“For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 NLT
One of the many questions we tend to ask (when it comes to spiritual warfare) is:
How do I pray?
This brings on other questions. Are there specific words I should say? Do I have to pray more than once? Is there someone special I should go to for spiritual warfare or can any Christian pray?
What we as Christians need to remember is Jesus has given us the authority of His name. Prayer is not for special or select people. As adopted sons and daughters through the atonement of Christ, we can all pray for one another, asking God for healing, justice, resolution in difficult situations. Anything there is to pray about we can take before God as one of His own.
“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT)
During the times we experience direct spiritual oppression or attack, we have the power of Christ upon which to stand. Some times the result is immediate. We see God’s at work in a miraculous way or witness the immediate response of the enemy to His authority.There are other times when we must go through a process which leads to freedom from temptation, healing, and/or restoration. These are opportunities for us to grow in faith and dependence on God as we stand firm in our faith, focusing our eyes on Him.
As Christians, we need to recognize ourselves as active participants in a daily spiritual battle. Our greatest weapons are scripture and prayer. By taking the time to seek God, draw close to Him, impress His word on our minds and in our hearts, and building our faith, we can experience the victory Jesus Christ has already secured for us through His life, death, resurrection.
So how can we pray when we are coming against our spiritual enemy?
By being direct and honest with God. Honor Him first and above all else. Confess anything which needs it. Prayer is communication between the Lord and us. We can go before Him on our own or with mature Christian friends (or church leadership) depending on the situation (“where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” Matthew 18:20 NIV). So long as we remember who our authority resides in we have nothing to fear.
A Special Prayer for Warriors (excerpt from Escaping the Cauldron):
My Lord,
Help me remember to put on the full armor every day. Protect my mind from temptation and wrong thinking. Guard my heart from acting on my desires rather than following the Holy Spirit. Remind me who I am in Christ Jesus, my identity as Your disciple and adopted child. When the fiery darts of the wicked one come against me, help me stand firm and to resist. Remind me of the truth every day. Write Your word on my heart. Give me the strength to stand with my Christian brothers and sisters against the enemy.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
You can read more about spiritual warfare and other prayers I’ve shared in Escaping the Cauldron, now available on Amazon,Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and in stores everywhere.
About Kristine McGuire