“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

During this season of prayer and fasting, our church holds a morning prayer time throughout the week. One morning as we began worship, I saw a man take his seat. The thing I noticed about the man, was that he was shadow boxing as he got to his seat. It’s a small thing, something that can be easily disregarded, but that picture stuck with me. So, I prayed into that picture, asked God what he was trying to say to me. Then it clicked. Prayer is often looked at like a small part of our walk with Christ, that it’s an asking of God to get the things we want. This is so wrong, prayer is not small, prayer is not to be overlooked, prayer is communication with the creator of the universe.

All too often we can get into a habit of prayer, making it just another “thing” we do to check it off our list. We have to rethink the way we pray. You are not simply asking a genie for a wish, you are entering the spiritual plane, entering into the fray of war and seeking the king. It’s not a sideline moment, it’s the moment we get on the field and go. This is what we see over and over in scripture, men and women entering a battle, seeking the guidance of their savior. Jesus prayed, over and over he makes time to pray, his prayers were not frail, they were intense conversation in the presence of God. We need to realize that we are in a daily battle, we need to start praying warrior prayers. We need to pursue Christ like our lives depend on it, because it does. The enemy is prowling around like a lion, waiting for the moment to manipulate you and kill you. He is not some Halloween costume devil, he is a snake waiting to tear you down, piece by piece. Today I want to speak power over you, I want you to rethink the way you pray, because your life depends on it.

Prayer is not passive.

Do you know how to kill a snake? You cut its’ head off. If you don’t go for the head, the snake will not stop striking until the prey is devastated. There is a reason Satan came as a snake in the beginning, Adam and Eve simply failed to trust in God and cut his head off. There are lies that have been spoken over you, fears that have crept in and tried to debilitate you; these are from the snake. We need to enter prayer and cry out to God, placing full trust in his plan, not the lies spoken over us. We have a choice, we can trust the victor, or listen to the lies of someone who has already lost the war. When we pray, we are fighting back the lies. We are asking God for his wisdom and guidance and we are advocating for the struggles in our lives, asking God to give us the strength to cut the snakes head off. Don’t be foolish, understand that your enemy is real, it’s time to stop being a passive prayer and become active in the fight. Cut the snakes head off.

Prayer holds power.

When we pray, we are tapping into the power of Christ. We pray for wisdom, guidance, strength, healing, and visions; all of which are blessings by the Holy Spirit being active in our lives. There is a warning to this power, one that I have seen too many believers fall prey to. The enemy can manipulate our minds to want gifts more than we want the savior. The point of spiritual gifts is to help us seek and save the lost. In prayer, these gifts are given because the war is over the lost, and these gifts help us accomplish the mission that is given to everyone in relationship with Jesus. Prayer is the moment we tap into this power; our warrior prayer. The battle is happening all around us, we have the advantage, the lost don’t. We have to cut the head off the snake in our own lives and use the power that God gives us to reach out to the hurting and the lost. There is power in prayer, so pray powerfully.

The same way I saw the man shadow box, we need to enter prayer like a warrior. As a follower of Christ, you can no longer sit back and be passive, you have to be active and step into the power of Christ. The best thing I’ve done in my relationship with Christ is increase the intentionality of my prayers. When I am seeking wisdom, I am crying out because I am a leader and only want to follow where God leads. When I am praying for healing over someone, I am entering the battle with them, lifting out of the muck and supporting their fight. When I am praying over my relationship with Danielle, I am cutting through the thorns the enemy has placed around me so that I can join with my future wife in our marriage. When I am afraid, I am running across the battle field, sword drawn and guns ready, I will refuse to bow to anything other than my savior. When my soul is tired, I pray for supernatural energy to continue the battle and trust my God is for me and never against me. We are warriors. There is no time to sit back and be lazy, we have been called to reach out and bring the broken home.

Each day, enter prayer like a warrior; you are battling through hell with nothing to fear because God has already won the war.

-Joshua Thomas