Although
the phrase “prayer warrior” is not found in Scripture, a prayer warrior is
generally thought of as a Christian who prays continually and effectively for
others in the manner of praying taught in Scripture. Therefore, prayer warriors
pray to Father God (Matthew 6:9) in the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians
3:16; Jude 1:20) and in the name of Jesus (John 14:13). To be a warrior in
prayer is to engage in the spiritual battle and fight the good fight of faith
wearing the full armor of God and “pray[ing] in the Spirit on all occasions
with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:10-18).
While all Christians are to be prayer warriors, there are some people who feel
they have a special and unique ability to pray and have been called by God to
pray as their special ministry. The Bible never specifies certain people who
are to pray more often, more diligently, or more effectively than other
Christians, but there are diligent pray-ers who are known for their emphasis on
prayer. Paul commands that “requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be
made for everyone” (1 Timothy 2:1), and he says nothing that would indicate
some people are exempt from doing so. All believers in Christ have the Holy
Spirit who helps us communicate our prayer requests (Romans 8:26-27). All
believers are to be praying in the name of Jesus, which means that Jesus Christ
is our Lord and Savior, that we trust in Him for everything, including His
interceding with the Father for us in all things, and that we live and pray in
accordance with God’s will. Praying in Jesus’ name does not mean merely adding
“in Jesus’ name” to a prayer. Rather, it means praying in submission to His
will.
As prayer warriors, we rejoice in all things and have a spirit of thankfulness
for what God is doing in our lives and the lives of others, and our own spirits
grow day by day as we come to realize the magnitude of our blessings. We know
with certainty that God provided the breath we just took (Isaiah 42:5); that He
has forgiven our past, present and future sins (1 John 2:12); that He loves us
with an eternal love (Ephesians 2:4-7); and that we have a place in heaven with
our Lord (1 Peter 1:3-5). Our hearts, then, are filled with joy and peace and
overflow with love for God, and we want others to have this same love, joy and
peace. Therefore, we work for them by praying.
Effective prayer is indeed work. We have to learn to walk with God, so we
meditate daily on Him and His ways in order to become more and more humble,
which is essential for effective prayer (2 Chronicles 7:13-15). We also study
Scripture thoughtfully every day to learn what is pleasing to God and therefore
what constitutes acceptable prayer. We learn to eliminate hindrances to prayer
(Mark 11:25; 1 Peter 3:7; 1 John 3:21-22) and not to grieve the
Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30-32). We learn that we are in a spiritual battle
with Satan, so we must pray for our own spiritual well-being to maintain our
strength and focus in praying for others (Ephesians 6:12-18).
Prayer warriors have a heart for God, a heart for prayer, a heart for people,
and a heart for Christ’s church. Therefore, we pray continually and trust that
God answers each prayer according to His perfect will and in His perfect
timing.
- Provided by "Got Questions Ministries"
