Do you find yourself up against a brick wall? Are you facing stubborn challenges that won’t yield? Maybe it’s time for spiritual warfare praying.
It’s possible to combat the forces of darkness through prayer. The disciples saw how effective prayer was in Jesus’ ministry. Here was a man who spoke to demons and they fled. He even spoke to the wind and the waves and they obeyed. And you and I can do the same.
What warfare praying is not
- Making weird noises, screaming, or some type of spiritual “voodoo.” This is how the false prophets of Baal acted. They screeched and screamed and waved their arms and cut themselves (1 Kings 18). That’s not spiritual warfare.
- Going to the top of the highest building in your city so you can get closer to the “principalities” and do real battle.
- It’s not to presumptuously seek out a confrontation with the devil. When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, the Spirit led him. (Matthew 4:1). He didn’t go looking for the devil, but He was not afraid to confront him.
Should I Pray Warfare Prayers?
Yes! Let me give you seven quick reasons why.
- Because victories are always won first in the spirit realm.
- The source of trouble is most always spiritual forces of wickedness.
When you have trouble, the real source is not something you can see. Drugs are a problem, but not the source. Pornography is a problem, but not the source. Until we deal with the root, the symptoms will not leave. Spiritual victories must be won in the spirit.
- It brings authentic revival to the church.
In his lectures on revival, Charles Finney said, “This is one of the first steps to authentic revival: realizing the authority in Christ we have over the devil and his forces of darkness.”
Jesus said:
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
—Luke 10:19
God didn’t save us so we could sit around waiting to go to Heaven. He saved us so we could instigate revival—true life coming to the Church and the world!
- It advances God’s Kingdom on the earth.
We can actively take away the ground the devil has occupied and turn it into property for God’s work. I love reading about the revivals of Israel, when they took the temples of Baal and turned them into public toilets. I’m happy to see adult bookstores turned into Christian bookstores. Displace the enemy and bring in the Kingdom of God.
- It provides deliverance from evil.
Acts 10:38 says Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit and power, and went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
God will deliver us from evil when we believe He’ll deliver us from evil. We must not think every bad thing is from God. If it kills, destroys, or steals it’s not God, it’s the devil, so actively fight against it.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
—John 10:10
- We should pray spiritual warfare prayers to provide advance protection for the Church.
- We should engage in spiritual warfare praying simply because Jesus did it, so we must, too.
Stay tuned for my next post on 6 Steps to Getting Started as a Prayer Warrior.
I love the last reason given, “…because Jesus did it”. I think this reason is more than enough to inspire believers to engage in the art of spiritual warfare always.
Thanks Pastor Dave, I am following your readings on spiritual warfare praying.
“Until we deal with the root, the symptoms will not leave.”
This is such an important point and has been the key to freedom for so many of the men I have dealt with in my ministry.
Thank you
pastor Dave God is really using your prayer topics, its been a revival period in my ministry and prayerlife. continue in God’s grace. Amen
Pastor you are right on point because warfare praying disarms the enemy before they carry out their attack .