Warfare prayer is a form of intercessory prayer that involves praying against evil forces and strongholds that are seen as influencing people, situations, and places. The concept comes from passages in the Bible that talk about spiritual warfare and the weapons of warfare that believers have to fight against spiritual forces of darkness.
The goal of warfare prayer is to break down strongholds of the enemy and take authority over anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and His purposes (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). It’s praying with authority against demonic influences, accusations, thoughts, sickness – anything that is in opposition to God’s will.
Warfare prayer takes a much more aggressive approach against the enemy than regular intercessory prayer. It’s about being bold and direct in praying against specific attacks of the enemy. The Bible tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Since this unseen realm is real, followers of Christ are exhorted to fight the good fight of faith and wage war in the spiritual realms through prayer.
Some key things the Bible reveals about spiritual warfare and warfare prayer:
– Satan actively schemes against believers – “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
– Demonic forces are organized and have hierarchies – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
– Jesus gave His followers authority over the enemy – “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
– Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons – “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)
– The Word of God is described as the “sword of the Spirit” – “and take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17)
– Prayer is a weapon – “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18)
– Praise disempowers the enemy – “But You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)
– Fasting empowered prayer – “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29)
Based on these principles, followers of Christ are called to engage in warfare prayers as part of their Christian lives. Unlike traditional intercessory prayer that petitions God, warfare prayer directly addresses the spiritual realm. It’s commanding, confrontational, and authoritative in nature.
Here are some key aspects of what warfare prayer may involve:
– Identifying Strongholds – Recognizing areas of bondage, addiction, affliction, or wrong thinking that exalt themselves against Christ. Asking the Holy Spirit to reveal roots, lies, and agreements made that gave the enemy inroads.
– Breaking Strongholds – Commanding the defeat and destruction of evil spiritual forces, closed doors, ungodly agreements, and curses from the enemy in the name and authority of Jesus Christ.
– Binding Evil – Calling out and forbidding demonic and evil spiritual forces from operating, influencing, or acting in certain situations or the lives of certain people.
– Loosing Righteousness – Releasing the will and purposes of God into specific circumstances through His principles, presence, and declarations of truth.
– Pleading the Blood – Covering people, property, relationships, cities, nations with the cleansing blood of Jesus that defeats the enemy.
– Taking Authority – Operating in the delegated authority of Jesus to come against the powers of darkness and declaring Christ’s triumph over them.
– Align with God’s Kingdom – Affirming one’s position and authority as a child of God to release His will and Kingdom in the face of spiritual oppression.
– Use the Name of Jesus – Declaring the power and authority of the name of Jesus Christ over any evil, deception, or enemy attack.
– Pray Scripture – Praying/declaring relevant scriptures and God’s revealed truth into circumstances to tear down enemy lies and expel them.
– Cut Soul Ties – Sever ungodly spiritual bonds or pacts previously made, consciously or unconsciously, with other people or organizations.
– Apply the Armor of God – Appropriating by faith each piece of spiritual armor such as the helmet of salvation, belt of truth, etc. (Ephesians 6) to defend and guard one’s mind and heart.
– Cleanse a Space – Consecrating a physical space for God’s purposes and protection by remove or forbidding any ungodly spiritual activity.
– Use Spiritual Gifts – Operating gifts of the Spirit such as discernment to recognize spiritual forces and the gift of faith to overcome strongholds.
– Warfare Worship – Releasing the power of praise and worship as a weapon against the enemy and warfare strategy.
These elements of warfare prayer are seen throughout Scripture and are available to all believers seeking to push back the enemy. However, a few cautions are in order when practicing warfare prayer:
– Have a biblical perspective – Recognizing that ultimate victory has already been won by Christ and God’s power is greater than any enemy.
– Maintain a right heart – Avoid self-righteousness, anger, hatred, anxiety, pride – which can give enemy inroads.
– Operate in love – Stand against evil powers, not people. Goal is freeing people, not condemnation.
– Move in wisdom and obedience – Following the Holy Spirit’s leading when confronting the enemy rather than fleshly reactions.
– Understand authority in Christ – Function from a place of confidence in Christ’s delegated authority, not one’s own power.
– Stand firm in faith – Persevere with thanksgiving and praise, even when situations seem unaltered. God’s truth remains despite visible realm.
In summary, the biblical foundation of warfare prayer is that followers of Christ have been granted authority in the name of Jesus to come boldly before God’s throne (Hebrews 4:16) and to come against the devil’s schemes (James 4:7). Our warfare is ultimately against unseen forces who oppose the completion of God’s purposes on earth. Believers are called to arm themselves spiritually and fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12) through prayer as one of their weapons. Through bold, persistent, Spirit-led prayer, army of God withstands the enemy and releases the will of God on earth as it is in heaven.