Going to Battle Prayer... Part 1

Dear Jesus - Give us Your strength to do the work You've given us...

Who is on your prayer list?  I mean - who do you pray for?  Maybe there are those in your life that you THINK about praying for, but really - is it more that you wish that God would save them or deliver them from a circumstance?  This describes me for 99% of my life.

However, (hallelujah!) recently the Lord has graciously swept away a lot of the deceptions clouding my mind with respect to praying for those I love.  And now I'm fired up about my list!  Here we go...


First off - let's get down to the details of WHY individuals engage in sin.  Sure, we believe we all choose to sin.  But honestly, that is sort of a discouraging generality.  So let's get specific.  What does the Bible say?

Here's a powerful verse where Paul is talking about the sin in the world.  Here he explains a foundational truth:  Satan is the prince of the power of the air - the spirit of the age - the source of prevailing culture - the 'zeitgeist' of the age.  Those who are 'disobedient' - are so by the power of this evil spirit.

Ephesians 2:2 NASB
in which you formerly walked according to the course [or AGE] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

As if to spell it out for us as plainly as possible, Paul details in 2 Corinthians that the 'god of this age' (remember above?) or Satan and his evil angels have literally 'blinded the minds' of those who are defined as 'unbelieving'.  And WHY do they do this?  Specifically SO THAT the deceived humans might not see the glory - the light - the freedom from bondage - the freedom from oppression - that Jesus has to give them!  Powerful, huh?!

2 Corinthians 4:4 NASB
in whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

So - what can we do?  Hey now!  There's a LOT we can do!  It is powerful!  Let us pick up our SWORDS (the Bible) and go to battle!  First - we stand on the WORD!  We find those promises given in the Bible and we wield our swords.  We claim these promises - in prayer - on behalf of those in our lives.  The first promise we can claim with power - we ask for freedom from deception so a free choice can be made - is John 8:36.

John 8:36 NASB
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Dear Jesus - we plead Your Word and ask You to free __________ because only a free person can choose whom to serve.

Next - we remind Jesus that He alone can turn or change the heart of a man.  You remember that the Bible calls men to be kings and priests, right?  So we claim this next verse:

Proverbs 21:1 NASB
The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it wherever He wishes.

As the Lord begins to free and change the heart of the people on our list, oh we BEG for Jesus to do what He is doing for us - in our friends!

Ezekiel 36:26-27 NASB
Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Then we couple that with asking for Jesus to grow that hatred for sin He planted deep in the heart of every human being...

Genesis 3:15 NASB
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall crush you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel."

Now we have a powerful prayer - for ourselves as well as our prayer list.  It might look something like this:

Dear Jesus -  I have a list here in my hand of my family, neighbors, friends and co-workers who are in bondage to deception.  Jesus I believe time is too short to allow their condition to continue.  So I come boldly before Your throne and I plead Your precious promises.  Not because I am worthy, but because You are worthy!  You are not a man, You cannot lie!  So even now - I ask You to set free the people on my list.  I ask You to turn their hearts toward You, to plant Your Spirit within them and to give them a heart of flesh.  I ask You to grow that hatred of sin You have planted deep within every human heart.  Oh Jesus - do this for me too!  And grant me discernment in my relationships with these individuals that I may see You answering my prayer and obey Your voice when You ask me to go further on their behalf.  I praise You Jesus that You are a conquering hero who will give every man a free choice and I praise You that You desire none to be lost.  In Jesus precious name - Amen!

Now - honestly - doesn't that stir up your spirit to fight for those you love?