You Ought to Be A Prayer Warrior!

 

• What do we usually think about when we say “Prayer Warrior”?

• • We usually think of them as people with a special anointing. Usually, older ladies in the church who wear Tallits and are willing to pray and intercede for people. 

• • • This may seem like an ineffective activity to some, but it is not easy work, and it requires significant physical effort if it is to be effective.

• • Today I am going to propose everyone ought to be a prayer warrior!

• • • Every one of us should have a strong vigorous and fervent prayer life because it is how we cause a physical manifestation of things God has done for us in the spiritual realms.

• • • Listen:

The Word of God, spoken from a child of God, proclaiming the will of God has the divine power to demolish powerful strongholds of our enemy Satan and set free his captives.

 

• • From the beginning, there has been warfare between the servants of the Kingdom of God and the servants of the Kingdom of Satan. 

• • • A prayer warrior is one of mankind’s best defensive and offensive weapons against the forces of satan.

• • • We are at war! There are no neutrals in this war. 

• • • Satan intends to destroy us all and uses our human nature to do it.

• • • We must stop him by using our super nature as children of God to stop him. That is done through prayer. 

• • Prayer warrior is indeed the correct term because prayer is warfare! To be effective in prayer requires a true warrior spirit, and it requires discipline, personal sacrifice, dedication, and a willingness to persevere when others would give up. 

• • Prayer warriors must become disciples of Christ seeking his face rather than his hand. Their prayers are for the will of God to be done rather than the will of man, and they are intercessors for God's perfect will to manifest in all people's lives.

 

• • Prayer warriors face opposition and resistance from the spiritual realm (Devils and demons) and the world (Distractions and men) around them. They will face attacks from even members of their own households when they elevate the Word of God over the Word of men.

• • • Using the divine gift of prayer, they labor to release the blessings of heaven and cause them to be poured out on the earth. 

• • • True prayer warriors battle and wrestle in prayer with demonic spirits that seek to overwhelm and prevent them from persistent fervent, and intense prayer.

• • • Prayer warriors must be strong in faith to believe that God will hear their prayers even when it doesn’t appear he’s listening.

 

• • Today I will reveal to you why you ought to be a prayer warrior. I will reveal that prayer is the key that releases the spiritual blessings in heavenly places into our natural world.

Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV): Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

 

We have been given these blessings in heavenly places, but it is there where the forces of evil are interfering with the distribution of those blessings to God to people.

 

Our supply lines are constantly being threatened.

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV): For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places

 

• • Please listen closely. I will explain why you should be a prayer warrior in the next few moments.

• • • The foundation for our dominance over all the earth

• • • How to recover dominance over the earth

• • • How to Pray

• • • Elijah our example

 

The Foundation For Our Dominance Over All Of The Earth

 

• Ge 1:1–3 (NKJV) — 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 

• • God created the universe by the power of his Word and his Spirit!

Ps 33:6 (NKJV) — 6 By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 

 

Ps 148:5 (NKJV) — 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created. 

 

Ge 1:26–28 (NKJV) — 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 

 

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV): And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

 

• • Everything we see was created by God and is entirely submissive to the Word of God. Whatever God says, the universe complies.

• • • What was God’s will for man in the beginning? To have dominion.

• • • Man lost his authority and power of dominion over the world in the fall, but Christ restored it. 

• • • • He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

• • • • We can now ask in the name of Jesus and whatever we ask will be done for us.

 

• • Dominion is still God’s will for man! But man must have the power of God - his Spirit - working on his behalf to bring God’s will for man’s dominion on the earth. The power to reorder things in your world is dependent upon your ability to pray for the will of God in your life. 

• • • You reorder your world, not by your might or your power but by his Spirit. Prayer has been given for us to reorder our world according to the will of God, but we must remember life is choice driven, and we have to choose each day what type of world we’re going to receive that day.

• • • Now, remember, what was the will of God for man when he put him here on the earth? “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 

 

• • Dominion over the earth is restored through prayer. Watch how…

Lk 11:1 (NKJV) — 1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” 

 

2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: 

it is not if you pray, it is when you pray! Prayer is a gift that God has given us by his grace, to bring to pass his will in the earth. (pay careful attention here)

2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 

• • • What are the first things we are to pray for? 

• • • • His Kingdom to be established, and his will to be done…how?

• • • • • By his will being done…where?

• • • • • On earth as it is in heaven!

A Prayer Warrior prays for the will of God to be done on the earth. 

• • • • Now think; is there 

• • • • • Any sickness in heaven?

• • • • • Any pain and suffering?

• • • • • Any lack?

• • • • • Any poverty?

• • • • • Any racism?

• • • • • Any abuse, injustice, unrighteousness

• • • • • Any disobedience?

• • • What are we to ask for when we pray?

• • • • We are to pray for his will to be done on the earth as it is in heaven.

• • • • • God’s will for us is better than anything we can pray for ourselves.

• • • • How do we find God’s will for us to pray for it to be done? God’s will is found in his Word.

 

How to recover dominance over the earth

 

• The apostles were prayer warriors and understood they were given authority on earth to ask for whatever they desired. So, they would devote themselves to determining God’s will asking God to bring his will to pass in the earth. They understood that they were to live for the glory of God and pray for his glory according to his Word.

Ac 6:4 (NKJV) — 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.”

• • The Word and prayer go together! The Word builds your faith to encourage you to pray and return his Word back to him.

Is 55:11 (NKJV) — 11 So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 

 

The heart of God is revealed in his Word.

The hand of God is revealed by prayer for his Word to come to pass!

 

• • Further proof prayer is to be based upon God’s Word! 

1 Jn 5:14–15 (NKJV) — 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  

• • • Prayer is the grace God has given to us to bring to pass his will on the earth as it is in heaven.

• • • We are to ask according to his will. If we do, we will get whatever we ask for. 

• • • Whatever we can find in the Bible that God has said he wants us to have or to do, we can ask him for it to be done.

• • • • Then we simply trust and believe that he will get it done.

• • • Get it! We are to ask for his will to be done! If we don’t ask we don’t get!

James 4:2–3 (NKJV): Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

• • • • Prayer must not be selfish. It must be for the glory of God.

 

Better to Pray for God’s Will to be Done than OURS!! 

 

• • • We have been given the permission to ask of God boldly!

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV): Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

• • • • Grace - unmerited favor given by God.

 

• • Scripture encourages us to pray for God’s will to be done, but the world, the flesh, and the devil will resist us in all manner of ways. Satan does not want you to pray. He does not want God to be involved in our lives. He does not want the will of God to be done on the earth as it is in heaven. 

• • • Satan will resist you when you pray. But when you pray in Jesus name, demons will submit to you (Lu 10:17)

• • • You have been given the authority to cast out demons! (Mk 16:17)

 

• • Therefore, productive prayer requires a true warrior spirit.

Eph 6:12 (NKJV) — 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

• • • Remember Daniel, in chapter 10, prayed and fasted for three weeks straight before he got an answer (Dan 10:2,12-13)

• • • • There was spiritual warfare going forth. 

• • • • Angels were fighting against demons.

• • • • Daniel had to pray continuously until he got a breakthrough.

 

Through prayer we can engage the enemy in the spirit world and defeat him before we encounter him here in the natural world. 

 

• • Persistent prayer commands squadrons of angels to come to our aid when we are in need.

Ps 103:20 (NKJV) — 20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His Word, Heeding the voice of His Word. 

 

• • Summary so far.

• • • God’s desire is for us to have dominion over all the earth.

• • • He has given us prayer and his Word to pray so we may accomplish his plan for us in this world.

• • • Satan and his legions of demons will resist those who pray for the Word of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

• • As you continue to hear what I’m about to say, I pray that you begin to understand. 

 

You Ought To Be A Prayer Warrior!

 

How to Pray

 

• Here is the Word of God of how we are to pray:

Lk 18:1 (NKJV) — 1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,   

 

• • Persistent prayer is the way God has given man – who he has given dominion over the earth – as the way to bring about the will of God again to be manifested in the earth. 

 

God honors those who pray using his Word!

Satan resists any who pray using God’s Word!

 

• • We have the ability in prayer to bring about the will of God on the earth! But to bring it to pass… Men always ought to pray and not lose heart,   

• • • Always pray! – Persistently pray, constantly pray, continuously pray

• • • Not lose heart! – Never give up, don’t quit!

• • We are encouraged by Scriptures throughout the Bible and to pray continually. Continuous prayer brings about the will of God. Whatever God has said, he will do it, when you ask for it continually in prayer.

 

1 Th 5:17 (NKJV) — 17 pray without ceasing, 

 

Mt 7:7–11 (NKJV) — 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

 

Mt 21:22 (NKJV) — 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” 

 

Jn 14:13–14 (NKJV) — 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 

 

ELIJAH; One example of Persistent, Fervent, Intense Prayer

 

• Now the apostle James gives an example that helps make my point clear that persistent prayer is necessary for breakthroughs!

 

Jas 5:16 (NKJV) — 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 

 

Heb 5:7 (ESV) — 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 

 

Jas 5:16 (NKJV) — 16 ….The effective, fervent (passionate, intense continuous) prayer of a righteous man avails much. 

 

Persistent, Fervent, Intense Prayer attacks the forces of evil in their environment and not ours!

 

Then he presents to us the prophet Elijah.

 

• • (NKJV) James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 

 

Elijah, a man with a nature like ours, changed the pattern of nature. That it did not rain for 3 ½ years. How did he get that authority to change nature?

 

He was familiar with the Word of God. He prayed that God would honor his Word. He prayed that God would do as he said.

 

Solomon had prayed the same way.

2 Sa 7:25 (NKJV) — 25 “Now, O Lord God, the Word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. 

 

Elijah knew the following Scripture.

Dt 11:16–17 (ESV) — 16 Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; 17 then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you. 

 

• • • Knowing this, God told him to go tell the wicked King Ahab judgment was coming. 

1 Ki 17:1 (NKJV) — 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” 

 

• • James then tells us.

James 5: 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

 

Again, Elijah prayed the Word of God to come to pass. This time he would experience resistance and have to prove himself a prayer warrior.

 

1 Ki 18:1 (NKJV) — 1 And it came to pass after many days that the Word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” 

 

Then he went away and prayed

1 Ki 18:42–46 (NKJV) — 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 

• • • Here, the man of God goes all by himself to get alone with God Mt 6:6) and gets in a position of prayer.

 

43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” 

• • • Elijah prays continuously for the same thing seven times! Elijah prayed and prayed and got no response.

• • • For six times there was nothing! No sign that the prayer was effective!

• • • •  How often do we pray and we seem to get nothing in response?

• • • •  How often do we give up?

• • • • •  Jesus said we must pray and not give up!

• • • If we are praying God’s Word, we must continually pray. 

• • • • By continually praying we are showing God our faith; God rewards us for faith!

 

• • • Elijah did not give up. He heard God say he was going to send rain. Elijah prayed until the rain came. The Scripture says

Ps 27:14 (ESV) — 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! 

 

Is 40:31 (ESV) — 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. 

 

• • • One brief example: Remember now the woman who had a sick child. She kept pestering Jesus to heal her daughter and he said it was not right to take the children’s bread and feed the dogs? Remember she said “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall off their masters table?”

 

 

Why did Jesus not answer her immediately, because he wanted to test her faith. Then, when she kept pressing him with that he say? Mt 15:28 (ESV) — 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. 

 

• • • Men are to always pray and not give up no matter how difficult things might seem to be. A soldier must fight the good fight. In prayer, you are to be a prayer warrior!

• • • Elijah kept praying:

44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” 

 

Persistent, Fervent, Intense, prayer unleashes the Spirit of God to act on your behalf.

 

45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 

 

• • • How did he know it was going to rain? For this we go back to 1 Ki 18:1.

1 Ki 18:1 (NKJV) — 1 And it came to pass after many days that the Word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” 

Elijah prayed that the Word of God, would come to pass as He had said! 

 

• • Now listen and learn, God has given us the authority to bring the manifestation of his will in the earth by our prayers. But we must ask persistently for it to be done and not give up.

 

God’s will, will be done in the earth whether we pray for it or not, but he gives us an opportunity to exercise our faith by praying to him for it to be done. 

 

According to how we pray, God rewards us for our faith!

 

(Special note for disciples: For further study on this meditate on Ezekiel 36:24-36 and see that in order to bring what God said he would do the pass he would wait on the people to pray for it! )

 

CONCLUSION

• Conclusion 

• • • The foundation for our dominance over all the earth

• • • How to recover dominance over the earth

• • • How to Pray

• • • Elijah our example

• •  

Lk 18:1 (NKJV) — 1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,   

 

Lk 18:2–8 (NKJV) — 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 

 

7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. 

 

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” 

 

• • Your faith in God is revealed through your prayer life. It may seem as though it accomplishes little but you continue to pray by faith.

 

Persistent prayer reveals the reality of your faith that God will bring to pass the manifestation of what you ask for. 

 

 

• • You prove that you believe God will be faithful to his Word by your faithful prayers.

What if you got to lose by praying? Absolutely Nothing!

 

What have you got to gain by prayer? All that you can believe to ask for and more!!!

 

Eph 3:20 (NKJV) — 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, 

according to the power that works in us, 

 

Now fight the good fight of faith!

 

PRAY ALWAYS God will reward your faith!

 

You Ought To Be A Prayer Warrior!