Prayer requests

 

More and more, recently there have been words from believers and unbelievers alike -- "we are in a war." Or, "it's a cultural war." Or even, "our nation is at the brink of civil war."

I'm not going to get into politics today (maybe another day!) but have you heard the term "warfare prayer"?

Warfare prayer is a popular prayer concept today. It focuses on using prayer as a weapon against the spiritual forces of evil. It has a lot to do with our daily lives, our habits, and the things we struggle with daily. 

There is no doubt that spiritual warfare is real. Our enemy is Satan and his demons:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

And we are commanded to pray in Paul's letter discussing the armor of God:

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  (Ephesians 6:18)

We do need to be careful, though, since there are a couple of things about "warfare prayer" that can be unbiblical.

First, folks who utilize warfare prayer often recommend prayers written by others, rather than just speaking to our Father from our hearts. They also stress that prayers must be said repeatedly to be effectual! Jesus told us some important instructions regarding prayer:

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (Matthew 6:6-7)

Warfare prayers often encourage the believer to have a "take control" outlook; boldness in prayer is valued. There is nothing wrong with praying boldly and faithfully -- as long as we remember Who is in charge. And it is NOT us. Statements that start with "I" like, "I decree," "I bind," and "I rebuke" make us the agent of action, instead of God. We must remember to rely upon Him and ask for His will to be done.

Some warfare prayers guide believers to speak to Satan directly. I have studied this, and I don't believe this is biblical. Our prayers are to be directed to God. Rebuking Satan is done by Him! Check out Jude 1:9 and James 4:7 for backup on this one. I believe it's best to pray for our Redeemer to rebuke Satan, and leave it in His strong hands.

The last thing I noticed about warfare prayer is that many folks who practice it focus on material and earthly things. They often zero in on the "You name it and claim it" kind of theology. They ask for wealth, for binding sickness, and sometimes even use the words "decree blessing" on someone.

The New Testament is clear that God is not obligated to shower us with material wealth; nor is He under obligation to heal our sicknesses. Don't get me wrong -- it's ok to pray for blessings (and to thank Him for them, don't forget!) but God knows what will really benefit us, and He knows the plans that He has for our lives.

Praying in the midst of our spiritual warfare is necessary. But we must remember the biblical instructions: praying harder or with more repetitions, or assuming authority we don't have, is not the recipe for the believer. Instead, we need to pray according to Scripture, trust in His strength and power, and submit our will to His.

Lord, hear my prayer,
    listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
    come to my relief. (Psalm 143:1)

If you have a prayer request that you can share, please add it in the comments below so that we may pray with you.