves wouldn’t cut it for God. Blood had to be spilled.
Pleading the Blood
Is there any place in the Bible where someone pleaded the blood of Jesus or is found to be pleading the blood of Jesus over someone or for something? Nope. Even so, many pray, “I plead the blood of Jesus that you be healed” or “I plead the blood of Jesus that you receive a financial blessing…” and so on. That’s basically the “word of faith” movement that is infecting the church these days. The “name it and claim it” movement makes man sovereign and God being told what to do! How outrageous. The late Robert Shuler once said, “You have a miracle in your mouth…you just have to speak it,” but one of the holiest men and prophets of the Old Testament said, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5)!
Praying the Blood of Jesus
When people pray the blood of Jesus in prayer, what they are actually doing is claiming that His blood has the power of Christ in it and has authority over anything or any problem. The fact is there is not one place in all the Scripture where someone pleaded the blood of Jesus for something. There is nowhere in the Bible where someone prays and commands God to do something by Jesus’ blood. Even when those in the Bible do pray, they are asking God, not telling God what will be or proclaiming some power or authority to command just because Jesus’ blood is involved. We are commanded to pray to the Father through Jesus’ name, not His blood. It sounds powerful to pray His blood and many people are impressed by it and some believe it has great power, but there is no truth in pleading the blood of Jesus. Jesus’ shed blood was only part of what He paid and to claim to pray the blood takes our eyes off Jesus whose name we should be praying through. The Bible does say that the saints “triumphed over [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev 12:11), but their triumph was not about getting over a cold or being healed of cancer or binding Satan. The prayers and thanksgivings of the saints in the Bible were about the remission of their sins through His shed blood, but they never prayed to or pleaded through His blood. They were taught to pray (or plead to God) through Jesus’ name because He gives us access to the Father (Matt 6:9-13).
Blood Defeats Satan?
Jesus’ blood did seal Satan’s fate, but to claim Jesus’ blood has power to bind Satan or bring about miracles by proclaiming them is not found in the Bible. The miracles of the apostles began to cease as we read in the Book of Acts. This might be because, by then, there were at least some letters (or books of New Testament) of the Apostles being circulated in the churches, but not even the Apostle Paul ever pleaded Jesus’ blood in casting out demons or rebuking Satan’s minions. It is a big waste of time to plead something in Jesus’ blood, especially against Satan and his demons because we have already “triumphed over [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Col 1:13). There is nothing said in the entire Bible about praying or pleading for someone to be healed or to be blessed by the blood of Jesus, however there are dozens upon dozens of examples of praying to God through Jesus’ our Mediator and Intercessor.
This spotless Lamb died for the blemished and defective and this sacrifice needed to occur only once and it would be once and for all (Heb 10:12).
Conclusion
I pray you have put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have received eternal life by trusting in Jesus Christ, the Father or the Son will never let you slip away because they have you placed firmly and securely in the palm of their hand (John 10:28-29). If however, you have not been brought to repentance and faith, then you can plead Jesus’ blood all you want. You will not be saved and a dreaded judgment awaits you (Rev 20:12-15), so I plead with you now to put your faith in Christ and come and receive eternal life and avoid the eternal wrath of God (Rev 21:8).
Article by Jack Wellman
Jack Wellman is a father and grandfather and a Christian author and pastor of Heritage Evangelical Free Church in Udall, KS & also a Prison Minister. He did his graduate work at Moody Theological Seminary. His books are include: “Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children,“ “Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?,“ "The Great Omission; Reaching the Lost for Christ," and “Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible."
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